Who is making money off BCPS students?

One answer has been partially provided by BCPS officials… Who paid for five school staffers and leaders, including Superintendent Dallas Dance and technology head Ryan Imbriale, to attend the April 18 ASU GSV edtech investors summit in San Diego, Cal.?

In response to the converted PIA request, school officials wrote: “Conference fees, hotel, and flight costs were provided by the ASU GSV Summit for each of the school system participants.” The school system will reimburse per diem costs for meals and other “related expenses” through participant’s operating budgets. Officials noted those records will be made available for inspection when processed.

The overall cost of the trip was not disclosed. But I’m sure some stakeholders can do the math….

Heading to Helsinki

BCPS Superintendent S. Dallas Dance is about to hit the road again. Or at least the airways. In a May 4 letter to Baltimore County’s Board of Education, Dance announced a likely promotion within the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), from a position on the superintendents’ association executive committee to president-elect. “I have been asked and agree to seek the office of President-elect of AASA, which would become effective in 2017,” Dr. Dance wrote.

Dr. Dance says the new position would entail the same “time commitment” as his role on the board. President-elect, however, is clearly a higher role.

The superintendent also informed the board that as the administrator of a “Microsoft Leading School District” he is one of four representatives in the U.S. to be invited to attend a summer institute in Helsinki, Finland from May 24-26. There he will collaborate and share ideas regarding a “global initiative” titled “Leading Countries of the World in Transforming Education.”

This does seem to be an honor, as Dr. Dance notes.

Yet student learning outcomes of the STAT digital initiative are still unclear, with PARCC scores in tested third grades with the laptop-per-student program trending downward. As of now, it also remains unclear who is paying for the over-the-pond travel expenses. The letter notes that this is a four-year program. A round-trip flight between BWI and Helsinki around the event’s dates this May average over $2,000.