Comments on: The Corner Deli At 52 Chambers, Paid For With Your Tax Dollars http://www.edwize.org/the-corner-deli-at-52-chambers-paid-for-with-your-tax-dollars Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:46:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Jackie Bennett http://www.edwize.org/the-corner-deli-at-52-chambers-paid-for-with-your-tax-dollars/comment-page-1#comment-21738 Jackie Bennett Sun, 11 Feb 2007 19:10:35 +0000 http://edwize.org/the-corner-deli-at-52-chambers-paid-for-with-your-tax-dollars#comment-21738 As Klein makes a fetish of test-score accountability, it will be interesting to see who will hold him accountable for the Platform Learning sinkhole into which he and the DoE funnelled 63 million dollars in NCLB funds. DoE claimed it couldn't have known in advance how many students the company would tutor, thus the nine-fold discrepancy between amount contracted and amout paid. But that very thin excuse seems to disappear completely by the time the second contract rolled around. By the time of the mere 1.9 million contract in 05 , Platform had already taken 40 million. What's especially interesting to me is that the investigation of Platform (along with Newton, a subsidiary of Edison) started BEFORE DoE entered into the second contract . The investigation started in September of 2004, and it included the improper practices Leo Casey mentioned in the main post. The 04 investigation didn't conclude until March of 06. Nonetheless, its presence ought to have given the DoE pause as it considered the second contract. At the very least, there ought to have been closer scrutiny. But apparently, there wasn't . A year after the investigation began, Platform was able to enter a second contract for 1.9 milion. which, if I am reading the Times article correct, earned Platform an additional 23 million for the grand total of 63. 63 million is a heck of a lot of money, but Platform filed for bankruptcy. The head of Platform Learning? Eugene Wade (who is, among other things, a bankruptcy lawyer). And who before that was executive vice president at Ediison. From whence comes ...Christopher Cerf. As Klein makes a fetish of test-score accountability, it will be interesting to see who will hold him accountable for the Platform Learning sinkhole into which he and the DoE funnelled 63 million dollars in NCLB funds.

DoE claimed it couldn’t have known in advance how many students the company would tutor, thus the nine-fold discrepancy between amount contracted and amout paid. But that very thin excuse seems to disappear completely by the time the second contract rolled around. By the time of the mere 1.9 million contract in 05 , Platform had already taken 40 million.

What’s especially interesting to me is that the investigation of Platform (along with Newton, a subsidiary of Edison) started BEFORE DoE entered into the second contract . The investigation started in September of 2004, and it included the improper practices Leo Casey mentioned in the main post.

The 04 investigation didn’t conclude until March of 06. Nonetheless, its presence ought to have given the DoE pause as it considered the second contract. At the very least, there ought to have been closer scrutiny. But apparently, there wasn’t . A year after the investigation began, Platform was able to enter a second contract for 1.9 milion. which, if I am reading the Times article correct, earned Platform an additional 23 million for the grand total of 63.

63 million is a heck of a lot of money, but Platform filed for bankruptcy.

The head of Platform Learning? Eugene Wade (who is, among other things, a bankruptcy lawyer).

And who before that was executive vice president at Ediison.

From whence comes …Christopher Cerf.

]]> By: institutional memory http://www.edwize.org/the-corner-deli-at-52-chambers-paid-for-with-your-tax-dollars/comment-page-1#comment-21728 institutional memory Sun, 11 Feb 2007 15:18:05 +0000 http://edwize.org/the-corner-deli-at-52-chambers-paid-for-with-your-tax-dollars#comment-21728 <b>CONFLICT OF INTEREST? NAH, THAT'S OUTDATED ... IT'S A <i>CONFLUENCE</i> OF INTEREST!</b> It's funny how much one can learn poking around on Platform Learning's website: "Prior to co-founding Platform, [CEO Eugene V.] Wade was Executive Vice President for Development at Edison Schools." What a remarkable coincidence! Platform Learning has a connection to Edison! Amazing! Call me cynical, but I'll bet Wade and Chris Cerf might even know each other. <i>What a small world.</i> CONFLICT OF INTEREST? NAH, THAT’S OUTDATED … IT’S A CONFLUENCE OF INTEREST!

It’s funny how much one can learn poking around on Platform Learning’s website:

“Prior to co-founding Platform, [CEO Eugene V.] Wade was Executive Vice President for Development at Edison Schools.”

What a remarkable coincidence! Platform Learning has a connection to Edison! Amazing!

Call me cynical, but I’ll bet Wade and Chris Cerf might even know each other.

What a small world.

