| Conservative Commentary - Maryland |
| P E Y T O N W O L C O T T |
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H o w w e t a k e b a c k o u r c h i l d r e n ' s e d u c a t i o n: o n e p e r s o n , o n e q u e s t i o n , o n e s c h o o l a t a t i m e.
H O M E
| QUERIES TO AND ABOUT MARYLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS |
Michael J. Martirano
St. Mary's County
Public Schools
St. Mary's County
Public Schools
John Q. Porter
Former CTO
Montgomery
County Public
Schools
Current status/
whereabouts:
UNKNOWN
Former CTO
Montgomery
County Public
Schools
Current status/
whereabouts:
UNKNOWN
| MARYLAND ADMINISTRATORS IN THE NEWS |
Jerry Weast
Montgomery County
Public Schools
Montgomery County
Public Schools
| Q: Your budget states, "We must work with the BOCC to consider paying off the mortgage on the Moakley Street building. This will add $500,000 to the base of the budget." How much does St. Mary's County Public Schools spend each year on any and all travel and meals? |
| Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2008 21:48:59 -0800 (PST) To: Jerry Weast, Kate Harrison From: Peyton Wolcott Subject: MEDIA QUERY, 4th request (1st sent 01.09.08) - mCLASS/WIRELESS GENERATION PRODUCT - TIME SENSITIVE Jerry and Kate, this is my fourth request for the following information. Kate, having asked for over a month now, I will be happy to hold this until COB Wednesday, February 13, 2008, for your response and/or any questions you might have preparatory to responding on behalf of Jerry and/or MCPS. After that date, I will begin publishing on my site and in other venues including my upcoming book, and will note that you have been contacted on numerous occasions and declined to respond. As a friendly heads up, I would like to share with you both that some folks in your school district who feel MCPS is being less than forthcoming with information including public information including but not limited to financials have contacted me. Based on my having attempted so many times to obtain responsive replies from Jerry, all with no luck, I am beginning to see why these folks might feel as they do, which makes any journalist all the more curious. Wishing you both all the best. Peyton Wolcott ===================================== (Prior email) Jerry, perhaps you've been busy. Looking forward to hearing back from you as soon as possible. Thank you, and wishing you all the best. Peyton Wolcott ===================================== (Prior email) Jerry, I'm preparing a commentary which will touch on the above named product (for more information please see press release below) and am hoping you can help me with a couple of questions: 1. What is MCPS's legal standing for participation in partnership ? There appear to be a number of such partnerships around the country between public schools and private businesses and many of us are confused as to the legal standing for such, especially when the selling of data regarding and specific to MCPS students is involved. 2. Royalties ? What is the dollar amount per annum of royalties received by MCPS for its partnership? What is the dollar amount per annum of royalties received by you for your participation in the partnership? 3. Financial and/or other considerations ? What if any financial and/or other considerations are/did you and/or your former CIO John Q. Porter receive from the vendor and/or any other sources for your and/or MCPS' participation in this partnership? Could you please fill me in at your earliest opportunity? This will be published on my website and in Education News; I will be noting that you have been contacted on this date. As a friendly heads up to you, this email is being tracked. Thank you, and wishing you all the best -- Peyton Wolcott ========================================= Press Release Montgomery County Public Schools Announces Partnership With Innovative Technology Company Providing Handheld Solutions for Teachers School System Teams with Wireless Generation to Develop Handheld Computer Assessment that Saves Time and Informs Instruction ROCKVILLE, MD, June 3, 2005 - Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in Maryland, one of the nation’s highest performing school districts, and Wireless Generation, the leading provider of handheld computer software used by teachers to perform observational assessments, today announced the release of mCLASS:Reading 3D software, developed through a unique collaboration between the school district and the education technology company. This new product enables teachers to use a handheld computer to administer two kinds of assessments commonly relied upon to evaluate students’ reading development throughout grades K-3. One is the scientifically research- based Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (known as DIBELS). DIBELS has been adopted by many states and districts since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act to identify students at risk for reading failure who need additional support and monitoring to achieve