#ANOTHERDAYANOTHERCHARTERSCHOOLSCANDAL
The Topline: A record breaking year for charter failures
The Star Tribune reports that nine of the state’s 181 charter schools have shut down this year, with another one facing the imminent revocation of its authorization over financial and management difficulties.
One of state’s largest charter schools is at war with regulators, on brink of collapse
STEP Academy, which has campuses in St. Paul and Burnsville, faces a deep financial crisis.
Sources: STEP Academy superintendent, 2 board members to resign amid financial crisis
Two weeks ago, KARE 11 reported that STEP Academy was $775,000 over budget due to having 117 fewer students than anticipated. In a letter to the school board and administration, school authorizer Innovative Quality Schools (IQS) wrote that since the projected enrollment has not been actualized, the school was overpaid for quarter one of the 2025 fiscal year.
Parents stunned after Acero charter school network announces plans to close 7 schools
Shocked and looking for answers. That’s the feeling among parents after learning about a proposal to close seven Acero charter schools in Chicago, which could affect thousands of students.
North Oakland Community Charter School closes for 24-25 academic year
North Oakland Community Charter School (NOCCS) is officially no longer allowed to operate for the 2024-25 school year, ruled an Alameda County Superior Court judge who denied a motion for a preliminary injunction on Thursday.
School’s out… forever? Toledo charter school closing 2 months into school year
Parents were notified in a letter sent Oct. 3 that the Victory Academy would be closing on Oct. 18, giving parents a little more than two weeks to find a new school.
Acero charter school plans to close 7 schools, blindsiding parents, teachers —’They did not inform us’
The closures will begin in June 2025 and impact about 2,000 students. The network of schools operates primarily in Latino neighborhoods. The seven schools are in Brighton Park, West Ridge, Pilsen, Avondale, South Lawndale, West Town and Gage Park.
The elephant in the room in the DPS school closure process: charter schools
While lower birth rates and housing costs due to gentrification are relevant factors, a critical factor not being openly discussed is the impact of authorizing and promoting charter schools.
Victory Academy of Toledo announces it’s closing
Victory Academy of Toledo will close its doors permanently at the end of the school day Oct. 18. Elizabeth Lewin, interim school leader, sent a letter to parents Thursday informing them of the closure due to a decrease in enrollment.
Charter Schools Have Built a Profitable Patronage Network in Philadelphia
The privatization of public schools has never been about improving education. The goal was to create opportunities for businesses while diminishing the political power of parents, educators and the community. In that respect, the expansion of charter schools in Philadelphia has been an undeniable success.
Another major report recommends California charter school oversight reforms after $400 million fraud case
The report comes from a task force ordered by a San Diego judge in the A3 charter school fraud case, in which charter operators bilked the state of $400 million largely by manipulating student attendance records and funding. San Diego prosecutors who led that case said it highlighted weaknesses in charter school laws and oversight that A3 operators exploited.
D.C. Charter School Board Investigating Senior Employee For Alleged Alt-Right Links
The D.C. Public Charter School Board, which oversees the city’s charter schools, says it is investigating allegations that one of its employees anonymously wrote blog posts that critics say are aligned with the “alt-right,” an amorphous political movement that is associated with white nationalism.
KIPP opposition out in full force: Concern voiced that charter expansion could cost Lynn $24 million
District staff members across eight public schools gathered outside their respective facilities Monday morning for a stand-out protest opposing a potential expansion to the KIPP Academy Lynn Charter School.The expansion would result in a budget cut of approximately $24 million annually for LPS, which equals 20% of the district’s total budget.
More outrageous salaries: Will the backlash to bad charters hurt kids? | Editorial
Good grief, yet another charter salary scam: A married couple who run a small, 570-student charter school in Newark for disadvantaged kids are earning a combined total of nearly $600,000, paid for by taxpayers, folks.
Task force releases report in wake of state’s largest-ever charter-school fraud
The task force described the case as “the largest fraud in California’s 31-year history of charter schools,” but said “other California charter school fraud cases have been uncovered in recent years that included illegal, wasteful and fraudulent expenditures.”