Gene V. Glass, distinguished professor emeritus at Arizona State University, made a stunning discovery: the President of the State Board of Education is CEO of a charter school, which pays him and his family handsomely. The state of Arizona does not care about conflicts of interest, especially where charter schools are involved.
He writes:
A few years back, Arizonans saw the Chairperson of the State Charter School Board award a charter to a non-profit foundation (which was really K12 Inc., the online school provider), then be hired by the foundation to head the Arizona Virtual Academy, and then be hired by K12 Inc. as a vice-president for something-or-other. She continues to occupy the latter two posts.
Arizona simply doesn’t recognize things called conflicts of interest. I could list dozens concerning public education. A staff member the Board of Regents once told me that in Arizona if you declare your connections, then you can no longer be accused of having a conflict of interest. Perhaps this qualifies as some minimal level of ethical behavior.
A new flagrant conflict of interest has just become apparent to me. A man named Greg Miller is president of the Arizona State Board of Education. There is also a man named Greg Miller who is CEO of Challenge Charter School in Glendale, AZ, a suburb of Phoenix. Matching up photos of the Board president and the charter CEO leaves no doubt that these two individuals are one in the same Greg Miller. Mr. Miller, a civil engineer for 25 years, founded Challenge Charter School in the late 1990s and for a while served as principal. His current title is CEO. Mrs. Pam Miller, his wife, once served on a school board; the Challenge Charter Schools website lists no current duties for Mrs. Miller. But daughter Wendy Miller was appointed Principal of Challenge Charter School the same year in which she earned her MBA.
Glass posts the IRS form 990 for the charter school. Remember, the head of the Miller family is the president of the Arizona State Board of Education.
Greg Miller, the CEO of a school “system” with about 650 students, is being compensated to the tune of $145,000 annually. His wife receives the same salary, though her duties are never enumerated at the website and her position is only described as “Executive Director/Vice-PR,” whatever Vice-PR is. The Miller’s daughter Wendy, who has degrees in Public Administration and Business, receives a salary of more than $120,000 for acting as Principal/Secretary. Basically, the Miller family, while working assiduously 60 hours a week each as reported on their IRS form, is taking about $425,000 a year out of the coffers for salary.
Glass observes:
Crony capitalism, conflicts of interest, charter schools lining the pockets of amateur entrepreneurs, “quasi-private” schools being operated at public expense, an increasingly segregated state school system … it’s just education reform Arizona style.
[P.S. Please do not confuse this family with one of my favorite movies, “We Are the Millers,” which is hilarious, involves criminal activity, and does not involve conflicts of interest.]
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Leads me to wonder why the administration here at the 4th largest district in the US makes what it does. Why does someone going into administration “deserve” 20% more, if not higher, than me. I’ve taught for 23 yrs, working on PhD thesis, have been a science teacher of the year for the district, get great evaluations, know that I impact student learning, work possibly longer hours than many admins….but apparently am not a “leader” and deserve less.
I know people that got into admin because they did not like the classroom, and now as “leaders” of a craft/trade/profession they never excelled at they make much more than me and have unquestionable authority over me.
Just venting, maybe feeling a tad disenfranchised….but I love my job (science is a vocation and avocation for me….I’d teach for free if the State took care of me, well maybe not).
IMO, no one should be promoted to administration that has not taught at least 5-8 yrs, and had good evaluations.
You sound like the type of person that has found his “calling.” Unfortunately, your “perceived” value is less than a paper pushing bureaucrat, and your big payoff may be in heaven. We need many more indians in the world than chiefs. You, sir, are helping to build tomorrow, and your impact will be felt long after you are gone.
Daytime exterior of Yankee Stadium, then inside to George Costanza’s office.
Ade: I can’t thank you enough, Mr. Costanza. I’m so grateful
George: Yes, well, I sat down with Mr. Steinbrenner. I told him you
have been doing great work. I said that you deserved a raise, and if
you didn’t get it, that I, was leaving. (motions with both arms in a
circular motion to his right)
Ade: It was just so generous.
George: Oh, well, don’t worry about it — he’s got plenty of money.
(spins his chair away from her)
Ade: Oh I know, but Twenty Five Thousand.
George: (spins his chair back to face her) So you got a $25,000 a year
raise.
Ade: Yes, I tell you, Mr. Steinbrenner…
George: You’re making more than I am.
Ade: I am?
George: What are you doing? You’re making more than I am. A secretary cannot make more than her boss!
Ade: Well apparently they can.
Never been in the publics but my sis is in admin now (upstate NY). The 2 systems she’s worked in do things the right way. She wasn’t even a pt-teacher/pt-admin until she’d been teaching 10yrs; plus was union rep for yrs. A 2nd master’s & more courses & yrs of teaching later, she’s now a hard-working AP in a prestigious system in the next town. (She would have stayed in her home system if they hadn’t passed her over twice in favor of less-qualified men!)
But one question, Rick: I see she works just as long & hard hrs as ever, but now she’s on emergency call all school year long, & works 8 additional weeks (July-Aug). And she is gifted with difficult kids, which makes her terrific in a disciplinary post. Why shouldn’t she be getting 20% more?
Yes, some admins do work harder and deserve the 20% more, and a great admin is worthy of what they earn. I’ve experience many who are not as passionate and professional, seem to put in the minimal requirement (I’m here before many of them, and sometimes stay later).
“Why shouldn’t she be getting 20% more?”
Then “Why shouldn’t she be getting 200% more?
Remember, we do not do this work for the money, it is for the children.
Remember, COI rules only apply to the little folk – see exhibit one – Joel Klein from DOE –> amplify.
Crony capitalism is a national malaise. We should change our motto to : Quid pro quo.
Couldn’t agree more!
“Conflict of Interest’
A “conflict of interest”
Is “battle for bucks”
Where primary interest
Is dollars and such
Arizona’s sister state to the east, NewMexico, has the same basic problems. A charter school system of four separate schools “was” paying the head cheese somewhere around $240,000 to run the four schools, which may have had a total of 700 students. He was getting paid more than the Albuquerque Superintendent of Public Schools with a student population of over 90,000 students. The NM Public Education Department (PED) stated that there was no problem with the big salary. The Charter School Board of Governors, according to the PED, can pay anything they want to the CEO of the charter school. Now if a Traditional Public School District Board of Education had pulled the same trick the PED would have been all over that District with all kinds of audits — but not for one of the PED’s favorite charter schools.
Note I said the CEO, or whatever they called him, “was” getting paid a huge salary. He and his school have been under investigation by the State of New Mexico Audit Office and this investigation has been turned over to the FBI. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, The FBI does not get involved unless there strong evidence of wrong doing.
Ohio charter reform is undergoing a very rigorous and open process:
“At the first hearing of HB 2, the head of the Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools, instead of the Legislative Service Commission or some other neutral party, provided legislators with background information on charter policy. During the most recent hearing, 18 individuals testified, orally or by written testimony. 17 of the 18 represented pro-charter organizations.”
Why bother holding hearings? It’s preaching to the choir. The entities they’re supposed to be regulating are the only testimony they hear. It’s a joke,
Great job opportunity in Fullerton California for a Superintendent who wants to work in one of the best districts in the nation. Please apply. We do not want to repeat the same mistakes of Florida. We are just beginning the testing process and we have a Governor who is on record of NOT BEING IN FAVOR OF NATIONAL TESTING.
It’s almost 50 years ago, now, since I came to Arizona. I spent 37 years teaching in the public school sector. Believe it or not, I am still surprised occasionally by the depth of corruption and legislative malfeasance, especially where education is concerned. On second thought, make that “shocked and disgusted” instead of surprised.