reading benchmark goals. The other is a set of measures from the MCPS Assessment Program in Primary Reading that is based in balanced literacy, an approach to reading instruction that blends phonics instruction with more holistic activities that emphasize understanding meaning through context. The advantage to having these two kinds of assessments in one product is that many educators use multiple approaches in looking at children’s reading progress during the year for the greatest degree of diagnostic insight. The handheld computer technology allows teachers to capture easily the data from both assessments in one central place, for a full picture of a student’s reading development. “The instant access to data from these handheld assessments gives our teachers critical knowledge about their students in real time. The teachers can immediately turn that knowledge into action by adjusting their teaching strategies to fit their students’ needs. So far, we’re seeing great results,” said Dr. Jerry D. Weast, superintendent of schools. The mCLASS:Reading 3D software was developed with the support of and in consultation with the DIBELS co-authors, Roland Good, Ph.D., and Ruth Kaminski, Ph.D., of the University of Oregon and Dynamic Measurement Group. Leading educational publisher Harcourt Achieve is also a key partner, providing a set of acclaimed Rigby books for teachers to use in administering reading records. Teachers use reading records to place students at appropriate reading levels and identify patterns in errors students make when reading aloud. Harcourt Achieve has worked closely with MCPS for more than ten years and plans to support mCLASS:Reading 3D software with supplemental reading resources. As a co-developer of the software, MCPS will benefit on several fronts. The district will receive a discount on subscription fees for the right to use the software to assess its students. In addition, MCPS also will receive royalties on all sales of the software to other school districts nationwide. Wireless Generation software makes assessment easier and more effective, helping teachers to use data to shape instruction. Teachers turn on their handhelds, select a student’ s name and assessment activity, and follow along as the student does reading tasks, recording the student’s performance with just a tap on the screen. Once the exercise is finished, the teacher receives a student’s results instantly on the handheld, “syncs” the handheld to a computer to view Web-based reports on the class and individual students, and uses the information to tailor instruction to students’ needs. Teachers and administrators can access additional reports on a school or district. Use of the software has played a key role in bringing parents into the student achievement process by providing easy-to-understand reports on student progress that can be used in parent–teacher conferences. Approximately 75,000 teachers in 43 states have switched from paper to Wireless Generation’s handheld computer software to assess more than 1 million children. “From its inception Wireless Generation has relied on the feedback of the teachers and administrators who use our software, so it was a natural progression to collaborate with a top school district for our latest literacy tool. Superintendent Jerry Weast and his team understood how our technology and existing assessments could be brought together to create one product that filled a void for educators, meeting the needs of MCPS and many districts across the country,” said Larry Berger, co-founder and CEO of Wireless Generation. “mCLASS:Reading 3D software puts a remarkable inventory of reading assessment methods at teachers’ fingertips.” Harcourt Achieve, publisher of comprehensive and supplementary early reading programs participated in the handheld reading assessment collaboration. “We’ve enjoyed our long standing relationship with MCPS and support their state-of-the art literacy program as a model for other districts nationwide,” said Lynn Harris, vice president, national sales manager, Harcourt Achieve. About Wireless Generation Wireless Generation is the leading developer of preK-12 observational assessment software. With its suite of handheld computer-based assessments for early reading and math, the company has transformed the way educators collect and use assessment data, helping to create a culture of continuous feedback and improvement in classrooms. Wireless Generation continues to develop new products based on its mission of using technology to maximize the educational value of every teacher -student interaction. More information is available on the Web at www.wirelessgeneration.com. About Montgomery County Public Schools Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), located in the Washington D.C. suburbs, is the 17th largest school system in the United States. Nearly 140,000 students from 167 countries and speaking 134 languages are enrolled in 192 schools. Recognized as a national leader in early childhood education, MCPS's Early Success