Identical: Pearson & MCPS Curriculum Guides

Do Montgomery County parents and guardians get that their children are learning the exact same math, reading, science, social studies and writing curriculum being used across the country by Pearson?

MCPS no longer has a local curriculum or even a Maryland State curriculum, MCPS is using Pearson Education, Inc.'s curriculum.

Parents and guardians in other states have rallied against the Pearson curriculum and tests, but not here in Montgomery County.
 
In some jurisdictions Pearson testing has even been dropped, but not here in Montgomery County. 

For parents and guardians that don't understand that their children are receiving a Pearson Education, Inc. curriculum here in Montgomery County, here is a visual to help make the point.

At this link is the Pearson Grade 1 curriculum guide.

Below is the MCPS "Integrated Curriculum" Grade 1 curriculum guide.  The pink highlighting shows where the words and sentences used to describe the curriculum are identical to the words and sentences in the Pearson guide above.  Yet, the MCPS guide doesn't mention Pearson or the Pearson trademark anywhere on the document.

Note that Pearson does not do curriculum for art, music, health, physical education and information literacy in their guide.

   Pearson - MCPS Grade 1 Curriculum Guide comparison by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

Morrison resigned as CMS superintendent after investigation into misconduct allegations | CharlotteObserver.com

Morrison resigned as CMS superintendent after investigation into misconduct allegations | CharlotteObserver.com

Jane Kubasik on the road for Jerry Weast & Joshua Starr

SVP 2012 Conference
Portland, OR
Audacious Philanthrophy
Transforming a School District

Presenter: Jane Kubasik – Founder and Chief Strategist, 114th Partnership and Board Member at Montogmery County Business Roundtable for Education

There is no question: the US needs to graduate more high school seniors and graduate them ready for college and careers. The community of Montgomery County, Maryland—home to one of the US’s largest school system—has been successful on both counts. Jane Kubasik, former Executive Director at Montgomery County Business Roundtable for Education and Founder and Chief Strategist at 114th Partnership, will share the story of that success. Under Jane’s leadership, MCBRE developed a new approach to business education partnerships with a strategy focused on leveraging the experience of business into the challenges of public education. Learn what worked and what didn’t and how these lessons can be applied in your community.

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114th Partnership - Organization owned by MCBRE

MCBRE - Organization started by Superintendent Jerry Weast when he arrived in Montgomery County. Superintendent Joshua Starr joined MCBRE when he came to MCPS. 

Starr-Weast-Gallup Connection

It's a small world after all.


Gallup is a founding national partner of MCBRE's new business the 114th Partnership.

The 114th Partnership was formed to work closely with former MCPS Superintendent Jerry Weast's new business the Partnership for Deliberate Excellence.


MCPS' current Superintendent Joshua Starr is on the Board of Advisors of MCBRE.  The MCBRE Board of Advisors elects the MCBRE Board of Directors.* 


Superintendent Joshua Starr recently announced that he would be cancelling the MCPS administration of the McGraw Hill Terra Nova standardized test.


Starr announced that money saved by eliminating the Terra Nova tests would be used to purchase $300,000 in polling from Gallup.  


Superintendent Starr is apparently making a direct award of the $300,000 contract to Gallup without competitive bidding or a RFP.  Gallup was named as the recipient of these funds without mention of a competitive contract award process by the Board of Education. 


*The MCBRE Board of Advisors elects the MCBRE Board of Directors as detailed in the Harvard Case Study on MCBRE.  Buy the Harvard Case Study on MCBRE for $6.95 and learn all about how MCBRE runs and its history.

New partnership will team San Rafael school and business leaders - Marin Independent Journal

New partnership will team San Rafael school and business leaders - Marin Independent Journal

""The results that have been attained in Montgomery County are nothing short of phenomenal," said Marin County Superintendent of Schools Mary Jane Burke. "Over a period of approximately 12 years, they were able to raise the bar for all of their kids while simultaneously closing the 'achievement gap.'""

****************
Phenomenal? Is the Achievement Gap in MCPS really closed?

I hope Superintendent Mary Jane Burke takes the time to read the "Report on Our Call To Action," and decides for herself.

