City Paper - Deep Dive into TenSquare, charter 'turnaround' consultant

[Anonymous]

And this is a very interesting connecting of the dots - https://educationdc.net/2018/05/25/this-is-how-we-spend-700-million-every-year/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And this is a very interesting connecting of the dots - https://educationdc.net/2018/05/25/this-is-how-we-spend-700-million-every-year/

So corrupt. I am beyond words.

[Anonymous]

The laws governing charter schools need to be changed. It's a failed experiment that hasn't meaningfully improved education in DC.

There are some great schools and lessons we can learn from them, but there's no reason to hide what is going on. We should have transparency and real oversight now. No more fox guarding the henhouse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And this is a very interesting connecting of the dots - https://educationdc.net/2018/05/25/this-is-how-we-spend-700-million-every-year/

So corrupt. I am beyond words.

Scott Pearson does it again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The laws governing charter schools need to be changed. It's a failed experiment that hasn't meaningfully improved education in DC.

There are some great schools and lessons we can learn from them, but there's no reason to hide what is going on. We should have transparency and real oversight now. No more fox guarding the henhouse.

I agree there need to be changes but education hasn't meaningfully improved in DC?? Either you don't have a kid in school or you're one of the old residents who was ok with underperforming, violent schools. Education in DC is better and charters made it possible. Is the entire PCSB board/staff corrupt? IDK but I know there are corrupt players everywhere -- PCSB, DCPS, OSSE. We need to get them out not shut down the institutions that are delivering better choices for families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someone needs to investigate the conflicts of interest. Relatives. Spouses. TenSquare executives have relationships with executives at Chavez Charter School.

I think stronger teachers unions are part of the solution.

That's how this story got out; because the newly unionized teachers are making a stink about changes in working conditions that need to be negotiated via a collective bargaining agreement and told what they knew to the City Paper.

Similarly the attendance / graduation mess got out because of whistleblower teachers, whose union helped get the word out to the media.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone needs to investigate the conflicts of interest. Relatives. Spouses. TenSquare executives have relationships with executives at Chavez Charter School.

I think stronger teachers unions are part of the solution.

That's how this story got out; because the newly unionized teachers are making a stink about changes in working conditions that need to be negotiated via a collective bargaining agreement and told what they knew to the City Paper.

Similarly the attendance / graduation mess got out because of whistleblower teachers, whose union helped get the word out to the media.

Yes. And I'm glad a charter named Cesar Chavez is leading the way in allowing unions (or if they didn't...better lose the name!).

Charters are a great thing. But certainly it's time for better scrutiny and some form of elected governance?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone needs to investigate the conflicts of interest. Relatives. Spouses. TenSquare executives have relationships with executives at Chavez Charter School.

I think stronger teachers unions are part of the solution.

That's how this story got out; because the newly unionized teachers are making a stink about changes in working conditions that need to be negotiated via a collective bargaining agreement and told what they knew to the City Paper.

Similarly the attendance / graduation mess got out because of whistleblower teachers, whose union helped get the word out to the media.

Quite a reach. Teacher raised the alarm at WMST. No union there. Decades of issues at DCPS. Unionized. There doesn't seem to be a correlation unless you just want to fabricate one to support your agenda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The laws governing charter schools need to be changed. It's a failed experiment that hasn't meaningfully improved education in DC.

There are some great schools and lessons we can learn from them, but there's no reason to hide what is going on. We should have transparency and real oversight now. No more fox guarding the henhouse.

I agree there need to be changes but education hasn't meaningfully improved in DC?? Either you don't have a kid in school or you're one of the old residents who was ok with underperforming, violent schools. Education in DC is better and charters made it possible. Is the entire PCSB board/staff corrupt? IDK but I know there are corrupt players everywhere -- PCSB, DCPS, OSSE. We need to get them out not shut down the institutions that are delivering better choices for families.

I have two, actually. And I'm not an old timer. If you get past the charter school taking points, you'll see that it's really gentrification that has improved the overall score in DC. There are minor variances that the marketing people latch on to, but we're really not helping the kids who need it most.

I'm all for having additional flexibility for individual schools, but we can get rid of the inefficiency from corruption in non-transparent / self-dealing situations, lack of coordination between sectors, and disruption from increased school closures.

The whole "free market" schools was never a good idea. It doesn't help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The laws governing charter schools need to be changed. It's a failed experiment that hasn't meaningfully improved education in DC.

There are some great schools and lessons we can learn from them, but there's no reason to hide what is going on. We should have transparency and real oversight now. No more fox guarding the henhouse.

I agree there need to be changes but education hasn't meaningfully improved in DC?? Either you don't have a kid in school or you're one of the old residents who was ok with underperforming, violent schools. Education in DC is better and charters made it possible. Is the entire PCSB board/staff corrupt? IDK but I know there are corrupt players everywhere -- PCSB, DCPS, OSSE. We need to get them out not shut down the institutions that are delivering better choices for families.

