Florida Charter Schools: Did $67 Million Just Disappear?

money-case-163495_1280This is another post about money and ethics.  This time we consider laws that are made but not are not enforceable.   Let’s start with a Florida Legislature’s 2007 Interim Report on Charter School Accountability.  It reported that Florida law “does not regulate conflict of interest for charter schools board members or employees”…but if nonprofits want tax exempt status, then federal conflict of interest must be observed. The Florida Auditor General uncovered continuing problems and recommended that charter board members be included under Florida’s Code of Ethics as Public Officers.

What has been proposed to curb abuse?  There have been specific recommendations even from the charter industry.  See what they are and figure out why the money disappeared.  (Is this a Common Core question requiring critical thinking and problem solving?  Not really!)

Continue reading

Florida Leads the Nation in Corrupt Officials

jail-429633__180Some people like rules. They keep life simple. Others think rules just get in the way of getting things done.  Floridians have a reputation for avoiding as many rules as possible except for their traditional public schools.  They are rule bound, and some parents rebel. There is an escape clause called ‘school choice’.  For charters and private schools the rules are bent or removed.

Charters are supposed to save money, and theyprovide a way for private businesses to make money, lots of it.  The money comes from the state or from corporate tax rebates.  It is big money, about half of the State’s general fund.

One wonders if controls on ethics and conflict of interest are sufficiently strong to protect the public interest in education?  The buzz about Florida is that there is more self-interest than public interest than in any other state.  Are such allegations warranted?

Continue reading

Charter Oversight Needed Now

buck stopsby Carol Clark Hentschel, Palm Beach

Palm Beach has had more than its share of problems with failing charter schools.  Citizens there want better management oversight.  Carol is the Palm Beach League’s education team chair.  She makes a strong argument that the time is now for change.  The buck stops with us.  We have to insist on better accountability and oversight.

Continue reading

Poll: Americans Want Better Charter Management

Recently, a new national survey found that Americans overwhelmingly favor proposals to make charter schools more accountable, accessible, and transparent.  The survey also found that Americans want to make sure that neighborhood public schools do not lose funding when charter schools open.  Finally, voters strongly support a proposal that would require charter teachers to meet the same certification requirements as educators in traditional public schools.  There is more to the story.  Read on for basic facts and recommendations for strengthening charter oversight.

Continue reading

Taking Time to Smell the Roses

rosesI am off on a tangent.  This is not the same as a vacation.  The legislative session is over, and it is time to mull over what happened and did not happen.  Where shall we put our energies for next year?

 

As the thoughts about the inadequacies of charter school oversight were spinning in my head, I saw a field of roses.  Hmmm, it must be time to smell them and let these ideas mature.  So, I am cultivating my garden of ideas.

If you send things, I will post them, but I will spend the next week or so doing some digging.  It must be spring.

 

The Villages Charter School Removes 140 Students

VillagesHS-1Can you imagine that a public school can tell you to transfer your child to another school because the company you work for no longer is eligible to send children there?

The Villages is an age restricted, gated community in Sumter County with over 100,000 residents–no children allowed.  They have a charter school.  They just told 140 students they can no longer attend.  Something is unreal.Continue reading

Charter Bills Update: Florida 2015 Legislative Session

Charter school bills are moving again, at least in the Florida House.  The bills are all beginning to look more alike.  The charter school amendmlegislation1ent to HB 1145, filed this week, dropped the requirement for districts to share public school capital outlay millage with charters.  This is good news for financially strapped public schools.

It added a provision stating that charters have a financial audit that does not reveal any of the financial emergency conditions in 218.503(1) for the most recent year. On the surface, this does not sound like a transparency move.

There are some differences in provisions between the House and Senate relating to charter advisory board conflict of interest rules.  The Senate bill 1552 looks stronger than the other bills.  They just require board members to be identified and two meetings be held in the district.  Advisory boards controlled by their management companies cannot be very independent.  Details follow.

Continue reading

Ethics in Education Conference: Miami

ethicsI am looking forward to attending this conference on May 1-2, not just because I am a panelist.  The conference is sponsored by the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust.  Co-sponsors are the University of Miami and Miami-Dade Public Schools.  My panel is:

School Choice And Public Resources: What Are The Limits For Charter Schools And Private School Subsidies?

The other panels are very interesting as well.  They cover everything from teaching to the test,  social issues e.g. immigration, bullying, policing as well as oversight and accountability.

Details on the program and location follow.  If possible, join us.

Continue reading