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Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Charter schools: Is financial mismanagement the issue to watch? | Get Schooled

Charter schools: Is financial mismanagement the issue to watch? | Get Schooled:

Charter schools: Is financial mismanagement the issue to watch?

Charter schools are not faring well in the national press where there have been a series of articles about financial mismanagement, including a searing three-part series this week in the Miami Herald.

We are seeing some of the same problems arising in Georgia that the Herald cites in its series.For example, the entry of for-profit management companies into the charter school market has dramatically increased the number of charter schools, but it has also led to the natural tension that results when profits become a driving force in school decisions and motivations. In fact, New York, New Mexico and Tennessee ban for-profit companies from managing charter schools.

According to the Herald series, which is worth reading:

But while charter schools have grown into a $400-million-a-year business in South Florida,