David Brennan, Akron industrialist, operates Ohio’s largest charter chain. Most are low-performing. But Brennan donates generously to key politicians, and his schools are rewarded, not closed down.
Bill Phillis of Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy writes:
“Brennan strikes again: More money proposed for the drop-out recovery schools
The billion dollar charter school operator, David Brennan, is about to get a huge early Christmas gift. His charter school empire includes dropout recovery charter schools. One of his dropout recovery charter schools graduated 2 out of 155 students in four years. A provision in HB 343, which is currently sailing through the House, will allow drop-out recovery charter schools to enroll students up to 29 years old for GED or diploma programs at a cost of $5,000 per student.
This provision in HB 343 exacerbates the transfer of tax money to private hands. For decades, Ohio public schools have provided adult basic education programs with remarkable results. The Johnny-come-lately state officials may be unaware of this.
Ohio taxpayers need to be informed about this, yet another example of inefficient use of tax money in charterland.
William Phillis
Ohio E & A
Ohio E & A | 100 S. 3rd Street | Columbus | OH | 43215
Diane Ravitch's blog 
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The worst part of this is the complete abdication of duty by Ohio lawmakers and administrators.
They’ve outsourced the most vulnerable students to a campaign contributor.
As an Ohio resident I would like to know why I’m paying the people who work in the public sector and happily “relinquish” the whole thing to the private sector.
If all we need is someone to distribute public funds to favored contractors, I don’t think we need this huge group of people in the statehouse and in state agencies.
Maybe we could take the money we save and hire someone who is interested in actually running a public education system; taking responsibility for it, dealing with the drop out problem, working to improve it, etc. instead of blithely selling it to the most politically connected bidder and walking away.
I get why politicians love “relinquishing” public education so much. It’s an accountability dodge. What I don’t get is why the people in this state don’t insist they DO THEIR JOBS.
We were told ed reformers would improve public schools. That’s what they sold in this state. We were never told “improving public schools” meant off-loading the entire job onto contractors.
They’ve had 15 years. When do we get to the part where they improve public schools?
Chiara: one of the best comments on any topic I have seen on this blog.
You wrote:
“They’ve had 15 years. When do we get to the part where they improve public schools?”
Much said in so very few words.
“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” [Ionesco]
😎
“A provision in HB 343, which is currently sailing through the House, will allow drop-out recovery charter schools to enroll students up to 29 years old for GED or diploma programs at a cost of $5,000 per student.”
The debate on this was amazing. The ed reformers in government were pushing each other out of the way to get to the microphones and denounce public schools, the same public schools they’re supposedly “improving”. It was portrayed as punishment for public schools, another economic sanction.
It’s a lie. Public schools in this state do a better job with drop out recovery than any of the “alternatives” out there, but Ohio lawmakers didn’t care. The objective was to punish public schools and advance the ed reform agenda.
I’m tired of paying people to damage and defame public schools. I think they should all go work for their donors in the private sector and get off our payroll. Surely there’s someone who actually values public schools and wants to do this work.
http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/06/ohio_gov_john_kasich_should_dr.html
Reblogged this on Crazy Normal – the Classroom Exposé and commented:
Another example of political corruption from CHATERLAND!
This provision in HB 343 exacerbates the transfer of tax money to private hands.
There is a concerted effort now to make the case that these are not really transfers of money from a public system with programs like this one and district contributions to their own schools through local taxes. The mantra is that the funds are for students and therefore are never raiding/reducing/ compromising public education…Public education is nothing more than the reallocation of funds on a per-student basis. The money should always follow the student. That is the sort of “reasoning” behind this and related versions of privatizing the public sector. Same for vouchers, opportunity scholarships, etc.
More money for charters. Less for public EDUCATION. Money supplants people in importance yet once again.
On the surface this seems like a good idea – a place for kids to go to get their GED if they had difficulties in the traditional high school program.
My son participated a special program such as this, but it was connected with the school district. It lasted ten weeks, and he also attended another program at ECC (Erie Community College) before taking and passing the GED exam. Both programs were free to the student (and included review workbooks). Unfortunately, I am afraid my son was an exception who actually received his GED at the age of eighteen.
That us probably why, when the budget crunch in NYS occurred, this was the first program eliminated from the district budget, even though the costs were one individual teacher for two hours a day, twenty weeks a year.
The Buffalo Public Schools has a night school program which is also two hours an evening, five days a week, throughout the school year. I’ve also seen adult GED programs within the city elementary schools so parents can finally pass this exam.
So, if Ohio already has a similar GED program, why the need for an entire GED school?It’s not as if the results justify the expense.
Shouldn’t charters fill a need which isn’t being met by the public schools? Somehow, the needs are often ways for parents to get their little darlings away from the riff raff without paying for a private education. Or in this case, placing the “undesirables” in one location.
Ellen T Klock
I am an Ohio teacher. Ohio education under Governor John Kasich is a twilight zone. He gives all of this money to charter schools to be wasted, and he does nothing to help Ohio middle class college students with the high tuitions in Ohio colleges and universities. Many public schools in Ohio under his watch are in trouble. Again, he doesn’t care. His twin daughters continue to be educated in private schools where his toxic policies will not be carried out.
The crazy thing is that he is planning to run for President. People can treat him just like he has treated Ohio residents and public employees. I would say to him, “You now need my vote to become President…” I have the right to vote “No”…You said that you will bring teachers to their knees…Guess what? You will never be President of the U.S. Go overseas and become a dictator. That is what you wish to be and what you have been in Ohio.” In my lifetime, I have never felt this way about an Ohio governor.
I can’t imagine how hard it has been for past Governor Strickland to watch Kasich’s dictatorship in Ohio. My gosh, Ohio residents have 4 more years of Kasich’s dictatorship. I don’t know what Ohio will look like in 4 years. Again, with the high taxes and high cost of living I hope that I can someday move out of Ohio. It is my dream.
Another thing that Ohio governor John Kasich and his legislators are working on is completely eliminating minimum Ohio teacher salary and the teacher salary schedule where teachers will never get a raise. Kasich is gutting the profession of teaching in Ohio. No young person in their right mind will pay for a Bachelor’s degree to make a salary which will not even be guaranteed at a minimum. The Twilight Zone continues. Everything is going to their plan. What will the teaching profession look like in another 4 years in Ohio under Dictator Kasich? Why doesn’t someone mess with his salary?