I wonder who is pulling the strings in Atlanta, where the school board voted last night to give a sole source contraction Relay “graduate school of education” to train leaders. This was my advice. The Atalanta NAACP urged a delay in the decision. No dice.
Atlantan Ed Johnson writes:
Update
Last evening, 5 March 2018, the Atlanta Board of Education approved the superintendent’s recommendation to inject the pretentious Relay Graduate School of Education further into Atlanta Public Schools by terms of a probably fraudulent, but definitely questionable sole source contract. The school board took this action in spite of NAACP-Atlanta’s caution (see below) and in spite of educational historian Diane Ravitch having offered knowledge of Relay as “an organization founded in 2011 by three “no-excuses” charter chains–KIPP, Achievement First, and Uncommon Schools–based on a charter teacher training program called TeacherU at Hunter College in New York City.” All school board members, save Byron Amos, voted in the affirmative.
Additionally, the school board approved the superintendent’s recommendation to reconstitute Perkerson Elementary School, in spite of the board members having been presented clear, research-based evidence that such behavioristic violence is counterproductive. In this matter, every school board member voted in the affirmative, arguably, a testament to the competitive, conflict-driven nature of their belief systems, especially the superintendent’s. Interestingly, District 4 board member Nancy Meister made the motion to reconstitute Perkerson. Yet, District 4, on Atlanta’s most affluent “White” north side, is the district most geographically distant from the Perkerson Elementary School community, in District 6, on Atlanta’s least affluent “Black” south side.
Ed Johnson
Advocate for Quality in Public Education
Atlanta GA | (404) 505-8176 | edwjohnson@aol.com
Relay is a faux Graduate School with no doctorates on faculty, no research program, no library, nothing but no-excuses behaviorism and test prep. Charter teachers training charter teachers. Charter leaders training charter leaders. Doug Lemov as the canon. And to think that teachers in Atlanta were found guilty of cheating. This is official cheating of students, teachers, and school leaders for which there is no punishment. But there should be.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
This is ridiculous and appalling. Can someone serve an injunction to stop this? In most states any contract beyond $50,000 must include multiple bids or go back out for bids.
This is outrageous.
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The power of marketing? Who brainwashed or bought the superintendent’s pitch and why did the board not question this ripoff.
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But, but, they’re doing it for the children, doncha know.
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I hope RELAY is shunned and exposed, and those involved get indicted for fraud, money laundering, and child abuse.
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Really, there’s no punishment? Why? Chicago’s former school chief Barbara Byrd-Bennett is in a federal prison right now for giving out no-bid contracts to cronies from the SUPES Academy, a program that’s about as legitimate as the Broad Superintendents Academy and Relay “Graduate” School.
So now Relay is not content with training teacher imposters, they’re going to join in on the craze of fake training for school administrator imposters, too? Who in Atlanta stands to benefit or get kickbacks due to that contract?
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Alternative, diluted training for teachers is another example of more “pay to play.” Billionaires and corporations seek to cheapen and undermine the value of teaching credentials so they set up fake schools of training. The NAACP should refuse to allow these pretenders to instruct poor, minority students. They should demand authentic, university trained teachers in urban areas. Otherwise, they are allowing more separate and unequal treatment to be inflicted on vulnerable, mostly minority students. Maybe it is time to march for equal rights again!
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Doesn’t sound legal to me, if there are Title I funds involved — and with an elementary in a disadvantaged neighborhood, could there NOT be Title I funds involved?
But I’m long out of that knowledge bin.
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