Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Charter schools misspend millions of Ohio tax dollars as efforts to police them are privatized - Local - Ohio

Charter schools misspend millions of Ohio tax dollars as efforts to police them are privatized - Local - Ohio:

Charter schools misspend millions of Ohio tax dollars as efforts to police them are privatized






No sector — not local governments, school districts, court systems, public universities or hospitals — misspends tax dollars like charter schools in Ohio.
A Beacon Journal review of 4,263 audits released last year by State Auditor Dave Yost’s office indicates charter schools misspend public money nearly four times more often than any other type of taxpayer-funded agency.
Since 2001, state auditors have uncovered $27.3 million improperly spent by charter schools, many run by for-profit companies, enrolling thousands of children and producing academic results that rival the worst in the nation.
And the extent of the misspending could be far higher.
That’s because Yost and his predecessors, unable to audit all charter schools with limited staffing and overwhelmed by the dramatic growth in the schools, have farmed out most charter-school audits to private accounting firms.
Last year, these private firms found misspending in one of the 200 audits of charter schools they conducted, or half of 1 percent, while the state’s own police force of auditors found misspending in one of six audits, or 17 percent of the time.
“You don’t even have to understand audits to know that something is broken there,” said Kyle Serrette, director of Education at the Center for Popular Democracy.
The Center for Popular Democracy, based in Washington, D.C., is allied with teachers unions that generally oppose privatization in public education.
In a report released in April, the nonprofit watchdog detailed $200 million in waste, fraud and abuse in charter schools in Ohio and 14 other states.
Serrette said none of the 43 states with charter schools has created an accountability system designed to catch fraud. But Ohio has all of the telltale flaws, and more.
Because the money must first be spent, audits are conducted years after public funds go missing.
“[Financial] audits are historical. They’re not out in front of these things,” said Robert Hinkle, Ohio’s deputy state auditor.
And the audits, which note potential fraud but give no actionable opinion, aren’t designed to detect fraud. They merely check revenues against expenses, ensuring tax dollars going in match receipts and cash balances.
Often, though, the receipts are unavailable.
“You have a system in Ohio, and everywhere else, where every single year charter school operators are getting audited. And every single year, those audits come up clean. It’s because they are not set up to catch fraud waste and abuse,” Serrette said.
And finally, there has been a historical lack of political will to strengthen state law so auditors can delve more deeply into the private contracts that charter schools enter.
“Every year, state lawmakers fail to … take the evidence that [the media] is providing and change that into law that would improve the system,” Serrette said.
Of the 10 charter schools responsible for the most misspending, all but one closed. The money likely never will be retrieved.
What academic records remain of their last report cards show none scored Charter schools misspend millions of Ohio tax dollars as efforts to police them are privatized - Local - Ohio:



Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 5/30/15



SPECIAL NITE CAP 

CORPORATE ED REFORM




Common Core: A Matter of Perspective | WagTheDog
Common Core: A Matter of Perspective | WagTheDog: Common Core: A Matter of PerspectivePart of the reason there has been such strong disagreement and debate regarding the Common Core is people “see” ed reform and the new Standards very differently, depending on their perspective.For example when teachers express concern regarding the validity of VAM and the use of standardized test scores to measur
CURMUDGUCATION: Punching the Eight Year Olds
CURMUDGUCATION: Punching the Eight Year Olds:Punching the Eight Year OldsIn some special states, it's not just the end of testing season-- it's also punish third graders by telling them that all their hard work this year was a waste of their time because they have failed a single reading test, and so they have officially flunked third grade. Mississippi is just open more example of a state that th
A Young Teacher’s Voice: The Devastating Effects of Evaluation by Common Core Test Scores | Round the Inkwell
A Young Teacher’s Voice: The Devastating Effects of Evaluation by Common Core Test Scores | Round the Inkwell: A Young Teacher’s Voice: The Devastating Effects of Evaluation by Common Core Test ScoresThe other day I received this email from a South Side graduate who became a teacher.  This young woman is brilliant–just the sort of person we want in our profession.  She is presently teaching in a W
Marie Corfield: This Week in Weird (Ed Reform) NJ—Part 2
Marie Corfield: This Week in Weird (Ed Reform) NJ—Part 2: This Week in Weird (Ed Reform) NJ—Part 2This is a real publicationHoly moly! Just when I thought ed 'reform' in the Garden State couldn't get any weirder, all this happened in the past seven days. So, here's your one-stop shop for all the ed 'reform' news that's fit to print, whether it makes sense or not: *5/23 Thousands of Newark students
Inside California Education | A New Public Television Series
Inside California Education | A New Public Television Series: Inside California Education Inside California Education takes a fresh approach to presenting compelling stories and relevant information, communicating to millions of Californians how our state's education system affects our lives and lives of our children. The program explores the many critical, complex, and increasingly challenging is
You never know who you'll meet on a good walk Children are more than test scores:
Children are more than test scores: You never know who you'll meet on a good walk: You never know who you'll meet on a good walkThomas Paine said" “The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion.” I am standing next to Mark Naison here, a man whose religion is to do good. Especially for the ones a young Jewish poet named Emma Lazarus called to America in h
What is the story about Governor Dannel Malloy’s little Bronx Charter School for Excellence - Wait What?
What is the story about Governor Dannel Malloy’s little Bronx Charter School for Excellence - Wait What?: What is the story about Governor Dannel Malloy’s little Bronx Charter School for ExcellenceFaced with a mountain a state debt, insufficient revenues to maintain vital services and his unwillingness to require the rich to pay their fair share in taxes, why would Democratic Governor Dannel Mallo
With A Brooklyn Accent: Teach for America Is As Toxic Pedagogically As It Is Politically
With A Brooklyn Accent: Teach for America Is As Toxic Pedagogically As It Is Politically: Teach for America Is As Toxic Pedagogically As It Is PoliticallyWhen I organized a panel for the Labor and Working Class History Association Conference in Washington on "Why Progressive Faculty Should Boycott Teach for America," what was foremost in my mind was the role that TFA was playing in suppl
Subscribe to Hoosier School Heist TV - YouTube
Hoosier School Heist TV - YouTube: Subscribe to Hoosier School Heist TV - YouTubeHoosier School Heist TV is Doug Martin's channel featuring videos of his book tour across Indiana speaking on the corporate takeover of public education. Order Hoosier School Heist at http://hoosierschoolheist.com/.Follow Hoosier School Heist on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoosierSchoolHeistTweet with Doug Mart
Cheats for Change Group Expands and Shifts Membership - State EdWatch - Education Week
Chiefs for Change Group Expands and Shifts Membership - State EdWatch - Education Week: Chiefs for Change Group Expands and Shifts MembershipChiefs for Change isn't just for state education commissioners anymore.That's the message the group sent yesterday when it added three new members, and for the first time expanded membership to include district-level leaders.Until this week, Chiefs for Change
Schooling in the Ownership Society: How Wall St. billionaires built charter movement in Conn. Bought a governor.
Schooling in the Ownership Society: How Wall St. billionaires built charter movement in Conn. Bought a governor.: How Wall St. billionaires built charter movement in Conn. Bought a governor.Gov. Malloy speaks at charter rally paid for by hedge-fundersThe recent pro-charter school rally in Hartford was organized by ConnCAN and Families for Excellent Schools — two of the top lobbying spenders this y
Student Personal Data Mining: Is Data Mining by a NGO Happening in Your School District?
Student Personal Data Mining: It’s Happening in Connecticut. Is Data Mining by a NGO Happening in Your School District? » Missouri Education Watchdog: Student Personal Data Mining: It’s Happening in Connecticut. Is Data Mining by a NGO Happening in Your School District?Should CCER change its description of its purpose? Should it read ‘utilize MOUs with individual school districts to data mine stud
Do Not Support HB 2214 (No Matter What WA State PTA Says) Seattle Schools Community Forum:
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Do Not Support HB 2214 (No Matter What WA State PTA Says): Do Not Support HB 2214 (No Matter What WA State PTA Says)As further proof that WA State PTA (and National) seem to be moving further and further into the ed reform camp, comes a message from WSPTA urging members to support HB 2214.The first thing to know about HB 2114 is that one of its authors is Chad Maga
CURMUDGUCATION: Wisconsin's Assault on Public Education
CURMUDGUCATION: Wisconsin's Assault on Public Education: Wisconsin's Assault on Public EducationWisconsin's political leaders, including Governor Scott "Hoping To Be Ready For National Prime Time" Walker, are doing their best to really, truly dismantle public education. It's a challenging story to write about, because people who aren't following education these days think phrases like &q
Louisiana Educator: Great Facebook Page on how to "flip BESE" #flipbese
Louisiana Educator: Great Facebook Page on how to "flip BESE": Great Facebook Page on how to "flip BESE"OK readers, it's time to stop complaining about the harmful actions of BESE and start doing something about it!I am asking all my readers who live in Louisiana to please go to the Flip BESE Facebook page and "like" this page so that you can be kept informed about im
A new style can help school reform in NY - am New York
A new style can help school reform in NY - am New York: A new style can help school reform in NY'Collaborative" is the word MaryEllen Elia and those who know her use to describe her leadership style. That will be an important trait, because the newly named commissioner of the state Education Department must now bring New York's warring factions to a treaty. Continued battling over education r
Documentary aims to 'bring back trust of teachers' - The Sun Herald
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.: Documentary aims to 'bring back trust of teachers' | Celebrities | The Sun Herald: Documentary aims to 'bring back trust of teachers'COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — Teaching a herd of sheep to move in one direction at the same time works. Similarly, teaching a herd of children to read a book, solve math problems and other lessons doesn't.That's one of the messages conveyed in a
13 Reasons Why Grade Retention is Terrible, and 12 Better Solutions
13 Reasons Why Grade Retention is Terrible, and 12 Better Solutions: 13 Reasons Why Grade Retention is Terrible, and 12 Better SolutionsMAY 30, 2015 BY NANCY BAILEY 1 COMMENTThere are few education issues that anger me more than massive retention of third graders based on one test score! Mississippi recently became the latest state to embrace retention. It’s a huge mistake. Adults fail children by

