Richard Parsons, chair of Governor Cuomo’s Common Core Commission, works for a firm that invests in education technology and has contracts with the state, according to the Long Island Business News.
“One of the governor’s chief education advisers is employed by a firm that does millions of dollars of business with the state’s schools, although that has not been disclosed to the public.
“Richard Parsons, the leader of an earlier state education commission that recommended heavy investment in technology and head of a new education task force, works for a company whose principal holdings include an education technology firm that does a substantial business with the state.
“Parsons, the former chairman of Citigroup and CEO and chairman of Time Warner, was recently named the head of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s task force on the Common Core.
“Since 2009 he has been a senior adviser at Providence Equity Partners – whose principal holdings include numerous education technology firms. The state disclosed his position there, but did not indicate that Providence had any involvement in education technology firms.
“That definitely should have been disclosed,” said one education official who asked not to be identified. “I knew him from Time Warner….
“Providence owns Blackboard, a high-tech education firms whose roots go back to a consulting firm founded in 1997 to work with non-profit IMS Global Learning Consortium and merged with CourseInfo the following year.
“Venture capital firms and venture capital arms of companies such as Pearson, Dell, AOL, The Carlyle Group and Novak Biddle Venture Partners all took stakes in Blackboard, which went public in 2004.
“Investors led by Providence Equity Partners later bought Blackboard for $1.64 billion, taking the firm private. Blackboard remains one of Providence’s key holdings with contracts around the country, including New York State.
“Blackboard in December of 2011 obtained a $6.8 million contract for the State University of New York system, according to state records, in 2012 obtained another $1 million contract and in 2014 obtained a $7.5 million contract.
The company also obtained a $5.9 million contract with the City University of New York in 2012, followed by an additional $1 million contract over the next two years.
“Blackboard has been building its New York business, even as Parsons has risen to a high rank among the state’s education advisers.
“Allison Breidbart White, a critic of the Common Core and of the task force Gov. Andrew Cuomo created, said there is “no doubt, lots of conflict of interest on that panel, not just with Parsons.”
“He also served as the head of the governor’s 2012 committee to reform education that recommended heavily investing in technology.
“The state indicates that the New York Education Reform Commission that Parsons led “played an instrumental role in developing a blueprint to improve the quality of education for all students through its final report in January 2014.”
“The New York Education Reform Commission under Parsons focused heavily on the benefits of and need to spend heavily on rolling out more technology.
Read more: http://libn.com/2015/10/27/gov-chief-ed-advisers-firm-major-supplier-to-state-ed/#ixzz3poDyxYv1
Diane Ravitch's blog 
As more evidence of alleged fraud in the corporate educate reform industry comes to the surface, it just keeps getting more and more interesting—especially the part where almost none of these crooks ends up arrested, in court or in prison. They just move from one city or state to another and reopen for business as usual to repeat the same fraud again.
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No, only the grade changing teachers end up with twenty year prison terms, especially if they’really of color…
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True, just teachers get punished with long prison sentences and fines. Reformers mostly walk free and end up in another state or city repeating the same fraud.
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The cheaters were doing the reformers bidding. Instead of fighting the reform they opted to cheat and make it seem as if the reforms were having a positive impact. No sympathy here. Let them rot in prison.
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Here’s a video of Eva Moskowitz’ press conference (Friday, October 30, 2015) in response to the latest “Go to go” list controversy.
Boy, those Success Academy principals — like Candido “Go-to-Go-List” Brown speaking here, and the ones in the background — sure to do cry a lot.
This maudlin display reminds me of Jimmy Swaggart’s tear-filled mea culpa back in 1988:
This Success Academy press conference is just plain weird, and does not move me in the least. I mean, seriously. Does Eva and her handlers really think that, outside of Success Academy’s insulated cult, this such a grotesque spectacle will have any positive effect on the Success Academy image?
Embedded in this event is their simultaneous fabrication of victimhood:
( 01:11 – 01:31 )
CANDIDO BROWN: “Someone on my team, who is not a part of that meeting, sent the email to the network because he knew that what the meeting produced (the “Got-to-Go List”) went against our (Success Academy’s) policies.”
