Academica, the largest charter chain in Florida, won approval to open the state’s largest charter school in Miami-Dade, with 3,000 “student stations.”
The firm operates for-profit.
A month ago, the Miami Herald reported that the chain was under federal investigation for its business practices.
A report yesterday by the Florida League of Women Voters pointed out that Academica has key connections in the Legislature:
Senator Anitere Flores of Miami is president of an Academica managed charter school in Doral.
Florida Representative Erik Fresen is Chair of the House Education subcommittee on appropriations. Representative Fresen’s sister is the Vice President of Academica and is married to the president. http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida- politics/content/ethics-commission-clears-miami-rep-erik-fresen-alleged-voting-conflict.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/14/2545708_p2/company-cultivates-links-to-lawmakers.html
George Levesque, Florida House lawyer cleared Erik Fresen of conflict of interest
concerns over charter schools. He is the husband of Patricia Levesque, former Jeb Bush Deputy Chief of Staff and currently Executive Director of the Foundation for Excellence in Education which promotes school choice. http://www.truthabouteducation.org/1/archives/01-2010/1.html.
Representative Manny Diaz is Dean of Doral Academy, an Academica managed school. He is the leader for the new statewide contract bill in the Florida House. Doral College was cited by the Florida Auditor General for a $400,000 loan from Doral Charter High School. Conflict of Interest and procurement for Charters with federal grants:
Diane Ravitch's blog 
What is even more sad, in a way, is that these elected officials are duplicitous. It is bad that private, for-profit entities are ripping off tax payers with permission from these people, but when they are recipients of income from these “schools” — even if they were successful — it is without conscience or care for the citizenry they were elected to work FOR. I am thoroughly disgusted. Thoroughly.
It’s happening in Utah, too, with the group’s spin-off, Academica West. A former senator, who had to resign because he was caught driving drunk, works for Academica (still, even after the disgrace), and his replacement’s son works for Academica as well. And that’s just my district; there are probably others legislators in the pocket of Academica West.
I am very disillusioned with much of what is going on, not just in education, but with respect to the lack of jobs, the lack of loyalty, the lack of respect, the lack of trust, the lack of transparency, and on and on. It seems to be everywhere – in politics, in churches, in journalism, on the internet, among friends and family. There are walls where bridges once stood. And it is frightening to face the future in these deplorable situations. It seems that the only way to thrive is to play the game right or be the willing puppet for whoever is in charge. Sorry, the American Dream got trampled for far too many people. While I spent my life worrying about everyone else, no one was worrying about me. Sad. Sad. Sad.
Milton Friedman has succeeded beyond his wildest dreams, and Democrats were there every step of the way, cheering privatization on.
“We’ve reinvented how schools run,” said Neerav Kingsland of New Schools for New Orleans, which promotes and supports charter schools. Kingsland is leaving the organization to try to export the model to other cities. “If I am unhappy with service I’m getting in a school, I can pull my kid out and go to another school tomorrow. ”
That’s “choice” replacing “voice”. That was the theory. Schools as contract service providers and all elected leaders have to do is administer the public funds to the chosen contractor. No wonder they all love it. They’re off the hook for “public education” and they still get to have the power that comes with acting as a conduit for public funds. Nice work if you can get it, huh?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/in-new-orleans-traditional-public-schools-close-for-good/2014/05/28/ae4f5724-e5de-11e3-8f90-73e071f3d637_story.html
Welcome to Florida, home of the best Legislature money can buy. In the Sunshine State, one must purchase a lobbyist, just to gain a seat at the annual Legislator Auction. Act now, seats for the 2015 auction are going fast. Futures trading in legislators is at an all time high, indicative of an exciting 2015 session with larger than average profit potential. We are even seeing Saudi Royalty abandoning their oil positions in favor of the derivative market in Florida Legislators. Several major exchanges are considering allowing index funds based on the current trade price for legislators of specific committees. As the above blog indicates, expect a raging bull market in Education Committee votes.
You wonder when it reaches a tipping point with the public where they either stop participating completely or throw the whole crew out; politicians, lobbyists, contractors, all of them.
Perhaps the tipping point will be with “student stations”. Our students are human beings and not stations. We do not shout at them “Students, Man Your Battle Stations!” We do not love them and dream for them just to have them reduced to stations.
STATION: a place to stand in; place or spot that a person is appointed to occupy in the performance of some duty, assigned a post. The World Book Dictionary
I’m going to post this again because the Akron newspaper is continuing their excellent series on public school privatization in this state. Ohio outsourced “drop out recovery” to a for-profit chain of charters although public schools do a much better job with at-risk kids.
http://www.ohio.com/news/local/ohio-s-charter-school-dropouts-soar-push-state-in-opposite-direction-of-u-s-1.490893
There’s gold in them thar kids…
This is SIC!
I am not disillusioned, I am pissed. Florida is a runaway train of corruption.
Cross-posted at
http://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/For-Profit-Firm-Will-Open-in-Best_Web_OpEds-Charter-Schools_Education_For-profit-Education_Profit-140531-845.html#comment492163
Florida leads the way, but then there is sleazy Deasy in LA, and Joel Klein who delt the final blows to NYC before he went off to work for the corporations…. Education is the pot of gold for the corrupt.