initiative in Kindergarten through Grade 2 has produced substantial gains in reading skills among students learning English and those most impacted by poverty-effectively narrowing the achievement gap by race and ethnicity. Twenty-three MCPS high schools have been recognized by Newsweek magazine as among the best in America for the high number of students taking Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests. The class of 2004 set a record high average SAT score of 1102 with an 80 percent participation rate. MCPS recently has been named the winner of Maryland's most prestigious award for organizational performance excellence-the U.S. Senate Productivity Award. On the Web: www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org. About Harcourt Achieve Harcourt Achieve produces learning solutions and content that fundamentally and positively change the lives of young and adult learners. Published under the Rigby, Saxon and Steck-Vaughn imprints, its products are based on a developmental philosophy that assesses learners' skills, matches them to appropriate content and accelerates them to meet and exceed expectations. The Rigby imprint offers progressive learning solutions for core reading and English language learner instruction that provide differentiated instruction to match each student's instructional level. The Saxon imprint offers the nation's best selling and most thoroughly researched skills-based mathematics program for grades K-12, as well as popular phonics, K-3 spelling, and early learning programs. The Steck-Vaughn imprint offers easy-to-use, innovative learning solutions that accelerate content-area knowledge, reading skills, and preparation for standards-based tests, allowing learners to meet and exceed expectations. For more information, please visit www. HarcourtAchieve.com. About DIBELS The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS®) are a set of standardized, individually administered measures of early literacy development. The measures assess skills that are consistent with the essential early literacy domains discussed in both the National Reading Panel (2000) and National Research Council (1998) reports in areas of phonemic awareness, alphabetic understanding, accuracy and fluency, vocabulary development and comprehension. Each DIBELS® measure has been thoroughly researched and demonstrated to be a reliable and valid indicator of early literacy development and predictive of later reading proficiency. When used as recommended, the results can be used to evaluate individual student development as well as provide grade-level feedback toward validated instructional objectives. DIBELS has been included in 45 state Reading First plans. More information is available on the Web at http://dibels.uoregon.edu, or www.dibels.org. |
| STATUS: 4 emailed queries since Jan. 9, 2008 (plus telephone calls) RESPONSES AS OF 10.05.08: NONE |
| STATUS: First emails sent 10.05.08 RESPONSE: RECEIVED 10.06.08 (SEE GREY BOXES BELOW) |
| Scroll down for NCLB & Reading First references |
Andre Hornsby
Former supe
Prince George's
County
Current status/
whereabouts:
Former supe
Prince George's
County
Current status/
whereabouts:
Pamela Y.
Hoffler-Riddick
Prince George's
& Montgomery
County schools
Hoffler-Riddick
Prince George's
& Montgomery
County schools
| Sentencing date Oct. 20, 2008 |
| John Q. Porter (R) with his boss Jerry Weast at Baltimore County Public Schools (PHOTO--Scholastic) |
| Former OKC Schools superin- tendent John Q. Porter won't face criminal charges KFOR March 6, 2008 Former Oklahoma City Schools superinten- dent John Q. Porter won't face criminal charges as a result of an investigation into possible fraudulent expense reports and inappropriate management. The resignation of... Porter from the Oklaho- ma City School Board at the end of January concluded with Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater saying Thursday afternoon that Porter had not committed any criminal activity. Prater said that Porter's actions portrayed him as a "bully," but that he had not committed a crime even though there have been many questions about expense reports filed by the former Oklahoma City Schools superintendent. Porter resigned from his post on Jan. 23 based on accusations of improper fiscal behavior. A full 278-page report detailing all of the expense reports that were included in this investigation are available as a PDF download here. |
| Porter left his Maryland job as chief technology officer for Jerry Weast at Montomery County Public Schools to become Oklahoma City's superintendent last summer. Despite having bought a million-dollar house (below) in OKC (there aren't that many) he was gone by January. |
NOTE: John Q.
Porter has not
responded to several
emails and telephone
calls sent while he
was still in charge at
OKC including
questions regarding
personal and corporate
profits he may or may
not receive from his
role in developing
DIBELS using
information gathered
from Montgomery
County Schools while
he was an employee
there.