Minority achievement gap widens slightly in 2011 results

Gazette:  AP performance steady for Montgomery schools

Overall performance on Advanced Placement tests in 2011 was nearly identical to last year’s scores for Montgomery County Public Schools students... 

...From 2010 to 2011, the achievement gap between white students and black and Hispanic students widened slightly in terms of tests passed, from 31.8 to 32.3 percentage points between whites and blacks, and from 23 to 23.6 percentage points between whites and Hispanics...

Kleenex, Aspirin, and MCPS

Question - what do Kleenex, Aspirin, and MCPS have in common?


No, its got nothing to do with the headache parents get when they try to communicate with their children's school, nor is it the tissue that accompanies the Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings.


Today we are talking about brand names or trademarks.  Some products and trademarks have become so common that they are used to name a product.  Like kleenex and aspirin. 


Is this a bad thing?  A brand name is a form of intellectual property, and property is something most folks like to protect.  According to the US Patent and Trade Office, intellectual property is:

It is the ownership of dream, an idea, an improvement, an emotion that we can touch, see, hear, and feel. It is an asset just like your home, your car, or your bank account.  . . .
Just like other kinds of property, intellectual property needs to be protected from unauthorized use. . .

A trademark is a form of intellectual property,  Also from the USPTO:

A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol, or design, or a combination thereof, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others.
. . .
A trademark typically protects brand names and logos used on goods and services.

Trademarks are like brand names, however, if they become commonly used, they no longer distinguish the brand from other similar products. Kleenex and aspirin used to be trademarked,  Improper use of a trademark or brand may cause the loss of legal protection.  If the public thinks the name is the common name—like aspirin, kleenex, or scotch tape—then the law will not protect the mark from competitive use. But if the public thinks the name is a brand name, trademark status may be preserved.

Most organizations care about their trademarks, and vigorously defend against the improper use of their marks by others.  Think MacDonalds, Ben and Jerry's.  Even the National Cancer Institute and other federal agencies protect their marks.

But sadly, not MCPS.

Did you know that the MCPS brand has now gone public?  With the departure of our former Superintendent, Dr. Jerry Weast, the MCPS brand has gone national. 

Its called the 114th Partnership. 

They have a website:   http://www.114th.org/

From Montgomery County to a national organization.

We’ve launched our initial effort to share what we’ve learned with a community in San Rafael, California. We’re working with educators and businesses to create a Community of Deliberate Excellence. This program is a joint effort between the Partnership for Deliberate Excellence, founded by the nationally renowned Dr. Jerry Weast, and the 114th Partnership. We aim to build three Communities of Deliberate Excellence within our first year and up to ten over the first three years.

We also work closely with Dr. Jerry Weast—former superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools and founder of the Partnership for Deliberate Excellence—as well as other leading education consultants to coach school system leadership teams.
And we know that every community has a business community willing to share lessons learned and engage with education leadership in peer-to-peer dialogues.
The work of the 114th Partnership is underwritten by regional and national foundations and also supported by our founding national partners: Deloitte, Gallup, Kaiser Permanente, Pearson, Sodexo, and UnitedHealthcare.

Throughout the webpage of 114th.org, you will see references to MCPS.  Looks like the MCPS Brand is going national.  And if you need more proof, follow the links to the contacts on the 114th.org webpage, and you will wind up at MCBRE.

And, who is MCBRE?


The Montgomery County Business Roundtable for Education (MCBRE) is a nonprofit comprised of senior business leaders who collaborate with the top education leaders in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). Together, we explore how our organizations can solve leadership challenges.

Here is what the press is reporting: 

The 114th Partnership is a national program within the Montgomery County Business Roundtable for Education (MCBRE), a 501(c)(3) organization

So - have the senior business leaders and MoCo top education leaders taken the brand national?  Can they do this? 
Reading the website of 114th.org, you have to ask - does our Board of Education know about this?  They must, after all, because our own Dr. Starr is on the MCBRE Board. 

Where is our legal counsel when we need them to protect our intellectual property, our brand?


