Surprise! The Agenda for the just announced December 17th Board of Education retreat shows that the "retreat" is actually going to be an indoctrination session by Superintendent Joshua Starr's long time mentor Larry Leverett!
When did the Montgomery County Board of Education vote to hold this session? Why is the session OFF CAMERA and OFF SITE? What are they hiding from the public?
Why should taxpayers pay to rent a room at an off site location so that the Montgomery County Board of Education can be told what to do and what to think by Superintendent Starr's mentor?
Do taxpayers have to pay Larry Leverett for this presentation?
Can't our Apple Ballot majority elected Board of Education members think for themselves?
Showing posts with label Larry Leverett. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Larry Leverett. Show all posts
Monday, December 16, 2013
Monday, March 4, 2013
Alert! $75,000 for Starr buddy at BOE Retreat Today! Another No-Bid Procurement!
At today's off-camera Board of Education (BOE) meeting the BOE is being told how to run the school system by a Panasonic consultant. Panasonic claims to be providing educational consultation to schools as a way of saying "thanks".
But, today's consultant also owns his own side consulting business. And, the BOE is paying that consultant directly for his services.
That's right, the "thanks" from the Panasonic foundation is that taxpayers get to pay this outside consultant $75,000 for one day's work.
This was another no-bid procurement for the BOE!
And, by the way, the consultant with the BOE today was also a consultant for Superintendent Starr when he was the Stamford, Connecticut superintendent.
Is MCPS now the full employment for Superintendent Joshua Starr's friends public school system?
But, today's consultant also owns his own side consulting business. And, the BOE is paying that consultant directly for his services.
That's right, the "thanks" from the Panasonic foundation is that taxpayers get to pay this outside consultant $75,000 for one day's work.
This was another no-bid procurement for the BOE!
And, by the way, the consultant with the BOE today was also a consultant for Superintendent Starr when he was the Stamford, Connecticut superintendent.
Is MCPS now the full employment for Superintendent Joshua Starr's friends public school system?
Sunday, March 3, 2013
No Thanks Panasonic Foundation
A Company that makes flat screen TVs is running MCPS?
The just released Board of Education (BOE) Agenda for Monday, March 4, 2013 reveals why the BOE is meeting off-camera. They do not want the public to see the next consultant they are bringing in to tell them what to do.
Apparently, Montgomery County citizens elect BOE members who haven't a clue as to how to run a public school system, so the BOE members are constantly meeting with outside consultants from for-profit corporations.
On March 4th, the BOE will spend the day with another consultant from the Panasonic Foundation.
If Panasonic can perk up your family room, you know they can do great things with public schools, right? Hope this vision doesn't conflict with the Pearson vision, or the Wireless Generation vision!
Apparently, Montgomery County citizens elect BOE members who haven't a clue as to how to run a public school system, so the BOE members are constantly meeting with outside consultants from for-profit corporations.
On March 4th, the BOE will spend the day with another consultant from the Panasonic Foundation.
The Foundation was created by Panasonic as a gesture of thanks to the United States and as a way of contributing to American society. Today the Panasonic Foundation isrecognized as a leader in education reform.The consultant they are meeting with is George Perry who wrote the new MCPS BOE Mission Statement and Vision!
...mission and vision statements with language that wasThe BOE will, of course, unanimously vote to approve "their" new vision at the March 4th meeting. Mr. Perry will be at the March 4th meeting to make sure that happens.
developed by Dr. George Perry, Panasonic Foundation consultant...
If Panasonic can perk up your family room, you know they can do great things with public schools, right? Hope this vision doesn't conflict with the Pearson vision, or the Wireless Generation vision!
Thursday, September 6, 2012
BOE Hid From Public Yesterday - Fooled You!
Why did the BOE hide? Because they don't want you to hear what they discuss.
So, they post last minute agendas and meet off camera.
Why in the world would they want the public to hear their important discussions? Do some people think this is a public school system?
The meeting yesterday was particularly special! It included a presentation by Superintendent Joshua Starr's mentor, Larry Leverett. Remember, Mr. Leverett was working the BOE off-camera meetings under Superintendent Weast. And, then, in an amazing coincidence, Joshua Starr was hired as the next superintendent. Small world.
If you look at the BOE meeting page today you will not see a September 5, 2012 meeting listed. (See screenshot.)
If you check the Agenda document properties, you will see that the time stamp on the document shows the Agenda was created September 5, 2012 at 9:52:01 AM.
Now, isn't 9:52 AM on September 5th just a little over 2 hours before the meeting actually started?
You bet.
