That Koch Smear Campaign Worked!

Posted on January 8, 2015 by A.P. Dillon

Remember the smear campaign story News and Observer ran on North Carolina’s history curriculum? It was the bruhahah over the eeeeevil Koch brothers funded a think tank that delivered some history materials to NC DPI (who paid them 100k for it)  that somehow became a big deal.

This story was hyped up at a time when the new and controversial framework for Advanced Placement U.S. History (APUSH) was going on. Go figure.

Well, that smear-fest appeared to have worked.

From the N&O article, emphasis added:

The state Department of Public Instruction has pulled back its recommendation that the preferred curriculum for a required American history course be one produced by an institute backed by the conservative and politically active Koch family.

DPI paid the Bill of Rights Institute of Virginia $100,000 to provide the materials, and last month wanted to “highly recommend” school districts use them to teach a course on the founding principles. The institute receives grants from David H. Koch, the Charles Koch Foundation and the Fred and Mary Koch Foundation, according to a website on Koch family philanthropies.

June Atkinson, state schools superintendent, said last month that state educators worked with the institute on the materials, and that they were free of bias. Still, the plan drew public criticism. History professors combed through the curriculum.

DPI will continue to make the institute’s curriculum available, but it is now listed among about a dozen other resources that the department is recommending local school districts use for the course. Those resources include the Library of Congress, the N.C. Civics Consortium, LEARN NC, and the National Humanities Center.

 

So, the materials were just fine but because they came from an outfit the Koch brothers give money to they get shoved in a file cabinet. NC DPI and Dr. Atkinson seem just fine accepting money, direction and materials from other groups via public-private partnerships and non-profits though.

Let’s look at those ‘other’ resources.

National Humanities Center is a 501(c)3 located in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park. Read their latest annual report and see how flush with cash they are and an endowment valued at over $80 million.

There is an ‘annual giving’ summary starting on page 39 of that report. Will News and Observer be looking into the very long list of individuals, foundations, non-profits and corporations who donated there too?  Some big names who have dumped millions into Common Core like Pfizer and Rockefeller are in there.

Here’s a starter list:
Henry Luce Foundation
Arthur Vining Davis
Teagal Foundation
Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation

LEARN NC is really “a program of the UNC School of Education, finds the most innovative and successful practices in K-12 education and makes them available to the teachers and students of North Carolina – and the world.”  LEARN NC is vested in the Paideia model and on the NC LEARN website, they reference the National Paideia Center Inc.  National Paideia Center received $659,788  “to design and pilot humanities courses aligned to the Common Core State Standards” from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

N.C. Civics Consortium is also out of UNC. It appears to be funded by the The Arts and Sciences Foundation (ASF), which also run by UNC.  ASF is a 501(c)3 and their most recent 990 filing shows top positions pay well there. According to the ASF site, they are well funded:

As of May 31, 2014, the Foundation managed more than $182 million in endowed funds, compared with $37.6 million in June 1998. The College of Arts and Sciences benefits from an additional $397 million in endowed funds from the UNC-Chapel Hill Endowment and the UNC-CH Foundation.

 

Ready for the punchline? The Koch Foundation gives grants to UNC Chapel Hill, among other North Carolina schools including other UNC locations, Duke, Wake Forest and NC State.  In 2013, the Koch Foundation gave UNC Chapel Hill $115,000; the UNC System overall received $126,800.  In 2012, UNC received $116,000.

Now compare this with the $92 million being dumped into education in 2014 alone for ‘College Ready’ by Bill Gates’s foundation. Where’s the outrage?

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), EDUCATION, June Atkinson, Media Bias, NC DPI | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Backpack Funding: Make the Money Follow The Student

Posted on January 7, 2015 by A.P. Dillon

The amount of money that has been thrown at education from various sources over the last 50 years is staggering. One thing has been learned from said money throwing is that it isn’t working.

If you haven’t read The K- 12 Implosion yet, you should.


