School Board Watch
August 18, 2008 - The Maury County School Board is proposing to spend about $1 million dollars for I Can Learn, a software system aimed at boosting math scores. The software would be geared toward eighth-grade students learning algebra.
The software program, the Advertiser News reports, "is marketed by a politically savvy company whose product has been at the center of a corruption case in Louisiana."
The program has faced criticism in Fort Worth, Texas, where school officials ended their contract with the software company after spending almost $15 million on algebra and pre-algebra labs.The New Orleans Times-Picayune reported in June 2007 that only one of 10 schools that originally had the program were still using it in 2007.
Former Fort Worth Superintendent Thomas Tocco touted the program extensively during his tenure with the district when it was purchased and was later hired as a consultant for JRL Enterprises.
In Louisiana, Mose Jefferson was indicted on bribery, obstruction of justice and money-laundering charges in April. He is accused of paying a former Orleans School Board president a series of bribes totaling $140,000 in exchange for supporting the lease of I CAN Learn programs. The school board president, Ellenese Brooks-Simms, pleaded guilty to bribery charges in U.S. District Court.
Investigators allege Brooks-Simms was elected to the Orleans Parish School Board with the assistance of Jefferson and his political organization.
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TT - Mose Jefferson is the eldest brother of indicted Congressman William Jefferson. (D-LA)
The Maury County School District rates a 5 at GreatSchools.net
Interestingly, none of the Gateway end-of-course testing at the schools show any problems in Algebra. The state average is 77% at or above proficiency (Proficiency= at grade level.) In Maury District, 83% tested at or above grade level in Algebra I.