That's how our Apple Ballot endorsed BOE keeps the public OUT of what should be public discussions.
Here's the Agenda of what you missed.
Surprise BOE Meeting! September 5, 2012
So, they post last minute agendas and meet off camera.
Why in the world would they want the public to hear their important discussions? Do some people think this is a public school system?
The meeting yesterday was particularly special! It included a presentation by Superintendent Joshua Starr's mentor, Larry Leverett. Remember, Mr. Leverett was working the BOE off-camera meetings under Superintendent Weast. And, then, in an amazing coincidence, Joshua Starr was hired as the next superintendent. Small world.
If you look at the BOE meeting page today you will not see a September 5, 2012 meeting listed. (See screenshot.)
If you check the Agenda document properties, you will see that the time stamp on the document shows the Agenda was created September 5, 2012 at 9:52:01 AM.
Now, isn't 9:52 AM on September 5th just a little over 2 hours before the meeting actually started?
You bet.
That's how our Apple Ballot endorsed BOE keeps the public OUT of what should be public discussions.
Here's the Agenda of what you missed.
Surprise BOE Meeting! September 5, 2012
Saturday, June 9, 2012
MCPS School holds Rigor for All, Environment, and High Expectations Meeting for Parents
Is this meeting going to be held at all Montgomery County Public Schools?
Will mcpssuper be Tweeting a response to parents?
Can parents' educational concerns be addressed in 140 characters or less?
Here's the flyer from the Newport Mill Middle School Student Achievement Outreach Night.
Parent Info Night
Will mcpssuper be Tweeting a response to parents?
Can parents' educational concerns be addressed in 140 characters or less?
Here's the flyer from the Newport Mill Middle School Student Achievement Outreach Night.
Parent Info Night
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Gazette Exposes Starr's "Transition team"
In today's Montgomery Gazette the public learns about Superintendent Starr's "transition team." Thanks to Gazette reporter Andrew Ujifusa the public now knows who is on this "team." Why didn't Superintendent Starr tell the public that this team was formed and who was on it? From out of state news sources we know that the "team" has been in existence since before Superintendent Starr's July 1st start date.
The next question is who is PAYING for this team? Anyone want to take a guess since Superintendent Starr hasn't been interested in being transparent about this? Did the Board of Education trade after-school sports for this entourage?
And the final question is, why didn't the Board of Education hire someone who could come in and start to work immediately without outside consultants?
Montgomery’s schools chief turns to New England brainpower on advisory teamTwo-thirds work or worked with county school systemby Andrew Ujifusa, Staff Writer
The transition team for Montgomery County schools’ new superintendent includes the former director of a Harvard graduate school program, the executive director of a corporate foundation dedicated to schools and a former top official with the school system...
...Larry Leverett
Since 2006, Leverett has been executive director of the Panasonic Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Secaucaus, N.J. The organization’s mission, as stated on its website, is “to break the links between race, poverty, and educational outcomes,” echoing the key themes of Peterkin’s Urban Superintendents Program.
Like Starr, Marks and Peterkin, Leverett has education leadership experience in the Northeast, having worked as superintendent of Plainfield, N.J., and Greenwich, Conn., public schools prior to joining the Panasonic Foundation, a Grantmakers for Education biography states. Starr has worked in public schools in Connecticut and New Jersey, as well as New York City.
Leverett has his own connection to another member of the transition team. He also has served on the advisory committee to Peterkin’s Urban Superintendents Program...
-----------------------------
Wednesday August 10, 2011
The transition team for Montgomery County schools’ new
superintendent includes the former director of a Harvard graduate school
program, the executive director of a corporate foundation dedicated to
schools and a former top official with the school system. A group of 15
people is helping Superintendent of Schools Joshua P. Starr take over
the reins of Montgomery County Public Schools. Ten of them work or
formerly worked in the school system, including long-time Weast deputies
Larry Bowers, chief operating officer, and Frieda K. Lacey, deputy
superintendent. A focus on educational equity is a major theme among the
non-school system team members, one highlighted during former
superintendent Jerry D. Weast’s tenure. There also are several links to
the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Several of the members also
have backgrounds in education leadership in the Northeast.
Those employed or formerly employed by the school system include Kathy Gemberling, former deputy superintendent; Vera Gaines, co-lead consulting teacher; Susan Marks, superintendent of schools in Norwalk, Conn. and a former community superintendent in Montgomery County; Ruth Musicante, a professional growth consultant with the school system; Frank Stetson, chief school performance officer; LaVerne Kimball, community superintendent; Scott Murphy, principal; and Brian Edwards, chief of staff.
