William Phillis, a retired Deputy Commissioner of Ohio, leads the Ohio Equity and Adequacy Coalition. He fears for the future of public education because of the capture of the State Legislature by the privatization movement. The greatest danger, he writes, is charters, because they are promoted as reforms when they are a threat to pubic education and an insidious tool for privatization.
He writes:
The privatization of the public common school movement can be stopped: but a different approach is necessary
Many, if not most, public common school officials and public education advocates in Ohio have humored state officials since 1999 about the supposed merits of charter schools; and at the same time have given these state officials a pass on not creating a constitutional school funding system.
So what has been the result of this passive approach?
Loss of tangible personal property tax funds/state reimbursement for the loss
*Current public school funding level at about where it was seven years ago and no progress toward a constitutional system
*$1 billion being extracted from school districts this school year for a grossly failing charter industry
*Harmful education mandates being foisted on school districts
*$200 million being extracted this year from school districts for vouchers
*Charters are the epicenter of the privatization movement.
So what is the definitive goal of the privatizers?
Replace the common school, not supplement it
Eliminate teachers unions, boards of education and the teaching profession as it currently exists
Charters in Ohio have performed less well for children in neighborhoods with a high concentration of poverty; nevertheless, the market-driven reformers, aided by the Wall Street billionaires, education philanthropists and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan are moving forward with their agenda-replace the public common school system with a multi-faceted, privately-operated array of education competitors.
It is now time to recognize and renounce the dishonesty and greed inherent in the Ohio charter industry. The Ohio charter experiment is not fixable because it was created under false pretenses and is not answerable to the people it claims to serve.
Common school officials and public education advocates need to engage every community in a campaign to repeal the laws that created the parasitic charter industry.
William Phillis
Ohio E & A
ohioeanda@sbcglobal.net
Ohio E & A | 100 S. 3rd Street | Columbus | OH | 43215
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Education.
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I just emailed this to the Governor and the Ed Secretary.
“Governor Baker’s policy of increasing xenophobia adds to the problem I have been writing to the governor about for 2 years (including predecessor Patrick).
Charter Schools increase the segregation. They are pushing our students into segregated schools. This is what we have been fighting agasint since 1965 and you, Governor, and the Ed Secretary are making it worse.
Here is the description from North Carolina (a state where they purposely segregate white/black students). “In addition, during the period, individual charter schools have become increasingly racially imbalanced, in the sense that some are serving primarily minority students and others are serving primarily white students. ”
This is now a 3 or 4 tiered “system” with most affluent caucasian students getting the best of the deal and the others going back into “general ed” with the ELL student and the IEP student.
When I applied for a teaching job in Virginia in 1963 the superintendent told me “we have integrated the school students but we have not integrated the faculty”. The black teachers were forced to give up their teaching licenses because white teachers (like me) were entitled to the jobs. I didn’t know that at the time or I would not have accepted a position in Fairfax County.
There will obviously be court cases to follow but YOU Governor are accountable today. Please don’t pull a Rahm Emanuel dodge and don’t ever say you were not told about these facts.
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Public schools are starting to get some traction with lawmakers on the funding issue.
“Columbus residents in 2013 overwhelming rejected a levy that would have shared local property-tax dollars with charter schools, but data show that the sharing is essentially happening anyway.When a student living in the Columbus district attends a charter school, the state subtracts nearly $7,800 on average from the district. But the state share of per pupil funding is $2,900”
Public schools then have to do one of two things- they have to cut into the state funding for their own students (and replace that with local funding) or they have to make up the charter funding the state didn’t provide by shifting local funding to charters.
The problem with that is 1. voters specifically rejected local funding for charters, and 2. we’re told it doesn’t matter that charters don’t have local (elected) oversight because they don’t receive local funding. Except they ARE receiving local funding by a backdoor method.
If the state wants charter schools the state should fund charter students at $7,800 instead of using this shell game that harms public school students and does an end run around voters.
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That is some real funny math. They subtract $7800 from the $2900 they gave you for each student. HUH???
I starring at the screening with a really dumbfounded look. This is insane if not criminal.
