Update: LinkedIn profiles have been removed.
Note: Dr. Wright did not respond to attempts to contact through emails or phone calls yesterday. Dr. Wright did send a statement to the Clarion-Ledger.
Dr. Wright came to Mississippi in the fall of 2013 to start her new gig
as State Superintendent of Education. Dr. John Q.
Porter followed her to Mississippi six months later and began to get
consulting gigs for his company and himself from MDE. MDE also put his
employee, Elton Stokes, Jr., on the consulting payroll. Dr. Porter
became the Deputy Superintendent/Chief Information Officer, and later
approved contracts for Mr. Stokes in his capacity as Deputy
Superintendent. All three individuals worked together at one time, in the Montgomery County Public School District administration. Dr. Porter's generosity even extended to Mrs. Stokes as she
got a consulting contract as well. It seems these foreigners are learning the Mississippi Way
very quickly, as the Mississippi Department of Education has paid over half a million dollars to Dr. Porter and his cronies since 2014.
Dr. John Q. Porter
Dr. Porter owns Blue Sky Innovative Solutions, LLC which is based in Maryland. Dr. Porter has a somewhat checkered past, as he was run out of Oklahoma City and Montgomery County (Md) amid accusations of poor job performance and financial misconduct. The Broad Report is a good place to start reading about his history. He followed Dr. Wright to Mississippi. Earlier post on Dr. Porter.
The Mississippi Board of Education approved a contract to hire Blue Sky to review the Office of Information Management Systems. The contract's term began on March 11, 2014, and ended on June 30, 2014. The contract was approved on a 7-0 vote in open session. Board member Rosemary Aultman made the motion to retain Blue Sky.
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| Click on image to enlarge |
The board switched from hiring Blue Sky to hiring Dr. Porter as a contract employee. The board voted 7-0 in executive session (on a motion made by Rosemary Aultman) to hire Dr. Porter for consulting services to review the Office of Technology and Strategic Services, and conduct a nationwide search for a Chief Information Officer for $96,454.
The contract term began on January 20, 2015, and was scheduled to expire on June 30, 2015. However, the contract was terminated on June 2, 2015, when Dr. Porter became Chief Information Officer, and thus an employee of MDE. MDE records state Dr. Porter was paid $88,020 from February 27, 2015 to June 30, 2015 as a contract worker.
Thus, MDE paid Dr. Porter individually and his company Blue Sky Innovative Solutions, LLC, $333,319 from May, 2014 to June, 2015. The contracts ended when the board voted 7-0 to hire Dr. Porter as Deputy Superintendent/Chief Information Officer at a salary of $195,000. The salary was reduced to $183,000 last month after the State Auditor told MDE the salary was illegal. All votes were taken in executive session. It is not known if any of the contracts were advertised for competitive bids.
However, the compensation connections between MDE and Dr. Porter do not end with Dr. Porter. Meet Elton Stokes, Jr. and his wife, Sharon Semper Stokes.
Elton Stokes, Jr.
Mr. Stokes is an employee at Blue Sky Innovative Solutions, LLC. It is hard to find this information, but JJ discovered a LinkedIn page and a video posted one year ago that shows Mr. Stokes admitting he works for Blue Sky and works in Mississippi on behalf of the company. The LinkedIn page has been removed, but stated last month he was the "Chief Solutions Strategist". (Yes, that is an actual job title.) Mr. Stokes said in the interview that he is a "technologist" who was "brought in to restructure the types of services the department of education can provide at the local level." He once worked at the Montgomery County School District.
Mr. Stokes got his first consulting gig in August, 2014. Dr. Wright signed a $48,000 contract for Mr. Stokes to review data management. The contract expired at the end of the year. (p.36)
The board voted 7-0 in executive session in January, 2015, to award a $93,009 contract to Mr. Stokes for consulting services. The motion was made by Rosemary Aultman. The contract expired on June 30, 2015. Mr. Stokes stated his address was 2228 Harford Court, Waldorf, Maryland (remember that address).
MDE awarded a $48,054 contract to Mr. Stokes in June, 2015, to "implement an IT governance strategy" but the contract did not appear in the board minutes (although its payments undoubtedly appeared in claims dockets). However, Dr. Porter approved and signed the contract in his capacity as MDE Chief Information Officer on June 30. The term of the contract ran from July 1, 2015, to December 31, 2015, but the expiration was extended by Dr. Porter to June 30, 2016.
