CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS

A compilation of news articles about charter schools which have been charged with, or are highly suspected of, tampering with admissions, grades, attendance and testing; misuse of funds and embezzlement; engaging in nepotism and conflicts of interest; engaging in complicated and shady real estate deals; and/or have been engaging in other questionable, unethical, borderline-legal, or illegal activities. This is also a record of charter school instability and other unsavory tidbits.

Showing posts with label Diploma/graduation problems. Show all posts

Flanner House Higher Learning Center

CHARTER SCHOOLS BOARD VOTES TO REVOKE FLANNER HOUSE HIGHER LEARNING CENTER'S CHARTER; October 21, 2005; Indianapolis Mayor’s Office press release (IN)

INDIANAPOLIS - The Indianapolis Charter Schools Board today voted to revoke the Flanner House Higher Learning Center's charter due to numerous problems the school has experienced over the past two years.

The Charter Schools Office first flagged these problems during the 2003-04 school year, and detailed them in the 2004 Charter School Accountability Report of Mayor-Sponsored Charter Schools. Problems also were cited in a recent audit by the Indiana State Board of Accounts.

The revocation was issued today and will become effective as soon as all students transition out of the school, but no later than December 23, 2005. Reasons for the revocation were detailed in a notice sent to the school on September 27. They include:

· Failure to report enrollment. The school failed to accurately report average daily membership for the 2003-04 and 2004-05 school years in accordance with state law.

· Failure to report student attendance records. The school routinely failed to maintain and report accurate attendance records, in accordance with state law.

· Graduating students who haven't met requirements. Student transcripts show that many students who received diplomas in the last two years did not meet the graduation requirements set out in the school's charter or Indiana law, typically because they either did not have enough credits or had not passed the appropriate courses.

· Poor test scores. In both years of operation, most students failed to successfully complete the required standardized test (Northwest Evaluation Association Measures of Academic Progress) in the fall and spring. Some of those who successfully completed the test actually did worse on the spring test than they did on the fall test and lost ground against both state and national norms in grades and subjects tested in both the 2003-04 and 2004-05 school years.

· Lack of certified teachers. In the 2004-05 school year, the school employed only four licensed teachers at the school, which is less than the number of teachers the school's charter requires and less than necessary to adequately staff the school.

· Failure to test students. The school failed to administer the ninth grade Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress Plus ("ISTEP+") examination to any students enrolled in the ninth grade in 2004-05, as required by state law.

· Debt. The school has a debt of $142,076.44 and must forgo more than $600,000 in state money because the school could not account for the students listed in the 2003-04 and 2004-05 enrollment reports…

Gulf Shores Academy

CHARTER SCHOOL LEADER SENTENCED FOR TAMPERING; October 15, 2009; Houston Chronicle

The leader of one of Texas’ most troubled charter schools was sentenced Thursday to two years in prison for tampering with government records.

Linda Johnson was convicted of issuing false high school transcripts as principal of Gulf Shores Academy, a charter approved by the state in 1998.

Prosecutors with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office said Johnson granted class credits in exchange for $150 and a few class assignments.

Johnson’s attorney, state Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, could not be reached for comment Thursday. He has previously argued that the Texas Education Agency unfairly targeted the school, which served mostly low-income blacks.

After a decade of academic and financial problems, the Texas Education Agency declined to renew Gulf Shores’ charter in July. The school still owes the state about $8 million for misreporting attendance, officials said.

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CHARTER SCHOOL ACCUSED OF FAKING STUDENT FILES: GULF SHORES ACADEMY ALREADY IN TROUBLE WITH THE STATE; March 27, 2008; Houston Chronicle (TX)

Leaders of one of Houston's most troubled charter schools are accused of issuing false high school transcripts to undercover investigators with the Harris County District Attorney's Office.

Linda Johnson, head of Gulf Shores Academy, and her daughter, Marian Johnson, face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of felony document tampering. Prosecutors say they granted class credits in exchange for $150 and a few hastily completed assignments. They are scheduled to appear in court next month, officials said.

State Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, said the campus, which caters to poor African-American students, is being unfairly targeted by the Texas Education Agency. Dutton, a lawyer, has volunteered to represent the charter school.

"We've been fighting for so long for this school, it would be a shame to give up at this point," he said, adding that the Johnsons did not break the law…

Gulf Shores Academy, which opened in 1998, once had more than 1,000 students and a powerhouse basketball program that produced first-round draft pick Gerald Green, who recently was traded to the Houston Rockets.

But the campus has made more headlines for its record of poor academic and financial performance. Among other offenses, the school owed the state nearly $11 million for overreporting student attendance.

The Texas Education Agency has been withholding funding to repay the debt, which now stands at about $8.5 million, officials said.

Despite the repeated missteps, the TEA has been unable to revoke Gulf Shores' charter.

In September 2006, the school became the first in Texas ordered to close mid-year. Just a week later, a Travis County judge granted a restraining order to keep the school open.

In addition to their criminal court date, Gulf Shores leaders are scheduled to appear at a charter revocation hearing in Austin on April 28.

"It's because of material violations of the charter and also academic and financial reasons," TEA spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson said.

Because of the pending criminal charges and because the school is suing the state, the agency wouldn't provide specifics about the case.

Registrars complained

Assistant District Attorney Anna Emmons said prosecutors started investigating Gulf Shores after receiving complaints from several area high school registrars. Students who had failed classes would return after just a few days with the credits on transcripts from Gulf Shores, she said.

Two investigators were sent to the school earlier this month posing as parents whose children needed to make up classes. In both cases, Gulf Shores administrators issued credits to the parents for $150 and some class assignments that the parents handed in the next day, Emmons said.

Both investigators received the same packet of assignments — even though they were seeking credit for different classes — and they turned in the same set of sloppy, incomplete answers, she said.

Gulf Shores employees never saw the students or verified their existence, she said.

"Common sense says within 24 hours, you should not be able to receive a semester's credit," Emmons said.

The Johnsons were arrested March 18 and released on $10,000 bonds.

Central PA Digital Learning Foundation Charter School

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TAKES A DIM VIEW OF CYBERSCHOOL DIPLOMAS; November 28, 2010; The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, PA)

All diplomas awarded to Pennsylvania public school students are not equal in the eyes of the military. Students attending any of the state’s dozen public cyberschools are learning that the hard way.

The U.S. Department of Defense regards graduates of these online schools to be less adaptable to military life. The military prefers that no more than 10 percent of new recruits in any branch of service hold something other than a traditional high school diploma, according to Defense Department officials.

[JW] of Pine Grove, Schuylkill County, found that out too late, as did the son of Kerry Novak of Fayette County. Now their entrance into the military is delayed by months, or possibly indefinitely.

Both graduated in the spring. [W] from Central PA Digital Learning Foundation Charter School and Novak’s son from PA Cyber Charter School.

[W] aspires to join the Marines; Novak’s son hopes to join the Army. Novak’s son asked to have his first name withheld to avoid any possible repercussions from the military.

After being led to believe by their cyberschool staff or recruiter that their diploma would open the door to their dream of joining the military and serving their country, the door slammed shut on them shortly after graduation…

But defense officials say they have studies backing their stance. “For over 20 years, we have used education credentials to predict adaptability to military life,” said Eileen Lainez, a public affairs officer for the U.S. Department of Defense.

“Individuals with a diploma from a distance or virtual education program perform more like GED credential holders than traditional high school diploma graduates.”…

Major Cory Angell of the Pennsylvania National Guard said the Guard is required to adhere to the Department of Defense’s limit of no more than 10 percent of their recruits having anything other than a traditional high school diploma.

But he said cyberschool graduates could take their diploma to a recruiter and ask for a review in the event the current recruitment pool has slots open to qualified applicants…

BlueSky Charter School

STATE MOVES TO CLOSE WEST ST. PAUL-BASED CHARTER SCHOOL; April 21, 2011; Pioneer Press (MN)

The Minnesota Department of Education has taken an unprecedented move to close an online charter school accused of graduating students improperly.

