JCPS to Consider Three Firms for Superintendent Search

Ray & Associates on Short List !?

This from Toni Konz at C-J:

Despite pleas for the Jefferson County Board of Education to reverse its decision to fire Superintendent Sheldon Berman, the board is moving forward with plans to replace him and will interview three executive search firms next week to aid them in their quest for a new leader.

One of the three firms the board will interview during a special meeting Wednesday is Ray and Associates of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which helped the Kentucky Board of Education choose Illinois educator Barbara Erwin as the state’s new education commissioner in 2007, only to have her resign three days before she was to start work following revelations about her background, including that parts of her resume were inaccurate...

Kentucky's experience with Ray & Associates was disappointing to say the least. The state board's decision to conduct a secret search prompted alarm from Mark Hebert and caught the interest of bloggers at KSN&C and the Bluegrass Institute. Vetting by the bloggers revealed a series of resume errors and exaggerations. By contrast, the search firm's confidential files, obtained by KSN&C, revealed a process that was more promotional than critical. Much of the firm's effort involved selling candidates to the board. It didn't turn out well. Following a contentious period of suit and counter suit, KDE settled with Ray & Associates for $25,500, about half of the amount the company was demanding. Kentucky was not the only place things with the search firm went wrong.

Once a firm is selected, Imhoff said it will immediately begin working to develop a process for selecting a superintendent, including recruiting candidates, checking their backgrounds and negotiating a contract.

The three firms being considered are well-known across the country, and two have prior connections to Kentucky.

Ray and Associates was hired by the Kentucky Board of Education in 2007, but after Erwin resigned, state board members criticized Ray and Associates for not vetting her more closely and not informing them of them of her troubled reputation in previous school districts, including allegations that she had run roughshod over teachers and administrators when she was a superintendent in Texas, Arizona and Illinois. Ray and Associates countered that the firm did its job, saying they checked everything they were asked to check.

Greenwood/Asher & Associates also has prior experience in Kentucky. The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education hired the firm in 2008 to help search for its new president, which resulted in the hiring of Robert King.

Greenwood showed weaknesses similar to those of Ray & Associates when it failed to discover to creationist writings of Commissioner finalist Dennis Cheek. The revelations made public by KSN&C about Dennis Cheek should never have been news to the board, or the Greenwood, but they were. Fortunately, by that time, the board of education was listening and Cheek was not selected.

The Kentucky Board of Education also hired the firm in 2009 to search for an education commissioner, which resulted in the hiring of Terry Holliday. And the University of Kentucky recently hired the firm to help find a replacement for president Lee Todd, who is leaving when his contract expires in June.

Imhoff said he’s not sure how much hiring a search firm will cost the district.

“We don’t have a budget on how much to spend,” he said. “Whether we hire a firm will depend on whether we feel they are a good fit and whether their cost is reasonable.”

Thomas Jacobson, the owner and chief executive officer of McPherson and Jacobson, said his firm has aided in more than 400 superintendent and executive searches in the past 20 years, for both small and large school districts.

“There are two things that distinguish us from other firms,” he said. “The first thing is that we believe in a very transparent search process with a high involvement of stakeholders. The other thing is that everyone who works for us has been or is involved with public education.”

Jacobson said his firm prides itself of properly vetting all candidates — both those who are recruited and those who apply for the job independently.

“We have an extensive process of vetting candidates,” he said. “It’s a very important part of the process.”

Calls made Friday to Gary Ray, president of Ray and Associates, and Jan Greenwood, president and chief executive officer of Greenwood/Asher, were not returned.

The lesson from all of this is that search firms can not be trusted to thoroughly vet candidates. Boards may need a firm to handle screening and making arrangements for interviews, etc., but in the end, the board must vet the candidates on their own. The Board can not outsource its responsibility to the public.

Reflections of an Occassional Semi-Journalist

It has only been a couple of weeks since unsuccessful Kentucky education commissioner candidate Dennis Cheek was fussing at me for my journalistic short comings.

KSN&C had posted news of his creationist writings from the early 1980s. We also picked up a news story from a professional news outlet that contained an error - which we quickly corrected. Cheek and I exchanged a few testy emails.

Cheek argued that it would have been better if I had "checked with [him] first BEFORE posting" rather than "always post[ing] first and "then forc[ing him] to respond to [the story] ex post facto." This was particularly germane in Cheek's case since he now rejects his former creationist position. It would have been better for Cheek if I had. But it was his choice not to mention his paper to the Kentucky board of education that had selected him as a finalist. When the issue surfaced he was immediately put on the defensive.

It is my understanding that when he got "the question" from reporters covering his interview in Kentucky, "he looked stunned for about 20 seconds," and then "very forthrightly" rejected his old paper and expanded his thoughts on religion and science with appropriate detail and recognition of the court's ruling in the Dover case.

But is KSN&C really practicing journalism by simply aggregating such news stories? I think not.

Fellow blogger Tom Eblen, who writes for the Herald-Leader and teaches journalistic ethics at UK tells me that one is a journalist when one practices journalism. I take that to mean, actually putting in the time and doing the work it takes to research the issues, check sources, capture quotes and accurately reflect the differing points of view that attend every news story and to do it from primary (first-person) sources. This pursuit is a noble and critical component of our democracy and like many Americans I am concerned for its future.

In most cases, KSN&C dabbles in semi-journalism. A lot of time and effort goes into assuring that our reporting is authoritative, but we are clearly at the mercy of what others write. Mistakes are to be avoided, but if someone errs it is up to the author to be responsible for their own content.
As I argued to Cheek, "You are responsible for handling what you write. I am responsible for handling what I write. "They" are responsible for handling what they write."

Cheek and I were ultimately unable to agree but my final message to him was,

Finally, and sincerely, I have no personal animosity toward you. It's not about that for me. I have my own opinions, but I am largely disinterested in which individual becomes our next commissioner. That's the board's job to determine, and I don't have a vote. When that selection is made, I'm going to reprint the news - good or bad - no matter who the commissioner is. I will express opinions along the way.

I can understand how you might be frustrated, or even angry, that I found your old creationist paper and printed the fact of its existence. I anticipated and opined that it would be seen as "a problem" by many. I think that has proven to be true. I have wondered aloud why you didn't alert the board to its existence. If the Herald-Leader can be believed - and, right or wrong, I rely on their reporting every day - ...they wrote that it did not come up as an issue for you in Missouri [where Cheek was also a finalist]. But really Dennis, none of that makes me the responsible party when it comes to handling the fallout. It was your [paper], and your responsibility to handle it - which you ultimately did very forthrightly. I believe if you had done that up front, we'd be having a very different conversation right now.

Is it fair to Cheek for me to reflect on this experience? It happened. He is a public figure who was vying for the top job in our state's educational system, and that's "my beat."

More recently, KSN&C has been doing something very different - practicing real-live-honest-to-goodness journalism by "covering" the Petrilli v Silberman trial. This was the kind of detached, yet face-to-face journalism real reporters do every day. For eight full days I sat with H-L's Jim Warren on a hard bench, tapping away on my keyboard, trying to capture as much data as I could. [...not my preferred method, but Judge Ishmael "took away" my digital recorder.]


On the last day, waiting for the jury to return with their verdict, John McNeill mentioned to the judge something about how my blogging and Twittering changed the ambiance of the courtroom - which in his mind became reminiscent of an old WWII movie with the lilt of the telegraph dotting the away in the background; dot da dit dot dot dit - only now it was; tap tap, tap tap tap.

The experience of reporting a trial was more demanding than I anticipated. In court by 8 AM to catch any discussions before the jury arrived; the reporter is pretty well stuck there. To leave for a moment is to risk missing the story. To misunderstand a ruling is to misreport. Then, somewhere around 5PM when the brain is a bit mushy, some kind of story must be written. Several days I found myself "too tired" and not having a deadline or an editor - but having a wife - chose family time instead. I would get up at 5 AM the next day (as is my custom) to post my story. Some days I could bounce off whatever Warren had done the night before.

But that wasn't the worst of it. The very situation put me squarely in conflict with people I know, trust and respect on both sides of the issue. I was neutral in a land where everyone was expected to be loyal and take sides.

As a former principal in Fayette County, I was a colleague of Peggy Petrilli's when she was still at Northern. I was publicly supportive of her work in a Herald-Leader Op Ed and viewed her selection for Booker T Washington Academy as an important history-changing effort in our community. I said I'd be watching what happened.

I had also written in H-L about Fayette County's need for strong consistent leadership at the top following a string of short-lived superintendents. The degree of turnover had left a district somewhat adrift. There was a lot of undirected talent in Fayette County and Silberman seemed to be just what the doctor ordered.

