How did this happen? Public schools in many districts and states are underfunded, unable to meet the mandates imposed by state and federal government, yet business is booming for the edupreneurs!
Peter Greene scratches the surface of the exploding education industry, where the big companies swallow the little companies, and it is difficult to identify which conglomerate is in charge.
Who is buying the junk food?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I posted Peter’s post at OEN https://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/Another-Biz-Friendly-Edu-o-in-General_News-Education-Costs_Education-Funding_Educational-Crisis_For-profit-Education-210216-254.html
Q. How did this happen?
A. Kapitalist Korporate Kitizens United
Over the years I bought materials from a few of the publishers mentioned in this article. Addison-Wesley and the Wright Group both published ESL and other materials for many, many years. Why are these stable companies being bought up now? They smell opportunity to make money on tech products. When companies buy each other out, it is bad for consumers and good for Wall St. The result is decreased competition, and fewer larger companies. Products become more expensive for consumers. Larger companies also have more money for lobbying and politicking. With more money they can “wine and dine’ administrators that can spend lots of money for system wide adoption of tech. programs that will make them a lot more money than $500 book orders from individual teachers. School districts will have products for students to use that will quickly become outdated and require more funds for updates and equipment repairs. Technology is a money pit that the tech companies hope will supplant human teachers.
No competition means garbage products.
In this concern, as in every other, it should be obvious the public sector will keep shrinking toward non-existence so long as the people we elect to represent us actaully represent the interests of their highest bribers.
What do the following have in common?
a. The United States invaded the country of Vietnam illegally, fought a long and brutal war there in which hundreds of thousands innocent civilians died, and achieved nothing of value to the United States by having done so.
b. Ronald Reagan illegally traded arms to Iraq in exchange for funds that he used to support an illegal, covert war in Central America that destabilized countries and led, in part the the asylum refugees crisis in the United States many years later.
c. The pretext for the invasion of Iraq was false: Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction, as was claimed by the Bush Administration, and the main results of the invasion were the destabilization of the region, the deaths of a couple hundred thousand Iraqi civilians, and a horrific and costly backlash in the form of anti-American terrorism worldwide.
d. Donald Trump served as a knowing asset of the Russian government and, in an attempt to hold onto power when he knew that he was going to lose and had lost an election, illegally incited an insurrection against the government of the United States.
Well, in each case, Republicans at the time furiously denied that this was true and would later universally admit that it was true.
See a pattern here?
The judgment of history will be clear enough.
I doubt most Republicans would admit any of those were true.
In fact, I bet a lot of Democrats would deny the truths about Vietnam.
George Will has written about what a horrific mistake the Iraq War was after having been one of its cheerleaders.
I said I doubt most would admit it.
And George Will has one helluva lot to admit he was wrong about.
If he started today, I doubt he could finish his admissions before he dies.
If Will learned lessons from Vietnam , he sure didn’t show it in the lead up to the Iraq war, for which he was a cheerleader.
He might have changed his tune somewhat later on,but that was because it was completely untenable not to without looking like an idiot and/or a liar.
I will give him this, however.
He is much smarter than the average conservative columnist, which makes him more dangerous than most.
Interesting summary of the last generation of major political decisions that involve wars. One of the interesting aspects of this generation is the conservatives of a previous generation had rejected international military involvement. At least part of the appeal of American fascism in the Great Depression was its isolationism. World War 2 changed that attitude. It also changed the status of world power.
Into this greater complexity came the voting public. Loyalties to individual political leaders within this complexity of foreign policy makes it difficult for the public to use the judgement required to choose wise leadership. It is a time of danger to democracy
cx: illegally traded arms to Iran, of course
Well, you can’t blame Pearson this time. That 800LB gorilla is a shell of it’s former self. Mr Fallon destroyed it from within.
Fascinating…..frightening….yet oh-so-predictable nowadays. Sounds like the health care SYSTEM (What’s my local hospital called this year? I can’t keep track.)
To quote from the hospital’s website: “We measure performance against our own rigorous standards, as well as national benchmarks, to continually improve our patient care. Come see what we’ve achieved.”
Yes, everything is always so….. rigorous and measured.
Schools..hospitals….stop by, “see what we’ve achieved”.
It has to be seen…as in filmed and put on YouTube or Tik Tok.
Yeah,,, until it’s not. Or, what is seen is a fraud.
Meanwhile, folks….yet, another winter storm is headed our way.
Take care all.
Rigor
Rigor for us?
Rigor mortis
Rigor florist
And rigor chorus
This verse just made me laugh outloud…in my very empty classroom….. Thanks.
Hope your winter storm does not treat you like ours is treating us. We lost electricity in the late afternoon Monday. My wood stove is heating the upstairs loft pretty well. 12 with no electricity is hard on us.
That comment was for John O
We lost power for a while yesterday.
Hang in there.
