The title of this post is not a trick question.
When the state of Louisiana is involved, and when the conflict of interest concerns Teach for America, there is NO conflict of interest.
Kira Orange-Jones, the executive director of TFA in New Orleans, was elected to the state board of education with the help of contributions from wealthy donors across the nation.
Questions were raised by critics about whether she had a conflict of interest because the state’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education has contracts with TFA in the millions of dollars. The matter was referred to the state Board of Ethics:
“At the August 17, 2012 meeting of the Board of Ethics, it considered a request for an advisory opinion as to whether BESE member Kira Orange Jones could continue to work as New Orleans executive director of Teach for America while she served as a member of the BESE. TFA holds a lucrative contract with the Louisiana Department of Education. BESE must approve all contracts and expenditures of the Department of Education, putting Orange Jones in the position of voting on a contract that benefited her employer.
“The experienced staff attorneys for the ethics board informed the board of directors that the state “Code of Governmental Ethics would prohibit Kira Orange Jones, while she serves as a member, from providing compensated services to Teach For America at a time when TFA has or is seeking a contractual, business or financial relationship with either the Louisiana Department of Education or the Recovery School District.”
The vice-chair of the Board of Ethics, Scott Schneider, strongly disagreed with the staff recommendation and he persuaded his colleagues on the board to reject its finding of a conflict of interest. As reported in The New Orleans Tribune:
“In spite of the staff’s recommendation, Schneider argued against the staff recommendation and he failed to disclose the partnership between his employer, Tulane University and Teach for America. Tulane University’s Cowen Institute lists Teach for America as a partner on its website and the two organizations have worked closely together on education reform initiatives in recent years. After nearly twenty minutes of Schneider’ strong advocacy on behalf of Kira Orange Jones against the staff attorneys’ recommendation, he convinced his fellow board members to reject the staff recommendation and ignore Kira Orange Jones’ clear conflict of interest in violation of the Code of Ethics. Schneider essentially argued that because Orange Jones was only head of the New Orleans office and not the entire organization no conflict existed.”
On July 3, Schneider resigned from the state Board of Ethics. The New Orleans Tribune believes his resignation was prompted by its reporting about his own conflicts of interest.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Welcome to Louisiana.
It’s so simple stupid! Jones is on the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). As Exec. director of TFA in New Orleans, she signs contracts between LDE and the Recovery School District and TFA for $million dollar grants. Before John White began withholding information from the LDE website and published BESE agenda items, these contracts were readily available for review as part of the BESE agenda for each meeting. You can still open a contract Jones signed in 2011 when she was candidate for BESE (at least until White realizes it and removes it from the archives). Now one is hard put to get these documents even with a FOIA unless one is willing and able to sue.
BESE must approve grants and contracts over $50,000. Jones has been told that as long as she doesn’t participate in that discussion or vote that there is no breach of ethics. I wonder if there is a minimum time between the vote and her signing? By the way, although BESE signs off on contracts under $50,000, White does not need their approval. That’s why there is little to no public testimony when these contracts are presented at the meetings and that’s why I always publicly question the most egregious. Otherwise they would virtually fly under the radar.
When you’re among the most Excellent of The Best and Brightest, you don’t need no stinkin’ ethics.
Michael Fiorillo: I am guessing, but perhaps you aren’t on the “need to know” email list of the Gates and Broad and Walton fraudlanthropies. Latest memo.
“Ethics are for the little people.” [to paraphrase Leona Helmsley]
Glad to have helped you clear that up…
🙂
Yes, ethics, like taxes and accountability, are an unjust imposition on our Job Creators doing God’s Work.
This LA Board of Ethics probably uses Roberts Rules of Order. That says that anyone voting on the prevailing side of a question ( in this case the issue of a conflict of interest-which was denied) can move for “reconsideration” and revisit the issue. The rule prevents policy bodies from being stuck with a decision based on incomplete or incorrect information, or a fault in procedure.
Let’s see what the Board of Ethics does! There should be at least one person eligible to bring a motion to reconsider. My bet? They are all as corrupt as Mr Schneider and will demonstrate this by letting that heinous decision stand. PLEASE PROVE ME WRONG!