Porter has not
responded to several
emails and telephone
calls sent while he
was still in charge at
OKC including
questions regarding
personal and corporate
profits he may or may
not receive from his
role in developing
DIBELS using
information gathered
from Montgomery
County Schools while
he was an employee
there.
| More here |
| More here from the U.S. Dep't of the Treasury re Operation Blowfish |
| Now, three years after he resigned amid a federal investigation, Hornsby, 54, faces a substantial prison sentence. Each of the fraud counts on which he was convicted carries up to 20 years, and each of the tampering and obstruction counts carries a maximum of 10 years. Hornsby, who was accused of steering school system contracts to his girlfriend and to a longtime business associate in exchange for kickbacks, was convicted of honest-services wire fraud, attempted evidence tampering and obstruction of justice. He was acquitted of one wire fraud count and one attempted witness tampering count. In the hushed fourth-floor courtroom where the trial unfolded, Hornsby sat attentive and almost still as the jury foreman went down the verdict form. Next to Hornsby was his attorney, Robert C. Bonsib. Across the aisle were the prosecutors, Stuart A. Berman and Michael R. Pauzé, and one of the case agents from the FBI, John M. Sheridan. |
| Hornsby Convicted On 6 Counts By Henri E. Cauvin and Ruben Castaneda Washington Post Staff Writers Thurs., July 24, 2008; Page A01 Andre J. Hornsby, the former Prince George's County public schools chief whose first corruption trial ended in a hung jury last year, was convicted yesterday on six of the 22 federal charges brought against him in his retrial. |
| Andre Hornsby |
| The jury, which had been deliberating since July 15, acquitted Hornsby of two charges and deadlocked on the rest. The conviction caps an extraordinary fall for Hornsby, who arrived in Upper Marlboro in 2003 with a reputation for making waves and with a mandate to turn around the county's troubled school system. |
| Siena Owens (PHOTO/Robert A. Reader/Washington Post) |
| Each of the first five counts, all wire fraud, came back as deadlocked. It was not until the sixth count, another wire fraud charge, that Hornsby heard the word he was dreading: guilty. Five more guilty verdicts followed, for additional counts of wire fraud, attempted evidence tampering and obstruction of justice. All three wire fraud charges on which Hornsby was convicted involved e-mail communications from his ex-girlfriend Sienna Owens that were related to a deal between her company, LeapFrog SchoolHouse, and the school system. U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte set Hornsby's sentencing for Oct. 20 and, at the request of prosecutors, ordered him to surrender his passport. Leaving the federal courthouse in Greenbelt, Hornsby said nothing, deferring to Bonsib to speak for him. "We're obviously disappointed," Bonsib said. The jury struggled with many of the charges, he said, but not all of them. "Obviously the jury was persuaded by some of the evidence. We disagree." After not securing any guilty verdicts in the first trial, the conviction of Hornsby was a welcome victory for the U.S. attorney's office in Maryland and for the FBI. "The evidence in this case demonstrated that Andre Hornsby abused his power for private financial gain, tampered with witnesses and obstructed a federal investigation," U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said in a statement. "Public officials must pursue the public interest and not line their own pockets at taxpayer expense." In interviews outside the courthouse, jurors said the complexity of the case against Hornsby, with 28 witnesses and hundreds of exhibits, made deliberations difficult. They said it was particularly so at the beginning, as they wrestled with how to approach the evidence and the voluminous instructions. "I don't think there was any unanimity at the outset," said Larry Boswell, a database systems manager from Montgomery County. "It was a very complicated case." Once they considered the evidence, however, at least a few of the verdicts were clear, juror Audrey Stewart said. "With some of the evidence that was presented to us, we couldn't help but say guilty because it was right there," said Stewart, who lives in Bowie and works as a librarian for the federal government. Stewart said that she did not think