In her presentation to the Senate Education Committee on Thursday (1-24) Dr. Terry Bergeson stated that her primary goal in presenting the 2nd Standards Draft to educators in Spokane would be to solicit feedback. I’m given to understand that she’s also requested and enabled members of the Standards Revision Teams (SRT) to travel to Spokane to meet 1 day in advance… on OSPI’s dime. She no doubt plans to have them aid in presentations and “guided discussions” of the draft documents. Having witnessed OSPI’s behavioral pattern throughout this revision process, it’s not difficult to discern her true intentions.
The real purpose is sell educators on the revised draft, and get them to be vocal about “owning this revision” as their own. She has herself said that there would be no time to incorporate input from Spokane into the 2nd draft, and of course she’s correct on that score.
In order to accomplish her objective, Dr. Bergeson needs to make certain that all her Generals (OSPI/Dana editors) and Officers (SRT members) are reading from the same script. This will give her the best chance at getting as many soldiers (educators) as possible to “own” this second draft. Undoubtedly there will be promises of “professional development” tied to the sales pitch package. Oh, and of course there will placatory attention given to “feedback” in whatever minimal input window is given. The real “feedback” she’s after will come from “loyalists” after they’ve been sold on the draft documents, and Dr. Bergeson’s vision for the future.
I’m constantly astonished at how few people are able or willing to read between the lines. This strategy is very apparent/transparent for those who are willing to think for themselves.
Michael Miller
Issaquah Parent, millercdt2@comcast.net
There should be an investigation into misconduct. This would have to be legislated. It is likely that Bergerson and her supporters are receiving favors from the textbook consultants and no doubt their supporters (whoever they might be - the players and the politics are always the same.)
ReplyDeleteThis is not the first time criminal activity has been uncovered in a school district. Alan Birsin is still facing a civil suit by citizens living in San Diego. He and Danny Alvarado, who pled guilty to embezzling in New York City thirty some years ago, hijacked Title I funding during Birsin's tenure and destroyed the support programs for children in San Diego City Schools.
The people who aligned the WASL to the standards, wrote the standards, provided the training and fiscal incentives for buying the textbooks, evaluated and wrote the textbooks, sold the textbooks to school districts are one and the same.
Their latest ploy is to suggest students and teachers are the problem. What purpose then does a textbook serve? Why have we lowered the bar with the WASL?
These people deserve to be scrutinized. Eventually, this will be more than a blog entry.
anon at 3:01
ReplyDeleteMy gut doesn't see corruption on the scale of --- the guys raiding the pension funds in the 80's or the war profiteers of the last 8 years.
I think it is a bunch of people incompetent at running the system for the benefit of kids, but they are very competent at staying employed while running everything into the ground. For the millions and millions who make less than 50 or 75 grand a year, it looks like corruption.
I think they just know that living on 90 grand or 150 grand, and great benefits, is a lot better than being an edu-serf, so they do whatever they can to justify their paychecks.
I agree there is so little knowledge of effective decision making displayed by these individuals, it looks more like incompetence than a conspiracy. However the defective result produced is pretty much the same either way.
ReplyDeleteThe accounting controls designed to protect school districts and cities can be overcome and its not loose change that's being stolen. $11m is the current record, involving a 3 year investigation revealing irregularities had been occurring for 10 years benefiting 26 people - with only six receiving convictions. Two districts nearby showed similiar practices by administrators. Schools don't like to publish bad news. They are the perfect victims.
ReplyDeleteIts possible to steal because of loose ethics. These people obviously believe they are ethically and morally right although they won't say they've been honest.
The danger of embezzlement is that it becomes widespread involving many conspirators - even the conspirators don't know who each other are really. Embezzling has to be taught and in some organizations it is the norm.
Paradoxically these people don't believe they've committed any crimes even after they've been charged, nor do they believe its a conspiracy.
Pennsylvania's state superintendent and his staff were all charged by the feds with allegations of misusing funds. And it is definitely tied to current reform movement. This has been going on for more than two decades and if there are no consequences it will continue.
You should remove the advertisement at the top of this blog - 1/29 3AM.