Monday, December 16, 2013

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Pearson caught in the act. Says they're sorry.

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Pearson caught in the act. Says they're sorry.:

Pearson caught in the act. Says they're sorry.

Pearson, the textbook/testing publishing giant, was caught misusing its non-profit arm to bribe N.Y. and other state educators with international junkets. The British-based conglomerate which has made billions in profits as a result of its dominant role in Common Core testing, was fined a paltry $7.7 million and let off the hook for its misdeeds.

According to WSJ:
State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman opened the investigation in 2011 into whether the company mixed business with foundation work. The foundation put on conferences in countries from Brazil to Singapore, flying in state education officials for trips described by the foundation as educational.
 According to Schneiderman, Pearson executives believed the Common Core work performed by their nonprofit arm could later be sold by the for-profit organization and generate “tens of millions of dollars” for the company.

The Washington Post reports:
The adoption of the Common Core has created a lucrative opportunity for educational publishers, as states and schools rush to buy products “aligned” to the new standards.According to the