Rebecca Thessin Thessin has strong ties to Starr, having worked for him as director of school performance and professional development when he was Stamford Public Schools superintendent. She authored an article earlier this year with him about the development of Professional Learning Communities at Stamford. Thessin is an assistant professor at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She specializes in preparing students to be school principals and other leaders in educational settings. She is an academic adviser in the university’s master of arts in Education and Human Development program. She holds an educational doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Urban Superintendents Program. Thessin previously worked as an aide to a deputy superintendent in Boston Public Schools, and has classroom teaching experience.
Robert Peterkin From 1991 until last year, Robert Peterkin was director of the Urban Superintendents Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where Starr was one of his students. The program focuses on producing school leaders who strive for educational equity across racial and socioeconomic lines. Peterkin previously served as superintendent in Cambridge, Mass., and Milwaukee public schools.In an April 2010 interview with the graduate school’s magazine, Peterkin described what makes a good superintendent. “First, someone has to commit to a vision of equitable education for all. And I mean a real commitment, like, ‘I’m willing to get fired over this.’ The second is theory of change. It’s not enough to talk a good game and inspire a community. You have to have the wherewithal to get it done.”He added that both of these qualities required courage to work. Starr specifically thanked Peterkin for his help during his first Board of Education meeting last month.
Larry Leverett Since 2006, Leverett has been executive director of the Panasonic Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Secaucaus, N.J. The organization’s mission, as stated on its website, is “to break the links between race, poverty, and educational outcomes,” echoing the key themes of Peterkin’s Urban Superintendents Program.Like Starr, Marks and Peterkin, Leverett has education leadership experience in the Northeast, having worked as superintendent of Plainfield, N.J., and Greenwich, Conn., public schools prior to joining the Panasonic Foundation, a Grantmakers for Education biography states. Starr has worked in public schools in Connecticut and New Jersey, as well as New York City. Leverett has his own connection to another member of the transition team. He also has served on the advisory committee to Peterkin’s Urban Superintendents Program. The transition team also includes Brian Osborne, superintendent of schools, School District of South Orange and Maplewood, N.J.; and John Kim, chief executive officer, District Management Council.aujifusa@gazette.net
Wednesday August 10, 2011
Montgomery's schools chief turns to New England brainpower on advisory team
Those employed or formerly employed by the school system include Kathy Gemberling, former deputy superintendent; Vera Gaines, co-lead consulting teacher; Susan Marks, superintendent of schools in Norwalk, Conn. and a former community superintendent in Montgomery County; Ruth Musicante, a professional growth consultant with the school system; Frank Stetson, chief school performance officer; LaVerne Kimball, community superintendent; Scott Murphy, principal; and Brian Edwards, chief of staff.
Rebecca Thessin Thessin has strong ties to Starr, having worked for him as director of school performance and professional development when he was Stamford Public Schools superintendent. She authored an article earlier this year with him about the development of Professional Learning Communities at Stamford. Thessin is an assistant professor at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She specializes in preparing students to be school principals and other leaders in educational settings. She is an academic adviser in the university’s master of arts in Education and Human Development program. She holds an educational doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Urban Superintendents Program. Thessin previously worked as an aide to a deputy superintendent in Boston Public Schools, and has classroom teaching experience.
Robert Peterkin From 1991 until last year, Robert Peterkin was director of the Urban Superintendents Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where Starr was one of his students. The program focuses on producing school leaders who strive for educational equity across racial and socioeconomic lines. Peterkin previously served as superintendent in Cambridge, Mass., and Milwaukee public schools.In an April 2010 interview with the graduate school’s magazine, Peterkin described what makes a good superintendent. “First, someone has to commit to a vision of equitable education for all. And I mean a real commitment, like, ‘I’m willing to get fired over this.’ The second is theory of change. It’s not enough to talk a good game and inspire a community. You have to have the wherewithal to get it done.”He added that both of these qualities required courage to work. Starr specifically thanked Peterkin for his help during his first Board of Education meeting last month.
Larry Leverett Since 2006, Leverett has been executive director of the Panasonic Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Secaucaus, N.J. The organization’s mission, as stated on its website, is “to break the links between race, poverty, and educational outcomes,” echoing the key themes of Peterkin’s Urban Superintendents Program.Like Starr, Marks and Peterkin, Leverett has education leadership experience in the Northeast, having worked as superintendent of Plainfield, N.J., and Greenwich, Conn., public schools prior to joining the Panasonic Foundation, a Grantmakers for Education biography states. Starr has worked in public schools in Connecticut and New Jersey, as well as New York City. Leverett has his own connection to another member of the transition team. He also has served on the advisory committee to Peterkin’s Urban Superintendents Program. The transition team also includes Brian Osborne, superintendent of schools, School District of South Orange and Maplewood, N.J.; and John Kim, chief executive officer, District Management Council.aujifusa@gazette.net
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Meet Dr. Starr's Mentor - Larry Leverett
With Dr. Starr coming to MoCo, its time to introduce an important member of his transition team, Larry Leverett.
