The Kentucky Commissioner of Education is taking some political heat for going on trips to locations that include Brazil that were financed by NCS Pearson Inc., which has a contract with the state to develop standardized tests for Kentucky students. Critics are suggesting that it wasn't appropriate for the commissioner to take such trips on the company's dime.
In reading the story what amazed me, however, was that the state has a contract with the Pearson to pay the company a guaranteed $7.6 million thus far and the amount could reach $64.6 million to provide testing services through 2018, according to news accounts. In terms of educational policy, I just can't help but wonder if we may have reached a certain level of accountability obsession. If the state is spending this much on one set of tests, how much does the rest of the state's education budget go to accountability measures and systems? At what point do we actually get more bang for our education bucks by spending those funds elsewhere, such as towards classroom instruction?
Monday, October 24, 2011
Education Commissioner Criticized for Trip to Brazil, But Is that the Real Story?
This from Neal Hutchens at EdJurist:
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2 comments:
Excellent Point! Even my simple Kentucky math skills seem to lead me to believe that each county could have gotten up to half a million dollars it could have spent on classroom, teachers and students instead of paying for one set of tests and a some vacations for the commissioner and his wife.
This is a scandal of the highest order. Dr. Holliday is no lonegr fit to lead the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The costs for this account are too high, and he should NEVER have accepted a trip to Brazil from a company that awarded him a state contract.
Sadly,it is Dr. Holliday's behavior that makes us lose faith in the officials who lead our state.
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