We’ve reached that part of winter when things are breaking down. The pipes in our house are making a not good noise…like they’re complaining, too.
Thank goodness you have a wood stove, Roy. Raised in John O’s neck of woods [further north tho], grew up w/habits like those & more – like squirrels’ intense acorn-burying in Autumn. NJ is milder yet subject to bizarre swings in temp, & grid has been known to be down for extended periods (e.g. hurricanes Irene & Sandy). Neighbors on either side have installed in-ground compressors since. [May I borrow a cup of… extension cord?] Worried about Texan friends.
Thanks, Peter, for this informative guide to the incestuous world of “education-flavored products”!
BTW, LOVE that phrase! You are certainly earning your stripes as Chief Marital Officer! My own experience as CMO was dealt a terrible blow by my suggestion of a merger, but that’s a long story. . . .
“I Can’t Believe It’s Not Education!”®™
Look For It In Stores!
LMAO!
😀
Got bilk.
There are a few people money can’t buy, for the rest, there’s campaign contributions.
Betcha can’t cheat just one.
Fly the friendly lies.
The ultimate grifting machine.
What happens in Charter Management Organization board rooms stays in Charter Management Organization Boardrooms
A mind is a terrible thing. Waste it.
There’s gold in them there skills.
Data: We make it up.
In 2018, Veritas paid $4.9B CASH to purchase Cotiviti, a health data analysis company that works with 180 healthcare payers including the top 25 plans. (they don’t want a Medicare for all plan!). Coviti was absorbed by Verscend Technologies, Inc. (“Verscend”), a portfolio company of Veritas Capital (“Veritas”).
Veritas Capital has an education component through their purchases of Campus Management Acquisitions Corp and Edcentric Holdings from Leeds Equity Partners, LLC for an undisclosed amount. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200228005560/en/Veritas-Capital-Completes-Acquisition-Campus-Management-Edcentric
“Campus Management is a leading provider of cloud-based SIS, CRM and ERP solutions and services that transform higher education institutions. Today, more than 1,100 institutions in over 30 countries partner with Campus Management to transform academic delivery, student success, and operational efficiency. Campus Management is a finalist for the 2019 Microsoft Power BI Partner of the Year.
Edcentric is the leading provider of institutional effectiveness software to over 1,400 education institutions. The company’s software leverages data to enable planning, assessment, engagement and fundraising, thereby improving overall institutional effectiveness.”
Our school district has been using The Cambium Family products for many years. Our district isn’t in control of these data. With the acquisition, Veritas Capital now owns these data.
I don’t know if this company, Veritas Education, wich is located in McLean, VA, and provides “Youth Development Coaching, College Counseling and Civic Engagement” is also part of Veritas Capital’s portfolio.
Veritas Capital took control (announcement made Dec. 7, 2019) of Guidehouse LLP in 2019, when the CIty of Santa Monica contracted with Guidehouse to help “navigate a new way for fiscal success”. Its a way to use surveillance to track people but that’s disguised as “sustainability”.
Guidehouse,LLP hopes to take over cities through surveillance. They are using FAKE sustainability ploys to gain access to our streets and everything on them.
CITY OF SANTA MONICA CITY COUNCIL MINUTES JUNE 25, 2019
ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY 3.R. Award Contract to Guidehouse LLP for EconomicSustainability Strategy, was approved. Recommended ActionStaff recommends that City Council: 1. Award RFP #209 to Guidehouse LLP to provide professionalservices for developing a long-term economic sustainability strategyfor the City; 2. Authorize the Assistant City Manager to negotiate and executeAgreement No. 10875 (CCS) with Guidehouse LLP in an amountnot to exceed $463,650 (including a 10-percent contingency) forone year, with one additional one-year renewal option at noadditional cost, for a total amount not to exceed $463,650 over atwo-year period, with future-year funding contingent on Councilbudget approval.
The fake Sustainability PILOT program is overseen by Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (‘LACI”). Mayor Garcetti, like LACOE, is known to insert privatizer personnel, paid for by corporations or foundations like Eli Broad’s so it wouldn’t be a surprize if LACI salaries were funded by Veritas Capital though some circituitous route – like public education.
The cameras were already being installed before the public was the public provided an opportunity to weigh in. At that time, I was not able to locate any public records for the “pilot program” overseen by LACI and wondered if LACI or Guidehouse applied for the grant as the City Contractor. Automotus, LACI’s partner, was given the contract.
The City’s Taskforce on the Environment subcommittee was involved in looking at this beforehand. Most of the subcommittee were not members of the appointed Taskforce on the Environment. They included people like a former Mayor. It appears that some subcommittee members were stood to gain because they were invested in the things they promote. Neither the Appointed Taskforce nor the subcommittee members they brought in have been required to file Statements of Economic Interest like all the other City Appointees.