But the case also brought forward a string witnesses and visitors to the courtroom that I knew or had worked with, including a couple I worked with pretty closely. Bob McLaughlin had been my director for a number of years, and if he had remained so, I'm pretty sure I would have worked in Fayette County a little longer. And if either one of us ever needed a little "therapy" Jock Gum and I could simply walk next door and get it; me for him, and he for me. Bob and Jock testified on the same day and there aren't a whole lot of people I like better than these guys.

Add to that Barbara Connor, Mike Burke, Becky Sagan, Mary Browning, Mike McKenzie, Vince Mattox, Jack Hayes, Lisa Stone, Amanda Main Ferguson, and I know I'm forgetting some - like I say, it was not easy to be neutral. I sensed periods of discomfiture with the principal combatants. Some days they could manage, if not a smile, a pleasant nod. Other days they avoided eye contact. In my head it was related to whatever I had written the day before, but maybe that's just ego on my part. They may not have read KSN&C at all, but were only reacting to the pressures of the trial itself.

But the stories got read. A modest little niche blog, KSN&C readership - typically eduwonks and news types - doubled and doubled again as Fayette County and North Carolina teachers, and a surprising number of young lawyers, appear to have discovered it.

But that's no match for Jim Warren's readership at the Herald-Leader. Despite their economic woes, H-L readership has never been higher and Warren's stories are read by thousands.

But the news business is in trouble.

On the eve of President Obama's health care press conference, the Herald-Leader came and got Warren out of the courtroom. Concerned by the length of the trial and needing an experienced hand to interview some local folks on health care issues, they sent a young reporter to fetch him to help with the story. Apparently, there was no one else to do it. When he returned the next day, he asked me, "They didn't settle, did they?"

But there is no substitute for the work Warren does. If the case had not fallen in July, as it did, I could have followed the case for KSN&C readers, but I could not have covered it. And I would not have caught issues related to how the law was argued (twisted) before the jury, issues of privilege or the incredible claims by one director that she had never marked a principal down in any category of evaluation in her entire career. We're going to have to talk about that issue some more later.

Warren joked with me that bloggers are the new journalists who would transform news gathering - but we both know that's not true. Newspapers may change but I think there are a few critical constants that remain.

• There is no suitable substitute for the professional practice of journalism.
• Professional journalism is crucial to democracy.
• Local papers may well pool journalists for future coverage of state and national news but local papers must "own" local news.
• Most bloggers fail to rise to the level of "journalism" most of the time and all too frequently fail the test of neutral reporting. Neutrality is just not "their thing." Political voice is.
• Lots of folks are going to continue to want a print edition of "the paper."

America needs a new model for supporting news gathering and it can't be governmental. Perhaps new media foundations will emerge.

The media will continue to publish stories that shine an unfavorable light on certain powerful individuals and those individuals will continue to attack the media as a result. There may even be some psychological satisfaction for the general public doing so as well.

But by some means, the work of professional journalists must be preserved. It is far too important to be left to the amateurs.

Commissioner Expected to be Named Today

This morning the Kentucky Board of Education will conduct an 8 AM special meeting at the Capital Plaza Tower, 1st Floor, State Board Room in Frankfort. It is expected that a new education commissioner will soon be introduced to the state.

KSN&C asked its readers to cast their ballot and by an overwhelming margin have called for the selection of Terry Holliday Superintendent of the Iredell-Statesville Schools, in North Carolina.

Who is Your choice for Education Commissioner?

Dennis Cheek
13 (17%)

Terry Holliday
53 (70%)

Catherine Cross Maple
2 (2%)

Michael Sentance
7 (9%)

But who will the state board of education choose?

In addition to Holliday the board is considering:

Dennis W. Cheek, Ph.D. who is currently senior fellow at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

Catherine Cross Maple, Ph.D. – Maple is currently deputy cabinet secretary for the New Mexico Public Education Department, and

Michael Sentance - most recently the Secretary’s Regional Representative at the U.S. Department of Education.

Board of Education chair Joe Brothers has been sounding optimistic about a unanimous decision this morning and other sources close to the board predict a fairly quick meeting.

CORRECTION: Comments Attributed to Cheek DO NOT Appear to be His

Yesterday KSN&C picked up a story from a group called Accuracy in Media, Accuracy in Academia that now seems to be in error.

The story had to do with technology implementation in the schools and attributed comments to Dennis Cheek that were not his. Cheek says the comments "were actually made by John Chubb of Edison Schools."

When Cheek contacted KSN&C, we immediately contacted the author. This afternoon I received word that the publication may not be standing behind its story. Director of Public Relations Sarah Schaerr Norton of Accuracy in Media & Accuracy in Academia told KSN&C that,

" ...it appears that the quote in question may have been incorrectly attributed. [The author and editor] found an archived video of the event and they are checking that to be sure. If it was misprinted, [The Editor] will correct the article no later than tomorrow. He will contact you directly when he has double-checked everything and decided on a course of action, and he will be in touch with Dr. Cheek as well."

Norton said,

I appreciate you bringing this to my attention. We strive for high standards of accuracy and when a mistake does happen, we're grateful for the opportunity to correct the record. My sincerest apologies if we passed on incorrect information.

KSN&C has taken steps to assure that the board of education is also aware of the error.

KSN&C regrets posting the erroneous story. While we could not have predicted that the story was faulty, we regret the error just the same.

While opinions may vary, if readers find information to be in error, please let us know.

KSN&C strives to provide dependable reporting and thought-provoking commentary.

Within the System or Without? Mitchell and Cheek Square Off on Technology

Turns out that would-be Kentucky Education Commissioners Mitchell Chester and Dennis Cheek squared off in June, in Philadelphia. The contrasts are notable.

This from Alana Goodman at Campus Report Online:

School of Future Shock

At Philadelphia’s School of the Future (SOF), textbooks have been replaced with laptops and high schoolers are taught core curriculum through technology-based programs like YouTube and instant messenger.

SOF is a charter school in the Philadelphia School District serving mostly low-income students, and was created through a 2006 partnership with the Microsoft Corporation. But the school, once hailed as “the next big thing” by National Public Radio, is struggling to live up to these high expectations.

SOF’s original goals were to supply each student with a laptop computer that he would personally care for, open the school to the community in order to educate urban adults in technology and use technology and a project-based curriculum to increase student learning. Unfortunately, problems have been plaguing the school since the beginning: Students are unable to properly care for their laptops, there is very little community involvement and test scores have been inconclusive in measuring student achievement.

On May 28, teachers, administrators and researchers got together at the American Enterprise Institute to analyze the successes and failures of the school.

Some analysts expressed concern over what seemed like the lack of clear goals for SOF. “It’s very easy to convolute ends and means. Online learning is not the end…You need a very clear vision,” said Mitch Chester, commissioner of the Massachusetts public schools.

“When not wanting to be like what exists becomes one of the main qualities, you can’t grow on what’s good,” Chester added. “You reject what might be worth saving.”

...However, some analysts believe that SOF will never be able to foster innovation as long as it is working within the public school district.

Dennis Cheek argued that technology in schools has an inverse relationship to the strength of teachers unions. “The system is resistant to technology,” he said. “Technology is going to take some of the jobs of teachers.”

Chester E. Finn, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, agreed that working within the system is not going to yield results. “Vendors are not reformers. Consultants are not agitators,” he said. “At the end of the day, are we talking about school reform, or are we talking about being consultants to a system that does not want to change?”

Margaret Cullinane, the director of innovation and business development for the Microsoft Corporation, disagreed that innovation could not happen within the public school districts, saying that you “can only change the system if you’re involved in the system.”

Martin Cothran: Logic in Defense of the Irrational

Over at opinio loqui, Martin Cothran waved his hand and spawned from the primordial ooze a delightful Darwinian reverie that equates public school folks to caged apes – at least, those folks who may consider the prior creationist views of one of the state’s finalists for education commissioner to be an issue worth mentioning.

It's a fun read. But it is also a total twistifycation of the facts that does some amount of disservice to both the Rev Dr Dennis Cheek, and those who believe that a finalist’s background - in total - is important in determining who is best qualified to become Kentucky’s next commissioner.

Channeling Jane Goodall, Cothran alludes to his experiences among those lower life forms known as “Kentuckians.” He asks:

Is Dennis Cheek fit enough to survive the vetting process for education commissioner?

It’s a good question - one that applies equally to all four finalists. Although for some reason, Cothran seems only concerned with Cheek.

Cothran acknowledges Cheek’s academic prowess, and correctly remarks that he,

once wrote a paper that questioned the evidence for whether human beings evolved from apes.

That’s part of what Cheek said. The other part was,

The Scriptural view, that man and these other creatures were created separately, is fully as much in accord with the evidence, and is more credible on other grounds.

Is that worth mentioning?