Dr. Porter approved a $25,577 increase to the contract on October 16, 2015. The new contract amount was $73,632. (See p. 28 below). Dr. Porter signed the modification.
Payment records state MDE paid Stokes $214,002 from September 2014 to November 2015. (See pages 11,12, and 28 in payment records posted below.) Mr. Stokes explained his role at the Mississippi Department of Education in this interview recorded at a conference one year ago.
However, MDE contracts are a family affair in the Stokes household. Meet. Sharon Semper Stokes.
Sharon L. (Semper) Stokes/Dataone IT Solutions
Sharon Semper Stokes is the wife of Elton Stokes, Jr. They both live at 2228 Harford Court, Waldorf, Maryland.
MDE awarded a $48,240 contract to Sharon Semper, dba Dataone IT Solutions, LLC of Waldorf Maryland, for the "implementation and monitoring of the new MDE Data Warehouse System" in January 2016. The contract expires on June 30, 2016 and was signed by Deputy Superintendent Dr. John Q. Porter on January 22, 2016. Payment records state MDE paid Dataone $48,240 from February, 2016, to May, 2016. Dr. Porter approved several of the invoices for MDE.
Dataone is a Maryland LLC. The registration documents filed in Maryland state the address as 2228 Harford Court, Waldorf MD. That is the same address as Elton Stokes, Jr. and Sharon L. Stokes. However, the documents do not state an actual owner, but instead only state a registered agent in California. The company was created on November 30, 2015- six weeks before it obtained its MDE contract.
It is not known if a request for proposals or quotes were issued for these contracts.
Kingfish note: That was the news, now for the opinion. The top issue here is whether Dr. Porter signed off on contracts and invoices for someone who works for him at Blue Sky while he is Deputy Superintendent.
70 comments:
Rosemary is a joke. The city of Clinton is in the shape it's in because of her. Almost lost the library land given to the city. Now, ten years later, there still is not a fire dept on Pinehaven Drive. but there is that bridge connecting north and south. a poorly designed and built bridge. the largest thing in clinton named after the largest person in clinton. she should move to jacktown and get on all the boards there.
These "consulting gigs" are more money than what we pay people to run some state agencies. The biggest scams being pulled in the state are by people with a PhD.
How the f&ck is this woman still around? I mean the AG, state Auditor, FBI should be climbing over and tripping each other trying to get to Dr. Wright!
Good grief.
Extremely impressive reporting as well.
This is an out right con game.
How do we get this information to the "right" people so that she can be reviewed and fired?
This is riduculous. I wish I was one of her "friends."
Now, now, don't you know that education is underfunded. By golly we need more money so we can hire more consultants. Forget the kids, hire another consultant and all will be ok.
Yet it's "racist" to condemn their actions....
I think until we are all at the point and willing to go park ourselves outside of, and in civil protest of, demanding action be taken, and accountability for our tax dollars used in the state education system, we are all nothing but a bunch of fools. We continue to vote the same people into office, and they realize more and more that they now have a lazy and ignorant constituency with which to line their pockets. Until we take ownership at all levels; municipal, state, and federal, this will always be the norm. The strongest industry in America, with the most investment security and growth potential is anything and everything related to all aspects of government......just my 2 cents
People, you keep forgetting where you live. This is Mississippi. There isn't anything unusual about any of this. It is a common practice in the state you live in. Why do you think there is so many different school districts? If you will do a little research you could find out about the school district that does not have a single child enrolled in any school. Still had plenty of teachers and administration.
Fantastic report, but now what? I'm with 4:00. Could you please give us some kind of assurance that this report will be read by one or more people with the authority to do something. Or do you know that someone with authority is already looking at this?
I'm certain fully funding MAEP would correct all of this. I also have a sneaking suspicion that the other "failing districts"(ie. black ran/delta schools) mentioned in the lawsuit have the same type of corruption going on. Call me crazy, but I don't think throwing money at the districts is the solution.
Do you think it is fair to call this "Rosemary's Baby"?
These bogus bastards are in the same league as Epps and McCrory. It just ain't right to punish them and not the school marms.