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We have a lot of state lawmakers who promote charters. However, we apparently don’t have a lot of state lawmakers who are willing to allocate the state funding per pupil that charters actually require. Instead they just shoved that deficit off on public schools, who have to then collect the difference locally. If these are state schools (and they are, as far as governance and- supposedly- funding) then the state should pay for them.
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in addition the students who are “left behind” in general ed are ELL/ESL or on IEP and the cost to educate them is sometimes treated as 1.5 the regular cost but our state equalization formulas don’t account for that. This is not meant to be pejorative to students in any way but Maynard Reynolds and Evelyn Deno (mom of current Stan Deno) said “you can grow strawberries in March in New England but at some expense.”
These issues really make me sad for students and teachers.
Instead they just shoved that deficit off on public schools, who have to then collect the difference locally.
jeanhaverhill@aol.com
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The facts are routinely suppressed by the press. Congress and Obama just endorsed this corrupt industry and bankrolled it. There are no consequences for those who are ripping off public funds while pretending to serve low income minority students and increasing segregation.
The corruption in Ohio is swept under the rug.
The next target is teacher education…sorry teacher training… with independent “teaching academies” purveying the idea that all teachers need to do to be “effective” is raise test scores and comply, comply, comply, and practice, and practice, practice skill sets until they pass muster as performers of a version of no-nonsense instruction, ensuring their students do the same.
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“jeanhaverhill
December 11, 2015 at 9:33 am
in addition the students who are “left behind” in general ed are ELL/ESL or on IEP and the cost to educate them is sometimes treated as 1.5 the regular cost but our state equalization formulas don’t account for that. This is not meant to be pejorative to students in any way but Maynard Reynolds and Evelyn Deno (mom of current Stan Deno) said “you can grow strawberries in March in New England but at some expense.”
These issues really make me sad for students and teachers.
Instead they just shoved that deficit off on public schools, who have to then collect the difference locally.”
It just makes it so hard for public schools because raising taxes locally is difficult. They have to explain why they’re asking for money and it’s complicated. It’s also really unfair to transfer state funding away from public school students to charter school students to make up the difference. The public school students should be due the state funding they’re entitled to- we all send money to Columbus. If Ohio state lawmakers are such big fans of setting up a parallel “state school system” the least they could do is pay for it.
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“Instead they just shoved that deficit off on public schools, who have to then collect the difference locally.” agreed
And Romney was the primary person ; he withheld state funds and made the local cities/towns come up with school budgeted funds. That was before the Great Recession of course but it just got worse — the areas that have no industrial base can’t raise enough taxes to build the budget. And, those same areas have to tax themselves at a disproportionate rate ( in comparison with a more affluent city or town)…. at any minute I keep thinking Virginia Brian will jump in here and tell me how “liberal” I am and that I’ve been “brainwashed” he has a need to render personal attacks
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this backs up what Chiara was saying about funding cuts… state AND local funds cut… etc… http://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/most-states-have-cut-school-funding-and-some-continue-cutting
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Chiara — I agree on both points… “They have to explain why they’re asking for money and it’s complicated. It’s also really unfair to transfer state funding away from public school students to charter school students to make up the difference.”
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Some taxpayers need to oppose this — I would not want one penny of MY tax monies going to any charter school anywhere….which, since I do not live in a district where there are charters, as far as my real/personal property tax goes, I’m safe. I don’t know how to attack the portion of my federal and state INCOME taxes going to Mr. Obama’s favored charter schools and the charters that have been created in Missouri for SOME (but by no means all) of urban districts, but in my state, the bulk of funding for schools comes from real and personal property tax.
The public simply does not realize that there is no PRACTICAL difference between charters and vouchers.
