Pearson Junkets for Education Commissioners and State Ethics Laws

New York Times:  Free Trips Raise Issues for Officials in Education

Since 2008, the Pearson Foundation, the nonprofit arm of one of the nation’s largest educational publishers, has financed free international trips — some have called them junkets — for education commissioners whose states do business with the company. When the state commissioners are asked about these trips — to Rio de Janeiro; London; Singapore; and Helsinki, Finland — they emphasize the time they spend with educators from around the world to get ideas for improving American public schools......Rarely do they mention that they also meet with top executives of the Pearson company.The foundation’s officials say the free trips are solely educational and have no business purpose.

On the foundation’s tax forms for the last two years, the line for listing “payments of travel or entertainment expenses for any federal, state or local public officials” has been left blank.
That may be a problem. Experts in tax law say that Pearson appears to be using its foundation to push its business interests, which would be a violation of the federal tax code.

“The Pearson conferences fit the same fact pattern as the influence-buying junkets that the convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff arranged for members of Congress,” said Marcus S. Owens, a lawyer who was director of the Exempt Organizations Division of the Internal Revenue Service for 10 years and is a former board member of the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance. “Those junkets were paid for by private charities.”

The education commissioners may also be violating state ethics laws. After I wrote about the conferences last month, the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board opened an inquiry to determine whether the recent trip to Brazil by its commissioner, Jason E. Glass,violated state law...

full text of article at this link.

June 29, 2011 - 10 AM - MSA Results to be released

MSDE TO RELEASE 2011 MARYLAND SCHOOL ASSESSMENT RESULTS

BALTIMORE, MD (June 27, 2011)
WHO: State Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick
Staff of the Maryland State Department of Education

WHAT: Release of the Maryland School Assessment (MSA) results for the 2011 school year. Also being released is information regarding elementary and middle school Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) data.

MSA exams are given to third- through eighth grade students in reading and mathematics. More than 360,000 students took the exams this past spring. The data are used to determine whether or not schools meet the federal No Child Left Behind requirements.

WHEN: 10 a.m., Wednesday, June 29

WHERE: Shortly after the State Superintendent releases the scores, they will be available for the public at www.mdreportcard.org

State Superintendent Search

Baltimore Sun reporter Liz Bowie is following the story of the state superintendent search, as current state superintendent Nancy Grasmick will step down on June 30th.  The state superintendent is appointed by the state Board of Education.  All 12 members of the state Board of Education have been appointed by Governor O'Malley (D).

Here are excerpts:

A number of observers say that it would be best if the next superintendent is from Maryland but that it is more important to have a great leader who is a quick study. They also listed a set of priorities that include focusing on reducing the achievement gap of students of color and low-income students, figuring out ways to be innovative within the constraints of tight economic times, working collaboratively with the teachers unions and higher education, and making science and math a priority.


Robert C. Embry, president of the Abell Foundation, said the state board will have to first decide what their agenda will be for the coming years. It may be, he said, that Marylanders are happy with the status quo and will not want to embrace a more radical agenda that might lead to a change in the often-criticized charter school law or the practice of getting rid of teachers based on seniority. "I don't know what the present school board has as its priorities. There are a lot of very controversial issues nationally," he said.


But more importantly, experts also said, the state school board should focus on the next superintendent's personality and background as much as the agenda.

and:

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller would like to see that in the next superintendent. "We need someone with a great deal of teaching experience and supervisory experience," he said, adding that the next leader also must place children first and draw authority from the assumption that student needs are behind all of their actions.

"She transcended politics. Her loyalty was always to the students," Miller said of Grasmick.

To read the full story, go here.

Nancy Grasmick to step down, June 30, 2011

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/2011/03/nancy_grasmick_to_step_down_so.html

Leggett gives away public school site, proposes cuts to County services

In the same week that County Executive Ike Leggett pushed hard (even sending his staff attorney to Baltimore for the Nancy Grasmick committee review) to see a 19.5 acre public school site sold to a private organization for an estimated net proceeds of $800,000 to the County, he is also proposing cuts to vital county services including ambulance services. 


