Kahn Academy's stated mission is to "providing a free world-class education for anyone anywhere." They claim to have content aligned to every standard of the Common Core. This is exactly how Meyer represents their position. I don't see how that is a straw man.
It sounds like your argument is that KA doesn't actually claim these things and that it is not reasonable to evaluate it on those grounds. I don't think that finding that Kahn Academy doesn't do what it claims in these regards qualifies as attacking it, unless critique = attack. Further, finding KA lacking in the types of questions it asks students doesn't require offering a better alternative in order for the critique to be valid.
The rest of your comment is probably not that controversial, but these aspects of KA are not what Meyer was evaluating. Special pleading doesn't give Kahn Academy credit for the claims they make. I'm sure they will continue to improve--as the 800lb gorilla in the room, they have plenty of attention from people who can offer suggestions. The Common Core requires students to think more deeply about the mathematics than most of the state standards that came before it, and the types of questions that KA asks its students are too superficial.
It sounds like your argument is that KA doesn't actually claim these things and that it is not reasonable to evaluate it on those grounds. I don't think that finding that Kahn Academy doesn't do what it claims in these regards qualifies as attacking it, unless critique = attack. Further, finding KA lacking in the types of questions it asks students doesn't require offering a better alternative in order for the critique to be valid.
The rest of your comment is probably not that controversial, but these aspects of KA are not what Meyer was evaluating. Special pleading doesn't give Kahn Academy credit for the claims they make. I'm sure they will continue to improve--as the 800lb gorilla in the room, they have plenty of attention from people who can offer suggestions. The Common Core requires students to think more deeply about the mathematics than most of the state standards that came before it, and the types of questions that KA asks its students are too superficial.