#ANOTHERDAYANOTHERCHARTERSCHOOLSCANDAL
Metro Schools to recommend shutting down Nashville charter school, school plans to fight
Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) is recommending its board revoke the charter of Knowledge Academy in South Nashville.
Knowledge Academy High School was identified by the State Department of Education as a priority school, meaning it is one of the bottom five percent of the schools in the state.
Tuesday classes canceled at Muskegon Heights High School
Classes at Muskegon Heights High School will be canceled Tuesday, according to a letter sent to parents by principal Erica Patton.
The letter says the cancellation is due to “concerns about various occurrences” at the high school. All other schools in the district will remain open.
Audit of charter school program finds big problems
The U.S. Education Department’s Office of Inspector General has released a new audit of the federal Charter Schools Program that found some alarming results about how charter school networks have used millions of dollars in funding. Among other things, the audit found that charter school networks and for-profit charter management organizations did not open anywhere near the number of charters they promised to open with federal funding.
Lack of teachers, resources impeded Fort Worth middle school’s progress, ex-principal says
The former principal of a struggling Fort Worth middle school said teacher vacancies, a lack of resources and miscommunications between the school district and its charter partner created an almost impossible situation at the school last year.
Students upset after nearly 60 girls kicked out of homecoming dance over dress code
Students who attend a charter school in Spanish Fork said around 60 students were not allowed into their homecoming dance over the dress code, a claim the school later refuted.
Natalia and Isabella are seniors at American Leadership Academy, which hosted the dance Saturday night. Both girls were not allowed in the dance due to their dresses.
REVEALED: Written public comments show strong opposition to Hillsdale charter schools
Written public comments submitted to the state Public Charter School Commission reveal widespread opposition to the three Hillsdale College-affiliated charter schools that are requesting permission to open in Tennessee over the objections of the local school boards.
In Rutherford County, opponents of the taxpayer-funded schools outnumbered supporters by a four-to-one margin, while the differences were less stark in Madison and Montgomery counties. There was evidence on both sides of organized efforts to solicit submissions to the state board that will decide the fate of all three schools.
‘I don’t think it’s fair’: Newark charter school community wants answers over inequities
Great Oaks Legacy Charter School administrators, teachers, parents, alumni, and students packed a third-floor classroom at Downtown Elementary School on Thursday to unleash frustrations that they say have been building for years.
One by one, at the monthly meeting of the board of trustees, they described their failed attempts at getting board members to address pay inequity, lack of resources, and the recent firing of the high school’s dean of students. They also raised concerns about racist practices, disparate treatment, and emails about their concerns that had gone unanswered for months.
IPS hopes to keep school buildings that might close by lobbying legislature
Seven Indianapolis Public Schools buildings would shut down at the end of this school year under the district’s proposed reorganization plan, which would make them available to charter school operators for the low cost of $1.
Devastated’: Weeks after opening, Red Hills Academy charter school set to close
Leon County’s latest charter school is already closing its doors.
Red Hills Academy cited low enrollment and processing issues as reasons for shuttering just weeks after its grand opening. The last day of school will be Sept. 30.
Political payback? One wealthy donor may have influenced GOP primary defeats
When three Idaho senators spoke out against a charter school bill earlier this year, it sparked what they say was an aggressive effort to unseat them that was partly driven by one wealthy businessman who is the subject of a recent campaign finance complaint.
The complaint, filed on Aug. 24 by a Nampa resident who is not employed in politics, alleges that Boise resident Larry Williams over-contributed to 14 legislative candidates by thousands of dollars, under his own name, his wife’s name and the names of four of his businesses.
Start of school year on hold at new Rochester charter school
Students were supposed to start school at Genesee Community Charter School’s Flour City campus on August 31, but a combination of issues has led to a major delay.
Executive Director Shannon Hillman said the original location chosen for the charter school fell through. School leaders secured a new space on South Goodman Street, but it took longer than anticipated to complete the necessary renovations and get certificates of occupancy from the city and state.
Intent to bring charter school to Jackson-Madison Co. met with opposition at public hearing
A new option for education may be heading to Madison County, but is being met with opposition.
The State Charter Commission held a public hearing with the Jackson-Madison County Board of Education and representatives with the American Classical Academy Madison Charter School on why the charter should come to the county.
Sparks fly over Hillsdale-affiliated charter school appeal in Rutherford
In a state public hearing dominated by supporters of Hillsdale-affiliated American Classical Academy Rutherford, opponents of the charter school say they were shut out of a chance to speak.
By the time Elizabeth Vollbrecht tried to sign up to voice her views at Wednesday’s event run by the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission, the deadline was gone, leading to what she called a “one-sided” hearing.
State board wants to know how Michigan charter schools spend money
Michigan charter schools received $1.4 billion in state funding last year. How they spent most of it is a mystery, even to state officials overseeing the education of children who attend them.
The state Board of Education has been trying to find out, but its efforts have been stymied.`
New charter schools could open in Garner and Monroe. Would they promote segregation?
The recommendation came despite a letter from the Wake County school system saying it was opposing the charter school in Garner “in the strongest possible terms.” “This proposed charter would harm our school district, particularly our Garner schools,” Wake Superintendent Cathy Moore and school board chairwoman Lindsay Mahaffey wrote in their joint letter to the advisory board.