Note to County Executive Ike Leggett: If you needed an extra $14 million from the ambulance fees legislation that didn't pass why didn't you sell the 19.5 acre Peary High School site for market rate? 


Also note: No mention of cutting up the County credit cards floating around...or cutting day trips to Baltimore for his staff.

FY11 Savings Plan

Peary High School Rebuilt in One Day!

Rome wasn't built in a day, but Peary High School was! 


As of yesterday morning, the Maryland State Public School Construction Program thought that the Peary High School building had been demolished. 


After months and months of preparation for today's meeting to approve the sale of the Peary High School site, the State had been told by Montgomery County Government that the Peary HS building had been demolished. That meant that there was no value left to the State of Maryland in this public school site. 


But...after the Agenda for today's meeting was made public the State of Maryland was alerted to the fact that Peary High School is in fact still standing! 


So take a look at the new Agenda for today's meeting of the State Committee to grant preliminary approval for the Peary High School sale. 


See the highlighted information below that shows the inclusion of a 220,000 sq. ft. building on the Peary High School site and the information that the State of Maryland has a $1,192,198 investment in this public school building. The State of Maryland is entitled by law to be reimbursed for some or all of their investment in this public school building. 


What a difference a day makes. Yesterday the State of Maryland had no financial interest in the sale of the Peary High School site, today they could have anywhere up to a $1,192,198 interest. 

Peary High School Sale With Building

Grasmick: MCPS will not be left out in the cold on Race to the Top $$

At the September 21, 2010, Maryland State Board of Education meeting, State Superintendent Nancy Grasmick announced that, "Frederick and Montgomery Counties will not be left out in the cold." 

Recall that MCPS and FCPS did not sign on to the State's Race to the Top application and therefore will not receive a share of the grant like other Maryland counties. In MCPS' case, that meant giving up $12 million that would have come to the county to implement Maryland's Race to the Top initiatives. 

At the September 21st State Board meeting, Grasmick announced that MCPS and FCPS will have a second chance to get a small portion of the State's Race to the Top Grant funding.  

An MSDE official reported to the State Board: 

"There is not going to be a re-distribution of the dollars, and I know you understand that, but they can become sort of a participating entity..."

'You know there's the $125 million that goes to the state and there's the $125 million that goes to the [Local Education Agencies] LEAs -- the $125 million that goes to the LEA's will stay at the same formula that it's been because that was our application, but they would allow us to amend our application to allow that... $13.3 million -  That are different types of subgrants that we can make out of our portion to different LEA'S..."

"We can include both Montgomery and Frederick counties in that, and we think that's a good idea."

Grasmick said that everyone should be on board to share data and information as we move ahead.

Will MCPS be able to share data and information with the Maryland State Department of Education or will they be barred by confidentiality requirements of their agreement with Pearson Education, Inc.? 

Will MCPS take any portion of the State's Race to the Top funding or will MCPS refuse to implement the State's Race to the Top initiatives and refuse the funding? 

Race to the Top windfall for D.C., Md. schools | Washington Examiner

Race to the Top windfall for D.C., Md. schools | Washington Examiner

...Maryland was seen as an underdog in the competition, largely because of a charter school law regarded by many advocates as among the weakest in the nation. But the state scored $250 million on the strength of its proposed reforms to teacher training and evaluation, and because the application earned some union backing.

Outgoing Montgomery County Superintendent Jerry Weast, who was one of two Maryland superintendents to withhold his support for the funding, said he was "tickled to death" that the state won the money.

"Because now they can stop saying we kept them from being a winner," Weast said.

The county did not sign on to the application due to disagreements over the best way to evaluate teachers, Weast said.

Mike Petrilli, vice president of education think tank Thomas B. Fordham Institute, cited Maryland's victory as proof that the "lofty rhetoric of the Race to the Top has turned to farce."

"[N]obody in their right mind regards [Maryland] as an incubator of serious education reform," he wrote on his organization's Flypaper blog.

Maryland State Superintendent Nancy Grasmick disagreed, saying the funds will "bolster our data systems, improve instruction, and attract and maintain a stronger educational work force."

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Race-to-the-Top-windfall-for-D_C__-Md_-schools-558527-101430834.html#ixzz0xgAJccBS

The Wall: A new movie by Superintendent Weast

Welcome to the urban middle school of the future!