The department notified the West St. Paul-based BlueSky Online School on Thursday that it would sever the school's contract with its overseer, a recourse the state has under recent charter legislation.

The department has accused BlueSky of offering a deficient curriculum and graduating students who had not completed required coursework…

The department said the school is guilty of "repeated or major violations of the law." As recently as February, the department claims, the school graduated students who did not meet requirements, such as taking two algebra courses. Its math and social studies curriculums do not hit state standards, the state said…

More than 40 Minnesota charter schools have closed since 1996, most of them because of financial problems or enrollment declines. Only four ran into academic issues. The state, though, has never played such a forceful role in a charter school's demise until BlueSky…

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BLUESKY OVERSEER SAYS IT WON'T SHUT DOWN SCHOOL: STATE OFFICIALS SAID LAST MONTH THAT THEY WOULD CLOSE THE ONLINE SCHOOL THEMSELVES IF BLUESKY’S AUTHORIZER REFUSED; April 5, 2011; Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)

The organization that oversees BlueSky Online School told state officials on Monday that it will not take action to close the charter school.

In a letter to the Minnesota Department of Education, the executive director of Novation Education Opportunities (NEO) said the nonprofit group will not end its contract with BlueSky.

State officials said last month that, despite warnings and audits going back two years, the charter school was still violating the law. They asked NEO to indicate whether it would cut ties with BlueSky, adding that they would start the process of closing the school themselves if NEO did not respond or refused to act.

As recently as February, BlueSky has issued diplomas to students who did not meet state graduation requirements, according to the state…

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STATE THREATENS SANCTIONS AGAINST CHARTER SCHOOL; November 2, 2010; Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. — The Minnesota Department of Education is threatening significant fines against an online charter school if it doesn't fix problems with its curriculum and graduation requirements.

Education Commissioner Alice Seagren said an audit shows BlueSky Charter School in West St. Paul gave diplomas to some students who had not taken four years of English and three years of math.

Seagren also said the school's curriculum doesn't match state requirements.

"We have given them a lot of support and technical assistance to help them to do this, and they still continue to seem to not understand the seriousness of this," Seagren said.

BlueSky has 30 days to fix the problems, or the Department of Education will reduce its funding by $18,000 dollars a day, which amounts to about 60 percent of the school's state funding on a daily basis.

In a statement, school officials said they disappointed in the department's findings. They said they're confident they'll meet the state's standards by the deadline and avoid any fines.

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BLUESKY CHARTER SCHOOL FACES CLOSURE AND DIRECTOR RESIGNS; September 9, 2010; Minneapolis Special Education Examiner

Despite being Minnesota’s first public online school, BlueSky Charter School faces the possibility of closure due to compliance issues with graduation. A KSTP-TV investigation aired a report on 9/1/10 claiming the school handed out diplomas that students didn’t earn; the next day BlueSky executive director Jeffrey Schultz resigned.

KSTP-TV claims that BlueSky graduated students, as far back as 2009, who had inconsistencies on their transcripts. The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), through a letter to the school, claims that BlueSky “failed to meet required academic standards" and "still remains out of compliance with state law.”

In the letter, MDE stated that “some BlueSky who graduated or are on pace to graduate in 2010 took the wrong state test.“ The letter goes to show that BlueSky students did not meet state core credit requirements in math or social studies, does not require all of its students to pass state-required tests in math, and its counselors were unclear on required student courses. If BlueSky doesn’t make the necessary changes by this spring, MDE has threatened to revoke the school’s charter.

The MDE initially got involved after former BlueSky employees, Misun Bormann and Kyra Campbell, approached them about BlueSky’s questionable academic standards. The employees went to MDE about the practices and were subsequently fired; the former employees have a pending lawsuit against BlueSky.

No reason was given for BlueSky executive director Jeffrey Schultz‘s sudden resignation. According to a KSTP-TV interview on 9/1, Schultz commented that BlueSky has done an “exhaustive analysis of (BlueSky’s) transcripts” and will be adopting a more rigorous core curriculum. Schultz initially joined BlueSky as an English teacher then Curriculum/Staff Development Coordinator and finally director.

