October 18, 2023, Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) released two independent evaluations of its special education program. VDOE’s new Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Lisa Coons requested the evaluations, which were done by Dr. Robert Pasternack, Sam Howarth, and Nathan Levenson.

However, VDOE didn’t release the original report submitted by Pasternack or Coons’ comments to Pasternack indicating she wanted it revised. The invoices were not released either. This information had to be obtained via FOIA.

Click on the links below to access the correspondence, reports, and invoices.

September 14, 2023: Invoice New Solutions K12 (Levenson) submitted to VDOE for $35,000.

September 28, 2023: E-mail from Dr. Robert Pasternack to Dr. Lisa Coons. Pasternack states the final report is attached to this email.

September 29, 2023: Final report from Ensenar Educational Services (Pasternack and Howarth). Although the report is dated 9.29.23, it was attached to a 9.28.23 email to Dr. Lisa Coons. For a reason unknown to Special Education Action, the meta data lists John F. Sutton III as the author of the document.

September 29, 2023: Date on Dr. Lisa Coon's email to Dr. Robert Pasternack. In her email, Coons asks to speak with Pasternack and states she is "a bit overwhelmed by the number of recommendations in the report."

October 4, 2023: Revised report from Ensenar Educational Services (Pasternack and Howarth). The report notes the original date and the revised date, so it is clear that there are at least two versions. As with the original report, for a reason unknown to Special Education Action, the meta data lists John F. Sutton III as the author of the document.

October 8, 2023: Ensenar Educational Services (Pasternack and Howarth) invoice submitted to VDOE for $100,000.

October 10, 2023: New Solutions K12 (Levenson) report. For a reason unknown to Special Education Action, the meta data lists Zachary Mills as the author of the document.