I have two, actually. And I'm not an old timer. If you get past the charter school taking points, you'll see that it's really gentrification that has improved the overall score in DC. There are minor variances that the marketing people latch on to, but we're really not helping the kids who need it most.

I'm all for having additional flexibility for individual schools, but we can get rid of the inefficiency from corruption in non-transparent / self-dealing situations, lack of coordination between sectors, and disruption from increased school closures.

The whole "free market" schools was never a good idea. It doesn't help.

Money - Money - Money!!!

Skim off the best and the brightest (most potential!)
Make process application - so have to have somewhat engaged parents!
Higher least qualified teachers (TLF, DC Teaching Fellows)
etc, etc, etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The laws governing charter schools need to be changed. It's a failed experiment that hasn't meaningfully improved education in DC.

There are some great schools and lessons we can learn from them, but there's no reason to hide what is going on. We should have transparency and real oversight now. No more fox guarding the henhouse.

I agree there need to be changes but education hasn't meaningfully improved in DC?? Either you don't have a kid in school or you're one of the old residents who was ok with underperforming, violent schools. Education in DC is better and charters made it possible. Is the entire PCSB board/staff corrupt? IDK but I know there are corrupt players everywhere -- PCSB, DCPS, OSSE. We need to get them out not shut down the institutions that are delivering better choices for families.

I have two, actually. And I'm not an old timer. If you get past the charter school taking points, you'll see that it's really gentrification that has improved the overall score in DC. There are minor variances that the marketing people latch on to, but we're really not helping the kids who need it most.

I'm all for having additional flexibility for individual schools, but we can get rid of the inefficiency from corruption in non-transparent / self-dealing situations, lack of coordination between sectors, and disruption from increased school closures.

The whole "free market" schools was never a good idea. It doesn't help.

Money - Money - Money!!!

Skim off the best and the brightest (most potential!)
Make process application - so have to have somewhat engaged parents!
Higher least qualified teachers (TLF, DC Teaching Fellows)
etc, etc, etc

Food for thoughts ....

https://educationdc.net/2018/05/25/this-is-how-we-spend-700-million-every-year

[Anonymous]

I know I should know this, but who IS Scott Pearson? What’s his deal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know I should know this, but who IS Scott Pearson? What’s his deal?

Well, here's his bio.

Scott Pearson is the Executive Director of the DC Public Charter School Board (DCPCSB). Since joining DCPCSB in 2012, Mr. Pearson has implemented significant reforms in how the Board approves and oversees charter schools, making it a national model for charter school authorizing. Under Mr. Pearson’s leadership, DCPCSB has pioneered new strategies, tough and rigorous oversight and best practices that other authorizers around the nation are adopting. Previously, Mr. Pearson served in the Obama Administration as the Deputy of the Office of Innovation and Improvement for the U.S. Department of Education.

Also, he co-founded Leadership Public Schools, a network of college-prep public charter high schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mr. Pearson has a long career in business. At America Online, he was responsible for acquisitions and strategic planning as the company’s Vice President for Corporate Development. At Bain and Company, Mr. Pearson provided strategic management consulting services to clients in education, healthcare, media, and aviation. He currently is the Board Chair of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA). Mr. Pearson holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Wesleyan University, a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a Masters in Business Administration from the Harvard Business School.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know I should know this, but who IS Scott Pearson? What’s his deal?

Well, here's his bio.

Scott Pearson is the Executive Director of the DC Public Charter School Board (DCPCSB). Since joining DCPCSB in 2012, Mr. Pearson has implemented significant reforms in how the Board approves and oversees charter schools, making it a national model for charter school authorizing. Under Mr. Pearson’s leadership, DCPCSB has pioneered new strategies, tough and rigorous oversight and best practices that other authorizers around the nation are adopting. Previously, Mr. Pearson served in the Obama Administration as the Deputy of the Office of Innovation and Improvement for the U.S. Department of Education.

Also, he co-founded Leadership Public Schools, a network of college-prep public charter high schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mr. Pearson has a long career in business. At America Online, he was responsible for acquisitions and strategic planning as the company’s Vice President for Corporate Development. At Bain and Company, Mr. Pearson provided strategic management consulting services to clients in education, healthcare, media, and aviation. He currently is the Board Chair of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA). Mr. Pearson holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Wesleyan University, a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a Masters in Business Administration from the Harvard Business School.

Ugh. Sounds smug. These people who come out of Bain, McKinsey etc but who never actually worked in those fields just rub me the wrong way.

[Anonymous]

tell me who to vote for who will take on this waste and abuse of public funds, and I will vote for once in a dc election. This is so disgusting. I love my charter, and I want the charter system to work, but it needs cleaned up.