BlueSky Charter School was founded in 2000 becoming Minnesota’s first 100% public online school. In 2005 BlueSky graduated its first class of 17 students; last May the school graduated over 100 students.

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STATE: SCHOOL GRADUATED STUDENTS WHO DID NOT MEET STANDARDS; September 1, 2010; KTSP TV(Minneapolis, MN)

The state says a Minnesota high school handed out diplomas to students who didn't earn them in 2009, and possibly again in 2010.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS has evidence that BlueSky Online High School graduated kids who had big problems on their high school transcripts. More than 100 students graduated from BlueSky last May. But, the state says some of those students failed required math exams, others took the wrong exams.

In a letter, the Minnesota Department of Education tells school officials they continue to graduate students who have "failed to meet required academic standards" dating back to 2009. And, that the school "still remains out of compliance with state law".

State officials tell 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS if the problem is not fixed by next spring, the school's charter could be revoked. BlueSky has 700 online students statewide and starts classes next week.

Former BlueSky employees Misun Bormann and Kyra Campbell went to the state and blew the whistle on the school. In a lawsuit, the two claim they were fired after blowing the whistle on BlueSky.

Read the letter from the Minnesota Department of Education here.

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Inform yourself about the Gulen movement!

1. WATCH KILLING ED, Mark Hall's feature-length documentary about charter schools, corruption and the rise of the Gulen Movement in America
2. READ the "Expose the Gulen Movement" report.
3. WATCH the Gulen Movement 101: Session One webinar presentation (1/22/2014)
4. WATCH the 60 Minutes segment "U.S. charter schools tied to powerful Turkish imam" broadcast. (5/13/2012)
5. READ my response to the 60 Minutes piece.
6. READ my guest article about Gulen charter schools published by The Washington Post. (3/27/2012)
7. WATCH my interview talking about Gulen charter schools, or my presentation at LaborFest (segment between 49:18 min. & 1:07:36 min.)
8. READ my postings labeled "Gulen movement" HERE.

As one observer tweeted, "U.S. media have focused too much on the Islamic nature of the Gulen movement. Real concern is its shady dealings and improprieties."

Please be aware that Gulenists have created a large number of anonymously-operated damage control websites. They started to appear a few months after publication of Greg Toppo's article in USA Today (August 2010).

Remainders

1. Bruce Baker's excellent analysis of whether charter schools are public or private.

2. Jim Horn's Top 10 reasons for why 1%ers support urban charter schools.

3. What reporters covering charter schools need to know about miracle schools, vouchers and all that educational flim-flam (i.e. be skeptical and always follow the money).

4. As of May 2013, only eight states do not have a charter school law: Alabama, Kentucky, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia.

5. Balkanize: "to break up (as a region or group) into smaller and often hostile units" (Merriam-Webster dictionary)

6. *Phrase coined by John Thompson: "educational civil war"

7. "A system that allows school operators to donate to the officials that regulate them is pretty sorry." h/t "X"

8. Re the Gulen movement. Two important psychological principals of which to be aware: the Backfire Effect and the Black Swan Theory.

Pleas for charter school oversight

AS U.S. AID GROWS, OVERSIGHT IS URGED FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS; February 24, 2010; New York Times

…The president of one influential charter group told the House Education and Labor Committee that the federal government had spent $2 billion since the mid-1990s to finance new charter schools but less than $2 million, about one-tenth of 1 percent, to ensure that they were held to high standards.
“It’s as if the federal government had spent billions for new highway construction, but nothing to put up guardrails along the sides of those highways,” said Greg Richmond, president of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers…

CHARTER BACKER SAYS HOUSE PROPOSAL WEAKENS OVERSIGHT; April 30, 2011; Columbus Dispatch (OH)

A leading school-choice supporter says the sweeping changes proposed by House Republicans would weaken oversight of charter schools severely and threaten to turn Ohio into a "laughingstock of the nation's charter-school programs.

"It's hard for me to say that," said Terry Ryan, vice president of Ohio programs and policy for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, which sponsors seven charter schools in the state, including two in Columbus...