Take a look at THE WALL, as seen from the street level, that Superintendent Jerry Weast is constructing at the Cabin John Middle School modernization site.

Attempts to find THE WALL on the construction plans for this school site submitted to the County have as yet been unsuccessful, but we will keep you updated on our search. In the meantime, take a look at THE WALL that is now next to the sidewalk on Gainsborough Road. This is how the school site will look from the street level and this is only the beginning of THE WALL...

TELL Survey Results Released

Results of the statewide Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning Maryland Survey (TELL) were finally made public yesterday.  

Unfortunately, results for some schools, including many MCPS schools, are not being made available to the public because the schools did not meet the minimum required response rate of 50%. 

The overall survey participation rate for MCPS of 44.46% was the third-lowest of all Maryland school districts.   Only Prince Georges County schools and Anne Arundel County schools had lower participation rates.

The survey results can be found here.

Dr. Grasmick Gets Snow Creative

Congrats to Dr. Grasmick for finally thinking about a solution to the lack of educational opportunities caused by the closing of schools for over one week.

Student Service Learning Hours!  What a novel idea.  Now kids can get SSL hours for shoveling out their own front sidewalks.

I wonder though, whether Dr. Grasmick is aware of the preapproval requirement and paperwork involved in getting approved SSL hours from an entity that is not on the pre-approved list.  According to MCPS's own website:

Approval of MCPS Form 560-50; Request for SSL Pre approval is required in advance of service with organizations and opportunities that are not listed at www.mcpsssl.org as MCPS SSL approved.

Also - SSL hours can only be done for a non-profit organization.  Its doubtful that neighbors, whether retired or otherwise, are considered non-profit organizations. 

SSL requires planning and documentation. It must be performed with a nonprofit, tax exempt organization and supervised by their representative. SSL includes the phases of preparation, action and reflection. Students may earn a maximum of 8 SSL hours within a 24-hour period. Students may not be compensated for their services.

Supervision, action, and reflection are also components of the SSL hours.


So, nice try Dr. Grasmick, its a little late, and its really not feasible.  Unless the neighbors are pre-approved, MoCo students can't get hours for shoveling out the neighborhood.  Achievement may matter most, but it certainly won't get students student service learning hours.

Students in MoCo - its still a great idea to help out your neighbors shovel out.  But do it because its the right thing to do, even if you don't qualify for student service learning hours.

	For Immediate Release Contact: William Reinhard, 410-767-0486  NEWS RELEASE MARYLAND STUDENTS SHOVELING SNOW IS MORE THAN NEIGHBORLY – IT’S A SERVICE-LEARNING OPPORTUNITY Students earn service-learning hours by helping with natural disaster recovery BALTIMORE, MD (February 12, 2010) With Maryland’s record-setting snow storms, schools across the state have been closed for more than a week. But instead of staying cooped up in the house, many Maryland students have grabbed a shovel to help their neighbors dig out.    “This past week, Maryland has experienced a truly historic event, and students should really feel like they are a part of that,” said Nancy S. Grasmick, State Superintendent of Schools. “Every community is built on the people in it — the young to the old, the healthy to the sick. It is critical for everyone in the community to come together to support each other.” As a result, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is encouraging local school systems to allow students to turn his or her “snow aid” into service-learning credits, which are a Maryland High School Diploma requirement. “We need to encourage that sense of community and compassion in students whenever we can,” said Dr. Grasmick. “Students can make a significant contribution to their community simply by helping those who can’t — by shoveling walkways, steps, porches, and alleys.”   A student interested in possibly earning service-learning credits for helping neighbors should contact the school’s service-learning coordinator once classes resume to see if they are eligible, and to find out what procedure they should follow. To make the connection between shoveling snow and service learning, schools can provide instruction on community interdependence; natural disaster recovery; the roles of government during emergencies; and how being an involved citizen is necessary and vital to recovery. Maryland is the first state, and only state, to have a service-learning graduation requirement. For more information about service-learning in Maryland, go to www.MarylandPublicSchools.org/MSDE/programs/servicelearning.