]]> By: xkaydet65 http://www.edwize.org/the-corner-deli-at-52-chambers-paid-for-with-your-tax-dollars/comment-page-1#comment-21693 xkaydet65 Sat, 10 Feb 2007 16:32:55 +0000 http://edwize.org/the-corner-deli-at-52-chambers-paid-for-with-your-tax-dollars#comment-21693 You want a real Ponzi scheme, look no further than America's Choice. AC is one of the preferred vendors of pedagogical gruel. Its boss, a guy named Tucker, first name escapes me, has spent years convincing principals and LISs to adopt his curricula. You pay $75K and AC will do the rest. Now many schools have come up with the cash, but are not receiving the promised services. No training, no school visits, maybe an occasional trip to a demonstration school for a couple or three teachers. I know two principals who are openly wondering here in February what did they spend their money for. I do find it hard to believe that a self professed liberal Democrat like Klein, who loyally served the Clintons in two areas, would be so venal as to allow the DoE to become mired in such a coruptive mess. No bid contracts, 900% overpayments on contracts, handing jobs to corporations of proven incompetence. Its time for somebody, not the UFT I am afraid because their track record shows an inability to coherently criticize the DoE, to put all these dots together and show the city what a corrupt and incompetent crew has wrought in Education in this town. I'm not necessarily anti corruption. When my maternal grandfather was Jimmy Walker's Hospital Commish, with a grade school education, every ambulance in NYC had a doctor on board and Bellevue was the finest municipal medical facility in the world. But old time Pols knew they had to deliver to the goods. Modern reformers deliver to themselves. You want a real Ponzi scheme, look no further than America’s Choice. AC is one of the preferred vendors of pedagogical gruel. Its boss, a guy named Tucker, first name escapes me, has spent years convincing principals and LISs to adopt his curricula. You pay $75K and AC will do the rest.

Now many schools have come up with the cash, but are not receiving the promised services. No training, no school visits, maybe an occasional trip to a demonstration school for a couple or three teachers. I know two principals who are openly wondering here in February what did they spend their money for.

I do find it hard to believe that a self professed liberal Democrat like Klein, who loyally served the Clintons in two areas, would be so venal as to allow the DoE to become mired in such a coruptive mess. No bid contracts, 900% overpayments on contracts, handing jobs to corporations of proven incompetence.

Its time for somebody, not the UFT I am afraid because their track record shows an inability to coherently criticize the DoE, to put all these dots together and show the city what a corrupt and incompetent crew has wrought in Education in this town.

I’m not necessarily anti corruption. When my maternal grandfather was Jimmy Walker’s Hospital Commish, with a grade school education, every ambulance in NYC had a doctor on board and Bellevue was the finest municipal medical facility in the world. But old time Pols knew they had to deliver to the goods. Modern reformers deliver to themselves.

]]> By: R. Skibins http://www.edwize.org/the-corner-deli-at-52-chambers-paid-for-with-your-tax-dollars/comment-page-1#comment-21618 R. Skibins Sat, 10 Feb 2007 03:38:14 +0000 http://edwize.org/the-corner-deli-at-52-chambers-paid-for-with-your-tax-dollars#comment-21618 New York City Comptroller William Thompson should investigate Chancellor Klein and Mayor Bloomberg for the no-bid contract for Everyday Math. This program, rejected by the state of California and many school districts across the nation, is creating a generation od functional illiterates. Rumor has it that former deputy chancellor Diama Lam's husband was employed by the publishers of Everyday math. If this is true, then the program should immediately be scrapped, and Chancellor Klein should be fired. New York City Comptroller William Thompson should investigate Chancellor Klein and Mayor Bloomberg for the no-bid contract for Everyday Math. This program, rejected by the state of California and many school districts across the nation, is creating a generation od functional illiterates.

Rumor has it that former deputy chancellor Diama Lam’s husband was employed by the publishers of Everyday math. If this is true, then the program should immediately be scrapped, and Chancellor Klein should be fired.

]]> By: institutional memory http://www.edwize.org/the-corner-deli-at-52-chambers-paid-for-with-your-tax-dollars/comment-page-1#comment-21599 institutional memory Fri, 09 Feb 2007 21:38:17 +0000 http://edwize.org/the-corner-deli-at-52-chambers-paid-for-with-your-tax-dollars#comment-21599 <b>SOMEWHERE, BOSS TWEED MUST BE THINKING, "YER MAKIN' ME PROUD, BOY-O, KEEPIN' MY NAME ALIVE!"</b> Isn't it rich that Joel Klein and his boys operate out of a building named for New York's all-time championship grifter, William Marcy "Boss" Tweed? Would it be a greater irony if the place were named for Willie ("I rob banks because that's where the money is") Sutton, or the inimitable Charles K. Ponzi, the eponymous inventor of the Ponzi Scheme? <i>You can't make this stuff up!</i> SOMEWHERE, BOSS TWEED MUST BE THINKING, “YER MAKIN’ ME PROUD, BOY-O, KEEPIN’ MY NAME ALIVE!”

Isn’t it rich that Joel Klein and his boys operate out of a building named for New York’s all-time championship grifter, William Marcy “Boss” Tweed?

Would it be a greater irony if the place were named for Willie (“I rob banks because that’s where the money is”) Sutton, or the inimitable Charles K. Ponzi, the eponymous inventor of the Ponzi Scheme?

You can’t make this stuff up!

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