 

I just finished looking at the 2014 grants for ‘College Ready’ on the Gates Foundation site. This lesson of money throwing at education is something Bill Gates apparently hasn’t learned. The 2014 ‘College Ready’ grants totaled over $92 million.

Over at Reason.com, I spotted this short video on Backpack funding for education. This is a very different approach to funding for education.

For those unfamiliar with the idea of Backpack funding, also known as weighted student funding, the idea is money is assigned to the child, not the school and that money follows the child. The idea is that this cuts down on wasteful spending, helps with customization for the student and puts a cork in the corporate influences now raiding education.

Joy Pullman at Heartland summarizes the upside to Backpack funding:

School choice advocates encourage attaching education monies to individual children because it focuses education on the child, stymies special interests, and increases the likelihood education providers will have to compete and excel to earn money instead of receiving it automatically. Choice saves states and taxpayers money because families have strong incentives to use the money wisely, compare options, and demand more for less. It also allows for flexible, customized education if the child’s family is allowed to divide the money among several different providers and programs according to the child’s interests and needs.

 

Posted in Common Core, EDUCATION, Video | Tagged , | Comments Off on Backpack Funding: Make the Money Follow The Student

Pearson Is Everywhere: 2014 GED Results Show 90% Drop In Passage Rate

Posted on January 6, 2015 by A.P. Dillon

PearsonWelcome back to Pearson Is Everywhere!

Last time, we learned that the FBI seized documents related to technology devices (iPads) at LAUSD and were investigating the possibility of fraud in relation to the contracts.

Today, we’re looking at the crash and burn of the GED test scores after Pearson and American Council On Education (ACE) took it over, re-wrote the test and made it ‘Common Core Aligned’.  Not only was the content ‘aligned, but so was the method. GED test takers now have to do it online. The result has been a catastrophic drop in the passage rate.

The title of the article at the ‘Janresseger’ blog in the Tweet above is Pearson Now Runs the GED: Passage Rate Drops by 90 Percent in One Year.  

The key except from that blog entry that informs its title is this one:

In an examination of December 2014 data, McGraw details the dismal results of the launch of Pearson’s new GED test. “In the United States, according to the GED Testing Service, 401,388 people earned a GED in 2012, and about 540,000 in 2013.  This year… only about 55,000 have passed nationally.  That is a 90 percent drop off from last year.”

Holy crap.

Read the whole thing. It gets worse. The old test used to cost $40 bucks. It now costs $120.
CHA-CHING!  There’s that Pearson.. Always EARNING.

The blog entry is based on a Cleveland Scene article, which is a must read. The stats Cleveland Scene has uncovered about the GED passage rates in 2014 is astounding. Here’s an excerpt, but please — read the entire article:

Has the GED test always been hard? Some would say so. Especially if you are 20 years or more removed from high school and haven’t thought of quadratic equations or Thomas Jefferson’s verbiage since then. But for those trying to take the GED test in 2014, passage of the high school equivalency is probably less likely than at any other point in the 70-year history of the test.

The changes were made to bring the test up to date, in some people’s eyes. That meant adapting the test to reflect the new Common Core standards being taught in most high schools across the country, doing it online only and not on paper, and requiring more essays. The results have been dramatic:

Based upon preliminary findings by Scene, about 350,000 fewer people will earn a GED nationally than in 2012, and close to 500,000 fewer than last year. The GED accounts for 12 percent of all the high school diplomas awarded each year.

In Ohio, 16,092 passed the test in 2012, and 19,976 did so in 2013, but only 1,458 have passed so far this year.

Other states have similar rates. The drop off in Texas was about 86 percent; Florida, about 77 percent; Michigan, about 88 percent.

About 2,100 prisoners in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections earned a GED in both 2012 and 2013. Only 97 have earned the GED in 2014.

Project Learn, the local program contracted to tutor inmates in the Cuyahoga County Jail, saw a total of 80 inmates pass the GED test in the past three years, but only one county jail inmate has passed so far this year.

Another local GED tutoring program, the Seeds of Literacy, had 131 of its students pass in the past two years, but only two so far this year.

