Blogger Peter Goodman writes that the Néw York Board of Regents has a charter problem: they have low standards and refuse to be held accountable.
The Refents approved the Greater Works charter inRochester without investigating the qualifications of the lead applicant and CEO. The young man claimed to have many degrees, but none were verified by journalists. The Regents’ first response was that the State Education Department was to blame, and they insisted that the school would open anyway. Eventually, with so much terrible publicity, the Refents decided not to open the charter. Along the way, a spokesman for the State Education Department defended the approval by saying that they review proposals, not individuals. This was as outrageous as the approval of the proposal. Would the SED approve a beautifully written proposal from Charles Manson? Really.
The Regents also approved a charter for Steve Perry of Hartford, who modestly calls himself “America’s Most Trusted Educator” and is frequently away from his desk making speeches in other cities. Jonathan Pelto has called for an investigation of Perry’s plan to use materials developed and owned by the Hartford Public Schools in his private charter operation. He has also written that Perry’s academic results are below those of the Hartford public schools for African-American males. He is noted for bluntness; last year, in a speech in Minneapolis, he referred to teachers’ unions as “roaches.” Count on him for provocative rhetoric.
The Regents should take care in authorizing charter schools. They got egg on their faces over the Richester schools. Parents across the state are outraged by their obsession with standardized testing. At the very least, they should move forward with prudence and listen to the public, whom they are supposed to serve.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Democracy at Work has a weekly program, “Economic Update”, which is broadcast live from WBAI, in New York. The program, by economist Richard Wolff, airs live at 12:00 p.m. on Saturdays and is available on-line. I’ve asked the local stations in my area to carry the program. Wolff’s information provides a counter to the, bought and paid for economists, who practice deceit in Wash. D.C., Albany, Columbus….
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It’s good to see Peter Goodman, whose blog posts can be taken as a rough proxy for the outlook of Unity Caucus, which has controlled the UFT for over half a century, take a poke at the Regents and charter schools.
However, not only is it long overdue, but there’s more than a little dissembling involved, considering that the UFT leadership was nowhere to be found when New York’s Reptilian Governor kneecapped Mayor Bill De Blasio last spring, and provided immense support for these very same charter schools.
Cuomo is now calling for a special session of the legislature, presumably to increase or eliminate the charter cap, among other attacks on teachers and public schools. You’d think the UFT/AFT would finally wake up, if only for pecuniary reasons, since an elimination of the charter cap threatens their precious dues machine. However, it seems they can’t/won’t even challenge the edu-profiteers on such a life-or-death matter. It makes you wonder what their real motivation is, aside from maintaining their own power and “a seat at the table” (really the children’s stool) while the spoils of public education’s destruction are divvied up.
Too little, too late, at best.
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“At the very least, they should move forward with prudence and listen to the public, whom they are supposed to serve.”
But isn’t the premise of these approvers of charters that “public servants are not to be trusted/” So if you trust me (the charter approver) to make decisions, you are fools.
So fraud reigns unhampered by obligations to be trustworthy and in service of the public interest.
My three-finger exercisefor the day in reformy logic. These folks are being allowed to do buisness on behalf of the citizens and apparently have no legal duty, no moral obligation to exercise due diligence.
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“My three-finger exercise for the day in reformy logic.”
Not familiar with a “three finger exercise”. Please fill me in as it sounds like an exercise I should be doing to help shed the weight of the insanity of the edudeformers on my brain.
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So there is no reason to make sure a PEDOPHILE doesn’t run a charter?
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Completely agree that a new school proposal, whether submitted as a charter or as a “Pilot” (in Boston or LA) or a “New Vision” in NYC or a “site governed” school in Minneapolis Public schools, or teacher led schools. should be checked carefully. Good intentions are not enough.
The premise is not distrust of public officials. The premise is in part that educators, working with others, should be given opportunities to create new options, open to all, that are non-sectarian. They are given greater freedom over “how” to operate in exchange for greater responsibility to achieve goals, measured in various ways.
Should’t district educators have these opportunities? Yes, of course. That’s why it’s encouraging to see the spread of opportunities such as the Pilot, New Vision, site governed and teacher led schools.
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That’s the thing—-it’s obvious they don’t serve the public. They serve Wall Street and Hedge Fund billionaires who want to profit off corporate Charters and don’t care if those schools to their job teaching children.
The corporate funded and driven public education reform movement has never been about improving education. It has been about being in control of what children learn and making a profit while brainwashing future generations to be more compliant and uncomplaining about the methods corporations use to make money.
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Regents pull same faux pas in initial approval of a charter school for Niagara Falls.Turned out there was a member of the initial group that was convicted of embezzlement. How many other “oops” have they made??
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Interesting lawsuit on funding in Ohio:
Click to access 2014-ohio-3741.pdf
Toledo, Cleveland and Dayton sued the Ohio Dept of Education because the ODE was using two different formulas to count students re: public and charter. The public schools were funded based on a “snapshot” on “count day” while the charter funding number was fluid – it could go up or down.
This resulted in the public schools taking “add ins” (students who enroll later or switch from charter to public) with no funding. The districts want to be reimbursed for the inequitable funding.
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Another crazy MI charter story:
“If you visit Battaglia’s American Classical Academy website, you find a bare bones site that has no information about who the leadership is or any relevant information. The site shows that they are planning to open a school in Warren and they even received $100,000 of our tax money as a gift from our Republican legislature for the 2012-2013 school year despite the fact that the school hasn’t even opened yet. The Warren Classical Academy website is equally bare bones and their nearly two-year old Facebook page is empty. This is all despite claims they will open the school next year.”
http://www.eclectablog.com/2014/12/conservative-religious-group-attempting-to-open-michigan-charter-schools-in-brighton-warren-using-our-taxes.html
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When the International Reading Association featured Steve Perry (Angry Black Man) at their annual convention, I dropped my membership. Was so hoping it was the other Steve Perry (Awesome Lead Singer of Journey). Sigh.
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