To be clear, Cheek’s current position is very different – about 180 degrees. He told KSN&C,

I concur fully with the very well-reasoned and well-articulated opinion of the judge in [Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District in [Pennsylvania] that these positions have not led to anything yet that qualifies as science. Deciding precisely what is or is not science is admittedly a bit hard to pin down fully since the demarcation arguments regarding science are still quite robust among professional philosophers of science. The judge found that the [Intelligent Design] views are fundamentally religious (I would also add metaphysical) in nature and do not belong in the science classroom as part of the formal scientific curriculum.

Cothran calls me out saying,

Richard Day, a dominant male in the education community and the one who dug up the old creationist paper, displayed openly aggressive behavior at his blog "Kentucky School News and Commentary" in response to the revelation about what he considers Cheek's checkered past.

Flattery will get you nowhere, Martin.

Is it possible that Kentucky’s next education commissioner – if he or she maintained creationist views - might promote programs or act in ways that put the state at odds with the Constitution or established court rulings? Would the state end up wasting time and paying more money to ACLU attorneys?

The fact is we’re just now getting to know Cheek. Since the sole purpose for vetting candidates is to learn more about them, upon discovering potentially controversial views, should they have been kept secret – as a pseudo scientist might choose to do? Or does the public have a right to know and evaluate such claims for themselves before turning over the keys to the schools?

Cothran is correct to suggest,

The revelation has caused a great deal of chattering among some in the education bureaucracy who wonder why he did not divulge this to the Board of Education, which is looking into his background.

Yes, we chimps chatter. Pick fleas, too. (Small self-serving correction to Cothran’s piece: KSN&C reported its findings on July 7th. The Courier-Journal editorial ran on the 8th.)

But if it is truly “aggressive behavior” to quote someone directly then Cothran should cease publication immediately – along with all those other endangered media species.

Cothran, for example, recently exposed the fact that US Supreme Court nominee Sonya Sotomayor is an “Ivy League judge.” Was that openly aggressive behavior on Cothran’s part; a little bait to rouse up the “intellectual deletes?” Or was he just sayin’.

The fact of the matter is, if something germane showed up in the public record, whether potentially helpful or hurtful to any candidate, KSN&C would have posted it anyway. Just as was done with Barbara Erwin. Just as was done with the other finalists.

It has been, and will continue to be, KSN&C’s practice to present relevant information regardless of whether that favors or disfavors an individual. That has been true for school administrators we respect. It is true for commissioner candidates.

For example, KSN&C also posted the revelation that finalist, Michael Sentance, once became sufficiently riled up at a youth soccer game that he not only got a yellow card, and a red card, but whatever color he got when he was suspended for the balance of the season. You want dominant male? I give you Michael Sentance.

But there are a couple of differences. Sentance immediately acknowledged his mistake, took full responsibility and served his suspension. He followed that up by returning to coaching and behaving himself. More to the point, sources tell KSN&C that he also alerted the board of education to the occurance in his interview - so that there would be no unpleasant surprises, misunderstandings, or potential embarrassment to the board.

So I’ll ask again:

Why didn't Cheek alert the board that he had an old paper out there that is inconsistent with his present views?

Did he roll the dice and hope his former views would not come to light? If so, why?

Having underplayed Cheeks original statement, Cothran finishes his piece by reducing Cheek’s present position to one of human descendancy from apes.

Believe what you will, but I think it is a misdeed to reduce Cheek’s nuanced considerations to some kind of slogan. Any fair researcher must acknowledge that it is not simply about apes and man to Cheek. His thoughts run much deeper than that.

But Cothran does make one troublesome observation. He rallies against “the professional education community” for its alleged “unfriendly behavior…[displayed] toward the common cultural beliefs of their students and their families.”

One supposes that the Family Foundation, for which Cothran “makes final policy decisions and manages strategy” stands ready to let us know which families are within that common culture and which are not – a luxury denied those obliged by the Constitution to serve all of the public, in all of creation’s variety.

Cothran recalls “the role Christianity has played in our nation's history” and the good old days when teacher led prayer and regular Bible readings posed no obstacle to any Protestant children whose parents chose to send them to school. Heaven forbid a Catholic family might have wanted the same consideration paid their faith. They simply were not within the common culture. After decades of frustration parochial schools went their own way. The notion of a “common culture” in this increasingly diverse nation is fast becoming a thing of the past.

Cothran closes by taking a shot at the Courier-Journal for raising (unsupported) questions about the Templeton Foundation, for which Cheek once worked, and by inferring that Cheek’s views on creationism changed due to his exposure to public education.

But Cheek says it was growth in his “own knowledge and experience in many domains” that led him to find his earlier work to be in error. He no longer finds “the views labeled young earth creationism, old earth creationism, [or] Intelligent Design … compelling theologically or scientifically.”

Cothran is an evolved man who knows he is reducing Cheek’s explanations to fit his own preferences, but it makes for a clever ending. And Martin’s a much better author when he adds humor.

On the Templeton Foundation: That topic is well outside my area of expertise, and perhaps the C-J has specific evidence to support their claims of Templeton’s cultural divisiveness that has escaped me. But a cursory glance at Templeton’s website shows a long-standing and well-balanced engagement on issues of religion and science encompassing the world’s major religions. I see no problem with that.

The first amendment to the Constitution not only forbids laws "respecting an establishment of religion" it also prohibits any infringement on the free exercise thereof. Cothran will become a better American when he understands that those rights are neither given, nor taken away, by majority rule, on a community by community basis.

Cheek Responds: Rejects as "Quite Unsound" Earlier Creationist Writings

I wrote the creationist article

... more than a quarter of

a century ago. At that time

I had little formal background

in biology or theology.

Subsequent growth in my

own knowledge and experience

in many domains led me

to find my earlier work

quite unsound.

--Dennis W Cheek

In a routine background check of scholarly writings Tuesday, KSN&C unearthed an old creationist paper written by Dennis Cheek, who is presently a finalist for the Education Commissioner's post. The article raised concerns in the minds of many school folks that such views might not be consistent with the best interests of all Kentucky school children or the Constitution.

Board of education members had not been alerted to Cheek's writings by their search firm, Greenwood & Associates. But because of the board's decision to publicly announce four finalists and allow for a time of public vetting before announcing a final choice, they were able to learn of the concern and question Cheek during his 90-minute interview yesterday.

This morning the Herald-Leader reported,

...the first hint of an issue in the selection process surfaced Wednesday over a blog posting on Kentucky School News and Commentary concerning past writings by Cheek with an apparent creationist bent.

[Board Chair Joe] Brothers said that board members questioned Cheek about the matter during his interview and that Cheek assured them that he is "very comfortable with the evolution component."

Cheek told reporters outside the meeting that he had sent a reply to the blog.

When KSN&C did not find his response this morning, in the mailbox or on the blog itself, I alerted Cheek who resent an expanded response (See below). We assume there was a technical glitch on one end or the other that prevented the message from getting through.

Cheek told H-L,

he believes evolution, not creationism, should be taught in science classes. He said he also supports the 2005 federal court ruling that struck down the teaching of "intelligent design" in science classes in Pennsylvania's Dover Area School District.

"What should be taught in school is exactly what the judge in the Dover case said. He was quite clear ... and I concur 100 percent with the decision that was made," Cheek said.

Cheek said that while people of various religious beliefs can differ on evolution, "when it comes to what is taught in the science curriculum, evolution can be demonstrated and seen in many different dimensions of science."

The article that caused the stir was this one, from a 1981 Creation Research Society publication:

"THE CREATIONIST AND NEO-DARWINIAN VIEWS CONCERNING THE ORIGIN OF THE ORDER PRIMATES COMPARED AND CONTRASTED: A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS by DENNIS W. CHEEK

"After some consideration of the philosophical cautions which should be observed in any scientific discussion, the fossil evidence having to do with primates is reviewed. It is concluded that there is no real evidence to show either that the primates evolved from anything else, or that man evolved among them. The Scriptural view, that man and these other creatures were created separately, is fully as much in accord with the evidence, and is more credible on other grounds." (emphasis in original)

In an interview yesterday, Cheek told C-J he has since rejected those views.

Although he still accepts the "concept of creation" as a Christian, he said he recognizes that "we have plenty of evidence of evolution," and he does not believe that creationism or intelligent design should be taught in schools.

Further, he said, he doesn't believe in "young earth creationism," which holds that the earth is just thousands of years old. "My view is that we should never think about introducing material into a science class until the scientific community has embraced it," said Cheek...

A Courier-Journal editorial asked,

What are the implications of Dennis Cheek's background as a pastor and church-planter, his appearance on Stanford University Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship leader Glen Davis's list of "Pentecostal/Charismatic/Third Wave leaders" [along side John Ashcroft, Sarah Palin & James Watt] and his years with the controversial and polarizing John Templeton Foundation?

