US: Bid-rigging claims add more controversy to Common Core

The Common Core standardized testing initiative has earned its fair share of controversy in recent months as some criticized the grade school standards as ineffective and unnecessarily complicated, but now the Common Core is surrounded by more controversy; this time, reports emerged that top education firm Pearson is accused of bid-rigging to ensure it won the contract to administer the Common Core.

Pearson rival American Institutes for Research had issued a legal filing last January claiming that it did not even bid for the Common Core contract for New Mexico schools because the tender process was rigged, it claimed.

The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, the group of states planning to jointly implement Common Core, would have Pearson as the sole bidder for the contract to administer the tests, the AIR said, calling the procurement process “fundamentally flawed.”

While New Mexico had originally dismissed AIR’s claims, reports say Judge Sarah Singleton last month put the contract on hold, overturning the state’s earlier decision that AIR did not file its protest in time.

”This case is remanded with instructions to delay any further processing of the contract until this protest can be timely heard and determined on its merits,” US District Judge Sarah Singleton wrote.

According to reports, Pearson would charge $24 for every student administered the test; overall, Pearson could make $240 million every year through the contract.

Full content: Fox News

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