Hornsby set out to commit crimes but that he let his ambitions get the best of him. "I know what he was trying to do," she said. "I know his number one concern were the kids of Prince George's County." The case involved Hornsby's role in negotiating two contracts and the women with whom he negotiated, Owens and longtime business associate Cynthia Joffrion. Owens, a sales representative for LeapFrog, an educational technology company, testified that she gave Hornsby half of her $20,000 commission after the two secretly negotiated a contract with the school system worth almost a million dollars. Joffrion, a consultant who helped school systems obtain federal technology grants, agreed to pay Hornsby $145,000 after he arranged for her to negotiate a consulting contract with Prince George's schools, prosecutors said. One juror said testimony that Hornsby sent his oldest daughter to Florida to speak to Owens was crucial in the decision to convict him of evidence tampering and obstruction. "He had to know there was something wrong to go and send her" to speak to Owens, said the juror, who declined to provide his name or any other background details, citing privacy concerns. What was perhaps the most sensational piece of evidence in the government's case, a video of Hornsby pocketing what prosecutors said was a $1,000 deposit on the $145,000 payoff, was not for jurors the smoking gun it might have seemed. On the recording, Hornsby is seen inside a Bowie motel room taking cash from Joffrion, who was secretly cooperating with the FBI. The juror who declined to be identified derided it, calling it a "setup." Jury foreman Morgan Bantly was more diplomatic. "It was another piece of evidence to consider," said Bantly, 54, who works for the Department of Veterans Affairs. "It didn't have the impact the public probably assumed it would." The jurors indicated Tuesday morning that although they had reached verdicts on some of the 22 counts, they were deadlocked on others. As is customary when a jury first says it is at an impasse, the judge instructed the jurors to continue deliberating. The jurors deliberated the rest of the day Tuesday and most of yesterday before reporting that they were still deadlocked on some charges. Messitte, who earlier rejected defense requests to have the jurors announce whatever verdicts they had reached, did take the verdicts after the final note, which came in at 2:59 p.m. Staff researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report. |
| Maryland School Official Charged With Laundering Drug Money Feb. 10, 2005 in print edition A-17 Los Angeles Times A school administrator pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges that she laundered profits made by a multimillion- dollar drug ring. Court papers allege that Pamela Y. Hoffler-Riddick, 43, a regional assistant superintendent for Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland, deposited large sums of money into banks and credit unions for the drug ring. Hoffler-Riddick declined to comment on the charges as she left the courtroom Wednesday. Hoffler-Riddick, who has a doctorate from Virginia Tech, was charged with five counts of money laundering, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine for each count. A trial was set for July. Law enforcement officials said Hoffler-Riddick had an association with another defendant, who enlisted her to take out loans for real estate and a vehicle for a member of the drug ring. The loans were repaid with drug proceeds, the indictment said. |
Although the
headlines in 2005 read
"Former Norfolk principal
sent to prison for
laundering drug money"
(Tim McGlone, The
Virginian-Pilot/ May 3,
2006) Pam did not
immediately enter prison.
The denial of her appeal
bond was filed August 17,
2006; here's a PDF which
details for the PTO moms
who came to her aid more
about Hoffler-Riddick's
role. The Treasury Dep't
report above references a
second case against
Hoffler-Riddick for
witness tampering.
headlines in 2005 read
"Former Norfolk principal
sent to prison for
laundering drug money"
(Tim McGlone, The
Virginian-Pilot/ May 3,
2006) Pam did not
immediately enter prison.
The denial of her appeal
bond was filed August 17,
2006; here's a PDF which
details for the PTO moms
who came to her aid more
about Hoffler-Riddick's
role. The Treasury Dep't
report above references a
second case against
Hoffler-Riddick for
witness tampering.
