Connecting The Dots Behind "Connecting The Dots"

There are two disconcerting things about the latest Ed Sector "connecting the dots" report (Big Box: How the Heirs of the Wal-Mart Fortune Have Fueled the Charter School Movement).

The first is the existence of such a broad web of influence coming from a single foundation, whose reach this report explains. Who knew (well, some did), that there was so much Walton money out there, funding so many organizations as well as schools?

However, the second disconcerting thing is that this report is written by and comes from folks who are so closely involved with the charter movement and Walton-funded organizations that are being examined. Hmm. I'm glad the report was done, but to me at least, these connections of both author and organization exceed the limits of just how far a disclosure statement -- this one is lengthy -- can reassure readers that what they're getting is the full, unvarnished story from a truly independent and trustworthy source. Isn't there another way to do it?