Business as usual = New, low-scoring firm wins $1.7-million EAA contract

[Vic01]

The district running Michigan's lowest-performing schools awarded a $1.7-million training contract to a company that scored 8th out of 10 companies seeking the work, according to documents reviewed by the Free Press.
The School Empowerment Network, or SEN, has no office, no listed phone number, an unfinished website and a seven-member staff. Its initial bid of $2.3 million was more than twice the $1-million bid submitted by the highest-scoring firm, Boston-based Public Consulting Group, which has 60 offices in the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Most of SEN's current staff worked formerly for New York City schools at the same time Veronica Conforme, the current chancellor of the financially troubled Education Achievement Authority, also worked there. The EAA is SEN's only client.



http://www.freep.com/story/news/loca...oned/74419300/

[Honky Tonk]

The district running Michigan's lowest-performing schools awarded a $1.7-million training contract to a company that scored 8th out of 10 companies seeking the work, according to documents reviewed by the Free Press.
The School Empowerment Network, or SEN, has no office, no listed phone number, an unfinished website and a seven-member staff. Its initial bid of $2.3 million was more than twice the $1-million bid submitted by the highest-scoring firm, Boston-based Public Consulting Group, which has 60 offices in the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Most of SEN's current staff worked formerly for New York City schools at the same time Veronica Conforme, the current chancellor of the financially troubled Education Achievement Authority, also worked there. The EAA is SEN's only client.



http://www.freep.com/story/news/loca...oned/74419300/

C'mon, give them a break. @ least they didn't pick 10th out of 10.

"The contract was awarded as the EAA is under siege because of poor academic performance, declining enrollment and an FBI investigation into kickback schemes involving vendors."

I'm thinking the last one.

[Smirnoff]

Business as usual - next.

I am thinking about starting an airline company for $30 million...........

[Wesley Mouch]

The district running Michigan's lowest-performing schools awarded a $1.7-million training contract to a company that scored 8th out of 10 companies seeking the work, according to documents reviewed by the Free Press.
The School Empowerment Network, or SEN, has no office, no listed phone number, an unfinished website and a seven-member staff. Its initial bid of $2.3 million was more than twice the $1-million bid submitted by the highest-scoring firm, Boston-based Public Consulting Group, which has 60 offices in the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Most of SEN's current staff worked formerly for New York City schools at the same time Veronica Conforme, the current chancellor of the financially troubled Education Achievement Authority, also worked there. The EAA is SEN's only client.

So what are you saying? That the EAA is no different than the existing school boards. How should the EAA choose their contractors? Did they violate their rules by not picking 1st out of 10? Is there such a rule? Who did the ranking? Obviously not the person who did the picking.

I think we all want our public money to be spent wisely. If this is not appropriate, then it should be changed. Or maybe the EAA knows something we don't. I do hope an explanation is forthcoming.

[Vic01]

So what are you saying? That the EAA is no different than the existing school boards. How should the EAA choose their contractors? Did they violate their rules by not picking 1st out of 10? Is there such a rule? Who did the ranking? Obviously not the person who did the picking.

I think we all want our public money to be spent wisely. If this is not appropriate, then it should be changed. Or maybe the EAA knows something we don't. I do hope an explanation is forthcoming.

All I'm saying is that there's quite a few things that would have the average person saying "What the ...."? The quote at the end says it best, give us some context and explanation... not just "trust us, we know what we're doing", that's total Bullshit. I think HT made a good point, I'd rather trust the FBI

"SEN CEO Alex Shub said he has a deep background in teacher and principal coaching and leadership development.

“We’re currently developing leaders at multiple levels in the schools, from classroom teachers to instructional coaches, to school administrators, and we’re doing that through a combination of coursework and on-site coaching,” Shub said.
Shub and two other men, Daniel Pasette and Eduardo Contreras, incorporated SEN in New York, on May 14, listing as the business address the same Brooklyn condominium complex where Shub lives. A month later, SEN was one of 10 companies that submitted proposals to the EAA, the reform school district opened by Gov. Rick Snyder in 2012 to turn around the state's lowest-performing schools. The district currently has 15 schools, all of them in Detroit.

At a meeting in August, the EAA board heard a short presentation about the contract, asked no questions and approved it, all in less than 90 seconds.

School board member Timothy Wood said two weeks ago he couldn't recall whether board members received background information on the firm prior to voting.

"We trust the administration, that they do their job, and it's their responsibility to get vendors," Wood said. "I think they do a wonderful job."


...But disregarding the scores raises questions, said Brent Maas of the National Institute for Government Purchasing, a professional group of buyers from the U.S. and Canada.

"The whole notion of transparency is so that an outside observer could come in and connect the dots from solicitation to award," Maas said. "Why would they make awards that are potentially contradictory to what the measures bore out?"
Maas said that buying goods, such as textbooks or laptops, is less complicated because they can be compared side-by-side more readily. Consulting services are harder to gauge but the district's evaluation process, including the scoring, should help identify the best bidders.
"If you're continuing to see that disconnect, the hope is truly, 'We understood things, we made a judgment,' " Maas said. "But it would be helpful if you could provide some contextual background to support or explain the whys."

[Wesley Mouch]

All I'm saying is that there's quite a few things that would have the average person saying "What the ...."? The quote at the end says it best, give us some context and explanation... not just "trust us, we know what we're doing", that's total Bullshit. I think HT made a good point, I'd rather trust the FBI

"SEN CEO Alex Shub said he has a deep background in teacher and principal coaching and leadership development.

“We’re currently developing leaders at multiple levels in the schools, from classroom teachers to instructional coaches, to school administrators, and we’re doing that through a combination of coursework and on-site coaching,” Shub said.
Shub and two other men, Daniel Pasette and Eduardo Contreras, incorporated SEN in New York, on May 14, listing as the business address the same Brooklyn condominium complex where Shub lives. A month later, SEN was one of 10 companies that submitted proposals to the EAA, the reform school district opened by Gov. Rick Snyder in 2012 to turn around the state's lowest-performing schools. The district currently has 15 schools, all of them in Detroit.

At a meeting in August, the EAA board heard a short presentation about the contract, asked no questions and approved it, all in less than 90 seconds.

School board member Timothy Wood said two weeks ago he couldn't recall whether board members received background information on the firm prior to voting.

"We trust the administration, that they do their job, and it's their responsibility to get vendors," Wood said. "I think they do a wonderful job."


...But disregarding the scores raises questions, said Brent Maas of the National Institute for Government Purchasing, a professional group of buyers from the U.S. and Canada.

"The whole notion of transparency is so that an outside observer could come in and connect the dots from solicitation to award," Maas said. "Why would they make awards that are potentially contradictory to what the measures bore out?"
Maas said that buying goods, such as textbooks or laptops, is less complicated because they can be compared side-by-side more readily. Consulting services are harder to gauge but the district's evaluation process, including the scoring, should help identify the best bidders.
"If you're continuing to see that disconnect, the hope is truly, 'We understood things, we made a judgment,' " Maas said. "But it would be helpful if you could provide some contextual background to support or explain the whys."

I agree. I also wonder how many times they simply accept the 'scores'. And who makes these 'scores'? Are they intended to be the final answer -- or is the media just using it as a lever?