The Fordham Strong Arm of Letter Grades for State Standards
In my previous post, The Importance of Common Core for Nationally-pervasive Ed Reform, I cite the 2009 Broad Foundation report in which a number of major reformer “participants” told America the reforms it might expect to be in place in 2012– one of which is the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).
Among the list of “participants” are Chester Finn of the Fordham Institute and a number of Gates Foundation representatives.
I am mindful of the Fordham-Gates connection as influential in promoting CCSS. In my series on CCSS-Gates spending, I note that Gates paid Fordham $2 million to “review” and “track state progress towards implementation of” CCSS.
I also note that Gates paid Fordham an additional $1.5 million for “general operating support”– which could mean Fordham salaries.
In August 2013, a Michigan House panel questioned whether Finn’s review of Michigan’s standards was influenced by Fordham’s receipt of Gates funding.
It’s a valid question.
Many may not know that the Fordham Institute has been reviewing standards since 1997. It seems that Fordham just decided that they were the ones to do so. And there is another layer, one now quite popular with reformers: Give the standards letter grades.
Mind you, Fordham is accountable to no one. No agency audits Fordham’s practices