Education Commissioner's International Trips Defended

• {Kentucky}...Tuesday, Education spokeswoman Lisa Gross defended recent international trips by Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday that were financed by the Pearson Foundation, a foundation associated with a company that does business with the Kentucky Department of Education. Sunday, a story in the New York Times questioned such trips by Holliday and other top U.S. educators that were funded by the Pearson Foundation, quoting critics suggesting that the trips were "junkets" that might raise ethical issues for those involved. The New York Times story said some experts think the Pearson organization might be using its foundation's funding of such trips to boost its education-related business, which could violate the federal tax code. Gross said Holliday took trips to international education conferences in China in May and Brazil in September, and the trips were organized through the Council of Chief State School Officers, made up of the top education officials in each state. The Pearson Foundation is associated with Pearson Inc., a major national publishing company that received a $57.7 million, seven-year state contract to prepare the new K-Prep student test and perform related work. Gross said the Pearson Inc. contract was awarded through Kentucky's state procurement process, and Holliday was not involved.