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The Dayton Daily News, specifically reporters, Laura Bischoff and Josh Sweigart, have had front page news articles that expose Ohio’s charter school corruption. The most recent involves the role that the State Treasurer played. “…charter schools didn’t get the Mandel transparency treatment until a reporter asked about it…according to the treasurer’s press secretary, … charter school management companies (as) private sector businesses, (unlike public schools, won’t be asked to post) expenditures at the treasurer’s site….Donors with connections to charter schools have contributed more than $117,000 to Mandel’s campaign (the lion’s share, from for-profits)…”
Ms. Bischoff further cites a prior Akron Beacon Journal article, by Doug Livingston, “Since 2001, state auditors have uncovered $27.3 million improperly spent by charter schools…they enroll thousands of children and produce academic results that rival the worst in the nation.”
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The “private sector business” problem is coming up again. There’s a proposal to bar charters from using student funds for advertising. Public schools can’t use public funds to advertise.
I don’t think lawmakers can bar private sector businesses from purchasing advertising and the management companies are private sector. They could change the Ohio law and designate charter funding as “public” but they won’t do that because the charter lobby would object. It’s amusing how lawmakers have made themselves basically irrelevant in all this- they outsourced so much they privatized themselves right out of a job 🙂
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It’s amusing (and, sickening) to see the charter industry twist like pretzels, while trying to label, what is a private business structure, (with all of the privileges of a private entity and none of the risks), as if it’s a public entity, (only with none of the accountability, of either a public or a private entity). Joe Nathan’s final answer to the unfortunate dilemma, stated in a prior post, was priceless. He wrote, state legislatures say they’re public. And, he didn’t appear to be kidding. BTW, who foots the bill for Nathan’s center. And, is his salary a matter of public record like those of public teachers and administrators?
In Ohio, we expect the Ohio legislative, judicial and executive branches to be corrupt, based on evidence. Lies and deceits nest in Columbus.
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Charter schools: where does the parasitism end, and the predation begin?
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A just released report (December 9, 2015) from the Fordham Institute and Teachers College, Columbia University identifies “America’s Best (and Worst) Cities for School Choice. “
The methodology is clearly indicated and formulated with some expertise beyond the Fordham Institute. Dr. Priscilla (Penny) Wohlstetter, Distinguished Research Professor at Columbia University’s Teachers College contributed to the design and implementation (aided by graduate students). Her scholarship focus has been school choice, charter schools, charter management organizations, and parental involvement in schools of choice. The other contributors were Fordham Research Director Dara Zeehandelaar and Associate David Griffith. The report is organized around a discussion of the criteria for a “choice-friendly” city and data gathering bearing on three main topics and measures in rating the cities:
“1. Political support, which gauges the stance of key players relative to school choice, including the mayor, city council, school board, superintendent, parent groups, and the media.
2. Policy environment, which includes the strength of state charter laws; funding and facilities access for charter starters; non-profit, business, and philanthropic support; vital consumer tools, such as school report cards and pupil transportation; and quality control mechanisms, such as policies for closing weak and fading schools.
3. Quantity and quality, which addresses the types of choice options that are presently available in a city and the mechanisms for helping people to access them (such as voucher and open enrollment programs); the portion of market share occupied by charters and other specialized schools; and the quality of the choice sector in that city.(p. iv).
“Locales for the study were selected using 2010 census data and some rule-of-thumb preferences for a representation of city sizes, geographic diversity, as well as cities where “education reform has gained traction—or is attempting to do so.” “The final list of thirty includes seven of the nine American mega cities, fourteen of twenty-five large cities, and nine of forty-two medium-sized cities” (p. 9).
The following overall ratings are based on numerical ratings for specific factors within each of three broad areas of interest: politics, policy, and market (quantity and quality). These weightings are colored coded on a master chart, on page 15, for a comparison of “strengths and weaknesses” among cities.
Here are the ratings.
Best cities for charters/choice: New Orleans-1,Washington, D.C.- 2, Denver-3, Indianapolis-4, Columbus-5, Milwaukee-6, , Newark-7, Oakland-8, Atlanta-9, Detroit-10
Middle of the Pack: Chicago 11, Boston-12, New York City-13, Philadelphia-14, Los Angeles-15, Minneapolis-16, Baltimore-17, Kansas City, MO 18, Houston-19, San Francisco-20
Bottom of the pack: Nashville-21, Jacksonville- 22, San Diego- 23, Tulsa- 24, Dallas- 25, Seattle-26, Charlotte-27, Pittsburgh, 28, Austin- 29, Albany 30
The study shows that state policies have left their imprints on cities. For example, “as of the 2013–14 school year there are thirty-nine mechanisms for private school choice (vouchers, scholarship tax credit programs, education savings accounts, and tuition tax credits) across eighteen different states” (p. 2).