Brothers told C-J that no front runner had been identified, but the board was "very pleased with what it heard" and wanted more time to check into the candidates' backgrounds...

Cheek Responds

This from Dennis W. Cheek:

I wrote the creationist article in question and another in a similar vein more than a quarter of a century ago. At that time I had little formal background in biology or theology. Subsequent growth in my own knowledge and experience in many domains led me to find my earlier work quite unsound. As many leaders within the K-12 science education community know (e.g., Gerald Wheeler, former NSTA Executive Director and old-time members of the Council of State Science Supervisors), I do not find the views labeled young earth creationism, old earth creationism, and Intelligent Design (e.g., Phil Johnson, Michael Behe, William Dembski) at this point compelling theologically or scientifically. I sometimes speak on this topic at religious colleges and universities.

I concur fully with the very well-reasoned and well-articulated opinion of the judge in the Dover case in PA that these positions have not led to anything yet that qualifies as science. Deciding precisely what is or is not science is admittedly a bit hard to pin down fully since the demarcation arguments regarding science are still quite robust among professional philosophers of science. The judge found that the ID views are fundamentally religious (I would also add metaphysical) in nature and do not belong in the science classroom as part of the formal scientific curriculum. At a minimum it also would make sense to require that such views would have to become widely taught at the collegiate level first for those aspiring to BE scientists and widely expressed throughout the scientific literature before they were taught as part of the formal science curriculum. In this sense, K-12 schools should always trail the academic conversations about what “counts” as human knowledge worth all students knowing rather than leading the way. If we use “cold fusion” as but one small example, cold fusion should not have been taught in K-12 schools within the physics
curriculum as “fact” simply because a set of peer-reviewed articles advanced it. Subsequent work failed to replicate the findings and the scientific community was able to say with certainty that no such achievement occurred – at least not yet. Within the science classroom teachers need to treat with respect students whose metaphysical views lead them to strongly react against certain aspects of modern science while at the same time requiring students to demonstrate that they have good understanding of essential scientific concepts and contemporary understandings including evolution. The Project 2061 Benchmarks for Science Literacy, a project of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) with which I have been associated for a long time as an advisor, speaks to these issues in several of its benchmarks. I funded while VP at the Kauffman Foundation a large project for the National School Boards Association and the AAAS to prepare training materials for school boards across the nation dealing with how to handle controversial issues in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education (e.g., evolution, dissection, global climate change, use of calculators). These materials are starting to roll out through state-level school board associations and several national and statewide training sessions have occurred. Information on this project and resources can be found on the NSBA website. I have also been an informal advisor for several years to the AAAS Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion (DOSER).

Working at the John Templeton Foundation as a Vice President for two years afforded wonderful opportunities to discuss both science and religion/theology with many of the world’s leading scientists (including quite a few Nobel Prize winners) as well as theologians. The voluminous literature in this field at this point in time finds several encyclopedias now in print on science and religion that summarize the work to date. The long history of these interactions suggest that White’s famous 19th century “warfare” metaphor between science and religion is not a proper historical view (e.g., works by John Hedley Brooke, David Lindberg, Ronald Numbers). Both celebrity atheists and celebrity young earth creationists and others have played on this warfare approach for some time, invoking science as “proof” that their metaphysical views are correct (e.g., Karl Giberson, Mariano Artigas, Oracles of Science, Oxford, 2007 which I reviewed in Perspectives on Science & Christian Faith). This of course is a logical fallacy and an individual person does try to integrate their knowledge and beliefs in a consistent manner we should never miss the fact that much of what we believe cannot be empirically verified by the methods of science now or ever. The Sloan Foundation’s project, “The Known, the Knowable, and the Unknowable” does a good job taking up the limits of science – now or ever – as did the much earlier Encyclopedia of Ignorance, Plenum Press, 1977. I summarized my personal take on the state of the field in science and religion while at the Templeton Foundation in a posting you can find on the Metanexus website that was in response to a request following a presentation I gave at one of their international meetings. My own views at this point on the subject of creation and evolution would be quite similar to those of well-known figures in science and religion dialogue such as Sir John Polkinghorne, Francis Collins, Simon Conway-Morris, and Denis Alexander – all of whom are persons known to me. John and I are both members of the Society of Ordained Scientists whose title of the society speaks for itself. Since I am Wesleyan in my theology, I find the essays in the recently published Divine Grace and Emerging Creation: Wesleyan Forays in Science and Theology of Creation, Ed. Thomas Jay Oord, 2009, also quite illuminating.

From "Interdisciplinary Dialogue and Issues in Science and Religion"
By Dennis W. Cheek at Metanexus

There is a growing recognition that students in public and private schools can and should be exposed to science and religion dialogue, including the history of this engagement and implications of modern science (and technology) for religious thought...

Dialogue between religion and specific sciences and subdisciplines within those sciences also need to be expanded. To date there has been extremely limited dialogue between say, chemistry and religion or mathematics and religion as compared to certain aspects of physics. Experimental physics has been virtually ignored while quantum physics has been extensively explored by comparison. (These examples can be multiplied many times over.) ...

So there you have it. Asked and answered. Written and rejected.

What I can't figure is - why didn't Cheek inoculate himself against the sizable vulnerability represented by creationism? Did he bet it wouldn't be discovered? Did it not come up in Missouri where he was also a finalist for their top post?

He is obviously an intelligent and very well studied individual; a complex guy, as one KSN&C commenter said.

A tech-savvy guy who understands the power of the Internet; knowing that he was "on the record;" and on such a hot-button issue - why didn't he alert the board during his first interview?

Why didn't he say to the board, 'Look, you're going to find something on my record, that I need to talk about. ...and then explain?

In retrospect, wouldn't something like that have been a better approach?

More Doubt About Cheeks

A reader alerted KSN&C to another resume for Dennis W. Cheek, this on on the Darwin doubters website.

The site seems to be a listing of outed "Darwin doubters" and says,

Due to the Comprehensive nature of this project and website, you can help by sending me information you may know of (updates), possible inaccurate information (corrections), letting me know of Darwin doubters that are perhaps not listed as well as any information about them.

I am responsible for the information contained herein. Also, because of potential problems for some (employment, obtaining degrees, confidentiality issues), some Darwin doubters will not be included in this project and will not be found on this website.

KSN&C has not yet received confirmation from Cheek himself.

Houston, We Have a Problem !

Kentucky Education Commissioner finalist Dennis W. Cheek was shortchanged in the public comments department the other day when KSN&C searched the nations news outlets.

But today, we're checking scholarship. It is in the academic realm where Cheek lives. After all, he's got more degrees than a thermometer (one of them a Ph D in Theology) and works for a foundation. It's the very stuff of influence.

Most of the scholarly listings are interesting tech 3.0 geek stuff as befits a wonk of his calibur.

But then there's a big blinking red light shining on at least one of his titles. (See if you can guess which ones.)

Unless there are two different authors named Dennis W. Cheek, we've got a problem.

I think I know the first two questions the board will ask him in tomorrows interviews:

1st Question: Good morning, Dr. Cheek. Did you sleep well?

