Apr 12, 2021Now that PowerSchool has filed with the SEC for an IPO, what are your thoughts?1Rick WeaverI don't know how much has changed with PowerSchool in the two-and-a-half years since I first wrote…I don't know how much has changed with PowerSchool in the two-and-a-half years since I first wrote this. I suspect their technical debt remains and integration leaves a lot to be desired. That being said, there's an absolute tsunami of funding coming into K-12 from the federal government by way of stimulus funding and the upcoming infrastructure bill. PowerSchool is well-positioned to absorb a lot of that and I think the $6 billion post-IPO valuation estimate is appropriate. Hopefully they will transition from running lean with a pretty façade to paying their employees competitive wages and hiring developers to deliver on all their promises.1 min read1 min read
Sep 19, 2018Can PowerSchool Keep It Together?The megalithic conglomerate is making all the right moves, but what’s happening behind the scenes might be cause for concern. — NOTE - This post is a continuation of another post I wrote back in March of 2015 that delved into the SIS market. As a private company we have no visibility into PowerSchool’s financial statements, but it’s a safe bet that with all the recent acquisitions, the company is working…Startup4 min readStartup4 min read
Aug 21, 2018Fasting for LifeSharing my notes on the 10-day Master Cleanser — Friends will often ask about my fasting experience and want to learn more about what I know and how I go about it, so I send them an email with the information below. Figured it was time to just post it all here for anyone who might be curious. Every…Health8 min readHealth8 min read
Jul 17, 2018Selling PowerSchool to Pearson was not Apple’s biggest mistake in K-12.I have some experience with both PowerSchool and Apple, and have a few thoughts I’d like to share relating to a recent article by Bradley Chambers that appeared in 9to5Mac. You can read his article here. In his article, Mr. Chambers states that “…Apple’s decision to sell PowerSchool back in…Edtech4 min readEdtech4 min read
Feb 27, 2018One Nation, Under Guns…Deconstructing the myth of “hardening” our schools. — Three steps: The next time you drive by or visit a school, take a moment to stop and look around. Look into the distance and into the windows of nearby buildings. Examine every bush and every hill and ask yourself, “Where could a shooter come from? How exposed are the…Guns7 min readGuns7 min read
Feb 3, 2018The Asteroid No One Is Talking AboutIt either has a 0% or 92% chance of hitting Earth in 2062. — Please note: The following is at once, very much a true story with real-world consequences, and a work of fiction designed to foment the appropriate level of alarm warranted by such an impending disaster. I’ve provided links wherever possible to source the facts presented, but the determination of what is…Asteroids10 min readAsteroids10 min read
Jan 24, 2018As American As Sholeh ZardHardline immigration reformers have made their position clear: They seek to curtail immigration and are only interested in accepting a small number of high-achieving immigrants from predominantly white, western nations. Many in Congress claim to support legal immigration, yet they also support the administration’s restrictive policies and insist that immigrants…Immigration4 min readImmigration4 min read
Oct 26, 2017A Voucher Is A Coupon & “School Choice” Is A LieExamining resource allocation from one side of the tracks to the other. — Education shouldn’t be political. Relative to other areas of our national budget, it’s not that expensive; about 15% of our state budget, and only about 6% of our national budget. But, it’s always been near the top of the list of issues that voters care most about because most everyone…Education9 min readEducation9 min read
Sep 12, 20178 Things Schools Can Do to Boost AttendanceNote — This post originally appeared back in 2014 on a corporate blog for LearnSprout. LearnSprout was acquired by Apple in 2015 and the blog was taken down along with the website, but with school back in session and flu season approaching, I thought the information might be useful. Those…Health5 min readHealth5 min read
Jun 8, 2016Chronic Absenteeism — How could we possibly be expected to handle school on a day like this?Note: I wrote this a couple of years ago for another blog which is no longer active, but with the new USDoE’s Civil Rights Data Collection report showing that up to 40% of students might be chronically absent, I thought it might be worth republishing. …Education4 min readEducation4 min read
