#ANOTHERDAYANOTHERCHARTERSCHOOLSCANDAL
Charter Schools Invaded Our Neighborhoods Without Public Input
Several years ago the privatization machine turned on. Charter schools invaded our community with no public input, no public meetings, and no robust environmental reports. They charged in and did it fast. At every neighborhood event, they promoted their schools with flashy marketing presentations and shiny colorful brochures. With the arrival of each new charter school, every mailbox was flooded with mailers echoing the same empty promise: “We can get your child to college.” Time has proven that those mailers were nothing more than propaganda as the charters performed no better than our existing public schools and in some cases the outcome for their students was even worse.
Connecticut charter schools are not delivering
The latest research into Connecticut’s charter schools found that, in general, charter schools have not delivered on the promise of better outcomes for students and that some charter schools are perpetuating practices that harm Black and Latinx students. This research is especially relevant now that several bills related to school choice and charter schools have been introduced for the 2021 legislative session.
Valley charter school charged with fraud, theft, forgery and conspiracy
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office filed criminal charges against a Valley charter school and its executive director.
Court documents say prosecutors believe Incito Schools and April Black stole more than $25,000 from the Maricopa County Superintendent’s Office. Former teachers tell 12 News they forged teacher’s paystubs at the school.
State orders Utah charter school to pay back $3 million in misspent special education funds
After months of reviewing the ledgers at American Preparatory Academy, the accounting team at the Utah Board of Education reported that it was unable to find any system that showed the money was “being properly expended.” And the board voted last week to accept the team’s recommendation to require the misspent allocations be returned.
Concord School Surrenders Charter After Financial Accounts Probed
State education officials are navigating through unchartered territory after one of New Hampshire’s charter schools fell out of compliance with financial reporting — with nearly $154,000 in unsupported federal grant reimbursements found, leading to the school surrendering its charter.
Parents at Utah charter school drop requests to let their children opt out of Black History Month lessons after backlash
Parents who sought to opt out their children from learning Black History Month curriculum at a charter school in northern Utah have withdrawn their requests.
Maria Montessori Academy in North Ogden experienced a public backlash after announcing plans to make participation optional, the Standard-Examiner reported Saturday
City schools in turmoil: District closes buildings, charters open
The founder of the defunct St. Louis College Prep Charter School was sentenced Friday to 366 days in prison and ordered to repay nearly $2.4 million in state funding obtained by falsifying student attendance.
In the 2016-2017 school year alone, Michael Malone reported about 10,000 extra hours, his plea says. The next year, he reported 13,255 extra.
Defunct St. Louis charter school founder gets a year in prison, must repay nearly $2.4M
The founder of the defunct St. Louis College Prep Charter School was sentenced Friday to 366 days in prison and ordered to repay nearly $2.4 million in state funding obtained by falsifying student attendance.
In the 2016-2017 school year alone, Michael Malone reported about 10,000 extra hours, his plea says. The next year, he reported 13,255 extra.
NEPA educators question cyber charter spending of pandemic relief money on gift cards, cellphones
Pennsylvania’s cyber charter schools used federal COVID-19 relief funds to purchase technology and cleaning supplies and send Target gift cards and phones to families.
Many of the expenditures, revealed through Right to Know Law requests by The Sunday Times, have traditional public school educators questioning why cyber charter schools require the funding when their students already learn from home.
Lake Wales Charter District investigating former Hillcrest Elementary principal
The Lakes Wales Charter School District has launched an investigation into the administration of Hillcrest Elementary School to determine whether recently removed Principal Jennifer Barrow created a hostile work environment for teachers and staff at the well-regarded school, which would constitute a violation of Florida administrative code.
LA Charter Schools Struggle To Serve Certain Students: UCLA Study
Charter schools In Los Angeles County are less successful at serving homeless students than public schools, which are more frequently held to account for their homeless students, a UCLA study concluded.
Report: California ‘wasting’ millions of dollars funding online charter schools
Charter schools In Los Angeles County are less successful at serving homeless students than public schools, which are more frequently held to account for their homeless students, a UCLA study concluded.
Charter school broadly overstates its ‘brick and mortar’ offerings, must pay $300K, state says
The Indiana Agriculture and Technology School has wrongly described itself as operating as a “brick-and-mortar” school and improperly receiving thousands of dollars in state support while operating almost entirely online, according to the investigation. And, SBOA said, the school owes the state more than $300,000 from payments it received during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years.
Cyber, charter schooling may cost Jersey Shore School District $3.2M this year
If the number of students from the Jersey Shore Area School District attending cyber/charter schools holds at about 200 for the rest of the school year, the district will spend $3.2 million for their education, according to figures compiled by Dr. Brian Ulmer, superintendent.
Ulmer’s data showed that figure compares to the $628,000 that will be spent to educate approximately the same amount of students in the district’s cyber program, JSOL
$11.2 million repayment from Epic Charter Schools to state is delayed; public records lawsuit stalls
Epic Charter Schools’ deadline for repaying the state $11.2 million has been pushed back a month, and the State Auditor’s Office has reportedly identified additional administrative payroll cost violations, the Tulsa World has learned.
Meanwhile, the State Auditor and Inspector’s lawsuit in pursuit of public records to account for Epic’s previous use of another $79 million in taxpayer dollars for something Epic calls its “Learning Fund” appears to have stalled.