Today, the Indiana Department of Education announced that it is suing the corporation that administered the state tests and experienced massive computer breakdowns.
Wow.
We are used to seeing a cozy relationship between state departments and testing companies, who ply them with expensive vacations to conferences in exotic locales and hire lobbyists to cozy up to them.
But the new State Superintendent Glenda Ritz was elected last fall to solve problems, not to harass the public schools and teachers as her predecessor Tony Bennett did.
The legislature and governor have been trying to hobble Ritz because she is not a Republican. They should not. They should recognize that she is fighting to protect the public interest.
June 21, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Daniel Altman
daltman@doe.in.gov
Office: (317) 232-0550
Cell: (317) 650-8698
Statement of Indiana Department of Education Regarding ISTEP+ Damages
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Department of Education announced preliminary damages that it will seek from CTB McGraw-Hill related to ISTEP+ interruptions experienced by schools throughout the state this spring. These amounts are not final, and may well grow as results are reviewed by a third party and additional information is gained.
The preliminary damages amount sought will not be less than $613,600 and could reasonably go into the millions. That amount includes $400,000 in liquidated damages provided for in the contract between the Department of Education and CTB. It also includes $53,600 that the Department will spend to have a third party conduct an analysis of the scores of students that had their testing sessions interrupted and at least $160,00 for other related costs associated with enhanced reporting data
In addition to the preliminary damages, additional damages may be sought after further investigation. Those potential damages include, but are not limited to:
-Reimbursement to Indiana schools for additional costs incurred to administer ISTEP+ during the extended testing window.
-Reimbursement to the Indiana Department of Education for additional costs incurred because of ISTEP+ testing interruptions.
“I have worked closely with CTB throughout the ISTEP+ testing process,” said Superintendent Ritz. “The consequences of CTB’s server failures were real and significant for Indiana schools. As Superintendent, I will work to ensure that schools are made whole while continuing to negotiate with CTB in good faith.”
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Diane Ravitch's blog 
Where can we sign up to follow this law suit?
YES!!!!
Another term for the “cozy relationship” you mention above is: “regulatory capture.”
And they want us to believe “its a feature, not a bug.”
It’s the Corporate State, Stupid
By David G. Mills
11/10/04
Other notable characteristics of fascism described by Britt which are directly produced by corporatism are:
< The suppression of organized labor (organized labor is the bane of corporations and the only real check on corporate power other than government or the legal system);
< Supremacy of the military (it is necessary to produce and protect corporate profits abroad and threats from abroad);
< Cronyism and governmental corruption (it is very beneficial to have ex-corporate employees run the agencies or make the laws that are supposed to regulate or check corporations);
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article7260.htm
Glenda Ritz, you are a true hero! Now, place a moratorium on “standardized” testing
that lasts…forever!
This is why more people in Indiana voted for Gleda Ritz than they did for our lousy governor. She is awesome!
This is true capitalism by their definition. Why are they having a problem with you goofed by contract you pay. Shoe does not seem to feel good on their feet does it? What a breath of fresh air.
Thank you Ms. Ritz!
Thank you for looking out for the students in Indiana. Bless you! The revolution has begun, finally!
I am constantly impressed by Ms. Ritz’s professionalism, commitment to the children/schools/public, and class. Hope she runs for governor next.
Brown? Yale?
Does anyone know anything about her earlier education?
Glenda Ritz received her undergraduate degree from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana and her graduate degree from IU/Purdue at Indianapolis. She is the product of public schools and those “mediocre” education programs in the NCTQ report.
I may have been replying to the wrong post.
Emma Vahedra.
what happened to the millions Charter Schools USA got from Bennett and Indianapolis School District? When are they gonna be required to pay it back?
The politicians have legalized the theft of tax dollars through the privatization movement. Good luck getting your money back.
You go, girl!
I just read two Times articles this morning after reading about Glenda Ritz’ decision to take McGraw-Hill to court:
My conclusion: when a major corporation takes over the grading of final exams and 3% of the students can’t get a diploma because the exams weren’t graded in time, the students have no recourse as a group— they have to rely on someone like Glenda Ritz to come to their defense. In NYC, I don’t see it happening…
It’s a legitimate suit, but it accepts in principle the entire computer testing regimen. The camel is already in the tent.
Aspittin and acrappin everywhere in the tent, eh!!