A charter chain that has run into legal problems in Philadelphia
and Chicago plans to open
three schools in North
Carolina. Lindsay Wagner of the NC Policy Watch writes in the
“Progrssive Pulse”: “The NC Department of Public Instruction
received 171 letters of intent last week from charter school
operators keen on opening up new schools in time for fall of 2015 —
the highest ever received since lawmakers lifted the 100-school cap
in 2011. “ASPIRA is a national advocacy organization dedicated to
developing the educational and leadership capacity of Hispanic
youth. ASPIRA also supports the charter school movement in
districts where significant numbers of Latino students are failing.
“In Chicago, ASPIRA has run into allegations of financial
corruption and misconduct at its charter schools. Last year, the
CEO of ASPIRA Illinois, Jose Rodriguez, was fired by the charter
operator’s board. “And in troubled Philadelphia, ASPIRA Inc. of
Pennsylvania owes more than $3 million to four charter schools it
runs, according to the Philadelphia City Paper. That money,
according to school district officials, is taxpayer funds intended
to fulfill the purposes of the charters. The organization has also
spent $17,000 to a union-busting law firm to deal with a “teacher
unionization issue,” according to the City Paper.” – See more at:
http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2013/09/13/troubled-charter-operator-aspira-intends-to-open-three-charter-schools-in-nc/#sthash.ccu4IQJ5.O3QpNDSH.dpuf
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Filing a letter of intent does not mean that this group will receive permission to open schools. It will be interesting to see what NC does with these applications.
I think it’s a fair assumption to imagine that NC, in light of all the anti-public school/anti-teacher legislation their Tea Party legislature and governor have been tearing through recently will approve any charter operator who promises sizable political donations, no matter how sleazy, untrustworthy, and potentially criminal they might be. It’s the ALEC way and the charter supporters remain largely silent about their more corrupt compatriots, sighing and tut-tutting and bemoaning the “few” bad operators when pressed but doing precious little to prevent the corruption in the first place or denying these shysters status in the charter arena since any criticism endangers the charter juggernaut as a whole.
Right, Joe?
If they have enough money they will be featured speakers at the next national charter pyramid scheme meeting: How to Make Gazillions Playing On the Ginned-Up False Fears of Parents and Stealing Tax Money From School Kids or something more spin-able, I imagine. Cue the “one or two public schools are corrupt too!” response from Joe and/or the “Some charters are great!” defense. Both have become hollow in light of the massive, ongoing corruption revealed weekly in the charter sector but the band plays on. . . .
Joe usually downplays negative charter news and then he searches for similar bad news in public schools to minimize the charter shenanigans. This is typical of his posts. Just a tip.
Actually, I constantly acknowledge that there are problems with some charters. I do try to point out that there are problems with some district schools and some unions. That’s rarely acknowledged.
Our 3 youngsters attended and graduated from urban public schools that did not use academic or any other form of admissions tests. I was an urban PTA president and a member of the board of the Mn state PTA board. My wife recently retired after 33 years as a urban public school teacher working with students having “special needs.” Our family has been committed to participating in and helping improve public education for many years
Yeah, I know….I’ve read that before.
We all have established backgrounds in public education, professional and personal.
I have to stand with Joe in his defense. He does acknowledge problems with charters. I have no problem with him raising problems that occur in the public schools-and I don’t see those featured in this blog very often. At the same time I think it is poor form on his part to attempt to assuage the charter school problem with the classic student argument when he is caught doing something wrong who states “But Joe over there is doing the same thing”. I believe he has stated that he is against for-profit charters and pseudo non-profit ones. He is for public charter schools that serve disadvantaged students. I have no problem with those stances.
Though, I don’t take his path of reconciliation and cooperation with the edudeformers (I was the one who first looked into and brought to light on this blog his funders-not that that was hidden in any way, it’s there for all who choose to go to his site). And that path is what I disagree with. It seems to me (and Joe, if I’m wrong, correct me) that Joe is a lot more patient, and is willing to ascribe to the edudeformers good intentions that I wouldn’t and overall more optimistic (by that I mean working with the edudeformers and I don’t consider him in that camp) in attempting to ensure that all children receive a quality education.
