Former House Education Chairman Lobbying for Pearson
Enlargephoto by: Bob Daemmrich
State Rep. Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, talks with his colleagues about HB500 the education bill on April 6, 2011.
Former House Public Education ChairmanRob Eissler has taken on publishing and testing giant Pearson as a client, according to recent Ethics Commission filings.
The Republican from The Woodlands, who lost his seat in the 2012 Republican primary, is now an Austin lobbyist whose clients include the Harris County Department of Education and the Barbers Hill Independent School District.
Pearson's $468 million, five-year contract to administer the state's new standardized exams has proved controversial amid a growing backlash against high-stakes testing.
"Part of my job is education, and I think they are the No. 1 education company in the world. To focus on their testing seems to be a hot-button issue now, but they are also a publisher," said Eissler, who added that he thought the company had done a "very professional job" fulfilling its responsibilities to the state.
Momentum to reform the student assessment system has swept the Legislature as leaders in