USA Today has done it again. Last year, an investigative team of reporters broke open the cheating scandal during Michelle Rhee’s tenure.
Now, Greg Toppo reveals that the virtual charters are wasting millions of dollars on advertising to boost their enrollment and their coffers.
He has identified about $100 million of lost taxpayer dollars.
They recruit for two reasons: one, to add more dollars to their bank account. Two, because they have a high dropout rate and must keep replacing students.
This is a huge waste of taxpayer dollars. Money spent by taxpayers to pay for art classes be reduce class size is instead being paid to ad rise the wares of shoddy online schools.
This is money diverted from its intended purpose. This is money taken from schools across the state. It should be illegal.
More proof that these schools, as presently constituted, are a fraud.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
And why are they allowed to do this???? Why are we paying taxes for this???? Where is the box I can check off as to exactly WHERE I want my tax dollars used. I would have more than likely not checked out the box that said “advertising” for other’s personel business venture. Nor would I have checked off the box for “overpaid educational consultant”. Especially when I know of administrators who retired early so they could be “rehired” as consultants, because they knew they could make up to twice as much. How does that help my child’s school or education????
I am beginning to NOT believe in our tax system. When “they” (meaning anyone who would abuse our tax dollars by not using it for the “good” of the people) do this, I will begin to take a stand against any tax increases of any kind no matter how “good” they appear to be. Why in Calif. are we paying a higher sales tax to “help” our schools when there is NO limit to LAUSD using millions of tax dollars to fight all things related to parents and teacher’s rights? (I reluctantly voted for this)
Insane to take money out of schools for these unjust abuses while misleading the public as to what is really going on with their tax dollars that should be being used in the classroom. It’s just wrong! I would hope at some point in time some decent, honest, educated, well read billionaire, would buy a newspaper or two and actually give TRUE and HONEST accounts as to what is really going on in this country of ours.
So far, both political parties have news agencies swinging it “their” way. I want it simply laid out for me so I can judge for myself. Every news agency news reporter on the air, be it TV or radio, is editorializing w/o benefit of a moderator or viewpoint representing another side. Many if not most do not seem to know what they are talking about. They just blurt out opinions without any evidence of research. How can we learn anything from these people when they don’t appear to know much and do no research. How could we possible learn where our taxes really go unless we research it ourselves???
We can’t.
Truly considering voting against any taxes, bonds or what have you, until I can see some clear answers as to exactly HOW and WHERE my taxes would be going and by what standard are those who are going to be spending this money, going to be held. And, I want to see an audit with proof as to how the money was spent. I want those who spent the money to show how it was used and what value it produced other than giving their happy self a job. I want REAL accountability. How about about letting a private auditor detail the “results” using survey’s not sent through site mail, but directly to homes and how about some in home interviews. Should be interesting. If the money is used for the school I sure don’t want surveys sent back to that school district.
How about a little “real” accountability for our tax dollars…
This is precisely how elites lose legitimacy and increase the likelihood that, while the short-term benefits may be lucrative, they will reap the whirlwind.
You know at one time this story would have made national news, engendered calls for an IG and Congressional investigations. Today, not so. I’ll send it to my Congressional reps asking what can be done about this. It may take a while for a response. It seems that one may want to take away my/our future Social Security and Medicare benefits. It’s sad and comical that our elected reps, along with millionaires and billionaires are dictating solutions to problems they’ve created.
One of my favorite authors is Dickens. I never thought that one day I might be living it.
Humans are top level predators so what else do you expect when there are no controls and we have a do what you want environment. Today the very top is out to steal every dollar they can wherever they can and education is more than the DOD budget. When you have all these corporatizer and privatizer fanatics such as Obama and Duncan presently in charge what do you expect. It is time to put the hammer down on Obama that we have had enough of his really being a right wing Republican. As a friend of mines grandfather taught him “I hear real good, but I see a whole lot better.” I also say “Do not listen to the silvery tongued devils, just look at what they do.” They are the same statements. Obama sold us a bill of goods it is just that he is not as bad a devil as the Republicans. Not saying much good about either one really. Now let us deal with the facts on the ground and stop this insanity and selling of our society down the drain for a few to become super wealthy at the cost to all others.
Every single report about the questionable, lucrative practices of for-profit K12 Inc., which are garnered from tax payer dollars, should mention in bold the fact that this corporation was established by convicted felon Mike Milken, who has a history of violating fiduciary reasponsibilities. This man should not be allowed anywhere near public funds. Having worked for one of his former companies, I know that he tries to distance himself from virtually all of the corporations under his umbrella, due to his status as a convicted felon, but he definitely has skin in the game.
Institutionalized child abuse may not get the public’s notice, but a misuse of taxpayer dollars will. Maybe this is the angle we need to attack charter schools from.
Blame students and TN will give you a blank check. VTN Sen. Ed Chair will buy anything with TN tax dollars that anecdotally works and diminishes public schools. http://wpln.org/?p=44875