U.S. Supreme Court
Mon., Feb. 25,2008
ORDERS IN PENDING
CASES:
CERTIORARI DENIED
07-8987
HOFFLER-RIDDICK,
PAMELA Y. V. UNITED
STATES
Mon., Feb. 25,2008
ORDERS IN PENDING
CASES:
CERTIORARI DENIED
07-8987
HOFFLER-RIDDICK,
PAMELA Y. V. UNITED
STATES
| certiorari -- a writ (order) of a higher court to a lower court to send all the documents in a case to it so the higher court can review the lower court's decision. Certiorari is most commonly used by the U.S. Supreme Court, which is selective about which cases it will hear on appeal. To appeal to the Supreme Court one applies to the Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari, which it grants at its discretion and only when at least three members believe that the case involves a sufficiently significant federal question in the public interest. By denying such a writ the Supreme Court says it will let the lower court decision stand, particularly if it conforms to accepted precedents (previously decided cases). (SOURCE--dictionary.law.com) |
Current status/
whereabouts:
Presumably prison;
following her Jan. 24,
2005 arrest during
Operation Blowfish and
subsequent trial in
which she was found
guilty of all 5 counts of
money launlaundering,
she was sentenced to
6 1/2 years in 2005 and
has lost all appeals
including the US
Supreme Court.
whereabouts:
Presumably prison;
following her Jan. 24,
2005 arrest during
Operation Blowfish and
subsequent trial in
which she was found
guilty of all 5 counts of
money launlaundering,
she was sentenced to
6 1/2 years in 2005 and
has lost all appeals
including the US
Supreme Court.
| Assistant Superin- tendent Arrested In Connection With Drug Ring Prince George's School Official Arrested For Money Laundering NBC 4 POSTED: 6:30 pm EST January 25, 2005 - UPDATED: 7:06 pm EST January 25, 2005 WASHINGTON -- An assistant superintendent with the Prince George's County, Md., School System is caught up in a drug and money- laundering ring. Pamela Hoffler-Riddick was arrested after a two-year investigation. As a regional assistant superintendent for the school system, she was in charge of several schools. Authorities said Hoffler-Riddick is a member of a drug ring that pumped five tons of marijuana as well as hundreds of pounds of crack and cocaine into cities from Texas to New York. Hoffler-Riddick also worked as an associate superintendent for Montgomery County, Md., Schools, and in 1996, when the investigation began, she worked and taught in Virginia Beach and Norfolk, Va. "First of all, we're very disturbed by it," said Andre Hornsby, CEO of Prince George's County Schools. "Number one, because you care about the person and she has children. We care about all of those things. Secondly, you have to wait and let it run its course, and administratively, we've just placed her on leave pending the outcome of this external situation." According to court documents, Hoffler- Riddick's role was money laundering. She allegedly deposited large sums of money into banks and credit unions. |
| in the financial dealings of a multi-state drug trafficking operation. Each of the counts on which she was convicted carries a maximum prison term of 20 years, officials have said. Prosecutors charged that she helped hide about $50,000 in proceeds from drug sales starting in the late 1990s. Hoffler-Riddick denied the charges and any knowledge of what prosecutors called a $20 million ring that dealt marijuana and cocaine in Virginia, Texas, Georgia and elsewhere. Her attorney, Steven D. Goodwin, who is based in Richmond, could not be reached yesterday for comment. A message left on his office voice mail and an e-mail message were not immediately returned. The Virginian-Pilot newspaper, in the Hampton Roads area, reported that Hoffler-Riddick did not testify during the trial and that an ex-boyfriend named John Cecil McBride testified against her. The newspaper also reported that Hoffler-Riddick faces another trial next month, on a charge of witness tampering. "Money laundering is an essential part of drug trafficking," U.S. Attorney Paul J. McNulty said yesterday in a statement relayed by Shults. "Both money launderers and drug traffickers must be held accountable for their criminal conduct." In Prince George's, Hoffler-Riddick was hired by then-schools chief Andre J. Hornsby in August 2003. Her region spanned Capitol Heights, Suitland, Largo, Springdale and Forestville and included about 28,000 students -- more than are in entire school systems in many smaller counties. Her arrest shocked her peers in the school system, many of whom praised her as a passionate, engaged educator of disadvantaged children. They also noted that she is a mother of two girls. "We've been following the situation," Prince George's school spokesman John White said yesterday. "She served the system well. This came as a surprise to us when the issue arose." Before coming to Prince George's, Hoffler-Riddick held administrative posts in Baltimore briefly, in Montgomery from 2000 to 2003 and in the Norfolk area. She began her teaching career in Norfolk in 1984. |