You lost me on edudeformers and good intentions…oxymoron. And actually I am not sure the funding for his center is still prominently displayed on his site as it was some months ago. It appeared difficult to find after a few posts, such as:
Funding for center for school change:
Funding for the Center has come from Cargill, Gates, Annenberg, Blandin, General Mills, St. Paul, St. Paul Companies, Peters, Minneapolis, TCF, Joyce, Bradley and Rockefeller Foundations, the U.S. Department of Education, the University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Initiative Funds, Best Buy, Pohlad, and Wallin Foundation.
I agree with the oxymoroness of edudeformers and good intentions.
Funding info is right where it has been – on the home page of http://www.centerforschoolchange.org
Thanks, Duane. Today is Yom Kippur, when some of us (who are Jewish) about the past year, apologize to people we may offended, and think about ways to do better in the coming year.
So – to those reading this (or others) that I have offended, my apologies. I will try to do better in the coming year.
Joe
Being non-religious how do I say “Happy? Yom Kippur”? if that is even appropriate, somehow happy doesn’t seem quite right. Is there a Jewish saying that expresses that?
Thanks for your question. There is no single, totally accepting greeting.
Many Jews at this time of year say to each other and others, “May you be inscribed in the book of life for a good year.” That’s a greeting I send to you and others who gather to share info here.
What bothers me sometimes on this blog is the rabid attack by some on others with whom they disagree (and I have been a part of those rabid attacks myself). Perhaps at times those attacks are needed. When I come across string bean threads with only two or three names and see that it is mainly a tit for tat I skim over and sometimes don’t bother to read them as it is a waste of my time (that isn’t to imply that it is a waste of time for those involved). I’m the pot calling the kettle black here I know.
You hit the nail on the head.
“And in troubled Philadelphia, ASPIRA Inc. of
Pennsylvania owes more than $3 million to four charter schools it
runs, according to the Philadelphia City Paper”
Which is why they need to open new charters. From what I understand, charters aren’t profitable – or even sustainable – over the long run, so they need that huge infusion of money that comes with opening a new charter to pay off their old debts. Sounds a bit like a Ponzi scheme to me.
Here is the info about the three who have applied for the Asheville area (Asheville City is a small district; Buncombe County is large with six high schools.
The school board of Asheville City, interestingly, is one of 3 school boards in the state with appointed members. Buncombe County elects its school board members. The Citizen Times focused on some folks being ready for the city’s school board to be elected (I imagine it being appointed goes back to desegregation, as I think does also its very existence. Many think the city schools should be part of the county schools).
I don’t know what say local school boards have in approving charters, or if it all comes from Raleigh. I do know there was a KIPP school in Asheville at one time but it did not last very long.
http://www.carolinapublicpress.org/13938/3-new-charter-schools-proposed-in-asheville-buncombe-county
Reblogged this on Blog of an e-marketer by Main Uddin.
This is the charter chain that argued that they were not a public school when they wanted a favorable decision on a labor issue. They then backed down on that out of political concerns, when the financial improprieties started to be revealed.
Well, one of the charter chains that makes that claim. There are three that I’m aware of. Are North Carolina public officials aware that this chain claims they are not a public entity when it is advantageous to do so?
They should be aware of that, because it is the argument White Hat’s lawyer used in Ohio courts to evade disclosure of expenditures for the last 5 years.
We need some coordination of information when these charter chains expand and parachute into a new state. The think tanks that push charter schools have a conflict. They should not be treated as a quasi-governmental body. They’re not credible and they’re not accountable to citizens.
Attention all Edushysters: Come to NC where you can line your pockets full of tax money and rip-off the taxpayer. Go into minority communities and say you will save them all. Get a few people of the community on your payroll to con the locals into believing your sales pitch. It’s a beautiful opportunity. Just look at Muskegon Heights, MI. You can be promised millions up front and you don’t have to guarantee you will improve the schools. Who could pass up this opportunity??? It’s all about the kids. Remember: “Students First!”
