Metro Schools broke law, misled school board about contracts #PerformanceMatters @mcps @mocoboe #SuperintendentJackRSmith

Montgomery County Public Schools spent $1.5 million on a no bid Performance Matters contract in FY18.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Metro Nashville Public Schools steered $1.8 million in no-bid contracts to a company with whom Director of Schools Dr. Shawn Joseph had done business in the past, violating state purchasing laws, a NewsChannel 5 investigation has discovered.

Our exclusive investigation also uncovered evidence that, in doing so, Joseph and his team repeatedly misled members of the Metro School Board about key aspects of the deals.

"That just raises red flags for me," said school board member Amy Frogge, who has emerged as a frequent critic of how Joseph's administration has handled the district's business. “Those are alarm bells.”

In a written statement, Metro Schools insisted that mistakes were made “in good faith.”

The contracts in question involve Performance Matters, a Utah-based firm that markets student assessment software to help educators track student progress and professional development software to monitor training that teachers are required to complete.

Joseph, who took control over the Nashville school system in July 2016, had appeared in a slickly produced video that touted how Performance Matters' student assessment software had been utilized in his previous job in Prince George's County, Maryland...

https://www.newschannel5.com/newschannel-5-investigates/metro-schools-broke-law-misled-school-board-about-contracts?fbclid=IwAR1aOBpEIgDk-yVFjUkpKXLD___QDOThHefHwjO2j7HljAyV_rHoQUjADkY