Millions in school turnaround dollars attract “carpetbaggers”
The New York Times ran an article this week about all the make-shift companies crawling out of the woodwork, labeling themselves as school turnaround experts, and bidding for a piece of the $3.5 billion allocated to school improvement this year.
Three school districts in Oklahoma received a chunk of that school turn-around change: Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Crutcho public schools.
Oklahoma City went with a company that top administrators said was tried and true: Marzano Research Laboratory. The district has partnered with the Indian-based company before on projects and said it was pleased.
Tulsa Public Schools requested proposals from companies to serve as “a lead turnaround partner.” The bid solicitation closes on August 17, 2010. It will be interesting to see how many companies experienced and inexperienced respond to the nation-wide search.
“We believe it is to our advantage to survey the market on any of our purchases,” said Linda Phillips, director of materials management for Tulsa Public Schools.
There was also an interesting Oklahoma tie in the NYT article.
Quoted in the article was former Oklahoma City Public Schools Superintendent John Q. Porter, who according to the article was hired in March to run Mosaica Turnaround Partners. The New York Times article read:
Mr. Porter said he attended a vendor fair at Ohio State University in June that had been organized to introduce dozens of new companies and nonprofits to districts preparing school turnarounds.
“It was like a cattle call,” Mr. Porter said. “No, actually it was more like speed dating.”
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Comments
Obvious question: if Porter is a “school turnaround expert”, why didn’t he turn the district around while he was superintendent?
He was only there for less than 1yr WOW. He inherted that mess you sound like those people who want Obama to turn around country after 8yrs of mess.
What you need to ask is why any/everybody can enter a school without having proper ID, investing in security program that scan DL that will notify personal is a must.
Who can learn and teach if you don’t feel safe
WOW, what a belligerent, sarcastic, partisan jerk!
FYI: I know a nine year old who can’t even get into school until her mother has her OG&E bill notarized. As if the notary isn’t simply going to take the mother’s word that it’s her name on the bill.
ID scans don’t take your word or notories word it just track your information (DUI,Felonies, etc)
I would think if a parent does not have proper ID that will let schools know that they’re going to have issues with parent support.
“speed dating”? What do we expect?
At the end of the day it was business as usual and everyone would hurry to take a spot at the flee market.
More like sharecropping! They want a percentage of your students (product) Because they give you the program (seeds) if you have pretty good crop (test scores. They go and get more sharecroppers! It’s this what Lincoln and civil Right leaders envisioned 50 yrs ago!
Thanks Federal GOV!!!!