Is Mike Thomas, of Madison, mentioned anywhere? He was fired a few years ago by Madison Public Schools for having the building trades guys build personal grills and other stuff for him. Then he magically was walking the hallways peddling information systems and other consultant-provided materials. He might be a small player, but just another example of graft and corruption in this education arena.
There's a man out near Tommy's Trading Post in Rankin County who digs up and repairs septic systems. I'm not sure he could handle this though.
Jackson Jambalaya: Sam R. Hall's Assignment Desk
MDE has a huge stable of overpaid "Education Experts", complete with generous egos. Why on earth would they need to hire consultants?
Why does Mississippi hire these consultants, both on a state level and district levels, pay them millions of dollars and STILL have so many failing and low achieving school districts?
Kingfish forgot to say, "Calls to the office of Mrs. Wright have not been returned".
Do we even have a State auditor who can audit these contracts.
Oh, I forgot, he pulls the same shit.
Guy paying his wife a sweet contract; believe that is referred to as nepotism. Pretty sure that is illegal.
Actually nepotism isn't 'illegal'. It could be a violation of policy if there is a written policy prohibiting nepotism at the place of employment. But, alas, the education system in Mississippi is replete with nepotism from top to bottom and side to side. That includes every district, every campus, every building, every office, every department at every level throughout the state, in all its counties and each of its districts.
I do think signing or awarding a contract over to someone else, while the awarding party has a financial or familial interest in the contract, would be illegal under state law.
You'll need to get some fresh content up this morning KF so the "reporters" over at the Clarion-Ledger knows what stories to cover today.
Can this be reported to the MS Ethics Commission? Do they handle matters such as these?
This is why the Mississippi Education System has no money to educate children. Corruption seems to be everywhere. There is no need for all these consultants when there is such a large workforce (very highly paid) at the Department. That lady must go. What a mess.
I agree that it is shocking nothing has been done. What can we do? Has this been covered in local papers?
@9:07 The Clarion Ledger "Broke" this story this morning after KF reported it on here. I'm assuming using this article as a template.
8:00
I am not 100% certain but I believe the EC only covers elected officials....
I could be mistaken.
So, according to 9:07, in order for government corruption in this state to be investigated, it must first be covered in a local newspaper?
Wonder what other "benefits" Porter has been receiving from Wright.
Using this article as a template? You mean outright stealing 99% of his research and legwork. It happens time and time again. The frequency of the C-L covering a story like this right on the heels of getting published here ain't no f'ing coincidence.
Can this be reported to the MS Ethics Commission? Do they handle matters such as these
Is there really such an animal in Ms.? Everywhere you look there are groups of unethical people with one special crooked person in charge.
If there is such a commission they must not have an office, workers, telephone, be able to read.
Just a shame. And I here they came in and fired many good people who were close to retirement or made them leave before they were ready. I wouldn't work for a State agency, Biggest Con Game around. LICK SOME BOOTS, GET A FAT CONTRACT!!
She has also hired many new employees after firing a lot of the staff... For example Kristi Hicks does not have the qualification yo hold a direct position with only a bachelor degree and no real work experience but she hired her in the superintendent office but when it was discovered she was quickly moved some where so no one would catch it
This is how 7-step reporting process at the Clarion-Ledger works.
Step 1: Jackson Jambalaya publishes story.
Step 2: Clarion-Ledger staffers and management types read story ... since they already read and closely follow all the work on Jackson Jambalaya.
Step 3: Clarion-Ledger management types assign staffer to appropriate the work of journalist at Jackson Jambalaya without prior approval, attribution or renumeration.
Step 4: Clarion-Ledger staffer places phone call(s) to identified person(s) in Jackson Jambalaya story ... and sometimes to world-renowned expert of most things Matt Steffey ... seeking comment.
Step 5: Having received comment, or alternatively no comment, Clarion-Ledger staffer inserts into appropriated work of journalist at Jackson Jambalaya without prior approval, attribution or renumeration.
Step 6: Clarion-Ledger editors and management types review appropriated story and have it published as their own Clarion-Ledger branded work product without prior approval, attribution or renumeration.
Step 7: Clarion-Ledger reminds metro area in full-page photo ads that they are the "voices that move our communities".