2nd Question: Are you the author of "THE CREATIONIST AND NEO-DARWINIAN VIEWS CONCERNING THE ORIGIN OF THE ORDER PRIMATES...?"

~~~
SEARCH RESULTS:

[BOOK] Thinking constructively about science, technology, and society educationDW Cheek - 1992 - books.google.com... Production by MR Mulholland Marketing by Bernadette LaManna Library of CongressCataloging-in-Publication Data Cheek, Dennis W., 1955- Thinking constructively aboutscience, technology, and society education / Dennis W. Cheek. p. cm. ... Cited by 63 - Related articles - Web Search - Library Search - All 2 versions

[CITATION] Thinking constructively about science DW Cheek - Technology and Society Education. Albany, NY: State …, 1992Cited by 14 - Related articles - Web Search

Evaluating learning in STS education- ►uwinnipeg.ca [PDF] DW Cheek - Theory Into Practice, 1992 - jstor.orgOur nation must have a citizenry that is prepared to understand and deal rationally with the issues and opportunities of a scientific and technological world. (National Science Teachers Association, 1990a) American schools need ... Cited by 11 - Related articles - Web Search - All 5 versions

Plain Talk about Alternative Assessment.DW Cheek - Middle School Journal, 1993 - eric.ed.govEJ474233 - Plain Talk about Alternative Assessment. Cited by 6 - Related articles - Cached - Web Search

Gender and equity issues in computer-based science assessment DW Cheek, S Agruso - Journal of Science Education and Technology, 1995 - SpringerThe computer has been welcomed into offices, schools, and homes quite rapidly within the past dec- ade with the ascendancy of the affordable personal computer. People from many different walks of life are employing computers ... Cited by 3 - Related articles - Web Search - All 3 versions

Marginalization of technology within the STS movement in American K-12 education DW Cheek - Science, Technology, and Society: A Sourcebook on Research …, 2000 - books.google.comCHAPTER 7 Marginalization of Technology within the STS Movement in American K-12 Education Dennis W. Cheek A MATTER OF DEFINITION We live in a pervasive, technological world. Technologies of all types are part of the fabric of ... Cited by 3 - Related articles - Web Search - All 2 versions

[CITATION] THE CREATIONIST AND NEO-DARWINIAN VIEWS CONCERNING THE ORIGIN OF THE ORDER PRIMATES COMPARED AND …DW Cheek - QuarterlyCited by 1 - Web Search

Quarterly‎ by Creation Research Society - CreationPage 93
THE CREATIONIST AND NEO-DARWINIAN VIEWS CONCERNING THE ORIGIN OF THE ORDER PRIMATES COMPARED AND CONTRASTED: A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS Dennis W. Cheek*
...
No preview available - About this book - Addto my library

Quarterly‎by Creation Research Society - Creation Page 240
Cheek, Dennis W. The Creationist and Neo-Darwinian Views Concerning the Origin of the Order Primates Compared and Contrasted: a Preliminary Analysis, 93. ...
No preview available - About this book - Add to my library - More editions

"THE CREATIONIST AND NEO-DARWINIAN VIEWS CONCERNING THE ORIGIN OF THE ORDER PRIMATES COMPARED AND CONTRASTED: A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS
DENNIS W. CHEEK
"After some consideration of the philosophical cautions which should be observed in any scientific discussion, the fossil evidence having to do with primates is reviewed. It is concluded that there is no real evidence to show either that the primates evolved from anything else, or that man evolved among them. The Scriptural view, that man and these other creatures were created separately, is fully as much in accord with the evidence, and is more credible on other grounds."

NOTE: The Creation Research Society is a professional organization of trained scientists and interested laypersons who are firmly committed to scientific special creation. The Society was organized in 1963 by a committee of ten like-minded scientists, and has grown into an organization with worldwide membership. One of the Society's primary functions is the Publication of a quarterly "peer-reviewed" journal.
All members of the Creation Research Society must subscribe to the following statement of belief:
1. The Bible is the written Word of God, and because it is inspired throughout, all its assertions are historically and scientifically true in the original autographs. To the student of nature this means that the account of origins in Genesis is a factual presentation of simple historical truths.
2. All basic types of living things, including man, were made by direct creative acts of God during the Creation Week described in Genesis. Whatever biological changes have occurred since Creation Week have accomplished only changes within the original created kinds.
3. The great flood described in Genesis, commonly referred to as the Noachian Flood, was an historic event worldwide in its extent and effect.
4. We are an organization of Christian men and women of science who accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. The account of the special creation of Adam and Eve as one man and one woman and their subsequent fall into sin is the basis for our belief in the necessity of a Savior for all mankind. Therefore, salvation can come only through accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior.

[CITATION] Teaching about global climatic change in K-12 schools DW Cheek - Earth observations and global change decision making, 1990: …, 1991 - Krieger Pub Co

A state accountability system as a technology of social control: The case of Rhode Island, USAP McWalters, DW Cheek - Evaluation & Research in Education, 2000 - informaworld.comTheStateofRhode IslandandProvidencePlantations,asit is officially titled,is the smallest state in geographic size in the United States of America, yet is the secondmost densely populated state.Rhode Islandis one of only two ... Cited by 1 - Related articles - Web Search - BL Direct - All 7 versions

[CITATION] The Current Status of Science EducationFM Betts, DW Cheek - ASCD Curriculum HandbookCited by 1 - Related articles - Web Search


Science Curriculum Resource Handbook: A Practical Guide for K-12 Science Curriculum.DW Cheek - 1992 - eric.ed.govED381340 - Science Curriculum Resource Handbook: APractical Guide for K-12 Science Curriculum. Cached - Web Search

Nature, Technology and the Sacred-Bronislaw SzerszynskiDW Cheek - Religious Studies Review, 2006 - interscience.wiley.comSOCIAL ORIGINS OF RELIGION. By Roger Bastide. Translated by Mary Baker. Min- neapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2003 [1935]. Pp. xxxiii + 221. Cloth, $49.95, ISBN 0-8166-3248-0; paper $17.95, ISBN 0-8166-3249-9. This ... Web Search - BL Direct - All 2 versions

Social Studies Curriculum Resource Handbook. A Practical Guide for K-12 Social Studies Curriculum.DW Cheek, S Kohut Jr - 1992 - eric.ed.govED372972 - Social Studies Curriculum Resource Handbook. A PracticalGuide for K-12 Social Studies Curriculum. Cached - Web Search
[CITATION] STS Reporter. Special Issue [and] Vol. 1, No. 2-3. Science, Technology, and SocietyDW Cheek - 1989 - Pennsylvania: National Science, Technology and Society Network, …Web Search

Beyond Paradise: Technology and the Kingdom of God-By Jack Clayton Swearengen DW Cheek - Religious Studies Review, 2009 - interscience.wiley.comIt is also possible that your web browser is not configured or not able to display style sheets. In this case, although the visual presentation will be degraded, the site should continue to be functional. We recommend using the ... Web Search - All 2 versions

STS Reporter: Science, Technology, and Society. Special Issue [and] Vol. 1, No. 2-3.DW Cheek - STS Reporter: Science, Technology and Society, 1989 - eric.ed.govED347119 - STS Reporter: Science, Technology, and Society.Special Issue [and] Vol. 1, No. 2-3. Cached - Web Search - Library Search

Education about the History of Technology in K-12 Schools.DW Cheek - 1997 - eric.ed.govED422228 - Education about the History of Technology in K-12 Schools. Cached - Web Search

Proceedings of the National Technological Literacy Conference (9th, Arlington, Virginia, January 21- …DW Cheek, KA Cheek - 1994 - eric.ed.govED381429 - Proceedings of the National Technological Literacy Conference(9th, Arlington, Virginia, January 21-23, 1994). Cached - Web Search

Proceedings of the National Technological Literacy Conference (10th, Arlington, Virginia, March 2-5, …DW Cheek, KA Cheek - 1995 - eric.ed.govED388558 - Proceedings of the National Technological Literacy Conference(10th, Arlington, Virginia, March 2-5, 1995). Cached - Web Search - Library Search


Justice: A Biblical Perspective-By Carol J. Dempsey DW Cheek - Religious Studies Review, 2009 - interscience.wiley.comIt is also possible that your web browser is not configured or not able to display style sheets. In this case, although the visual presentation will be degraded, the site should continue to be functional. We recommend using the ... Web Search - All 2 versions

A State Accountability System as a Technology of Social Control: The Case of RI.DW Cheek - 2000 - eric.ed.govED441013 - A State Accountability System as a Technologyof Social Control: The Case of RI. Cached - Web Search

Explore Your School DW Cheek - Science Teacher, 1988 - eric.ed.govEJ387797 - Explore Your School. Cached - Web Search

[BOOK] NYSTEP Teacher Guide DW Cheek, TO'Brien - 1996 - Research Foundation of the State University of New YorkWeb Search - Library Search

Technological Literacy V: Proceedings of the National Technological Literacy Conference.(5th …DW Cheek - 1990 - eric.ed.govED325429 - Technological Literacy V: Proceedings of the National Technological LiteracyConference. (5th Arlington, Virginia, February 2-4, 1990). Cached - Web Search

Broadening Participation in Science, Technology and Medicine: Proceedings of the Annual …DW Cheek - 1991 - eric.ed.govED339671 - Broadening Participation in Science, Technology and Medicine: Proceedings of the Annual Technological Literacy Conference (6th, Washington, DC, February 1-3, 1991). ... Broadening Participation in Science, ... Cached - Web Search

[PDF] ►A refereed publication of The International Honor Society for Professions in Technology.DW Cheek, ES Atkinson, WL Cheng, M Sarapin, MJ … - jge - scholar.lib.vt.eduE. Stephanie Atkinson University of Sunderland School of Education Hammerton Hall, Gray Rd. Sunderland, UK SR2-8JB stephanie.atkinson@sunderland.ac.uk Wan-Lee Cheng Department of Design and Industry San Francisco State ... View as HTML - Web Search - All 2 versions

Proceedings of the National Technological Literacy Conference (11th, Arlington, VA, February 8-11, …DW Cheek, KA Cheek - 1997 - eric.ed.govED418021 - Proceedings of the National Technological LiteracyConference (11th, Arlington, VA, February 8-11, 1996). Cached - Web Search - Library Search

Resources for STS Education. Science, Technology, and Society.DW Cheek… - 1989 - eric.ed.govED323153 - Resources for STS Education. Science, Technology, and Society. Cached - Web Search