Maybe they are too busy handing out kleenex for special education parents. 


Here is one last piece of advice from the US PTO:

If you are an intellectual property owner, you should protect your rights. If you are a user, you should respect them. It is just as wrong to steal intellectual property as it is to break into a home, steal a car, or rob a bank.

I have a headache, and I don't think aspirin will be effective.

Update on New Superintendent Search

All,
Last week I spoke with Hank Gmitro, of Hazard, Young. Attea (HYA, the search firm the Board of Education [BOE] has hired for the superintendent search).  He told me that HYA both received applications; and reached out to potential applicants to compile resumes for the new Montgomery County Public Schools superintendent.  There were 25-30 resumes in all.  These resumes were reviewed by the Board of Education and the list was narrowed to a smaller group of ‘semi-finalists.’  I understand that the Board of Education will be interviewing ‘semi-finalist’ candidates this weekend.  


In addition, the Board has chosen a small group of 14-15 people to invite to a ‘community committee’ which will take place ~April 13^th -15^th, however, those invited have heard nothing further as of last Thursday.  They have signed confidentiality agreements, however, which include agreeing to not take notes at the meeting; and not reveal where the meeting will be held.  These individuals include members of: the unions; NAACP; Gifted and Talented Association (GTA); someone from the Special Education community; the Montgomery County Business Roundtable for Education (MCBRE)*; the PTA; and local colleges.  More were invited however I do not have a complete list.  The only people that have come forward to say they have been invited are Fred Stichnoth, president of GTA; and Kristin Trible, president of MCCPTA.  Both have asked for input prior to the interview.  Thank you both.


If you have not heard from a representative of your group, contact the president to see if they have been invited and make sure your voice is heard.  The school system and the superintendent are paid for by your tax dollars, and, whether you have a child in this system or not, over one-half your tax dollars are going to support this system.  Make sure your voice is heard.


Thank you.
Paula Bienenfeld
Education Committee Chair, Montgomery County Civic Federation


*the MCBRE board is composed of for-profit business members including for example, Pearson, Wachovia Bank, Sodexo, Citigroup, Lockheed Martin, Dell, Hess Construction; representatives of various colleges, and the current superintendent.

MCPS & BoE funding PTA dinner?

Yes, it's a tight budget year! But, MCPS and the Board of Education love a good meal and here they are listed on the MCCPTA dinner invitation as two of the sponsors of the annual MCCPTA dinner.

MCPS and the Board of Education are listed as sponsors at the "Partner" level. Last year a "Partner" level donation (shown in image at left) was between $1,000 and $2,499. (Unknown what was required at this donation level this year.)

It looks as if MCCPTA is just one more organization that is being supported by MCPS and the Board of Education to give the appearance of grass roots support. Remember that Superintendent Weast has funded MCBRE to the tune of millions of dollars to make it appear that the business community was supportive of the school system.

Note that MCCPTA just sponsored a union rally to support the school system's budget.

If 50,000 PTA parents support the school system shouldn't their own advocacy and fundraising speak for itself? Should the school system be writing checks from taxpayer funds to support the county PTAs?


Presidents and Principals Dinner Invitation 2010

Our New CEO: Open the Dialogue

As our current ‘CEO’ gets ready to leave the position of Superintendent of Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools, the Parents Coalition of Montgomery County asks, what qualities do we want in the leader of our educational community?

For the past almost 10 years we have had a superintendent whose hallmark efforts have been devoted to turning our community of scholars into a multi-billion dollar business. As we have noted on these pages many times, of course, MCPS is slightly different from your average multi-billion dollar business: there is no oversight. The current ‘CEO’ model has gone so far as to not only award millions to questionable high-tech gadgets; but early on, was instrumental in forming the ‘Montgomery County Business Roundtable for Education’ (MCBRE) In the end, unlike every other effort to form a partnership between the public schools, which usually need money; and the private sector, which usually donates the money; this one works in reverse. The taxpayers actually fund the private sector, so far did the “education as business’ model go.

So the question is, as we move on, what kind of person do we want to head our community of scholars?

