Pearson CEO John Fallon Wants to Win America Over. | deutsch29

Pearson CEO John Fallon Wants to Win America Over. | deutsch29:

Pearson CEO John Fallon Wants to Win America Over.

Friendly John Fallon, CEO, Pearson

In my book, Common Core Dilemma–Who Owns Schools?, I have a chapter on London-based mega-company, Pearson. The chapter includes details from Pearson’s February 2014 earnings call, which shows Pearson’s plans to rake in the bucks from Common Core and associated testing as Pearson “embeds” itself into American education like a fat tick latches onto the skin of an unsuspecting yard dog.

How’s that for a mental picture?

On September 23, 2015, Washington Post education writer Valerie Strauss featured an excerpt from the Common Core Dilemma chapter on Pearson. Readers are able to view Strauss’ post on her blog, “The Answer Sheet,” by clicking here.

Since the time of its February 2014 earnings call, the rollout of Common Core and its associated assessments has not proceeded as smoothly (and therefore, has not translated as readily into profits) as Pearson thought it would. Such is immediately apparent in the struggling and shrinking of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) consortium, one of two originally-federally-funded testing consortia that was supposed to provide Common Core-aligned tests to potentially 24 states and DC in 2011 (and perhaps more, if other states decided to join PARCC). By the time Pearson was awarded the PARCC contract in May 2014, PARCC still retained 16 states and DC.

In the months after that February 2014 earnings call, Pearson picked up the PARCC contract, then worth an estimated $240 million. It also had testing contracts in Texas (not a Common Core state) and New York.

Pearson just knew the Common Core testing profits were a-coming.

However, by July 2015, PARCC was down to 10 states and DC contracting with Pearson CEO John Fallon Wants to Win America Over. | deutsch29:

Are N.J charter schools saving more money than they need? | NJ.com

Are N.J charter schools saving more money than they need? | NJ.com:

Are N.J charter schools saving more money than they need?

Charter schools across New Jersey have built up savings so large that one school has more money saved than it needs for an entire year of operation, according to an analysis by the Newark-based Education Law Center. 

But that doesn't mean that the schools are needlessly hoarding money, said the New Jersey Charter Schools Association. 

The Education Law Center analyzed the most recently available audited school budgets of more than 80 charter schools. Nearly all of the schools had fund balances — the difference between reveneues an expenses — larger than 2 percent, according to the analysis. 

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RELATED: Test your New Jersey back-to-school IQ

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Public school districts are not allowed to have fund balances that are more than 2 percent of their budget, and The Education Law Center this week called on the state to impose the same cap on charter schools.

The money charter schools have beyond a 2 percent fund balance should be returned to the districts from which students came, said David Sciarra, executive director of the Education Law Center. 

"The excess charter fund balance is available to provide desperately needed teachers, staff and programs for students in district schools," Sciarra said. "Since charters are public schools, they cannot be allowed to carry unlimited, excess surplus they don't need while the education of students who choose to attend district schools suffers from deep budget cuts."

The New Jersey Charter Schools Association called the Education Law Center report a "misguided assault on charter school viability." 

Unlike school districts, charter schools do not receive money directly from property taxes or from the state. Instead, when a student leaves his or her home district for a Are N.J charter schools saving more money than they need? | NJ.com:

A video interview with Jon Grant: Seattle City Council Candidate for Position 8 | Seattle Education

A video interview with Jon Grant: Seattle City Council Candidate for Position 8 | Seattle Education:

A video interview with Jon Grant: Seattle City Council Candidate for Position 8

Thanks to a donation, we now have a video camera to provide videos of interviews and events.

Our first interview is with Jon Grant, candidate for the City Council seat, Position 8. The incumbent is Council member Tim Burgess.

This is an important race in terms of where we want Seattle to go.

I interviewed Mr. Grant on September  20, 2015 and will let him describe his background, goals and vision for Seattle.

Dora Taylor

A big thanks to our readers and supporters for assisting us in being able to meet our goal of providing video interviews.

