{"id":18856,"date":"2021-10-21T04:25:39","date_gmt":"2021-10-21T08:25:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shorebeat.com\/brick\/?p=18856"},"modified":"2021-10-21T06:10:22","modified_gmt":"2021-10-21T10:10:22","slug":"brick-schools-inked-41k-contract-with-controversial-firm-to-administer-social-emotional-surveys-to-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/2021\/10\/brick-schools-inked-41k-contract-with-controversial-firm-to-administer-social-emotional-surveys-to-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Brick Schools Inked $41K Contract With Controversial Firm to Administer \u2018Social, Emotional\u2019 Surveys to Students"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A<\/a>

A classroom (Credit: xMizLitx\/ Flickr) and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland (Credit: USDOJ).<\/p><\/div>\n

The Brick Township school district quietly awarded a contract over the summer to Panorama Education, the controversial company<\/a> led by the son-in-law of U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, to administer surveys regarding \u201csocial and emotional\u201d issues to students and staff.<\/p>\n

The $40,800 contract was awarded with no public bidding process. Instead, because the contract with Panorama was inked after the district filled its minimum requirements under state law to obtain prices from two providers for the service, bidding was not required because the contract fell under the state\u2019s bid threshold of $44,000, though this would not have precluded an open bidding process. The contract was approved at the May meeting of the township\u2019s Board of Education, then revised in June without fanfare.<\/p>\n

Panorama Education began generating controversy after it was revealed by a Virginia newspaper that the company was co-founded and is being led by Xan Tanner, the son-in-law of Garland, who recently drew controversy after urging the FBI to monitor \u201cthreats\u201d at school board meetings nationwide. Several school districts in Virginia have become the center of a national debate over the collection of data from students, the extent to which school staff should be engaging with students on personal matters and whether such surveys could lead to the future implementation of controversial courses of study such as critical race theory.<\/p>\n

Brick Schools Superintendent Thomas Farrell did not agree to an interview for this story. He did, however, send a list of bullet points shedding some light on Brick\u2019s plans for the Panorama project following e-mails seeking comment on a number of specific issues. A request under the state\u2019s Open Public Records Act for several items, including a copy of a bid specification, opt-out letter for parents and a testing notification letter was denied by the district when it responded Wednesday, with the explanation provided that the request was \u201cnot applicable.\u201d Shorebeat did, however, obtain these documents from another school district that purchased the same service package from Panorama. Shorebeat also obtained the Brick district\u2019s contract with the firm. Farrell, in his e-mail, did not say when, or if, notification letters and opt-out forms would be sent to parents.<\/p>\n

\u201cSurveys are voluntary,\u201d in Brick, Farrell said in the e-mail. \u201cAt this point in the school year, we have only surveyed staff.\u201d<\/p>\n

Farrell said the district plans on surveying students in grades 3 through 12 mid-year, as a baseline. Then, at the end of the year, the district will survey staff, students, and parents.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are trying to capture our students\u2019 voice and gauge their health, safety, security, and well-being during this time of crisis,\u201d said Farrell. \u201cThis will help us with understanding if the student has a \u2018sense of belonging\u2019 and \u2018school connectedness.'\u201d<\/p>\n

How It Works<\/strong><\/p>\n

The district denied Shorebeat\u2019s request under the Open Public Records Act to obtain a list of questions that would be asked of students, but was successful in obtaining the questions Panorama offers as part of the package that the Brick district purchased \u2013 the company\u2019s \u201cFoundations Package\u201d as well as project management consulting for the implementation of the surveys and the general license to utilize Panorama\u2019s platform for Social and Emotional Learning.<\/p>\n

The consulting portion assists the district in developing a timeline and administering the tests, as well as rolling out the ultimate reports. Districts can choose a full K-12 package, with answers reported for the students by teachers in grades K-2, or a grades 3-12 package wherein the students respond to questions themselves. Brick has chosen the latter package. All answers are multiple choice, and students can choose from five options in ordinal variable style ranging from a hard negative to a hard positive response. A sampling of Panorama\u2019s grade 3-12 questions include:<\/p>\n