Every Congregation Needs a Little Conflict-By George W. Bullard, Jr.DW Cheek - Religious Studies Review, 2009 - interscience.wiley.comIt is also possible that your web browser is not configured or not able to display style sheets. In this case, although the visual presentation will be degraded, the site should continue to be functional. We recommend using the ... Web Search - All 2 versions

[BOOK] The Episcopal Register of Eudes of Rouen: 1248-1269 DW Cheek - 1984 - University of Maryland, Baltimore CountyWeb Search - Library Search

Musings on Science Program Evaluation in an Era of Educational Accountability- ►springeronline.com [PDF] DW Cheek - Evaluation of Science and Technology Education at the Dawn …, 2002 - SpringerScience education programs are always situated in the much larger, loosely coupled, education system comprised of national, state, and local dimen- sions. Science education programs in any given locale vary substantially due to ... Related articles - Web Search - All 3 versions

Sts High School Modules From the Department of Defense Dependents Schools DW Cheek - Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, 1987 - bst.sagepub.comWeb Search

SOURCE: Google Scholar search = "Dennis W Cheek"
and
Google Scholar search = "THE CREATIONIST AND NEO-DARWINIAN VIEWS CONCERNING THE ORIGIN OF THE ORDER PRIMATES"

Kentucky Board of Education to Meet

(FRANKFORT, Ky.) – The Kentucky Board of Education will hold a special meeting Wednesday, July 8, at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Lexington. The meeting will begin at 7:15 a.m., and the board will enter into closed session immediately to interview the four candidates for the position of commissioner of education.

The four are:

· Dennis W. Cheek, Ph.D. – Cheek is currently senior fellow at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, Missouri, a position he has held since May 2009.

Terry Holliday, Ph.D. – Holliday is currently superintendent of Iredell-Statesville Schools in Statesville, North Carolina, a position he has held since 2002.

· Catherine Cross Maple, Ph.D. – Maple is currently deputy cabinet secretary for the New Mexico Public Education Department, a position she has held since 2004.

· Michael Sentance – Sentance most recently was the Secretary’s Regional Representative at the U.S. Department of Education, a position he held from 2001 to January 2009.

A full agenda follows.

KENTUCKY BOARD OF EDUCATION
JULY 8, 2009

EMBASSY SUITES
1802 NEWTOWN PIKE
LEXINGTON, KY 40511


Wednesday, July 8, 2009

BUSINESS SESSION - FULL BOARD
7:15 a.m. - Adjournment (EDT)
(Note: The day's meeting includes a working breakfast and lunch.)

I. Call to Order
II. Roll Call
III. Interviews with candidates for the commissioner of education position (Closed session per KRS 61.810 (1)(f))
IV. Consideration of a possible motion to select the new commissioner of education, if necessary (Open session)
V. Adjournment

SOURCE: KDE press release

Preliminary Review of Commissioner Finalists Free of Significant Concerns

A review of selected articles outlining the carrers of the four finalists is now posted. They are huge. For chronological order, start at the bottom and scroll up. Jump to them here:
Dennis Cheek
Catherine Cross Maple
Terry Holliday
Michael Sentance

I will soon turn to analysis.

Reviewing the public utterances of the four finalists for Kentucy Education Commissioner and the issues surrounding their work involved approximately 24 hours over the long weekend; revewing more than 650 articles revealed by dozens of database and search engine searches.

I'm not quite finished with my review, and have yet to form an opinion as to my own preference for the post, but I believe if there was a major concern about any of the candidates that made it into a newspaper anywhere in the country, I would have found a hint of it by now.

I did elude, in this weekend's mega-post, to an apparent error on the Excelsior College website regarding the claim of a superintendency by Dennis Cheek.

KSN&C contacted Dr. Cheek for clarification. His response follows:

This is actually not a mistake but a confusion that arises from the following complicated situation in RI.

While serving as a Director at the RI Department of Education, I also functioned as the “superintendent” of the ten state-supported career and technical centers in RI for several years. These institutions were in 14 buildings located around the state. The building were owned by the state with principals appointed by the Department of Education and all programs overseen by the state.

I was responsible for annually petitioning the legislature for repair monies, supervising repairs and new construction, permitting, health and safety codes, all materials, hardware, etc. as well as personnel policies, accountability and all the things that a superintendent normally has to supervise. I was also certified as a superintendent.

The students came from various districts within that particular region, or in cases where a program was not regionally available, from other regions. Tuitions per student were charged back to the local districts with yours truly also having to often intervene with local districts to ensure that tuition bills were paid.

While each local career and tech center had its own board, RIDE itself and the Board of Regents were the “super board” with power to remove principals or override local board decisions. I hope this clarifies the matter.

The superintendency not listed as a major heading on Cheek's resume, only a bullet point, and I missed it. So the confusion was not Excelsior's, but mine.

More later.

Dennis Cheek: Resume and Review

Dennis W. Cheek, Ph.D.
105 Gypsy Lane, Kennett Square, PA 19348, dcheek@kauffman.org

Work Experience

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Kansas City, MO 2005-present Vice President of Education (2005-April 2009); Senior Fellow (May 2009-2010)

 Supervised team of 17 individuals and over $25 million in annual grant awards to education in both Kansas City and the nation including private, public, and parochial education systems and regional and national research and professional organizations; work focused on youth entrepreneurship, future of learning, education research & policy, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, as well as community initiatives in Kansas City Metro area
 Led major national effort focused on the future of learning in partnership with corporations, government agencies, and foundations
 Collaborated with peers at foundations across America and throughout Europe; spoke at major national and international education conferences; wrote articles and essays about our work; prepared and presented reports to Board of Trustees; mentored Kauffman Global Scholars and Global Entrepreneurship Faculty, interns, & staff; advised foundations & corporations
 Representative to Business Higher Education Forum, Alliance for Science and Technology Research in America, European Foundation Center

John Templeton Foundation, West Conshohocken, PA 2002-2004
Vice President for Venture Philanthropy Innovation and Managing Director, Templeton Venture Philanthropy Associates
 Supervised staff of 5 individuals and advised on over $60 million of annual grant awards in human sciences, free enterprise, and science and religion nationally and internationally to elite research universities
 Worked with all major grantees to structure benchmarks for performance, created and implemented evaluation plans, and continuously monitored results
 Prepared and presented reports to Board of Trustees and special reports for the founder, international investor Sir John Marks Templeton
 Spoke at national and international conferences

Science Applications International Corporation, Oak Ridge, TN 1995-2005
Senior Consulting Professional (part-time, upon demand and availability)
 Provided strategic and operational advise on various multimillion dollar government contracts related to education in both formal and informal learning settings
 Prospected future projects, prepared recommendations and bids; represented corporation at major educational events

Rhode Island Department of Education, Providence, RI 1993-2002 Director, Office of High School Reform, Research, and Adult Education
 Served as State Superintendent for 10 area career and technical education centers (responsible for principals, programs, and state-owned buildings)
 Supervised use of federal Perkins dollars; ran annual competitions for federal Goals 2000 dollars; supervised uses of categorical funds
 Commissioner’s Senior Leadership Team; presented to the Board of Regents various reports, proposed legislation and regulations
 Led efforts to improve high schools across the state
 Created the state education accountability reporting system Information Works! in collaboration with the University of Rhode Island (joint appointment as Associate Professor of Education); member state intervention team in two urban districts
 Commissioned research and evaluation for all state education programs
 Worked with Office of Special Needs to evaluate services and programs for special populations (including ESL); crafted revisions to regulations
 Served on board and as key member of team that launched public charter school in Providence focused on science, mathematics and technology education for disadvantaged youth (Times2 Academy); wrote successful federal competitive grant for $4.5 million to support charter schools
 Served for two years as CIO for Department; converted disparate information systems to Oracle, handled Y2K conversion effort, and improved online information gathering capabilities from schools
 Regularly interacted with all superintendents and principals in state, heads of teacher unions (both AFT and NEA), leaders of professional associations; represented Commissioner on Children’s Cabinet
 Spoke at state, regional, and national conferences and published papers about our work; served for six months as Department’s chief media spokesperson (in addition to regular responsibilities)
 Supervised all state functions in science, mathematics, instructional technology, and social studies education
 Provided and/or supervised professional development for superintendents, curriculum developers, principals, teachers, school counselors, librarians, and support staff
 Supervised GED programs, adult basic education, and job retraining

New York State Education Department, Albany, NY 1989-1993
Project Coordinator
 Coordinated production of nine curriculum modules for teachers of middle level science throughout state working with teams of teachers and district supervisors in Buffalo, New York City, Rochester, Syracuse, and Yonkers; designed pilot and field tests, conducted evaluation activities, refined materials in light of data obtained
 Contributed to professional development activities for teachers and curriculum supervisors across state
 Coordinated the creation of Regents examination items by classroom teachers, piloted items across state, refined items for use on future Regents examinations
