The Ohio Virtual Academy is making lots of money. And why not? It has a teacher student ratio of 51:1 even though the state pays it for a ratio of 15:1. Only 10% of its state funding went to teachers, and they cleared a profit of 31.5%. What a cool business! Corporate headquarters is bullish; it projects that this will one day be a $15 billion industry. The results aren’t that good, but who cares?
And this cyber charter district is one of the worst performing in the state of Ohio. Its test scores and graduation rates are so low that if it were a public school it would have been shut down by now. But its owner makes big political contribution so no turnaround for this district! Even more important, Governor Kasich spoke at its graduation ceremonies (were they online?) and urged the students to serve their Creator. Because it is such a great school, whose owner “gives back,” the graduation speaker this year was the State Superintendent Stan Heffner.
My friend on Twitter, Greg Mild, posted the following information about the school where Governor Kasich and State Superintendent Heffner spoke:
“ECOT in Ohio 2010-11. Enrollment: 12,000+; Withdrawals: 6,738; Dropouts: 3,045; Turned over 81% of students in single year.”
Are you beginning to understand the importance of “Reform”? Do you see the great things it will do to improve our global competitiveness?
Me neither.
Why do so many Republican officials hate public school?
Oh, wait, I think I know the answer: public schools are paid for with tax dollars. Even if you are poor, you can send your kids to school, and those with enough property or income to pay taxes will fund it, even if you can’t.
There. That’s it.
Oh, repulicans and democrats both hate public schools, see A. Duncan/B. Obama.
But they both love our money going to death and destruction, i.e., the Pentagon, NSA, CIA, etc. . . . Let’s build some more drones!!!
Even low income people who can’t afford to be land owners and must be renters still pay in districts where property taxes fund schools. When property tax increases are levied, as they have been for the past two years in my district, landlords just pass that off onto us by raising our rent.
One of the main reasons a 29 yr veteran teacher and Ohio’s Teacher of the Year, 2002 is running for Ohio House of Representatives is the booming failing Charter School for profit industry where CEOs are building corporate enterprises under the guise of school choice on the backs of our children and our hard earned tax dollars.
William Brennan, White Hat Charters and David Lager, ECOT, have taken almost a BILLION of our tax dollars since 1999 and they are the top contributors to the GOP, including our governor and Lt. governor. They earn 3 million and 6 million dollars a year salaries… average teacher’ salary… 35,000. Graduation rate? 35% and 32%, an F grade point average, worse than Cleveland City Schools system.
Oh… and I forgot to mention…. ECOT CEO also made 12 million in profit last year for his private software company supplying his failing schools built on our tax dollars, see link below for editorial written to Dispatch detailing this outrageous and should be ILLEGAL For Profit Charter operation in Ohio….
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2011/06/11/charter-schools-are-lousy-investment-of-tax-dollars.html
And don’t forget, in the new Cleveland plan the cyber-charters are unaccountable. Presumably done so Mr. Brennan and his ilk didn’t throw a hissy fit and cut off the money to their chosen representatives. By the way, the mayor of Cleveland is a Democrat, runs the schools and had a love-fest with our Republican governor when all the changes in Cleveland were announced. Detestable.
It is so good to see here that so many people see what is going on with the politics of education. I taught in the inner city a while back and thought that I was imagining the obstructionism that was happening within the public school system. The only difference now is the push to privatize the schools and to have the business community control them. Thank you to Diane and all of you for exposing what is really happening today.
As a former ECOT teacher, I can definitely say that the school is a joke and a waste of taxpayer dollars for the majority of students who attend. Money is spent holding huge professional development sessions several times a year that do little than repeat the things heard at the previous sessions. Student performance is abysmal and administration does nothing to curb truancy. You can log in every 29 days, do no work and absolutely nothing happens. They try to push horrible grading policies, such as a 35% in each quarter = a 70% for the year = passing the class with a C.
I would love to talk with you Madeleine, I am a 29 year veteran educator and former Ohio teacher of the year running for the Ohio House of Representatives with the intent on tackling true transparency for the Charter School For Profit travesty.
This is probably a teacher who was fired, ECOT policies are WAY stricter than what she is stating.
ECOT is one of the lowest performing schools in state of Ohio.
It’s for profit.
The owner is a big GOP contributor.
Darcie Cimarusti has an amazing story of cyber charters and cronyism in New Jersey:
http://mothercrusader.blogspot.com/2012/07/benjamin-rayer-new-jerseys-king-of.html
Reblogged this on Network Schools – Wayne Gersen and commented:
No additional comment needed… except this: YIKES!