Actually, Principal Brown, that person sent it precisely BECAUSE he/she believed — nay… BECAUSE THEY – KNEW – — that the “Got-to-Go List” was precisely reflective of, and consistent with Success Academy policies. This is despite Eva dismissing all of such accusations as “crazy talk”, and hearing Eva, in multiple letters, deny the existence of such practices, with Eva, in effect, saying over and over… it’s all lies. If what you say is true, prove it. Show us the proof! But you can’t, because there is no proof… and on and on…
Well, Eva. You asked for it, and now you’ve got it.
Yet now that the public has the proof—that you formerly insisted did not exist—your response is this clumsy, transparent attempt at misdirection where you order this principal to appear at a press conference, and, reading a script you prepared for him, do the full-on Jimmy Swaggart tear-fest?
What-ever.
Even still, some of what Principal Brown says is nevertheless revealing;
( 00:54 – 01:55 )
CANDIDO BROWN: (In creating the “Go-to-Go List” then kicking out 9 out of the 15 on the list) “I was doing what I thought that I needed to do to fix a school (unintelligible… “where it not to my whole charter… ” or something.. I can’t make it out, JACK).”
Principal Brown, that begs the obvious question…
What influences from above, starting with Eva herself — explicit or implied, direct or indirect — led you to the point that you were thought that implementing a policy of kicking out certain undesirable “Go-to-go” children — complete with an actual “Got-to-Go List” — was what “I needed to do to fix a school?”
Tearful as your performance was, for you to claim that all of this “kicking out” and “Got to Go List” stuff came about in a total vacuum — originating wholly with you and not in anyway due to influences from above you, including from Eva herself — does not pass the smell test.
This implies the unlikely scenario that, independent of you, Principals at several other Success Academy schools with sky-high attrition also acted totally on their own and kicked out hordes of children, with again, no pressure or influence from above, or from Eva herself — explicit or implied, direct or indirect.
Such a claim strains credulity. Eva is truly Nixon-like in this scenario, with her claim of rogue agents acting on their own, and not in any way responding to a culture or environment that she herself created.
Given Success Academy’s dictator-like management style, can a typical Success Academy principal or other official act on their own this way?
Below are some quotes from the Glass Door, a site where former Success Academy teachers were and are allowed to vent, without fear of Eva, and where they know Eva could not censor their comments:
http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2014/08/citizen-jacks-compendium-of-teacher.html
Here’s a sampling that corroborates the notion that Principal Candido Brown did not act alone, and that others above him, including and especially Eva, bear the majority of the responsibility:
FORMER SUCCESS ACADEMY TEACHER: “The (Success Academy) organization runs on a cult of personality that revolves around pleasing (Eva Moskowitz), which makes me skeptical that they can truly scale this model of education.”
FORMER SUCCESS ACADEMY TEACHER: “(Success Academy) Leaders rule through fear and intimidation.”
FORMER SUCCESS ACADEMY TEACHER: “Students are pushed out of the school if they exhibit any negative behaviors or if their data is low. In either case, management will meet with the family to tell them that this school is ‘just not the right fit for them’.
“If that doesn’t work, they will suspend the child ad nauseum or even push them down into a lower grade, so that their exhausted parents give in.
“It’s absurd that this school is publicly funded when it does not serve the population it purports to serve. It is honestly more a school for gifted students than a school working to close the achievement gap.
“I include this in my review because it contributes to the low morale of the school – your students whom you love are constantly being kicked out.”
FORMER SUCCESS ACADEMY TEACHER: — Also, (Success
Academy leaders need to, but do not) “value the children, who are told they don’t belong at our school.
“If we can’t help them, what are we doing in the education business?”
FORMER SUCCESS ACADEMY TEACHER: “Teachers openly MOCKED 6-year-olds with learning disabilities, telling them they would not want to see them in the same grade again next year (i.e. held back, JACK) because they were neither smart, nor hard working, and hopefully would not be their student again — (and say this) in front of the entire classroom.”
FORMER SUCCESS ACADEMY TEACHER: “The feedback (from superiors) is ALWAYS negative, without any sense of ‘you can do it’ or ‘we can do this together’… (instead) it’s ‘Get your f*cking sh*t together!’ ”
FORMER SUCCESS ACADEMY TEACHER: “Teachers are kept in constant fear of surprise visits and sample collections for evaluation.”
