Category Archives: Authorization

Profit Trumps Public Interest?

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The National Council of State Legislatures should be commended for bringing together two people with very different views of charter school for-profit management.  On the surface, the webinar: Charter School Networks: Does Profit Status Matter?  seemed to be a reasonable, thoughtful discussion about management issues.

payoffThe discussion was polite.  Responses to questions were forthcoming.   The rationale for-profit status was discussed and management issues were raised.  The fact that both for-profit and non-profit management companies have fiscal management problems was acknowledged.   Yet, the meat of the topic was only alluded to.

If you want to really understand the issues, read on.   Continue reading→

New Mexico: State auditor blasts Public Education Department over charter school oversight

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from Meredith Machen, New Mexico

Charter school oversight problems are rampant.  In today’s New Mexican the State Auditor revealed a serious lack of oversight of charter schools  by the State Public Education Department (PED).

horn mages

At issue was charter school financial mismanagement and conflict of interest.  The Auditor charged that the PED was unresponsive even though the school was raided by the FBI in August.  This case highlights the struggle between local school districts vs. state control of the charter authorization and oversight process.  This is only one of 18 cases nationwide of charter educational management firms nationwide that the U.S. Department of Education, the FBI, SEC, and IRS are investigatingContinue reading→

Private School Regulations by State for School Choice

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by Terry Gillam

This report is a summary  of private school choice program regulations by state.  The data were drawn from the U.S. Department of Education State Regulation of Private Schools report.  There is also an interactive map on the DOE site.  The checklist of descriptors range from how schools are licensed, funded, and managed to teacher certification and professional development.  The checklist was published by the Friedman Foundation, a strong advocate for school choice.  It is a comprehensive source for data needed to analyze private school voucher program characteristics.