Here’s your proof, from the New York Times:
Education Officials Travel Paid by a Vendor’s Foundation
Since 2008, the Pearson Foundation, the nonprofit arm of one of the nation’s largest educational publishers, has financed free international trips — some have called them junkets — for education commissioners whose states do business with the company.
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Illinois is paying Pearson $138 million to administer the state’s standardized testing program; Virginia is paying $110 million and Kentucky $57 million. All three of their commissioners have attended the conferences.
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At least one state commissioner, Michael P. Flanagan of Michigan, said he stopped attending conferences because of ethics concerns. The awarding of contracts to Pearson in Kentucky and Virginia illustrate the problem.
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In April, CTB/McGraw Hill submitted the lowest bid to run Kentucky’s testing program, but Pearson, whose bid was $2 million higher, was selected. In May, the state’s commissioner, Terry Holliday, wrote on his blog that he recently “had the honor” of taking a trip to China sponsored by the council, the Asia Society and the Pearson Foundation, and in September he went to Brazil, too.
SchoolBookA spokeswoman for Dr. Holliday said the state’s decision “was based on best value and not simply a low bid.” She said a committee of local and state officials ran the selection process, and Dr. Holliday had no role in it.
Now do you folks believe me?
Oh, and Holliday? Kentucky Youth Advocates, Joe Meyer’s folks and even the folks in Jefferson County at the teachers association love complaining about you. All of them beg us to write about you 24/7 because they don’t have the guts to say anything. This is apparently their opening salvo in the move to get you fired.
I expect you to be under the direct control of Joe Meyer within the next year.






3 responses so far ↓
1 Robbie // Oct 11, 2011 at 8:21 pm
Putting Meyer in charge will really help –he’s a bigger crook than Holliday–
2 Wondering // Oct 12, 2011 at 9:20 am
You would be surprised at the amount of travel KDE staffers — not just Holliday — do on others’ dimes.
3 jake // Oct 12, 2011 at 9:24 am
It’s not just KDE.
Take Covington for instance. Tens of thousands of dollars not just for educator travel but for their family members to travel with them.
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