Some people aren’t excited by the opportunities afforded by big data, even when those benefits include overhauling a troubled public school system. Politico reports that a sizable group of amateur activists, spurred on by communications over social networks like Facebook, have created a significant political force against the collection of data on children in school. They’re working on shutting down databases in every state that seek to improve public education by gaining more information about how children develop and how behaviors at a young age affect future success. With the NSA revelations and other high-profile privacy concerns, perhaps it isn’t surprising that parents are lashing back, but politicians did not expect this kind of opposition to the databases.
