Yesterday, we remarked on the candid remarks of the StudentsFirst executive director in Ohio, who said that most charters in his state “stink” and should be closed down. That was a hopeful sign that at some part of the reform movement might be willing to bend on its anti-teacher pro-privatization agenda.
But today we learn from Eclectablog in Michigan that StudentsFirst has fired an ex-state legislator who was recalled by voters. He is, says Eclectablog, known for his homophobic remarks. When he was recalled, he was chair of the House Education Committee, and StudentsFirst gave him a campaign contribution of $73,000.
Eclectablog writes:
“Given their long history together, it’s not too surprising that StudentsFirst, which spends much of its time attacking teachers, trying to destroy public schools, and promoting for-profit charter schools across the country, would hire Paul Scott. Because, hey, nothing says “students first” like hiring an extremist homophobe who rails about the evils of teaching children about contraception while impregnating an staffer to whom you aren’t married.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Wow, talk about not learning from your past mistakes. This is the second time that I know of that $tudent$ La$t has backed, in this case by hiring a known homophobe. Why would they even consider bringing a man rejected and RECALLED by voters to represent them? Power and influence are everything to them, nothing else including actual students matters. I’m going out on a limb and predicting this doesn’t last more than 10 days. Didn’t $tudent$ La$t also try to ride the coat tails of the “It get’s better” idea? Oh yes they did!
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is there a typo? I think so. Paragraph 2.
StudentsFirst has fired an ex-state legislator who was recalled by voters. Just the opposite seems to be the case.
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Yes, that is a typo.
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Wasn’t there something about a Students First rep writing some anti-gay nonsense before? Is this the same fella? You know, they are an incestuous bunch, those Rheeformers…and Rhee herself is married to a disgusting pig who gropes young girls and Rhee herself flew in to do the damage control. Nothing Students First says, does, espouses, etc. surprises me. I don’t trust them; they have one agenda. They could care less about the reputations of the people with whom they associate; so long as they go along with the agenda. They are all disgusting.
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Another charter investigation in Ohio:
“The Imagine academy pays an Imagine subsidiary $700,000 per year to rent a school with just 155 students. The rent consumes more than half of the struggling school’s annual budget, leaving little for classroom instruction.
And when a plumbing problem sent sewage flowing though classrooms on the first day of school, the tenant—not the landlord—was responsible for the repair.
Board Chair Melonia Bennett said she knows the five-year lease is valid. “But I’m kind of hoping that if we point out some of the issues – like the school might not be viable in five years because of how high our costs are – that at least the parties would be willing to discuss the issue.’’
As expected, Imagine representatives who attended the meeting appeared hostile to the idea, repeatedly advising the school to bring in more money by enrolling more students.
ProgressOhio Executive Director Brian Rothenberg, whose organization secretly videotaped the meeting, showed part of the tape at a Columbus news conference Tuesday and said he hopes it inspires other charter school boards to fight back, too.
Board members made the same point, arguing that the school’s low test scores could be raised with more interventions and more experienced teachers but low salaries lead to high teacher turnover. The school received an F on the latest state report card.
The Imagine academy is a charter school paid for with public money and operated by Imagine Schools Inc., a Virginia-based company.
In addition to paying $700,000 to lease the building, the school pays Imagine about $10,000 per month in “indirect costs” it pays to Imagine for sponsor services, according to its balance statement. The money is to pay for lawyers and salaries for corporate and regional staff such as Jennifer Keller, director of Imagine’s Ohio regional team.
Keller is the sister of Amy Butte, Imagine Executive Vice President for Ohio and Indiana. Amy’s husband, Chris, is business manager of the Ohio Regional Team.
Keller attended the board meeting and defended the $700,000 per year lease.
“Until we start to get our enrollment up the lease is going to be a substantial cost. So we have to figure out, 1: How do we increase enrollment.” The more students the school has the more state money it collects – and the more it must pay in those “indirect’’ fees to Imagine.”
Imagine is huge. It looks like they have schools in 12 states.
http://www.progressohio.org/2014/09/charter-school-pays-700000year-in-rent-at-155-child-school/
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