Kids are being tested more and more, and lobbyists pushing big for these policies are part of the reason why.

Corporate special interests get their way not only by spending big to buy off legislators, but by working to influence public opinion behind the scenes.

On Saturday, the Austin American-Statesman published an education op-ed by Sandy Kress. Kress offered an impassioned argument in favor of neoliberal education policy, starting with a defense of the use of high-stakes standardized testing.

But what the op-ed did not see fit to mention was Kress’s own lobbying work on behalf of testing companies and other education interests. Here’s some education-related interests that Kress works for as a lobbyist. This data is drawn from the Texas Ethics Commission:

     Edvance Research Inc. 
     9901 IH-10 West, Suite 1000  San Antonio, TX 78230
     Type of Compensation: Prospective
     Less Than $10,000.00
     Client Start Date: 01/20/2012
     Client Term Date: 02/09/2012

     Pearson Education 
     1 Lake Street  Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
     Type of Compensation: Prospective
     $50,000 - $99,999.99
     Client Start Date: 01/20/2012
     Client Term Date: 12/31/2012

     Teach For America 
     315 West 36th Street, 7th Floor  New York, NY 10018
     Type of Compensation: Prospective
     $10,000 - $24,999.99
     Client Start Date: 01/20/2012
     Client Term Date: 12/31/2012

The paper should make every effort to disclose these lobbying ties any time Kress writes an op-ed related to education policy.