On Nov 24, 2020, interestingly the city council approved the UPDATED Conflict of Interest Resolution. The Disclosure’s list (attached) captures all members of our Boards and Commissions as CATEGORY 6, however, members of The Taskforce on the Environment are excluded from disclosures.
The newly approved resolution reads:
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Resolution Number 11148 (CCS) is hereby repealed in its entirety.
SECTION 2. The City’s Conflict of Interest Code shall consist of the provisions of 2 California Code of Regulations (the “Code”) and Exhibits 1 and attached to this Resolution, all of which documents are hereby incorporated by reference.
SECTION 3. Any future amendments to the City’s Conflict of Interest Code, including, but not limited to, amendments to the designated positions list or to the financial disclosure categories, shall be made by resolution duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Santa Monica.
SECTION 4. Pursuant to the Code, any person holding a designated position, including any person holding a designated position in any acting capacity, shall file a Statement of Economic Interest with the City Clerk.
Additionally, any person hired for a position not covered by the Code, who makes or participates in making a governmental decision shall file a Statement of Economic Interest. The City Council hereby delegates to the City Clerk the authority to carry out the duties of filing officer.
“SECTION 5. Pursuant to the Code, all persons assuming or leaving designated positions must file Statements of Economic Interest within thirty (30) days after assuming or leaving the designated position. ”
Disclosure Categories
Category 1: Persons in this category shall disclose: Investments, business positions, and income from sources located in or doing business in the jurisdiction and interests in real property located in Santa Monica, including property located within a two mile radius of any property owned or used by the City of Santa Monica.
Category 2: Persons in this category shall disclose: Investments, business positions, and sources of income of the type which manufacture, sell or provide services, supplies, materials, books, machinery or equipment of the type utilized by the employee’s department.
Category 3: Persons in this category shall disclose: Investments, business positions, and sources of income of the type which are subject to the regulatory, permit or licensing authority of the employee’s department.
Category 4: Persons in this category shall disclose: Investments, business positions, and sources of income of the type which engage in land development, construction or the acquisition or sale of real property, and interests in real property located within Santa Monica, including property located within a two-mile radius of any property owned or used by the City of Santa Monica.
Category 5: Persons in this category shall disclose: Investments and business positions and sources of income of the type which manufacture, sell or provide supplies, materials, machinery, services or equipment utilized by the employee’s department, interests in real property located within Santa Monica, including property located within a two-mile radius of any property that is or may be used as a disposal site, transfer station or resource recovery facility in which the designated official/employee provides planning or technical assistance or has enforcement branch responsibilities.
Category 6: Persons in this category shall disclose: All investments, business positions and sources of income which are subject to the regulatory, permit or licensing authority of the Board or Commission on which the member serves.
Why did former Mayor McKeown think it was okay to discuss, change and pass a city ordinance all at the same time?ORDINANCE NUMBER 2656 (CCS) Discussed at Oct 27 2020 Council meeting had some changes
APPROVED AND ADOPTED ON THE SAME DAY
Ordinance 2526 (CCS) reads, in part:
“Beginning January 1, 2021, or at such time as the pilot program referenced below commences, and ending on October 28, 2021, no person shall deploy or operate a remotely controlled delivery vehicle or device on City sidewalks or pedestrian paths of travel remotely controlled delivery vehicle or device other than as part of the pilot program being overseen in Santa Monica by Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (‘LACI”) on those City sidewalks or pedestrian paths of travel within the voluntary zero emissions delivery zone as defined for purposes of that pilot program.
All operations of autonomous or remotely controlled delivery vehicles or devices that are not prohibited by this section (“non-prohibited devices”) shall comply with all requirements, including insurance and indemnification requirements, imposed as conditions of the grant to the operator of a required Santa Monica business license, as well as all of the following operational requirements:
(1) non-prohibited devices shall yield the right of way to pedestrians and bicycles;
(2) non-prohibited devices shall obey all signs and signals governing traffic and pedestrians;
(3) non-prohibited devices shall not interfere with the maintenance of paths of travel for persons with disabilities; (4) non-prohibited devices may not transport waste
or hazardous materials (including flammables or ammunition);
(5) non-prohibited devices shall be equipped with headlights that operate at night, sunrise, and sunset;
(6) each non prohibited device shall bear, in markings of a size sufficient to be clearly legible to passing vehicles and pedestrians, a unique identifier for the device together with the name and contact information of the device’s operator.”
On Dec. 7, 2019, Guidehouse LLP’s parent, Veritas Capital, bought Northrop Grumman’s IT and Mission Support business for $3.4B CASH!
It’s the basic premise of the pyramid economy. While all of those on the ground floor scrounge for paltry resources, each continue to give a little that becomes a lot for the few at the top (The Devos empire was built this way with Amway thus their interest in for-profit charter chains). I recall attending a principals’ conference around 2007 where one of the presenters could barely contain himself while thinking of the billions in public funds available to be exploited by private interests. The real entitlement class…