The Cleveland Scene also notes a large drop in participation of the re-designed 2014 test:

But there is another reason for the small number of people passing the GED test in 2014: Hardly anyone is taking it this year. And that has as much to do with how the test is administered as the content. The previous test was administered with pen and paper, but this version can only be taken on a computer. And here’s the kicker: More than half the people in the U.S. who do not have a high school diploma do not have a laptop or desktop computer at home. The same number, not surprisingly, have no Internet access either.

 

What are the results for the 2014 GED North Carolina?  

I was unable to locate the current set of results, but I did locate was the 2013 set.  I have reached out to various contacts in search of the 2014 results and will update accordingly.

North Carolina uses the GED Credentialing Program.

If you look up GED testing services for North Carolina, it takes you to this webpage: GED Testing Services.

On that page, it has a FAQ of sorts. One of the questions is, “Do I need to take a class or receive instruction before I can take the test?”

One of the answers to that question is, “No, North Carolina does not require test-takers to receive classroom instruction before taking the GED® test. ”  

Given the test results coming in, perhaps that answer needs a revision.

The GED is overseen by the NC Community College System.  The NC Community College system has an entire page dedicated to “College and Career Readiness (Basic Skills) Contact Information”.

It should also be known that if one did not complete their tests to receive their GED Diploma by December 31, 2013, the person had to restart the process under the new GED rolled out in 2014.  Test prep for the new exam can cost you up to $289.

 

Related Reading:

More Related Articles:

 

 

 * Crossposted at StopCommonCoreNC.org
Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Common Core, EDUCATION, Testing | Tagged | 5 Comments

Burlington News Outlet Appealing Cox Lawsuit Dismissal

Posted on January 6, 2015 by A.P. Dillon

The Burlington news outlet, Times-News, is appealing the dismissal of their suit to obtain records of a special closed-door session of the an Alamance-Burlington school board meeting that dealt with the resignation of the Superintendent Lillie Cox.

The Times-News sued Oct. 24 to get unredacted minutes of closed-session meetings the Alamance-Burlington Board of Education held in May. Those meetings led to Cox’s resignation May 30 as superintendent of the Alamance-Burlington School System.
Four members of the school board voted to accept her resignation at a special meeting May 30 and to pay her $200,000 in severance. Neither Cox nor the board has explained the reasons for the resignation. The board has cited employee confidentiality.
The school board did supply heavily redacted minutes of these meetings before the suit was filed. The redacted minutes don’t comply with North Carolina’s public records act because they don’t enable “a person not in attendance (to) have reasonable understanding of what transpired” in the closed sessions, the newspaper’s complaint argued.
–Times-News, December 31, 2014

With regard to Cox’s contract, it began July of 2011 and was supposed to run through the end of June of 2015. Per WRAL’s outline of Cox’s contract, her total compensation was $200,452 which was made up of $128,148 state dollars and $72,304 local dollars. In the contract, there was a $5,000 annual bonus which was dependent on the board’s evaluation of her performance.

The contract also states that the board was to conduct an annual appraisal of Cox each October. News-Times might want to gain access to those reports.

The resignation clause states a 90 day advance notice warning. There is a ‘unilateral termination’ clause in the contract which has within it the severance dollar figure of $200,000 reported by the Times-News.
In an exit interview conducted by Time-News with Cox, her final answer to their questions seemed to indicate that the board had perhaps ousted her (emphasis added):

TIMES-NEWS: What can you say publicly about what has happened between you and the board of education in the past few months leading up to your resignation?

COX: I received an email from the board attorney that the majority of the board wanted to go in a different direction. No concerns were ever discussed with me. The board attorney asked me to continue all responsibilities and duties as superintendent through June 30th, and I did that. The board paid me the maximum payout amount allowable in my contract.
–Times-News, July 2, 2014

 

Times-News reports that Cox has since formed her own education related company, LMC Leadership Solutions.  Note, News-Times lists the name as “LCM” in their article but it is really LMC.