It was just last year that Mr. Ryan said, "The charter movement must police itself."
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"The idea of regulating charter schools makes no sense because deregulation is the justification for the policy." -- Jim M., retired teacher

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Perhaps it's finally dawning on some charter school supporters that the whole business is a huge can of worms.

Message to readers

With the systematic privatization of public education being conducted via the rapid expansion of charter schools, I regularly receive messages from teachers and parents who have charter school horror stories they want to share, and/or are in need of advice about a charter school situation in their community (e.g., "The charter school I attended has been closed. Do you know how I can get a copy of my transcript?). I also hear from journalists who are seeking information.

Just so you know, this site is a one-woman volunteer operation. Sorry folks, I'm DEFINITELY NOT union-sponsored.

Welcome

Charter School Scandals (CSS) was launched on May 14, 2010 to provide the public with a source of independently collected information about U.S. charter schools.

For instance, compare what you learn from my entry for the 3,500 student CATO School of Reason to the information provided by the pro-charter Center for Education Reform in their compilation: "Closed Charter Schools by State: National Data 2009" (63 page pdf). In the CER's document, the closure reason is "Management" explained as "Inadequate record keeping, suspect relations with private and sectarian schools," but the true story is much bigger and dirtier than that.

CSS is a non-billionaire funded (and un-bought off!), non-union affiliated (!), one-person operation in the name of transparency and public service to our democracy. I post the information as quickly as I can, but have a massive backlog due to the sheer number of stories. Please check back periodically for new additions.

And as you scroll through these stories, be sure to keep a running tally of the estimated legal costs.

Gulen Movement MUST READS!

Under the radar of the American public, the Gulen movement has been quietly advancing its presence in the U.S. via the establishment of charter schools, "cultural centers", and "interfaith dialogue" centers. Politicians, reporters, academics, community leaders, and charter school families have been strategically targeted, influenced, and given gifts, as the Gulenists have steadily built up their political cover. But how many of these Americans have an understanding of the controversies which surround this secretive movement and its worldwide political ambitions? And how would the public respond to finding out that such a movement is opening more and more charter schools, supported by their tax dollars as part of the GM's primary global project, without being willing to admit the connection?

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LEARN MORE

1. Read about the federal investigation into the Gulen Movement's charter schools.

2. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Islam, Secularism and the Battle for Turkey's Future, 23 August 2010, STRATFOR Global Intelligence

3. Video of Joshua Hendrick of the U. of OR and Y. Alp Aslandogan discussing the Gulen Movement. Here are the first 24 pages of Hendrick's 2009 thesis.

4. Charter School Watchdog

5. Gulen Charter Schools (don't miss the entry HERE.)

6. A Guide to the Gulen Movement's Activities in the U.S.

7. Gulen in the International Press

8. "Turkey's survival of the fittest: The Islamic anti-Darwinism movement in Turkey is being helped by an unlikely source - US Christian conservatives," 12 March 2008, ISN Security Watch)

9. "Religious movements in Turkey," 20 December 2010, OpenDemocracy

10. "First Class Revolution: From Medina to Mecca" and "Fethullah Gulen's Missionary Charter Schools Coming under Increasing Scrutiny in the United States and around the World," 24 January 2011 & 26 February 2011, Kurdish Aspect

11. "Turkey: Politics of Identity and Power," 13 August 2010, Congressional Research Service

12. "Turkey's pivotal role in the international drug trade," July 1998, Le Monde diplomatique (more background info)

13. EXTRA CREDIT: Check out the animated Imperial History of the Middle East and this Middle East geography game.

Bad apples, tips of icebergs, and cans of worms

In 2000, the Center for Education Reform wrote:
"A few bad apples shouldn't sour the public on the promising charter school movement, but when a bad apple does turn up, critics of charter schools pounce on it. Charter opponents are quick to claim that "more than a few" schools have closed and even quicker to characterize the movement as one that invites unscrupulous, fly-by-night operators to set up shop.Those mean ol' charter opponents. Isn't it curious how the reformers don't have any problem at all with building up a few negative public school stories into an anti-public teacher-bashing movement of national proportions in order to destroy teacher unions and public schools as a whole?"