Now you know how the "newsroom" at the Clarion-Ledger gets 'er done.
Yup Donner, yer the only real watchdog:
We've been the only real watchdog media in state for 15 years ...
Donner Kay Ladd Watchdog
5:53 AM - 15 Jun 2016
Excellent post, 10:59, except:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remuneration (Be sure to read the part about "Common Misspelling".)
Since I know the difference, you can be sure that I do not work for the Clarion Ledger.
Deep reporting, thoughtful, thoroughly researched, well-written. Thank you Kingfish.
Somewhere in this, Butler Snow is making money...
@ 9:28 AM the Ledger "broke" the story with an online publish yesterday afternoon barely a couple hours after Kingfish posted his detailed reconnaissance to JJ. Now Sam R. Hall says Mollie Bryant has been on this story for "a while". Sure. She was working all along seemingly in parallel to write such a tightly synchronized article about the same exact people, invoices, intersecting relationships, timelines, executive session no-bid contracts, etc as Kingfish had been working on. It was only a total fluke of timing that her version went live shortly after Kingfish. Total fluke.
At what point do consultants become CONsultants?
In hindsight, maybe they should have put a businessman like Joel Bomgar on the board after all.
12;24-- Good point. CONsultants who do not have any paper trails...i.e. J., Gregg.
Time for the PEER committee to do its job and expose this mess for all it's worth. Kingfish has done most of the leg work. Roll 'em up, move 'em out!
@ 9:28 AM the Ledger "broke" the story with an online publish yesterday afternoon barely a couple hours after Kingfish posted his detailed reconnaissance to JJ. Sam R. Hall now says his reporter has been on this story for "a while". Sure. She was working all along seemingly in parallel to write such a tightly synchronized article about the same exact people, invoices, intersecting relationships, timelines, executive session no-bid contracts, etc as Kingfish had been working on. Uncanny. It was only a total fluke of timing that her version went live shortly after Kingfish. Total fluke.
I would say that I'm shocked that Donner thinks she's the only watchdog, but I know her and her giant ego. That's totally predictable. But to put that on Twitter? Sheesh!
How's the board breaking on all this? The makeup seems to favor the Republicans. Most are Republican appointees, I think, and only one black member. Why haven't they done something?
Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.
The board approved the contracts.
How about the PEER Committee explaining to us what's going on here. After all, they're website states: PEER analyzes state agency programs and operations and helps the Legislature make state government more effective, efficient and accountable.
Time for the rubber to meet the road on this.
Thanks for the spelling assist 11:39. Got distracted watching the Clarion-Ledger's latest boost of KF's labors. Thanks again.
The Clarion Ledger states in its article, "... the development of a new software application to produce school and district performance ratings ....". With all this money spent, isn't the Department of Education supposed to publish information each year telling us how each district is performing? I haven't seen this information in a couple of years. They tell us that the students are doing well, but where are the numbers? I know that my kids take the tests, so where are the annual numbers? So much for the excessive contracts and the highly paid MDE directors!
Speaking of PEER, I could be wrong, but don't think I am....PEER can only get involved if and when a legislative committee or person in the highest positions of leadership request that PEER do so. The PEER committee does not independently decide to do anything.
The State Auditor, on the other hand...
Don't any of you CL bashers on here realize that the same folks that give tips to KF also give tips to others? Anna Wolfe has many of the same contacts that KF has - that's right, he doesn't come up with all this on his own.
KF did a good job with this article - and is to be commended. But the CL did have some info in their story which, like is noted above came online within an hour or so of this posting. Indicates they probably were on the story as well. Don't doubt they might have taken some info from JJ site, but they can't print without some independent verification
Not a CL lover at all. In fact, can't stand them. But I recognize that most of the stuff that shows up on JJ, and CL, and many other places wasn't uncovered solely by KF on his on. A good bevy of tipsters makes all this work. And some of those folks that want to see this type corruption see the light of day are likely to tell multiple venues to ensure it all gets exposed.
Good job JJ. Sorry I don't let you bask in the limelight on your own, but there isn't anything wrong with recognizing that sometimes others also do a good job as well.
