About Us - A Message from the Founder
![hse4metrics; about us, sweet briar college](https://hse4metrics.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/The-Bakers.jpg)
Vernon A. Baker Jr. and J. Gay Baker
Transform U.S. K-12 Results
Launch the HSe Web App
Accountability with Hard Numbers
Before founding HSe, I spent years listening to the plight of parents as they desperately tried to help their kids meet and exceed expectations during the K-12 years.
Ultimately, I introduced what parents, young people, and teachers wanted, which I think of as a complexity-based web app solution. It became known as the “HSe website application” as HSe volunteers, parents, and I presented the web app to the U.S. Department of Education, as well as to various national and state politicians.
On April 18, 2000, as graciously documented by the photo on the left (a gift from HSe volunteers, parents, and my wife, Gay), I formally founded HSe and began spending more time with groups advocating for the web app to be made available to the public.
The details behind the HSe web app are explained in the HSe Web App Intro.
Challenges With Developing HSe
With challenges due to other projects and financial requirements, the massive HSe Website Application remained stagnate. I considered presenting the HSe Web App to banks that already knew me well. However, I felt that HSe called for lending experience that these banks did not possess, thus, I was reluctant to ask them to think outside their field. For the HSe web app, the result was to eschew banks entirely.
The Power of U.S. Corporations
The obvious funding solution was to find a top, publicly-traded U.S. corporation to demonstrate how a marketing strategy in association with the HSe Web App could improve corporate metrics such as operating expenses, or cash flow as a percentage of sales.
Viewing the HSe web app as a marketing strategy, a corporation could fund the web app, doing so as the national “sponsor.” Unlike other marketing options and to the delight of existing and prospective shareholders, the sponsorship would bring with it the bold but logical expectation of ramping up otherwise intractable corporate metrics.
An Unexpected Hiatus for HSe
Parents and HSe volunteers were confident, determined, and ready. They stepped forward to bring our message to the nation’s top corporations. However, as they approached corporate giants, the gatekeepers did their jobs, turning away untrained presenters. With the increasing demands for other professional projects, I lacked the time needed to help the volunteers and parents. Unfortunately, the HSe project was put on hold.
Continued Stagnation and Poor Performance in America
What followed in the 21st century was another two decades of stagnant K-12 test results, including the disgraceful performance of U.S. students on the so-called Nation’s Report Card, not to mention subpar ranking on international testing, as well as an array of alarming indicators, such as truancy and dropout rates in middle school and high school.
Critical for All Students—Even High Performers
Even for students who performed well in K-12 proficiency testing, including those scoring in the top decile and students with resumes chock-full of advanced placement courses and accolades, none had the advantage throughout their K-12 years of an HSe Web App-like system of methods. Even our top ten percenters do not compete well compared to other nations.
A Shameless Contrast in a Technological Age
Despite having adequate technology for over 20 years since the formation of HSe, the contrast of the success of the technological world and the plight of K-12 metrics results has been stark. During this time, Big Tech has excelled. In contrast, the tragedy of K-12 results has remained unchanged—like an immovable barrier and shameless constant.
However, the barrier is not immutable. The constant is artificial.
By solving the funding issue, we can release the HSe web app.
Vernon A. Baker Jr., Managing Member