YESTERDAY

Letter: CREDO flawed in charter schools report | Opinion | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Letter: CREDO flawed in charter schools report | Opinion | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Letter: CREDO flawed in charter schools report In her letter to the editor, “Parents key to success of charter schools” on May 8, Jefferson Chamber Foundation Academy of N.O. Board Chairwoman Kristine H. Strickland greatly misrepresents the results of a recent Center for Research on Education Outcomes
SPEDGate: How the Louisiana Dept of Ed is Misappropriating Millions from Fed Special Edu for Cronies & Political Favors
SPEDGate: How the Louisiana Department of Education is Misappropriating Millions of Dollars a Year from their Federal Special Education Funding for Cronies and Political Favors | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: SPEDGate: How the Louisiana Department of Education is Misappropriating Millions of Dollars a Year from their Federal Special Education Funding for Cronies and Political FavorsWhat follows is an inv
Why America Demonizes Its Teachers | Frank Breslin
Why America Demonizes Its Teachers | Frank Breslin: Why America Demonizes Its Teachers Evaluating teachers on their students' performance is an issue that has elicited much comment of late. In essence, this view assumes that if students aren't learning, the fault lies squarely with their teachers alone. Well, perhaps, but not necessarily.While the logic of this view seems compelling at first, a mo
Louisiana Education Legislative Update | deutsch29 #flipbese
Louisiana Education Legislative Update | deutsch29: Louisiana Education Legislative UpdateDuring the Louisiana legislative session, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT) issues a weekly legislative digest of education-related legislation. (Archived digests can be found here.)These digests are excellent resources for following education legislation throughout the legislative session.In this po
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 5/29/15
SPECIAL NITE CAP CORPORATE ED REFORMWall Street Billionaires Backing Charter Schools, Malloy - Hartford CourantWall Street Billionaires Backing Charter Schools, Malloy - Hartford Courant: Hedge Fund Managers Back Charter School Movement, Democrats' CampaignsSeveral Wall Street billionaires who have invested heavily in the expansion of charter schools contributed over $200,000 to Democrats in the 2