But are charter schools really so innocent?

- In 2009, 83 percent of 145 Minnesota charter schools were found to have at least one financial irregularity in their audit.

- In February 2009, a New Mexico state audit found financial problems with 36 of the 44 charter schools in Albuquerque.

- Philadelphia City Controller Alan Butkovitz (April 2010): "The fact that there were significant issues at 13 out of 13 [schools] raises the likelihood you would see many of these same issues found in a much larger sampling of the schools.By May 2010, his probe had widened to 18 charter schools."

Relationships terminated

Charter school promoters live in an abstract world where it's perfectly fine to shutter a school when the "need" arises. This reveals a profound detachment and utter disregard for the emotional lives of the children and families who, as a result, end up being subjected to tremendous disruption, stress, termination of meaningful relationships, loss and grief. Kids need security and dependability.

A school going "out of business" takes a very different emotional toll on families and children than when their local gas station or Denny's restaurant does.

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The demise and death of our institutions of social support:

Family............check!
Church............check!
Neighborhoods............check!
Schools............check!

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"It comes down to what ultimately is in the best public interest here -- supporting the growth of charters or not. Does that support ultimately weaken the rest of the school district? You bet it does." (Fred LeBrun, Albany, NY)

Observations

There is no doubt but that an increasing number of inspectors, auditors, investigators, prosecutors and court rooms (and a lot of time and money) will be needed as more state charter caps are lifted.

Part of the problem is that too many people running charter schools see them as their own little fiefdoms. After all the effort and money put into setting up their schools -- and with political leaders and the mainstream media shining their bright spotlights on charter schools -- the stakes are inordinately high for them to be able to show "success."

Another problem I've discovered by doing this research is that the unmonitored access to millions of public education dollars is drawing unscrupulous people into the "business." At other times, new-found access to funds is proving to be too tempting for some people who were perhaps less criminally-minded.

Additionally, I've now discovered that, in this era of high-stakes testing, the education security business is booming. As one company put it, "Cheating on tests isn't the exception anymore; it has almost become the rule."

On competition

From "Deregulation and Charter School Swindles" by Gary Clabaugh (Educational Horizons, Winter 2009):

Two main ideas inform the charter school movement. The first is that competition is an essential ingredient in school improvement. Charters are said to provide that.

The trouble with this argument is that competition doesn't select the best, only the most popular. McDonald's doesn't produce the best-tasting or most-nutritious food, for instance, but its heart attack specials certainly are popular. A second-rate school might prove similarly competitive if it provides a tawdry but reassuring education to the children of the low-information crowd. Fearful your kids will discover you are an ignoramus? Send them to Alpha Charter where they will never learn to doubt.

Dedication

This Web site is dedicated to Eli Broad, Bill Gates, the Walton family, Arne Duncan, Whitney Tilson, Joe Williams, Reed Hastings, Ted Mitchell, Jack O'Connell, Tom Vander Ark, George Miller, Joanne Weiss, Randy Ward, Arnold Swarzenegger, all Milton Friedman-lovers, and any other free-market, pro-school choice, minimally-regulate-what-goes-on-in-charter school supporters who are also proud self-stated "DISRUPTORS" of public school communities, who have almost never, EVER been part of a public school community or local neighborhood, or who rejected being part of any public school community or local neighborhood long, long ago -- but have ended up deciding to help tear apart the tapestry of basic local human connections anyway.

Visitors

A variety of people have been looking at my blog, probably because of the great Gulen charter school information I've posted. This site is regularly visited by readers from Turkey. I get periodic visits from dhs.gov, doj.gov and ed.gov. I've had visits from house.gov and ed.gov, and at least one visit from someone at eop.gov (? Executive Office of the President). I've had a few visits from a couple of mystery IPs that are supposedly associated with the State Department, specifically the CIA. Hmmmmm...

Pages

Flanner House Higher Learning Center

Gulf Shores Academy

Central PA Digital Learning Foundation Charter School

BlueSky Charter School