FORMER SUCCESS ACADEMY TEACHER: “(Eva Moskowitz’) direct inferiors are constantly insulted, sent to run on impossible tasks, validated for their submission to her, or ridiculed / fired if not. I had extreme difficulty maintaining any hard boundaries — much less soft ones — during my time there. The literacy team is stressed out beyond belief; they put so much work into what they do, but it is never good enough. It was incredible to watch.
(Success Academy and its leadership resembles) ‘THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA’ — except not funny and you actually can damage hundreds of kids lives in the process.
“Any advice will fall on deaf ears because hers is a method that works well. Google ‘sick system’ and you will find Success, in its shiny, primary colored glory.”
FORMER SUCCESS ACADEMY TEACHER: “When you are leader and you constantly complain about the incompetencies beneath you – well, the apple never falls far from the tree. The culture starts at the top.”
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Let’s keep digging at this story because Quid Pro Quomo fronted a $1.6B bond issue for school technology that voters approved last November. Parson is certainly well positioned to take advantage of the spending that will be occurring over the next few years. Next question for the media–Which of Parson’s firms have been big donors of Quid Pro Quomo and other members of our corrupt legislature.
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Off topic but FYI
http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2015/10/27/margaret_spellings_new_unc_president_is_anti_gay.html
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He has no conflict of interest. He’s totally interested in making a killing.
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This is from the article:
“Parsons never graduated from the University of Hawaii, but took the LSATs and has said he was nonetheless accepted into law school, working in addition to attending class.
“I just knew the answers,” he told PBS. “And so I did very well in law school, without having to work too, too hard.”
It reminds me of when I could take some CLEP tests instead of classes to get my teaching certification. I took 4-5 tests without ever having taken classes or even studying for that matter. I passed with flying colors just from having read a lot and from being a good test taker. So, do my good scores mean that I have an in-depth knowledge of those subjects? Nope.
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Where are the saviors of our nation…our society…our public schools…our children?
Cuomo has been pulling this garbage for a long time now.
Why hasn’t he been removed from office?
Why hasn’t he been arrested?
Why hasn’t he been reported for his transgressions and crimes committed against the people of NevYork?
This man represents the evil and stench and poison…using the office of Governor…to perpetrate one crime after another and another.
It would be an honor for me to purchase the handcuffs that law enforcement is long overdue in slapping him on his wrists.
Every parent…every teacher…every public servant…every citizen of New York, from 8 to 80 should pass along this news…it should be posted to the wall of every public school…every police and fire station…every post office…every public bus and train station…every lamp post…
…along with his photograph…
Exposing Cuomo for the monstrous and corrupt person he is!
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Blackboard, ugh, say no more!
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Cuomos commission is a joke! On another note, I print articles from this blog regularly and stuff my colleagues mailboxes… I encourage all to do the same… Apathy is our worst nightmare
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The wolf is guarding the henhouse.
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“The Parsons Tale”
The Parsons Tale
Is full of sin*
Behind a veil
Of Cuomo spin
* The Seven Deadly Sins of Commission: chetty-picking, standardized testing, VAM, avarice, school closing, chartering and teacher-bashing.
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Cuomo tied to someone with a conflict of interest?
NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’d like to stuff Cuomo’s and Richard Parsons’s thoracic cavities with chestnuts, bacon, mushrooms, and rice, tie their legs up with twine, and roast them in red wine and butter, basting them often until they both come out a crispy, golden, ruddy brown.
Both turkeys need to be poltically slaughtered and served up to the public. First, cut the necks and drain all the blood, metaphorically speaking. They are worthless, spineless infections at worst, and at best, they are two tasty turkeys whose careers should be sliced and diced onto a platter for the serving.
Cranberry sauce with ginger and orange peel, anyone?
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I’m a vegan.
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So what else is nu? Think Cuomo’s the only one? The list of govrs & legislators on the take is endless. Campaign reform should be a BIG PRIORITY for commenters on this blog.
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I’d sell or short the stock of any company Dick Parsons was connected to, as he is a poster child for failing upward, with virtually everything he’s ever touched turning to toxic waste. His presence on this bogus panel is all the proof you need that its failure/irrelevance is pre-ordained.
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“If we do not preserve public schools, we have made a choice to undermine democracy.”
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Can someone verify this information, and if so, what, if anything can be done about it?
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