I know of their middle school in Albany Park (Chicago). Parents in the neighborhood had been protesting the overcrowding in the local school and had worked hard to raise money for a new middle school. Shortly before it was to open, Arne Duncan “gave” it to Aspira. I do not know how it is doing now, and it’s web site is sadly out of date, but the community was justifiably angry at first.
September 15, 2013
We reported on the corruptions at ASPIRA over years at substancenews.net, and one of their former teachers testified at the Board of Education and at the CORE hearing on schools closings in January 2009.
A charter chain that has run into legal problems in Philadelphia and Chicago plans to open three schools in North Carolina. Lindsay Wagner of the NC Policy Watch writes in the “Progrssive Pulse”: “The NC Department of Public Instruction received 171 letters of intent last week from charter school operators keen on opening up new schools in time for fall of 2015 — the highest ever received since lawmakers lifted the 100-school cap in 2011. “ASPIRA is a national advocacy organization dedicated to developing the educational and leadership capacity of Hispanic youth. ASPIRA also supports the charter school movement in districts where significant numbers of Latino students are failing. “In Chicago, ASPIRA has run into allegations of financial corruption and misconduct at its charter schools. Last year, the CEO of ASPIRA Illinois, Jose Rodriguez, was fired by the charter operator’s board. “And in troubled Philadelphia, ASPIRA Inc. of Pennsylvania owes more than $3 million to four charter schools it runs, according to the Philadelphia City Paper. That money, according to school district officials, is taxpayer funds intended to fulfill the purposes of the charters. The organization has also spent $17,000 to a union-busting law firm to deal with a “teacher unionization issue,” according to the City Paper.” – See more at: http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2013/09/13/troubled-charter-operator-aspira-intends-to-open-three-charter-schools-in-nc/#sthash.ccu4IQJ5.O3QpNDSH.dpuf
Read below how Aspira spend our tax money
Re: “An analysis of Senator Kirk’s charter school ‘analysis’”
From a letter that went out to dozens of media sources, funders and politicians:
I am sending this letter to all interested parties to report a social injustice at Aspira Inc. of Illinois. As an example of gross misappropriation of public funding, the Aspira Board of Directors led by the chairman, Fernando Grillo and the Chief Executive Officer, Jose Rodriguez, spent over $50,000.00 of public funds on a three day “retreat” in a Lake Geneva resort, over the summer. This mini-vacation, courtesy of the tax-payers of Illinois was put together by Grillo and Rodriguez to benefit the politically connected consulting firm of Charlie Serrano and Company who was awarded a lucrative no-bid contract to provide “board training” to the group. Serrano, who sources indicate is a close friend to Grillo was paid $25,000.00 to provide board development even though he has no experience in board development. They spent another $25,000 in other related expenses including hotel rooms, meals etc.
This $50,000.00 should have been used to pay for resources to help the Aspira Charter High School where 85% of the students are not meeting academic standards. It should have been used to pay for a full time specialized teacher to help bring up the scores. It should have been used to pay for after-school tutoring benefitting the lowest performers at the schools. But apparently education is not the board’s or CEO’s priority. Instead they decided to use the $50,000 on themselves in one weekend.
Fernando Grillo, is a partner in the investment firm of Samuel Ramirez & Company, and a close friend to disgraced former governor Rod Blagojevich, crooked Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios, 31st Ward Alderman Ray Suarez, Congressman Luis Gutierrez and State Senator Iris Martinez among others. He and his investment firm have contributed thousands of dollars to their political campaigns (this can be confirmed through campaign disclosures in the State Board of Elections website). You may remember Grillo as the Director of the Illinois Department of Professional Regulations who was forced to resign under a cloud of suspicion just prior to Blagojevich’s indictment. Ironically this department regulates financial institutions. Fernando Grillo used his influence to hire Serrano and Company to do the board training. How many more contracts has he steered to his friends? This is a clear conflict of interest.