This type of thing happens every day all day in this state. The challenge is to bring attention to all the other crooks who are fleecing the taxpayers. It is very easy to say we are for small government and low taxes as long as those low taxes are going in the pockets of so called republicians. But then those so called conservatives are loading the state up with bond projects for their buddies, lawyer jobs for their daughters, etc. this state is full of persons looking thru rose colored glasses to only point out fraud in jack town and public schools. So what about the other 99 percent of these crooks sitting in your Sunday school class.
June 15, 2016 at 9:35 PM = Total Bullshit
Below is a transcript of little Tate Reeves throwing a temper tantrum...
WHO IN THE HELL DOES THIS WOMAN THINK SHE IS ....a republican senator in Mississippi?!?!!? Hell no! We are the only ones who are to get unlimited financial freedoms with other people's money, with limited thought/control and with no guidelines for spending. I want MY GRUBBY LITTLE DONALD TRUMP-like hands in the cookie jars!!!!! This isn't fair that someone can come into MY state and play the game better than me!!!!
The C-L pilfered the story in its entirety then added one comment from Wright, two no comments and one didn't return our call. This isn't the first time 9:35. Go blow the smoke up that of others' who don't know better.
@12:12 PM They become CONsultants when they show up with LLC dangling at the end of their names and big, fat day planners tucked neatly under their arms.
9:56 hit the nail on the head. Philly is just as corrupt as anyone. He only cares about himself. His daughter is far too short of experience to be Madison County's attorney. This was the doings of Trey Baxter who only wants Philly's help politically in the future for higher office. He sold out the people of Madison County in the process.
Let's have a contest. Who will be sentenced first - Wright or Epps?
If the Wright debacle works like the Epps episode is working, her sentencing will be delayed seven or more times while she rolls over on one co-conspirator after the other.
The primary difference will be in the process of extradition from Maryland. That could drag it out considerably.
Still, the contest is a good idea.
The Gubna needs to do something bout this! Wait, he doesn't ever do anything. Wait, I thought this was a story about MS State...Never mind. The Dept. will let the agency handle this one. Signing off.
Wasn't how to run Mississippi like a bidness one of the things Phildo discussed when he met with Trump the other day?
Update: LinkedIn profiles have been removed.
Roger that Kingfish. We'll update our story and take credit for your find. Thanks again.
How to change this situation? If you want elected officials to actually "act" on your behalf I offer the following.
1. Follow the lead of the most effective positive change makers in the USA. Have protest rallies, boycott the businesses of elected officials and their families if the elected officials don't act,go on TV talk shows, etc.
2. Follow the lead of the NRA. Pay lobbyists. Please don't be lulled into continued inaction and settle with the statement that the elected and appointed officials should be the public's lobbyists. This LONGSTANDING AND HISTORICAL AND REPETITIVE third tier "patronage" situation at MDE, and other agencies, again proves that these public officials are not the friends of, much less the advocates for the public. Just saying.
Also please don't expect to do too much. PEER is not an independent research organization, although the PEER staff may do excellent work. Remember PEER is a creation of the Legislature. PEER reports are routinely edited, changed, and/or not published at the whim of the Legislature. Just ask PEER staff on the QT.
Follow the lead of the most effective positive change makers in the USA.
Please, don't leave that dangling. Who do you consider the "most effective positive change makers in the USA"?
Yes, The Board did and does approve all contracts. And Rosemary Aultman made the motion to approve all of them. Is she simply falling in line behind another woman or is Rosemary on the take?
There is way too much money involved here for us to view this as simply benign business as usual.
I don't want to read that this Department Director resigned to spend more time with her grandchildren. I want to read that she is in jail.
So we spent an extra $600,000 on consultants and the grad rate went up 2 per cent. Maybe if we hire another consultant for another $600,000 we can improve another 2 per cent and reach the national average. Sounds like something to reach for. Think I'll brush up on my resume'.
And for the goob who suggested the board appears to be largely republican, this is not a party problem. This woman flew in here on a broomstick from nowhere demanding no accountability and having none. Party affiliation means nothing in this matter.
The board members only want a monthly trip to Jackson with the ability to be reimbursed for a meal at the oyster bar in Flowood or Renaissance with a side trip to Bed, Bath and Beyond.
Just a quick correction about when Elton Stokes started doing work at MDE. He was with "Dr" John Porter during the initial contract in the spring of 2014.
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