#ANOTHERDAYANOTHERCHARTERSCHOOLSCANDAL
Former Burnsville charter school founder allegedly diverted nearly $300,000 in school funds to himself, others
A former Burnsville charter school leader allegedly diverted nearly $300,000 of the school’s money to himself and two other former school leaders, according to an investigation by the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. The Attorney General’s Office alleges that Abdiaziz Farah, the founder of Gateway STEM Academy, improperly sent close to $300,000 to businesses controlled by himself, Mahad Ibrahim, and Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff.
All-boys charter school in Chatham County to close just months after opening
Tax money down the drain. Kids stranded. “the school had already spent most of an entire year’s worth of state funding by November, state officials said.”
Feds ignored ‘obvious red flags’ with $2M grant to Cincinnati charter school, letter says
The school, Cincinnati Classical Academy, provided inflated test scores in its application for the money and pretended to be much more diverse than it is, state lawmakers said in a letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona.
KIPP charter schools to close three under-enrolled campuses, angering some parents
KIPP SoCal Public Schools, which operates 23 charter schools, will close three campuses, a setback for an organization that had grown steadily and is considered a leader in the field. The shutdowns, which have angered some parents and disappointed many, will take effect at the end of the current school year.
2,315 Charter Schools Failed And Closed In 11 Years
Although they have been around for more than 30 years, and although they are frequently touted as being superior to public schools, the U.S Department of Education reports that between 2010-11 and 2021-22, an 11-year period, 2,315 charter schools failed and closed in the U.S. That is a huge number of school closures in a short time frame. By any measure, it is hard to call such a phenomenon “successful.”
One New Orleans charter school closing, two more to be taken over by other charters
The three schools will join at least eight others that have closed or merged since 2018 due to declining enrollment and low academic performance scores.
What will we learn from the TEA investigation into Great Hearts Texas?
When the Texas Education Agency (TEA) acknowledges that it is investigating Great Hearts Texas, a subsidiary of the Arizona-based charter school network that operates eight schools in Bexar County, it’s big news.
Metro school board denies charter school application after 10 years
“They have been within our school system for 10 years. However, they have not proven to be exceptional,” said board chair Rachael Anne Elrod. “I do not want mediocrity, I do want that them to be average, just like I don’t want us to be average.” The report also states there has been a drop in teacher retention and an increase in absent students.
Roughly 1 in 3 Indy charter schools have closed since 2001. Is weak oversight a problem?
Pedigo’s school is one of 31 in-person or blended-model charter schools that have closed in Indianapolis since 2001 — roughly a third of 91 such schools, according to a Chalkbeat analysis of school identification information from the state.
Metro school board turns down this charter school’s renewal request
The board voted not to renew the charter school application for Rocketship Nashville Northeast Elementary as school board members reviewed a team’s findings showing the school didn’t fully meet measures of academic success, operational stability, financial health and future planning.
Statewide task force meets in San Diego following record-breaking charter school fraud case
The task force was formed as a result of a 2019 San Diego case, which found 11 people defrauded the state of $400 million.
School Choice And The Broken Promise Of Accountability
One could argue whether or not that pledge was ever kept. A tiny number of charter schools were ever shut down for failing to deliver, and in some states they were barely regulated.
Report: Cyber Charter schools drain local tax dollars for worse education outcomes
Report: Cyber Charter schools drain local tax dollars for worse education outcomes
California’s new anti-fraud charter school task force will convene for the first time in San Diego Monday
The task force was ordered by San Diego Superior Court Judge Robert Longstreth in September as part of the years-long A3 charter school case, which is the largest case of charter school fraud prosecuted in California in recent years.
State Law Enforcement Division (SC) confirms investigation into former Florence charter school
The investigation was started after Florence County Solicitor Ed Clements requested on Nov. 2 that the agency look into allegations of embezzlement, according to Director of Public Information Renée Wunderlich.