LMC’s Website Mission statement:

Improving student achievement is the ultimate goal of LMC Leadership Solutions. We believe in leaving schools and school systems more prepared to lead, manage, and coach for student achievement than when we arrived. Not only do we want students to grow, but we also want to empower, encourage, and educate the adults in the school or school system to be the best leaders possible.

The services offered are designed to optimize human, instructional, professional development, and time resources. Whether through leading, managing or coaching, LMC Leadership Solutions is dedicated to meeting the unique needs of individual school districts and school leadership through close communication with district leadership. The services aren’t packaged, but are built on best practices tailored and optimized to meet the unique needs of each school or school system.

 

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Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), EDUCATION | Comments Off on Burlington News Outlet Appealing Cox Lawsuit Dismissal

NC Public Schools Forum Hosting ‘Key Education Issues’ Breakfast

Posted on January 5, 2015 by A.P. Dillon

NC Spin is apparently doing a live taping of this event held by NC Public Schools Forum and the line-up including Academic Standards Review Commission Co-Chair, Andre Peek. Also in the mix are Rep. Horn and John Hood of John Locke Foundation, both of whom are involved with BEST NC’s “2020 Vision Initiative“.

Parents who can attend this event should do so.

See below.

 

2015 Eggs & Issues Breakfast

Hosted by NC Public Schools Forum

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

7:30 AM to 9:30 AM

Marbles Kids Museum, 201 East Hargett Street, Raleigh, NC

(map)

A new legislative session is beginning and once again, education will be a major policy focus at the General Assembly.

The 2015 Eggs & Issues Breakfast program will include:

  • Release of the Public School Forum’s Top 10 Education Issues for 2015
  • A special live taping of NC SPIN hosted by Tom Campbell focusing on key education policy issues facing our state

Confirmed Panelists:

John Hood, John Locke Foundation

Chris Fitzsimon, NC Policy Watch

Keith Poston, Public School Forum of North Carolina

Rep. Craig Horn, NC General Assembly

Andre Peek, IBM / Co-Chair NC Academic Standards Review Commission

Space is limited—Tickets $20.00

Click here to register

Breakfast starting at 7:30 AM.  Yes, there will be eggs!

The program will begin at 8:00 AM and conclude by 9:30 AM.

RSVP Now To Reserve Your Spot

If you have questions, please contact us at  919-781-6833.

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Common Core, EDUCATION | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Wake Voters Need To Pay Attention

Posted on January 5, 2015 by A.P. Dillon

Southwest Wake voters will need to pay attention as we advance into 2015.  Elections for various local positions need to be on voters radar. Cary, Apex, Fuquay Varina, Morrisville and Holly Springs all have Town Council elections coming up.

According to Cary News:

All North Carolina municipalities will have elections this year. Cary voters have four seats to fill on the Town Council.

Mayor Harold Weinbrecht, District B Councilman Don Frantz and at-large Councilwoman Lori Bush are up for re-election.

Residents in District D also will elect a new representative. Former councilwoman Gale Adcock was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in November, and the Cary Town Council opted to leave her seat open.

In Apex, Mayor Bill Sutton has said he won’t run for a second term. Sutton, the former town manager, was appointed mayor in 2014 after Keith Weatherly – who was mayor for 18 years – stepped down to take a job with the N.C. Department of Transportation.

Apex Town Council members Bill Jensen and Scott Lassitter also will be up for re-election in November.

In Fuquay-Varina, Mayor John Byrne is up for re-election as are town commissioners William Harris, Ed Ridpath and Charlie Adcock, the mayor pro tem.

In Holly Springs, council members Cheri Lee and Tim Sack are up for re-election.

In Morrisville, town council members Kris Gardner, Michael Schlink and Liz Johnson, the mayor pro tem, are up for re-election. Gardner was appointed to the board last year to fill the seat vacated when then-council member Mark Stohlman became mayor.

 

 

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), ELECTIONS, POLITICS NC | Comments Off on Wake Voters Need To Pay Attention