 Spoke at state, regional, and national conferences and published papers about project
Other Positions 1976-present
 Teacher of science, social studies, and religious instruction in various private and public schools in Germany, United Kingdom, and Maryland, elementary through high school levels
 Current teaching faculty in mid-career doctoral program in educational leadership, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, (course: "Frameworks for the future of learning and education")
 Adjunct professor in graduate programs at Pennsylvania State University Great Valley, University of Rhode Island, Empire State College (SUNY), Continental Theological Seminary (Belgium)
 Adjunct professor in undergraduate programs at Penn State main campus, University of Maryland European Division and University of Rhode Island
 Occasional Visiting Scholar, Max Planck Institutes for both Human Development and History of Science, Berlin, 2009-2010
 Visiting Fellow, Center for Contemporary History & Policy, Chemical Heritage Foundation, 2009
 Visiting Scholar, Center for Bioethics, University of Pennsylvania, 2009

Education

B.A. History/secondary education, Towson University, 1979 B.S. Biology, Excelsior College, 1988 M.A. History, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1984 Ph.D. Curriculum & instruction/science education, Pennsylvania State University, 1989 Ph.D. Theology, University of Durham, 2007 75 additional graduate credits in archaeology, educational administration, information sciences and policy, law, and national security studies, 1979-1993 Gordon Conference on Science Education & Visualization, 2007 Extensive travel and business in 42 nations on five continents

Publications and Awards

 Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Technology Studies, 2003-2009
 Editorial board, Odyssey, 1991- present (science magazine for young adolescents)
 Editorial board, International Journal of Technology & Design Education, 2005-present
 Editorial board, Journal of Science Education and Technology, 2006-present
 Editorial board, Journal of Technology Education, 1989-2001
 Editorial board, Speculations in Science and Technology, 1992-1999
 Editor, STS Today, 1995-1997
 Manuscript review board, The Science Teacher, 1999-2002, 2007-present
 Manuscript review board, Middle School Journal, 1991-2002
 Manuscript review board, Social Education, 1992-2002
 Author, editor, contributor to over 770 publications and multimedia products
 Honor societies: Kappa Delta Pi (education), Phi Alpha Theta (history), Epsilon Pi Tau (technology professions)
 Distinguished Service Award, Epsilon Pi Tau, 2004
 First place award, AERA Division H publications competition, Summary Reports Category, 1999
 Second place award, AERA Division H publications competition, Institutional Research Category, 1999
 Current nominee, Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Selected Board and Advisory Services
 Board, National Center for Earth and Space Science Education, 2009-present
 Board, By Kids For Kids Foundation, 2009-present
 Board, Sloan STEM Career Center, 2009-present
 President’s Advisory Council, Excelsior College, 2007-present
 Advisor, Philadelphia Math & Science Coalition, 2007
 Advisor, Institute for Effectiveness in Education, York University, UK, 2006
 Founding Member, Steering Group, International Campbell Collaboration and Co-Chair, Communications and Internationalization Group, 1999-2006; Board Member, Nordic Campbell Centre, Copenhagen, 2004-2005
 Chair, "International perspectives on evidence-based policy," Committee on Standards of Evidence and the Quality of Behavioral and Social Science Research, National Academy of Sciences, "Uses of Evidence for Social Policy Decision Making," Irvine, CA, 2005
 2004 and 2006 Board of Examiners, Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, National Institute of Standards and Technology; state examiner in RI for two years
 Associate Executive Director, Epsilon Pi Tau, 2003-2006
 Board Member, Penn-Del Charities, 2003-2007
 Principal, Council for Excellence in Government and Advisor to CEG’s Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy, 2003-
 Board, SkillsUSA-VICA, Inc., 2001
 Board, College Board, 2001-2002
 Board, National Occupational Competency Testing Institute, 2001-2002
 Consultant, Committee on Technological Literacy, National Academy of Engineering, 2000
 Executive Council and Council Member, RI Human Resources Investment Council, 2000-2002
~

Dennis Cheek

Selected from 66 articles reviewed

Reverse chronological order

Wright is state schools chief - Hazelwood superintendent is the first woman, first from area to hold the job.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO) - Thursday, July 2, 2009
Author: DAVID HUNN dhunn@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8411 And VALERIE SCHREMP HAHN vhahn@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8228 © 2009, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Chris Wright, the superintendent of Hazelwood schools, will become Missouri's next state education commissioner, sources say. She will be the first woman and the first St. Louis-area educator to hold the job.…The other candidates were Dennis Cheek , an education consultant from Kennett Square, Pa., and Bert Schulte, who has served as interim commissioner since King's death.
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State names finalists for education chief
Columbia Daily Tribune (MO) - Tuesday, June 9, 2009
A former Columbia Public Schools administrator is a finalist for the state’s commissioner of education position.…The other two finalists are Dennis Cheek , a senior fellow for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, and Chris Wright, superintendent of the Hazelwood school district.
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Schulte a finalist for state education's top job - He is a former administrator in the Jefferson City and Columbia public schools
Jefferson City News-Tribune (MO) - Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Author: Bob Watson ; bwatson@newstribune.com
Interim Education Commissioner Bert Schulte is among three finalists to be interviewed Wednesday by the state Board of Education for the commissioner's job.The post became vacant in January, when nine-year commissioner Kent King died after a two-year battle with brain cancer. An independent committee recommended the three finalists: • Schulte, Columbia, who joined the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in 2001 after many years as a public school administrator in Jefferson City and Columbia public schools. He was deputy education commissioner from December 2003 until being named interim commissioner after King's death. • Chris L. (Wright) Nicastro, Florissant, who has been superintendent of the Hazelwood School District in St. Louis County - Missouri's sixth-largest school district - since 2002. She previously held administrative positions in three other St. Louis area school districts. • Dennis Cheek , an educational consultant from Kennett Square, Pa., who serves as a senior fellow for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. He previously served four years as the Kansas City-based foundation's vice president for education. His career has included work as a state education official in New York and Rhode Island; a teacher and administrator in the United States and abroad; and as a scholar and author.
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The Washington Daybook - General News Events - Futures - 9 a.m. Education - Discussion The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI)
Washington Day Book (DC) - Friday, May 22, 2009
TOPIC/SUBJECT: holds a discussion on "Educational Innovation and Philadelphia's School of the Future." AGENDA: Highlights: -- 9 a.m.: Frederick Hess of AEI delivers introductory remarks -- 12:45 p.m.: Patrick McGuinn of Drew University; education journalist Dale Mezzacappa; Mitch Chester of the Massachusetts Department of Education; and Kent McGuire of Temple University, participate in a panel discussion on "Teachers and the School Community" -- 2:20 p.m.: Mary Cullinane of the Microsoft Corporation; Chester Finn Jr. of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute; Dennis Cheek of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation; and John Chubb of Edison Schools, participate in a panel discussion on "The Promise of Technology" DATE: May 28, 2009 LOCATION: AEI, 1150 17th Street NW, Wohlstetter Conference Center, 12th Floor, Washington, D.C.
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The Washington Daybook - General News Events - 9 a.m. Education - Discussion The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Washington Day Book (DC) - Thursday, January 17, 2008
TOPIC/SUBJECT: holds a discussion on "Innovation and Education: Are We Investing Well?"PARTICIPANTS: Dennis Cheek , vice president of education at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation; Iris Rotberg, co-director of the Center for Curriculum, Standards and Technology at George Washington University; Kent Hughes, director of science, technology, America, and the global economy at the Woodrow Wilson Center; and Vivek Wadhwa, executive in resident at Duke University DATE: January 18, 2008 LOCATION: CSIS, 1800 K Street NW, B-1 Conference Level, Washington, D.C.
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Kauffman survey finds youth enthusiastic about entrepreneurship
Kansas City Star, The (MO) - Monday, December 10, 2007
Four out of 10 young people ages 8 to 21 would like to start their own business in the future, according to a recent survey released by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City. ..In a news release, Dennis Cheek , vice president of education at the Kauffman Foundation, said: "It is gratifying to see that American youth aspire to not just 'take a job but to make a job.' This bodes well for the American economy so long as we channel these aspirations into productive opportunities for young people to develop the skills, concepts and dispositions necessary for future success as entrepreneurs."
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The Washington Daybook - General News Events - 9 a.m. Education - Discussion The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Washington Day Book (DC) - Thursday, January 17, 2008
TOPIC/SUBJECT: holds a discussion on "Innovation and Education: Are We Investing Well?"PARTICIPANTS: Dennis Cheek , vice president of education at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation; Iris Rotberg, co-director of the Center for Curriculum, Standards and Technology at George Washington University; Kent Hughes, director of science, technology, America, and the global economy at the Woodrow Wilson Center; and Vivek Wadhwa, executive in resident at Duke University DATE: January 18, 2008 LOCATION: CSIS, 1800 K Street NW, B-1 Conference Level, Washington, D.C.