Carolyn Leith

Dora TaylorA video interview with Jon Grant: Seattle City Council Candidate for Position 8 | Seattle Education:

Call to Action – A State Budget that Restores Funding to Social Services and Public Education | Parents United for Public Education

Call to Action – A State Budget that Restores Funding to Social Services and Public Education | Parents United for Public Education:

Call to Action – A State Budget that Restores Funding to Social Services and Public Education

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to a meeting of the Philadelphia Delegation of House of Representatives. Present were 22 House Representatives, Secretary of Education Edwin Rivera, Secretary of Human Services Ted Dallas, Mayor Michael Nutter, City Council Chair Darrell Clarke, SRC members, and School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Hite, among many others. The topics were the discussion of the state budget impasse and highlighting budgetary goals. In the audience were several social service providers from City and State levels. They included services for: child care/ foster care, food equality, juvenile justice, people with disabilities and different abilities, legal support, immigrant, poverty, homelessness, and education advocates. What is important is that these organizations provide essential services for many people who depend on them.  This is an amazing group of organization led by extraordinary people who require state funding to continue to operate.

For all of the presentation, all of the difficulty with passing a realistic budget that supports public education and all of the social services, there still is been no observable progress. It has been 89 days since the budget should have been passed.  Nearly three months – for organizations that typically have barely enough funding to cover their operating budgets. Government does not and cannot attempt to do the great work at: ARC, PCCY, SHARE, Education Voters, PILCOP, Congreso, and many others.  We are now in a major crisis. Many of these organizations have drawn on credit lines to keep their services going, their employees working, and populations served. Those credit lines are dwindling. Their money is running out, fast. As the budget impasse continues, there will be higher and higher consequences which will likely include the closures similar to those during the 2009 budget impasse.

We were told of the political difficulties of moving a republican held legislature. We agree that representatives were “preaching to the choir”. We understand that it is critically important to ensure that government restore critical funding eliminated during the Corbett administration. What we did not hear was an effective Call to Action. Yes, we were told to contact our legislators… who happened to be many of the very same people in the room. We were asked to make alliances with service organizations in other counties, in the attempt to persuade their Call to Action – A State Budget that Restores Funding to Social Services and Public Education | Parents United for Public Education:

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 9/27/15

CORPORATE ED REFORM

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Private Equity Asset-Stripping Strategy Meets Charter Schools to Produce Even Better Looting

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Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » NEA Early Endorsement: No

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So Maybe Those Tin-Foil ‘Black Helicopter Mind Reading’ Hat Wearers Were Right » Missouri Education Watchdog

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The Teach For America Bait and Switch: From 'You’ll Be Making a Difference' to 'You’re Making Excuses' | Alternet

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Peg with Pen: Some Thoughts about the History of Opt Out

Peg with Pen: Some Thoughts about the History of Opt Out: Some Thoughts about the History of Opt OutRight now there is a lot of discussion around the history of Opt Out. Ultimately Opt Out has been around for years. Here in Colorado, Don Perl refused to administer the test to his students in 2001- for starters!And while I appreciate the work and historical sharing of Opt Out via NPE it's important

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Education is a fundamental human right – which is why private schools must be resisted | Kishore Singh | Global development | The Guardian

Education is a fundamental human right – which is why private schools must be resisted | Kishore Singh | Global development | The Guardian: Education is a basic human right – which is why private schools must be resistedPrivatisation of education has a devastating impact, aggravating inequality, so why does the development community fund profit-seeking providers?At the beginning of the new millenn

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MINORITY ADMINISTRATORS FACILITATE CONTINUED LAUSD AND CHARTERS' FAILURE - Perdaily.com

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NYC Public School Parents: Notes from Grover Cleveland HS receivership hearing and the Chancellor's "Framework for Great Schools"

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Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ed Reform Both on the Move/Slowly Imploding

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Jersey Jazzman: The Reformy Arguments Are Getting Worse

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The Power of Opt Out to Preserve Public Education – The Network For Public Education

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Allentown Student Activists Prepare to Walkout of Classes on September 28 | Raging Chicken Press

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Florida’s Superintendents Have Officially “Lost Confidence” in the State’s Teacher and School Evaluation System | VAMboozled!

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Award-Winning Filmmakers Reveal How Big Business is Dismantling our Public School System - CNN iReport

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Dear Liv: Yes, A Loss for ALEC and the Privatizers Makes Me Happy | Seattle Education

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CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Edureading for the Week

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In Mississippi, best teachers don’t go where they are needed most - The Hechinger Report

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As Commissioner Stewart hypes FSA cyber-attacks, FDLE dismisses case | The Edvocate Blog

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YESTERDAY

Perdido Street School: Will The Families For Excellent Schools Race Baiting Ad Hurt The Charter Movement?

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Boehner’s Exit and the ESEA Reauthorization: What Next? | deutsch29

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by mike simpson / 23h 

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 9/26/15

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