The Iberville Parish school board decided to sue the state when it learned of the state’s plan to divert a sizable portion of the district’s basic funding to a new, for-profit charter school.
“The Iberville Parish School Board decided Monday it would fight to retain more than $3.8 million in state funding by suing the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
“The school district is seeking an injunction to stop BESE from funneling the state Minimum Foundation Program funding to a new charter school, which opened on Monday, until the matter can be heard in court.
“The board made the decision during its regular meeting Monday night at the recommendation of Superintendent Ed Cancienne, who previously called the opening of the Iberville Charter Academy “an intrusion on the school district’s rights and tax money.”
“Chief Financial Officer Jolain Landry said the Iberville Parish School System was set to receive more than $15.8 million in funding from the state’s Department of Education for the 2014-15 school year. But the district received notice over the summer that approximately $3.8 million of the money was instead being allocated to the Iberville Charter Academy, she said.”
Members of the local board were outraged by the raid on their Minimum Foundation Funding and suggested that it was inspired by campaign contributions:
““This parish shouldn’t have to suffer; to take our local dollars to support a private business and make a profit off of our kids in this parish, it’s not right,” board member Brian Willis said before voting Monday.
“Board member Nancy Broussard chided the Education Department for allowing the charter school to receive MFP funding based on enrollment projections instead of actual student counts. She also berated the department for giving charter schools more lax accountability standards compared to public schools.
“Board member Tom Delahaye called charter schools a hoax and theorized the state’s push to welcome charter schools into local districts was being driven by campaign contributions.
“Delahaye presented to the board a print-out from the state’s Ethics Administration Program website showing itemized campaign contributions from Charter Schools USA, the company managing the Iberville Charter Academy, to BESE members and Gov. Bobby Jindal.
“Charter Schools USA has given right at $25,000 in campaign contributions in the past three years,” he said. “This for-profit organization is giving them money to buy influence to set up a school in our parish and take advantage of our children — that’s what’s happening here.”
The Parish board voted 12-2 to sue the state. One of the two dissenters said she was not opposed to the suit but wanted other local boards to share the cost of litigation.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I am thrilled that some school boards are standing up for public schools. Thank you to Iberville Parish for fighting for its children and challenging the rigged for profit system that is being forced on their children while the state starves the public schools.
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So, when are educators going to unite to tell the government and big business that public education is successful?
How do we overcome the bad press?
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Finally! Guess they can’t hide.
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I think it’s great that people are figuring out that the nonprofits and foundations are just legal entities to comport with the various state laws and they don’t actually run the schools:
“The South Louisiana Charter Foundation is the Founding Board and a petitioner for charter schools in the state of Louisiana . The South Louisiana Charter Foundation is a Louisiana not-for-profit entity organized exclusively for educational purposes and is comprised of respected leaders in the state of Louisiana that are committed to providing high quality educational options for the citizens of this State.
The Board of Directors is responsible for developing and outlining the mission, vision, and values of the school and developing the appropriate policies to ensure those fundamentals are maintained. The South Louisiana Charter Foundation Board of Directors has contracted with a professional education management organization, Charter Schools USA, to provide all necessary management and professional expertise. Charter Schools USA assists in developing, planning, and marketing the School, as well as finance, human resources, curricula and school operations. Charter Schools USA is responsible for developing and implementing the ongoing operational procedures in accordance with the mission, vision, and values outlined by the Governing Board.”
Developing, planning, marketing, curricula, staffing. This is a for profit business wrapped in a non profit shell. The next question they need to ask is which entity actually employs the staff, because “employee” is an important designation. I guess they’d need the contract between the shell and the contractor.
My fear is that public schools will go this route too, and outsource every essential function to a for profit contractor. I think the only thing standing in the way are teachers unions, and thank goodness for that or they’d all end up contract employees of national for-profits. “The school” won’t mean anything at all. They could even take it one step further and make staff independent contractors to avoid the responsibility and duty that comes with an employee/employer relationship. We don’t even know if that’s the case now.
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Public educators gain more traction by enlisting the support of school boards, parents and PTAs. Teachers can be ignored and demonized, as we have seen in the media. It’s hard to dismiss parents when they fight for the rights and opportunity of their children. Sadly, too many school districts are being carved up like hedge fund managers dismantling companies and selling off the parts to for profit companies with ties to local government.. Philadelphia and New Orleans are two cities that come to mind. Laws need to be changed to stop this corrupt practice.
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Reblogged this on Crazy Crawfish's Blog and commented:
For profit charter schools make contributions to state BESE members which approve charter schools in districts they do not represent. Iberville is represented by Lottie Bebee and Carolyn Hill, both of which I am sure voted against this charter, yet the charter was approved by other members who received contributions. If I was a taxpayer from Iberville I would be upset that the will of officials I elected was ignored by those who I did not elect and who received money for favorable votes and treatment.
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