#ANOTHERDAYANOTHERCHARTERSCHOOLSCANDAL
El Paso ISD superintendent, former school board president named in lawsuit
The lawsuit stems from a criminal case in California that includes the original investors in the Texas-based online school.
Cabrera and Fenenbock approached a charter school company in California in 2018 with plans to develop a for-profit school, according to the lawsuit.
Epic Charter School ordered to pay $11.2 million to the state
Oklahoma’s top school board has demanded Epic Charter Schools repay $11.2 million in state funds that auditors say was illegally used and falsely classified in financial reports.
The Oklahoma State Board of Education unanimously voted Monday to order Epic to pay within 60 days of receiving notice. The amount of $11.2 million is based on material findings from an audit by the Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector’s Office.
Villages Charter School stops reporting COVID-19 cases as outbreak hits
Oklahoma’s top school board has demanded Epic Charter Schools repay $11.2 million in state funds that auditors say was illegally used and falsely classified in financial reports.
The Oklahoma State Board of Education unanimously voted Monday to order Epic to pay within 60 days of receiving notice. The amount of $11.2 million is based on material findings from an audit by the Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector’s Office.
Online school keeps doing business with a company it suspected of stealing student info
Cheri Kiesecker of Colorado-based, Parent Collation for Student Privacy, reviewed a lawsuit filed by the Utah Online School of Utah against a company called K12 Inc.
Kiesecker says she was stunned by what she read.
“Honestly, I find it disturbing that companies can access student information and use it for marketing purposes,” says the student privacy watchdog.
Legitimate or ‘side hustle’? Lancaster school board members question merits of sports-centered charter school proposal
School District of Lancaster board members expect to vote on an application for a soccer-infused charter school in the city later this month.
The proposed charter school’s fate, however, may already be sealed.
The corruption of charter school funding in Alaska
How do Alaska charter schools manage to keep their class sizes smaller, send their teachers out of state for specialized training, upgrade their buildings and purchase the latest and greatest technology? It’s simple: They use money originally allocated for high schools to do this.
A Charter School Faced Another Allegation of Endangering Children
The former Pinecrest campus that Granada Hills Charter purchased for $5.6 million in 2016 was built in 1958. Given the year of its construction, it should be expected that asbestos was used in its building materials. It should, therefore, not be surprising that when a quote was obtained to repair some of the air conditioning units in this facility, it included the cost of moving ceiling tiles “to ensure asbestos would not be disturbed and inhaled by students, teachers, or other staff members.”
Deeply concerning’ investigative audit of Epic Charter Schools released
A partial investigative audit of Epic Charter Schools has revealed millions of dollars in questionable expenditures that will be referred to the FBI, state attorney general and other authorities for further action, State Auditor Cindy Byrd announced Thursday.
Lawyer: Teachers at James Singleton Charter settle testing irregularities lawsuit
A lawyer representing teachers at James Singleton Charter School in a testing irregularities lawsuit announced Wednesday that they have settled with the school.
According to Attorney Willie Zanders, on Monday U. S. District Court Judge Wendy Vitter signed an order stating that three former employees accused of “testing irregularities” at James Singleton Charter School had settled their federal lawsuit against the school.
Buffalo School Board says charter schools saturating district
The Buffalo Board of Education says it does not support any new charter schools.
The school board believes they are currently over saturating the city school district. But one education advocate is fighting to open a new charter school.
The Buffalo School Board unanimously approved a resolution September 16. It calls on the New York State Board of Regents not to approve four new charter school applications.
New charter school’s principal resigns less than one month after it opens
In a Facebook post last week, Courtney Paschal Purnell, the former principal of Independence Classical Academy, said the “school should be 100% about the success of our children and the betterment of our community.”
Director Sandy Krischke, according to Purnell, “willfully committed academic stolen valor” and “misrepresented” her certifications and character.
Second charter school executive sentenced in $2.5M enrollment scheme
Joann Vega and two other executives at the now-closed Discovery Creemos Academy charter school knew they were in financial trouble during the 2016-17 academic year.
Enrollment was falling at the K-8 Goodyear charter school, and there were concerns about keeping teachers employed and classrooms open for students.
Let The Charter School Lies Begin
As part of their antisemitic campaign against LAUSD Board Member Scott Schmerelson, the charter school industry pushed a narrative that he had “tripled his own pay.” As pointed out during the primary, this was a complete lie advanced by the California Charter School Association (CCSA). While school board members did receive a massive increase from $45,637 to $125,000 per year, they had nothing to do with the raise.
Former charter school teacher fired after declining to stop wearing Black Lives Matter mask
Lillian White said she never fathomed wearing a Black Lives Matter mask would cause such an uproar and lead to her termination from Great Hearts Western Hills just about a week before students were set to return to class.
“It was really stressful because I have a financial obligation to help support my family,” White said. “It’s also kind of heartbreaking that this is the kind of – this is the reason that I lost my job.”
Edtorial: Remember charter school reform? It’s more important than ever
Before March and the public education turmoil caused by the coronavirus, the call for charter school funding reform was being echoed loudly in local school board meetings throughout the region at the start of 2020.
Several local boards considered and adopted a resolution circulated by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association supporting a charter reform proposal put forth by Gov. Tom Wolf.