Great discussion! Can I just clarify one item however as you discuss this "deal"?
The curriculum that will be sold will NOT be written by classroom teachers. A new department has been set up in the school system and new administrators have been hired to write the curriculum that will be sold to the vendor.
Also, I would note that Montgomery County Public Schools is a $2.1 BILLION dollar a year system.
$2.25 million would not even pay for two artificial turf football fields. Hardly a dent in our enormous school system with over 200 schools and 140,000 students.
As this was not a procurement that was put out for a bid we don't know what other vendors may have offered for this deal.
You can watch the video of what one of the dissenting Board of Education members said here:
But understand that she and all the other Board members, along with the public had only heard about this deal the night before so these were just her first impressions.
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Taking the public out of a public school
The curriculum that will be sold will NOT be written by classroom teachers. A new department has been set up in the school system and new administrators have been hired to write the curriculum that will be sold to the vendor.
4 administrators were hired minutes after the Board voted to approve the vendor contract. What is being sold is our school system's curriculum writers product. You can learn more at this link:
http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2010/06/weast-hires-staff-to-work-for-pearson.html
Also, I would note that Montgomery County Public Schools is a $2.1 BILLION dollar a year system.
$2.25 million would not even pay for two artificial turf football fields. Hardly a dent in our enormous school system with over 200 schools and 140,000 students.
As this was not a procurement that was put out for a bid we don't know what other vendors may have offered for this deal.
You can watch the video of what one of the dissenting Board of Education members said here:
http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2010/06/berthiaume-on-untenable-conflict.html
But understand that she and all the other Board members, along with the public had only heard about this deal the night before so these were just her first impressions.
Techdirt has not posted any stories submitted by Janis.
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