#ANOTHERDAYANOTHERCHARTERSCHOOLSCANDAL
The Steep Price of Charter Schoos
We’ve all heard how overly complex accounting systems at the Pentagon led to $400 hammers and $7,000 coffee makers. Well, Texas has something akin to that: charter schools.
Under the current charter school funding scheme in Texas, charter schools receive on average $1,150 more per student compared with the traditional school district in which the charter school is located. That’s right: The state pays charter schools more to do the same job as your local school district.
Schuylkill County School District Business Managers Speak Out on Charter School Funding
Recently the United States Department of Education awarded a five-year $30 million grant to Pennsylvania Brick and Mortar Charter Schools to increase their academic success. All the while, many Pennsylvania Public Schools are cutting programs in order to continue to pay for charter school costs, some even becoming financially distressed due to this burden.
Charter schools receive taxpayer dollars. Should their board members follow state ethics laws?
The Mississippi Ethics Commission says charter school board members are subject to state ethics laws, which prohibit conflicts of interest that could lead to the misspending of public dollars.
But several operators and advocates of Mississippi charter schools, which receive taxpayer funding, say they should be exempt from those laws.
Orlando charter school principal accused of failing to report abuse
The principal of Orlando Science Charter School was arrested Tuesday on two counts of failing to report child abuse.
Investigators said Abdulaziz Yalcin, 35, sent text messages and emails saying he did not want police to be notified of allegations that a school employee, Jaelen Alexander, had sent inappropriate pictures to students and offered at least one of them $50 to take inappropriate pictures of himself.
KIPP educators call for removal of executive director
A group of educators at KIPP Memphis charter school network want to replace their executive director, citing a lack of transparency in personnel decisions, low teacher retention, and unexpected school closures.
Yes, some charter schools do pick their students. It’s not a myth.
A group of educators at KIPP Memphis charter school network want to replace their executive director, citing a lack of transparency in personnel decisions, low teacher retention, and unexpected school closures.
Public school with ties to polygamous sect under investigation by Charter School Board
The Utah State Charter School Board has confirmed it will investigate the spending and lack of diversity at a public charter school in West Valley City.
FOX 13 was the first to report Vanguard Academy, which has ties to the polygamous Kingston group, had only enrolled one non-white student in the past five years.
BASD does not intend to renew HOPE charter
The Bedford Area School District does not intend to renew its charter with the HOPE for Hyndman Charter School but officials will continue discussions with the charter school’s leadership.
The school board during its meeting Monday night voted not to renew the five-year contract, which expires June 30, with the charter school, citing the school’s failure to meet academic goals outlined in the current agreement.
Reform PA cyber charter authorization, funding
Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, there has been a huge increase in cyber charter school enrollment across the country, including in Pennsylvania, where cyber charter school enrollment is up by 63% to 62,000 students as of Oct. 1.
State Board of Education unanimously revokes struggling Rowan County school’s charter
A tardy audit submission in late December couldn’t save Essie Mae Kiser Foxx Charter School.
The State Board of Education on Thursday unanimously voted to revoke the Rowan County school’s charter because its leaders failed to submit required financial audits for 2019 and 2020 on time.
Court backs School Board terminating charter for Manatee school Lincoln Memorial Academy
An appeals court Wednesday backed a decision to terminate a Manatee County charter school’s contract, pointing to financial mismanagement and a failure to perform proper background screening on employees.
A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal upheld a 95-page ruling last year by Administrative Law Judge Robert Cohen, who agreed with the Manatee County School Board’s decision to end a contract with Lincoln Memorial Academy
Nevada charter schools got millions in PPP loans
As state budget cuts have strained the public education system, Nevada’s publicly financed charter schools have been able to shore up operations with millions of dollars from the federal Paycheck Protection Program designed to help businesses and nonprofits.
As cyber charter school costs soar, state fails to conduct required audits
Pennsylvania cyber charter schools could receive more than $1 billion in taxpayer money this year with little oversight as the state fails to conduct required financial audits, a Sunday Times investigation found.
Meanwhile, the 14 cyber schools spent at least $12.7 million on advertising and marketing last year — with some schools spending nearly $1,000 per student to convince others to enroll.
Rejected charter school proposal in Lancaster might have new life thanks to controversial federal grant program
When professional soccer club founder Brian Ombiji proposed a charter school infusing both sports and education in the city, one member of the Lancaster school board called the application “extremely negligent” and a waste of time.
Another called the proposed school a soccer program with a “side hustle in education.”
Charter school laws need to be reformed
Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, there has been a huge increase in cyber charter school enrollment across the country, including in Pennsylvania, where cyber charter school enrollment is up by 63% to 62,000 students as of Oct. 1.
This trend should have Pennsylvania parents and taxpayers extremely concerned, for two glaring reasons.