#ANOTHERDAYANOTHERCHARTERSCHOOLSCANDAL
Former Charter School Board President Found Guilty of Embezzlement and Wire Fraud
On March 23, 2022, following a week and half-long trial, a federal jury in Fort Lauderdale, Florida found Jimika I. Williams, a/k/a Jimika Mason, guilty of two counts of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and 18 counts of wire fraud.
Inside the chaotic charter schools run by a for-profit company
As an ongoing investigation by Our Schools has revealed, a substantial sector of charter schools, particularly those operated by for-profit operators like Accel Schools, are at the forefront of a wave of charter operations that follow an investor-driven business model borrowed from retail, health care, and manufacturing sectors.
Did charter schools game the system? Many cashed in on forgiven PPP loans they didn’t actually need
America’s charter schools received at least a $1 billion windfall during the pandemic, an unneeded cash infusion for most from a federal program intended to bail out struggling small businesses, USA TODAY has found.
Students at Newark charter school protest treatment of Black teachers
Hundreds of students walked out of a Newark charter school and rallied outside City Hall on Friday to call attention to what students said is the frequent mistreatment of Black students and faculty.
How this tiny Christian college is driving the right’s nationwide war against public schools
In an era of book bans, crusades against teaching about racism, and ever-widening proposals to punish teachers and librarians, Hillsdale is not just a central player, but a ready-made solution for conservatives who seek to reclaim an educational system they believe was ceded decades ago to liberal interests.
NBC 10 I-Team: School administrator on leave pending social media investigation
Foxborough Regional Charter School Executive Director Luis Soria has been placed on leave pending an investigation involving his posts on social media.
Audits show lucrative family venture at soon-to-be shuttered charter school
Managing Raleigh’s Torchlight Academy was a lucrative family venture for Don McQueen. The school paid McQueen nearly $3 million in management fees between 2016 and 2020, financial audits submitted by the school show.
Utah charter school sanctioned by school board, denied $4M allotment
American Preparatory Academy, which runs half a dozen public charter school campuses in Utah, was sanctioned Thursday by the Utah State Board Of Education. The school will not receive their monthly Minimum School Funding Program money. This is the money the state distributes to every school every month so they can pay teachers, bills and materials.
IRS Investigating Epic Charter Schools Finances
The IRS said it will be comparing documents it’s requesting to information provided on the annual tax forms for Community Strategies, Inc., the legal name for Epic Charter Schools’ board. The agency is looking for compliance in three areas: whether Epic has operated in ways allowed by its nonprofit tax status, whether it accurately reported revenue and expenses, and whether its governing board is adequate to “prevent and identify any loss of your organization’s assets.”
Teachers without licenses taught at Seattle-area charter schools, audits find
Teachers who lacked proper accreditation taught at charter schools in Seattle and Tacoma, in violation of state rules. This was discovered through an audit; State Auditor Pat McCarthy called these findings “unprecedented.”
A ‘punitive model’ for failing schools: GOP proposal would let charters take over district schools
The move is an extension of GOP school choice initiatives that favor charter over public schools. Struggling schools may elect to be replaced with a “Fresh Start” school, or might be forced into the arrangement if they don’t improve on their own. “Fresh Start” schools would be run by an Achievement District School to eventually replace a failing school on the same campus or within its attendance boundaries. They operate out of a vacant building or one which is being leased or purchased from a school district.
Kairos charter school in St. Louis under scrutiny for private management
The sponsor of Kairos Academies, a charter school in the Marine Villa neighborhood, has raised red flags over the school’s financial and leadership practices involving a shadow group that employs nearly two-thirds of the staff.
NC board revokes Raleigh school’s charter, cites school leaders’ ‘self-dealing’
A 600-student charter school in Raleigh must close next year. The North Carolina State Board of Education voted to revoke Torchlight Academy’s charter Thursday, without discussion. The board discussed the matter in closed session Wednesday.
Chaos at School Board Meeting
Pioneer Prep not being transparent and removed Board Members
Newark charter school faces threat of management takeover due to loan default
A Newark charter school that defaulted on a loan agreement could be put in receivership or face foreclosure, drastic moves that illustrate the power private lenders wield over some public schools.