This report serves as a tool for targeted marketing of charter schools as well as a guide to which strategies may be needed to strengthen “market share” in each city. The report was embargoed until December 9, 2015 for no obvious reason that I can think of… other than allowing charter supporters to use this information in lobbying for generous support of charters in ESSA… a mission accomplished.
There are detailed profiles of each city, another aide to targeted marketing.
Click to access fordham_-_2015-12-09_americas_best_and_worst_cities_for_school_choice.pdf
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Thanks Laura, a few things stood out to me about Ohio, in the summary.
If media influences political support, then newspapers, magazines, T.V. and radio should be paid for their services, in carrying the banner for charter schools. Every quote from Fordham, the Ohio Alliance of Charter Schools, the Buckeye Institute, etc. should have dollars, for media, attached to them.
If Columbus charter schools are associated with Fordham or other “philanthropies”, what happens when the plutocrats pull the funding?
Where’s mention of an important variable, like federal tax-paid promotion ($71 million to Ohio) from the Dept. of Ed.?
Why is the opinion of democracy’s majority, ignored as a key player?
Wait…I know the answer. A Princeton professor reported that Congress doesn’t listen to 90% of the people. Apparently, Teachers College and Fordham, followed Congress’ lead and ignored the fact that a representative democracy starts as a democracy.
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When is the sequel planned, “What Makes Public Schools, Great in America?”
Did Wohlstetter receive any external funding for the report?
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The Wohlstetter’s paper was funded by the Arnold and Walton Foundations. Wohlstetter is on the Broad Charter School Prize Review Board, along with former Gates employee and Duncan Chief of Staff, and current education executive at Parthenon, Margot Rogers.
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I am not familiar with Ohio at all and have no opinion on its situation. My broad view is that the charter movement has good and bad actors, and factual analysis helps find out which is which.
I disagree with those who think that all charter schools are bad (or good) in the same way, that I disagree with those who think that all Republicans (or all Democrats) are either ignorant or dishonest.
Education, just like any hyper-politicized issue, has spin-masters on both sides pushing their focus group-tested half-truths, and average parents are left to themselves, trying to sift through the noise and separate fiction from fact.
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Just a few points to consider. Charter school debt returns 10-18% to Wall Street. That’s money that leaves the community. To gain advantage, in terms of, ownership of taxpayer-funded school assets, lax regulation, and higher tuition payments from the state, charter school operators go to great lengths to corrupt state legislatures and governors. Often, the charter schools that perform well are being subsidized by venture philanthropists. What performance record can be expected, when that funding dries up? What school is going to pick-up the students that were weeded out, from the cherry-picking charters? Final point- watch Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO,who is partnered with charter schools, in a YouTube video, describing the elimination of democratically elected school boards.
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“Charter school debt returns 10-18% to Wall Street.” Linda, in NYC, Success Academy doesn’t take loans from Wall Street (to my knowledge) and uses philanthropic donations solely for the startup cost of opening up new schools. Existing schools are not dependent on philanthropy.
So I agree that the charter school model should be sustainable, and I don’t think that schools should be providing investment return to Wall Street.
On corruption, teachers’ unions corrupt the political system just as much, as the charter lobby – that is the “pay for play” system that we live under, unfortunately. And, also unfortunately, our teachers’ union in NYC champions a seniority-based, instead of a merit-based system, in their contract (not sure why).
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These comments are good examples of why “giving the states authority” over schools is a bad idea. If you really want to get ESSA Indigestion read this article:http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2015/12/how-economics-and-race-drive-americas-great-divide.html#comment-2523747
Here’s the quote that jumped out at me:“The whole concern for more states’ rights is at least in part an attempt to let states with a troubled racial history go their own way.”
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