Charter Fraud: Ohio Style

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Florida has charter fraud problems and so does Ohio–among other states.  Privatization of schools opens up opportunities for profiteering without oversight.  The federal government has finally gotten involved in the Ohio charter scandals.  It took awhile. They are holding up a $71 million grant to they had awarded to expand charters.   This is one of those scandals from which the Governor cannot hide.

 

 

 

 

David Hansen, Ohio’s charter school director, led a fraudulent scheme to scrub data on online and credit recovery charter schools.  He did not want the bad news about these charters to reach the U.S. Department of Education.  So, he cleaned it up.  The State Superintendent Ross, decided to go ahead and forward the falsified data to Washington.  Why?

Could it be that Hansen’s wife wanted to protect Governor Kasich?  She was the Governor’s Chief of Staff until she resigned to become his campaign manager.  The Governor had appointed the DOE officials.

The story gets even worse and Floridians need to take notice.  By law, charter school proposers are supposed to meet the same academic and performance criteria as other public schools.  The Ohio DOE broke the law, but it was covered up.

Charter fraud has a history in Ohio.  Nineteen Horizon charters, part of the Gulen chain, are under investigation for breaking state testing protocols among other charges.  The federal government also has put the brakes on a $71 million grant for charter school expansion.  The feds wrote a letter explaining their concerns that the Ohio DOE was not able to administer the grant particularly in the area of oversight and accountability.

Many were surprised that Ohio even received the grant from the USDOE.  The State had a long history of poor academic performance, attendance and funding scandals, and a manipulated charter evaluation system.

Hansen and Ross have both resigned.  Hansen’s wife is still employed.  Nothing is being said.  Governor Kasich is a long time supporter of privatizing schools in Ohio.  Floridian’s do not need the State to control charter schools as is being proposed this legislative session.  Political agendas control educational policy.  With local district control, there is some chance to have checks and balances.

Posted in Audits, Authorization, Charter School Management, Department of Education, Ohio, Public Education, US Government.

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