Dr. Leverett's biography is honorable in its own right. Here is his bio, courtesy of NJ After 3, an organization where he also is a member of the Board:
Yes. Here is why.
Not only is Dr. Leverett on Josh's MoCo Transition team, the two go back to being superintendents in neighboring districts in Connecticut.
And Dr. Leverett, spent eight years as superintendent of the Plainfield Public Schools in New Jersey before moving to the Greenwich Public Schools. Before working in New York City, Dr. Starr was the Director of Accountability for the Plainfield, NJ Public Schools. Dr. Leverett was Dr. Starr's mentor when Dr. Starr was at the Harvard Urban Superintendent's Program.
The two have authored chapters in the same book Every Child, Every Classroom, Every Day. Dr. Leverett wrote chapter 1, Dr. Starr contributed to chapter 6.
And more good news? Dr. Leverett is already an MCPS consultant. He's participated in several retreats for the Board of Education. Best of all, Dr. Leverett facilitated an MCPS BOE retreat in December 2009, and his organization facilitated another September 2010 worksession for the Board of Education.
Do you see a pattern? Are these two inseparable or is it just a coincidence? Six degrees of Keven Bacon comes to mind.
Here are my two questions for the day:
Who is running the June 21 closed BOE retreat/training/team building session?
The bigger question whether the Panasonic Foundation and Dr. Leverett influenced the recent superintendent search. Was the selection open, or did the BOE really have a lead candidate from the start.
Maybe the "P" in MCPS will soon stand for the Montgomery County Panasonic School System.
This may sound like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, but honestly, this song just kept popping into my head all day today, so I thought it was time to sing along:
Dr. Leverett's biography is honorable in its own right. Here is his bio, courtesy of NJ After 3, an organization where he also is a member of the Board:
Dr. Larry Leverett is the Executive Director of the Panasonic Foundation, a corporate foundation with a mission to help public school systems with high percentages of children in poverty to improve learning for all students so that they may use their minds well and become productive, responsible citizens. Leverett recently served as Superintendent of Schools in Greenwich, Connecticut.Wait a minute - doesn't this sound a little like our own Dr. Starr?
His career in education has included urban and suburban experiences as a classroom teacher, elementary principal, assistant superintendent, school board member, and Assistant State Commissioner of Education and 15 years as superintendent in 3 school districts, including Plainfield and Englewood in New Jersey. Leverett serves on advisory committees for the George Lucas Educational Foundation, Educators for Social Responsibility, and the Laura Bush Foundation for School Libraries. He is committed to social justice and ensuring that all children have access to a high quality educational experience in public schools.
Yes. Here is why.
Not only is Dr. Leverett on Josh's MoCo Transition team, the two go back to being superintendents in neighboring districts in Connecticut.
And Dr. Leverett, spent eight years as superintendent of the Plainfield Public Schools in New Jersey before moving to the Greenwich Public Schools. Before working in New York City, Dr. Starr was the Director of Accountability for the Plainfield, NJ Public Schools. Dr. Leverett was Dr. Starr's mentor when Dr. Starr was at the Harvard Urban Superintendent's Program.
The two have authored chapters in the same book Every Child, Every Classroom, Every Day. Dr. Leverett wrote chapter 1, Dr. Starr contributed to chapter 6.
And more good news? Dr. Leverett is already an MCPS consultant. He's participated in several retreats for the Board of Education. Best of all, Dr. Leverett facilitated an MCPS BOE retreat in December 2009, and his organization facilitated another September 2010 worksession for the Board of Education.
Do you see a pattern? Are these two inseparable or is it just a coincidence? Six degrees of Keven Bacon comes to mind.
Here are my two questions for the day:
Who is running the June 21 closed BOE retreat/training/team building session?
The bigger question whether the Panasonic Foundation and Dr. Leverett influenced the recent superintendent search. Was the selection open, or did the BOE really have a lead candidate from the start.
Maybe the "P" in MCPS will soon stand for the Montgomery County Panasonic School System.
This may sound like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, but honestly, this song just kept popping into my head all day today, so I thought it was time to sing along:
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