| Andre Hornsby in hotel room with Pam Joffrion discussing payoff (SOURCE--FBI tape) |
| Md. Ex-Educator Guilty Of Money Laundering By Nick Anderson Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, October 17, 2005; B02 A former education official in Prince George's and Montgomery counties has been convicted of money laundering in connection with a drug ring based in Virginia, a spokesman for federal prosecutors said yesterday. Pamela Y. Hoffler-Riddick, 44, was found guilty of five counts of money laundering by a jury in Norfolk, said Frank R. Shults, chief of liaison for the U.S. attorney's office for the Eastern District of Virginia. The verdict was announced late Friday afternoon after a two-week trial. Hoffler-Riddick oversaw 39 Prince George's schools as a regional assistant superintendent at the time of her arrest in January. Now she faces imprisonment for her role |
| NOTE: In Prince George's County Public Schools, Hoffler- Riddick was hired by then-schools chief Andre J. Hornsby in August 2003. (SOURCE--Nick Anderson /Washington Post) (more below) |
ATTENTION EDUCATORS AND ADMINISTRATORS: Every attempt possible has been made to verify all sources and information. In the event you feel an error has been made, please contact us immediately. Thank you. FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of education issues vital to a republic. We believe this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C., Chapter 1, Section 107 which states: the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright," the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond "fair use" you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Copyright 1999-2008 Peyton Wolcott - All rights reserved |
| Q: Mike, I am writing to you to learn more about you and your school district including your Ed.D. from Nova Southeastern University in Florida. I'm hoping you can help me clear up some questions raised by the Washington Post last week plus some others. What is the title of your dissertation? If you substituted work experience-based practicums, what were their titles? |
| A: "My concentration was School Management and Instructional Leadership in the Program of Child and Youth Studies.... At the time, I was employed by the Prince George’ s County Public School System as a Teacher Specialist.... My practicum papers and work focused on instructional strategies and student assessments. The title of my final practicum research paper was 'Using Non Traditional Instructional Strategies to Increase Performance and Attitudes of 8th Grade Physical Science Students.' " |
| Q: Do you recall to the nearest $5,000 what were your total fees and expenses paid to Nova for obtaining your Ed.D.? |
| A: "I completed the program 14 years ago.... so...my memory of the actual cost is a little foggy. My best guess is between $15,000 and $20,000." |
| Q: What business accounting experience have you had? I notice that in addition to your Ed.D. you have also picked up a couple of master's degrees, but neither of the master's indicates any business concentra- tion other than possibly the "Educational Policy, Planning, and Administration." How much detail did that go into regarding spreadsheets and other nuts and bolts of balancing your district's checkbook? |
| A: My theoretical experience came from my course work in Educational Policy, Planning and Administration. There were ongoing discussions about budget development, budget implications, and the political implications of funding education. Additionally, my school-based experiences (high school principal and elementary principal) and central office administrative experiences immersed me fully into the financial management and “nut and bolts” of a school-based budget, a program budget and an overall school system budget. |
| Q: Speaking of which, have you ever considered voluntarily posting your district's check register online? |
| A: [No response] |
| A: Mike sent "Approved (Actuals) for FY 2009 Revenues." |
| Q: What are your most recently reported actual -- not projected -- total expenditures for all funds including state and federal? |
| FOLLOW UP: Please describe the research paper. Do you recall how long it was, words or pages? Is this available online? |
| FOLLOW UP: Mike, I wrote you asking for actuals, not projected; FY 2009 is in the future. Likely your most recently reported actuals are FY 2007 or FY 2006. |
Q: Nova Ed.D. based on research
papers, not a dissertation?
