Annie Gilbertson of public radio KPCC in Los Angeles has another scoop. Officials who were on the committee to choose the winning bid for LAUSD’s huge technology purchase received free iPads and the cost of their trip to a meeting at a resort was underwritten by the Pearson Foundation.
She writes:
“Los Angeles Unified officials who evaluated bids for its massive technology project received iPads from Pearson, met with a Pearson software executive and attended a weekend sales pitch for that software — all ahead of the public bid process, documents show.
“The revelation is important because Superintendent John Deasy has repeatedly said the bid process was not affected by early conversations on the software — which he asserts were limited to a small pilot project.
“According to travel reports received through a public records act request, Susan Tandberg and Gerardo Loera, top administrators in the district’s office of curriculum and instruction, attended a Pearson conference at a Palm Desert resort in July 2012 where all attendees were given iPads loaded with Pearson’s learning software.
“A third office of curriculum and instruction staffer, Carol Askin, also attended the conference and would have received an iPad, records show.”
At the end of the story comes this stunning revelation:
“As for the meetings, Pearson officials on Monday said they agreed with Deasy’s statements to other media that the early communications between the company and L.A. Unified officials related only to planning an eight-classroom pilot program.
“However, emails show L.A. Unified officials discussing training 2,000 teachers on the Pearson software and Pearson offered to hire four, full-time staff members to help train teachers – an extraordinary expense an eight-classroom pilot.”
The Pearson Foundation gave out tons of free trips, and New York is the only state to really look into it. Our state Super here in Illinois got two free trips before signing off on a Pearson contract and got an “ethical clearance from the state legislature.” This happened all over the place and nobody has done a systematic study.
Superintendent Deasy claims that their dealings with Apple/Pearson were standard operating practices to get familiar with the products. However, we have not seen nor heard of LAUSD courting any other vendor to this extent. In fact, was any other bidder given this kind of access to LAUSD officials and did any of them provide a free conference and device?????
They are standard operating practices. LAUSD this when they comandeered bond money fior the Belmont debacle that made Eli Broad go up a few notches on the Forbes list . It is how teachers end up with the worst text books, subpar programs, dubious training and supplies that are crappy but cost three times more than the top pf the line stuff. LAUSD purchases every new edition ,(avg. $100each) twice per student in theory . One for home and one for school. There is one reason ipads are worth the investment but none of these suits is rushing to get ebooks . As much as they make they need the kick backs . Looking that important is not cheap and this is a culture that values a person according to what he or she wears.
It is a long standing affront that LAUSD has a top heavy ,top down structure that encourages nepotism, croneyism , and corruption, that went on long before Deasy came along to pick the bones for his well helled puppeteers . The lack of ethics is exactly what created the circumstances that left our schools open for the taking .
I have seen the slick sales consultants unload scams in schools and teachers constantly changing up becuase a deal means more income fir the buyers . They do nit care that schools have no money for feild trips or adequate teaching staff. LAUSD has like ni custodians in a lot of schools. No nurses either . I am herajng they lost their cionferences in sime schools but ni confirmation yet. If that is so , they have no CBA They just pay dues fr a prestebse that worjs against them.
The good news is the shitake storm is raging all over Deasy’s parade .there is much miorethan iPads with $700 million questions from LACOE, Brown appeal for tenure , tests being backpedaled as Duncan realizes now teachers can sue thanks to ASA . CCSS is not gonna make it and the vile disokay from Mulgrew and Weingarten about it being the teachers’… Well, theyre greedy bullies whose ambition and allegiances disqualify them from leadership . They are not gonna sell the core and Gates better get over it. That’s casino capitalism . It is a gamble even when you cheat, maybe he will stop meddling in things he has no knowledge about . I know. Fat chance. Ding dong rhee is all but gone ahd Brown has no charisma.
The resistance is gaining the advantage ,
This is illegal. This is crime! Why are Bill Gates, Apple, and Pearson not under investigation for bid tampering. White collar crime of billionaires and elected officials goes on in broad daylight while the petty criminals (mostly minority and poor) are locked up in prison.
I don’t think Gates and Microsoft were in on this, other than Deasy had worked for Gates for a short time before coming to LAUSD.
The winning bidders, ho ho ho, were Apple and Pearson.
When they had the big meeting to make things official they spoke of the dal as if- was made long before that, aMicrosoft rep stood uo and expressed dismay that no one had heard her pitch or test driven the tech she was selling. To be fair , one issue with Apple is the use of Microsoft in workplace .
But it us beside the point for word processing because Apple has the windows ready to commingle There may be more computability concerns and the lap top tablet thing they sell is ideal and about the same price, if not less. Unfortunately the product is usually icky. I think Gates got pushed outta Microsoft . The whole rank stacking deal went with him
Because this is a common practice in the procurement process at LAUSd. With Deasy and Aquino, they took it to an extreme due to the size of the contract. Bid rigging and unethical behavior is a hall mark of LAUSD. The hypocrisy of these people, they ask every employee to read and sign an ethics form and they are the very ones violating it every time.
As always…Paula is right on.
Credomobilize.com just sent out a petition that asks LAUSD to audit the iPad roll-out and investigate the cozy relationship with Apple and Pearson execs. Credo is a cellular phone company and credit card company that uses their profits for progressive causes.
Credo did not write the petition…Cynthia Liu and a small group of folks who write about LAUSD wrote it. The LA group of BATS also sent out a similar petition.
Later today, I will try to post both for everyone to sign but have to rush to the dentist. If anyone else can post them both, please do.
It’s good to be on the committee!
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/restorative-justice-for-3?source=c.em&r_by=11217269
http://credomobilize.com/p/LAUSDaudit
Here are the two petitions calling for an external independent audit of LAUSD, and by extension, of Supt. Deasy.
Please sign both and sent them on to all your lists, Califronia, and nationwide.
These petitions were both drawn up by mainly educators and supporters of universal public education.
I signed both.
…excuse the typos…