Do we want another ‘CEO’ who funds business with our tax dollars, to the detriment of our children, our classrooms, our teachers and our civic life?

I would urge the citizens of Montgomery County to hire someone with some intellect, someone who believes that our children and our teachers participate in an intellectual community, a community of scholars.

I refer to the recent article, ‘Dehumanized,’ by Mark Slouka, in the current edition of Harper’s Magazine. Slouka’s thesis is that the Humanities have been so marginalized that even spokespeople for the disciplines are left to plead their case by writing of the value of the Humanities to the national economy.

Slouka asks, “Could there exist, buried under our assumptions, another system of value?

He goes on to write,

“Rain does not follow the plow. Political freedom, whatever the market evangelists may tell us, is not an automatic by-product of a growing economy; democratic institutions do not spring up, like flowers at the feet of the magi, in the tire tracks of commerce. They just don’t. They’re a different species. They require a different kind of tending.”

Slouka’s reference to our democratic institutions rings true especially in Montgomery County, where turnouts of less than 10 percent of the voters at election time are common in some areas. Public discourse is damped and at risk by the model of a ‘CEO,’ and a Board of Education that disdains public input and the civic life that results from a robust public education.

The discussion is open.

MCBRE: Mystery Solved

Thanks once again to the folks at Harvard for shedding some sunshine on how our public education dollars are spent here in Montgomery County Maryland.

Last month, the Harvard Business School published a case study on the benefits of MCBRE, the Montgomery County Business Roundtable for Education. MCPS took credit and published the press release on its website, even though the press release was generated by MCBRE's staff.

What is MCBRE and why should we care? Other than the annual Champions for Children dinner and Golf Classic, most folks don't know much about MCBRE or its funding. According to the press release and information reflected in the Board of Education minutes, MCBRE was formed by local businesses. Read further into the materials and you will note that although the businesses "founded" MCBRE, our own Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Jerry Weast, was really the driving force behind the organization. The start up ran into funding complications and was supported entirely by MCPS, operating as an affiliate within the MCPS Department of Family and Community Partnerships.

A search of the MCPS website reveals only fourteen mentions of MCBRE in Board of Education minutes, and nothing after 2004. Beginning with the 2004 -2005 school year, MCPS eliminated its support of MCBRE, forcing the organization to become disentangled from MCPS. As the executive director is quoted in the Harvard report, "It just didn't make sense that a 501c3 business roundtable organization was funded by MCPS contributions and run by MCPS employees."

Little about MCBRE made sense, and when this writer and others tried to find out more, we were not given the information requested - even though as a 501c3, certain documents and annual reports are supposed to be publicly available.

In 2006, the Montgomery County Council of PTAs asked to participate in some of the decision making sessions of the organization, as was envisioned in the initial plan for MCBRE, and was told that the decision was up to Dr. Weast.

MCBRE - The President met with Jane Kubasik, Executive Director of Montgomery County Business Roundtable for Education (MCBRE) re: Champions for Children dinner and our commitment for that night; possible financial help for our presidents and principals dinner and contacts at the Marriott Conference Center. MCBRE meets three times yearly and includes recommendations for MCPS, but MCCPTA doesn’t attend. Jane Kubasik said that it is up to Dr. Weast to allow MCCPTA to participate in the meetings. Minutes MCCPTA Board of Directors Meeting, August 3, 2006.

From the Harvard Business School report, we, the taxpayers and constituents of public education in the county have a view into its activities, functions, and funding. The community now has a list of the selected school-business partnerships and initiatives supported by the business roundtable, and if your school is lucky enough to house one of these programs, you now can properly thank the local businesses that made this happen. We finally have a glimpse into its finances, although the "Statement of Activities" isn't quite the same information as usually found in an annual report.

So - thanks again to the Harvard Business School for finally letting the taxpayers of Montgomery County know about this organization.

Of course, if you want to read the report yourself, according to the press release, you must purchase a copy directly from HBR. Nothing is free in MCPS, not even information about our own school system. Better yet, go to MCBRE, and ask them for a copy of the report.