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KC PLANS WALKABLE SOLAR SYSTEM MODEL
Wichita Eagle, The (KS) - Saturday, July 28, 2007
Author: Kansas City Star
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -The whole universe could soon be in downtown Kansas City. Or at least a smaller version. The city is developing a walking tour offering a permanent scale model of the solar system that would stretch from the downtown loop to Union Station. The exhibit, called Voyage, will shrink interplanetary space so that 1 foot equals 2 million miles. Once completed, pedestrians can try the light-year shuffle, stroll by the TWA Moonliner and Pluto, encounter a new dwarf planet called Eris, or finish their 1-mile odyssey en route to the stars with the Voyager spacecraft. The $327,000 project, which is expected to open early next year, is being funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and is based on a similar display at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Backers think the route, which runs along Baltimore Avenue through the Crossroads Arts District to Union Station, will create a walkable connection between downtown districts and can educate people about the vastness of space. "What's really exciting is that it puts the size of the planets and the sun on a scale that you can't do in a museum," said Jeff Goldstein of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education. "The sun is the size of a large grapefruit. The home of the human race is the size of the head of a pin, and the orbit of the moon fits into a child's hand. That's how far we've been when it comes to space travel." The idea of a 10 billion-to-one scale model of the solar system was developed by a University of Colorado astrophysicist and brought to the Smithsonian Institution in 1991, but it took 10 years before the exhibit opened. The Washington display is about six football fields long. Each celestial object is marked by an 81/2-foot stanchion that includes a scale model where the planets and their larger moons are etched inside glass. One of the visitors to the National Mall last year was Dennis Cheek , vice president for education at the Kauffman Foundation. When he learned the Center for Space Science Education was hoping to replicate the Voyage display elsewhere, Cheek decided it was a "no-brainer" for Kansas City. "We thought we could use it as an anchor for the new downtown," he said. "We offered to make it a gift to the city and the city eagerly embraced it."
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EDUCATION - Push for No Child scores consumes time: Reading, math put squeeze on science - Teachers skip classroom experiments or work to blend the subject with others.
Kansas City Star, The (MO) - Monday, May 7, 2007
Author: MELODEE HALL BLOBAUM, The Kansas City Star
When Cyndy Detlefson prepared third-quarter report cards for her sixth-grade students at Nieman Elementary School in Shawnee, she didn't give grades for science.Instead, she told parents that she didn't spend enough time on the subject to assign a grade for the work. Detlefson may not be alone…
Ideally, science instruction includes "science as practiced by scientists," said Dennis Cheek , Kauffman Foundation vice president for education. Instruction that's focused on reading a textbook or memorizing answers can actually dampen a child's natural enthusiasm, he said.
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High school seniors lag Students are taking harder courses and getting higher grades, but not testing better.
Kansas City Star, The (MO) - Friday, February 23, 2007
Author: NANCY ZUCKERBROD, The Associated Press
WASHINGTON - High school students are getting better grades and taking more challenging courses, but that apparent progress is not showing up on national math and reading tests….Getting students into more rigorous courses alone won't get the kind of results schools need, said Dennis Cheek , vice president of education at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, which has invested millions of dollars in area schools. Success depends on also having teachers at the head of those classes who are equipped for higher level courses, he said. Students need stronger curriculum to prepare them for those courses. Schools need to ensure that lesson plans are truly pushing students to higher levels.
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Making the connection A $5.4 million grant is awarded to help math and science mentoring and internship efforts.
Kansas City Star, The (MO) - Friday, February 2, 2007
Author: JOE ROBERTSON, The Kansas City Star
UPLINK SERVICE - YouthFriends program will bring together students, role models Call it a $5.4 million matchmaking service. Only this one aims to unite teachers and businesses in partnerships to energize students in math and science. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation on Thursday announced a three-year grant to help the YouthFriends agency put more students in internships, more business mentors in classrooms and teachers into paying summer jobs in their education fields. There should be no shortage of demand for the service, called UpLink, said Dennis Cheek , Kauffman Foundation vice president for education. School systems throughout the area have long looked to people in the work force to come into schools to give lessons more tangible meaning. They ve looked for mentors to serve as role models.
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Nurturing inquiring minds - Scientists from KU and UMKC open students' eyes to the value of scientific inquiry.
Kansas City Star, The (MO) - Saturday, October 28, 2006
Author: MIKE SHERRY
Scientists from KU and UMKC open students eyes to the value of scientific inquiry…The opportunity came courtesy of Melinda Merrill, an advanced-science and gifted-education teacher at Center Middle School, who used money from a much-sought-after grant program to set up Friday's Students as Scholars Institute. Ten scientists from the University of Kansas and the University of Missouri-Kansas City, representing disciplines such as geology and climatology, participated in the program. Closer to home, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation has invested millions of dollars in local schools to, among other things, spur innovation in math, science and technology instruction. Dennis Cheek , the foundation's vice president for education, said programs such as Merrill's benefit students by dispelling the misconception that most scientists are white males who wear glasses and run around in lab coats. "The fact that they can meet an array of scientists who are from different backgrounds and are engaged in different kinds of science, and who are themselves different from one another, that is a good thing because you want students to begin seeing themselves in potential roles like that," he said.
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A winning formula? - As high-tech jobs flourish, U.S. children lag behind their counterparts around the world in math and science. In Kansas City, though, the Kauffman Foundation is sending help - $15 million for area schools.
Kansas City Star, The (MO) - Sunday, April 9, 2006
Author: JOE ROBERTSON
Amid alarming trends locally and nationwide, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation this week will announce a $15 million investment in math and science programs at 13 area public and parochial school systems. The global market is starving for engineers.
"The gap between the demand in the world and where kids are is so huge," said Carl Schramm, president of the Kauffman Foundation. The foundation, which already has invested $7 million in ideas like robotics programs, is ramping up in the second year of a 10-year initiative to work with schools. The goals: Innovate in classrooms, strengthen teachers, inspire students and improve academic performance… "This will succeed only as much as all these parties come together," said Dennis Cheek , Kauffman 's vice president of education. "We can make Kansas City the national exemplar of how we can strengthen and improve math and science education." At the heart of it all is the mindset of today's students. As the schools begin to implement their programs, the Kauffman Foundation will watch to see what's working, just as it is measuring the progress of other math and science efforts already funded, Cheek said. Among its earlier investments, the foundation has put $2 million in the FIRST robotics program; an additional $1.4 million for the Metropolitan Community Colleges' Project Lead the Way, an engineering instruction program; and $250,000 for the National Institute for Construction Excellence's Crayons to CAD program. It is supporting the National Geographic Society's JASON Project curriculum in several schools; summer science enrichment camps; an after-school homework help phone-in service; and teacher training academies. Before the 10-year focus plays out, Cheek said, the Kauffman Foundation expects to see more students taking higher level math and science courses and pursuing a wider array of careers. Remedial classes should become obsolete. "We don't want to track just state test scores," Cheek said. "We're looking for systemwide change." Kansas City, he said, can gain a reputation as the place to bring innovative ideas. "It's our desire to elevate the idea of Kansas City as a laboratory, as a test bed for education," Cheek said.
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ELIZABETH CITY MIDDLE SCHOOL PICKED FOR TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM \
Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk, VA) - Wednesday, August 24, 1994
Author: PERRY PARKS, STAFF WRITER
Elizabeth City Middle School … is one of 90 selected from thousands across the country for a five-year program that will establish partnerships between educators and technology experts. Sponsored by the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers and fellow engineering societies, the ``Transformations'' project aims to help schools coordinate teaching of math, science and technology. …The project will continue to provide training, partnerships and access to such services as America On-Line, which, through computer modems, can hook any classroom to the archives of the National Geographic Society and dozens of other research organizations. …The project aims to reach kids at a crucial time when they're forming career decisions, said Dennis Cheek , the project's director and coordinator of math, science and technology in Rhode Island's education department. Cheek called technology an ``absent presence'' in school curriculum. Technology is used throughout schools to teach, but schools don't teach about technology. But as research advances, informing people about technological change will grow more and more important, he said. ``You want to have a cadre of citizens out there that at least know the right questions to ask,'' Cheek said.
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