papers, not a dissertation?
| FOLLOW UP: Mike, could you describe the fraud prevention and detection training you've had? Also, what has been your training in internal controls? |
| Q: Also, your resume states that you're a "faculty member" at Johns Hopkins. What is your exact title, such as "adjunct professor," etc.? What are the names and levels of the courses are you teaching at Johns Hopkins, and when? Are you paid for your work there and if so how much? A search just now at JH's site using the "people" function and your name yields "0 results." Also, your name does not appear on JH's faculty homepages listing.... |
| Q: It appears from a casual look at your district's website that you're in favor of online learning -- would this be a correct assumption? If it is correct, have you looked into learning online and staying home rather than incurring taxpayer-funded expenses for your attendance at professional development meetings and conferences? |
| Q: Have you considered curtailing [all discretionary] expenditures until the mortgage is paid off? |
| A: [No response] |
| A: As for your question about the mortgage of one of our buildings…..this was an idea that was generated in one of our public budget forums by staff, association members and community members. As you know, school systems are feeling the impact of the challenging economic climate. This was a way to look at generating recurring dollars for our revenues....pay it off as soon as possible. Although, a creative idea, it was not executed. |
| FOLLOW UP: Mike, while I appreciate this information, you didn't answer whether you have considered curtailing all discretionary expenditures in order to pay off the mortgage? |
| A: You ask about on-line professional development and I am a supporter. Last year, I placed a freeze on all conference attendance…for all staff….including me (the superintendent) and the Board. That said, there is a requirement for occasional travel to state-wide meetings sponsored by the Maryland State Department of Education, the Maryland Association of Boards of Education, or other state organizations. Because St. Mary’s County is located in the southernmost corner of the State, there is a need for vehicular travel to such meetings that are usually held in Baltimore (where the State Department of Education is located) or Annapolis (the State Capitol). This year, we are monitoring the situation and keeping all travel to a minimum. You are correct, on-line training does save money and we are utilizing it as well as providing the training locally. It has helped save us dollars and we are aggressively keeping this matter in front of our thinking as we plan professional development. |
| Q: Mike, what is your total salary including all perqs? Here again, I looked on your district's website and was unable to find this information. Here in Texas many public school superintendents have voluntarily posted their entire employment contracts online. If your salary is in the six-figure range, wondering why you don't pay for all of your own professional development including travel and meals yourself and not seek reimbursement. Wouldn't this help with that mortgage pay-down? |
| A: You ask about my salary and perks. Thank you for the idea about posting the contract on my webpage. I have not thought about this idea until you mentioned it. To address your questions, the Washington Post did several extensive articles on this topic a few months ago. I have pasted the articles in this email. You can see a comparison chart of the superintendents in the Washington DC area. My information is included in the chart and it is listed below. I hope that it transmits completely and clearly for your review. |
| Per the Washington Post chart Mike sent, his 2007-08 total compensation was $ 230,124. |
| A: The correct title is "Faculty Associate." I will be sure to change this to reflect the actual title and dates. I have taught several courses (Methods of Teaching in the Elementary School, Introduction Seminar for New Teachers, Special Topics in Elementary Education, and Professional Seminar in Teaching) for Johns Hopkins University, since 2001, in the Graduate Department of Teacher Preparation at the Columbia and Montgomery Campus. I am only employed there when I decide to teach a course and I do not do this every semester. I leave this as an active item on my resume to show the work that I have done and the choice and ability to do so during any future semester. I evaluate this decision, annually, based upon the demands of my superintendent position. Any references to experience on my webpage are in the past tense. I am not teaching a course this year...that is why I would not be listed in the directory or catalogue. Additionally, I update my resume on annual basis to make sure it is accurate and reflects any changes from the previous year. I have always try to stay connected to my first passion of teaching by teaching a course at a college campus. I love teaching courses to teachers and administrators and I look forward to future teaching opportunities. |