I posted recently about the indictment in Florida of leaders of an Ohio-based charter management company.
This reader reacted:
“As a previous employee of Newpoint, I hope North Carolina school district opens their eyes and stops allowing NEP to open schools there. Look what has happened in Florida. In Pensacola the Director of Newpoint Academy and Newpoint Pensacola High School Mr. John Graham told us our bank account was swiped clean at the end of every month which left us with nothing to work with financially. We had terrible internet service for our technology based middle school and high school. This left our high school students unable to do class work since their whole curriculum was on line. We had no money, a dirty school, high teacher turnover, and were fed stories of how things were going to get better for four long years. From reading the newspapers from south Florida, this story of no money, high teacher turnover… repeated itself in their counties where Newpoint had schools.
“Now we find out, NEP is charged with grand theft, money laundering, and white collar crime in our county. NEP should have to pay Escambia County that money back. Why does the owner get away with such theft ? If you steal a blouse from a store, you get arrested and thrown in jail for it, but if you steal hundreds of thousands of dollars of tax payers Federal funds, you pay a fine and get away with it? All of these counties should tie that owner up in court with law suits for the next ten years!”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Newpoint has already been indicted in Escambia County, Florida. An Escambia County grand jury indicted Newpoint Education Partners and three other companies for grand theft, money laundering and aggravated white collar crime. It looks like the district has a solid case against Newpoint. Other local leaders should watch and learn. Malcolm Thomas, superintendent, is willing to pursue a case against the corporation and its vendors for fraudulently billing the district for goods and services. This is what other local leaders need to do. They need to hold charters accountable for their actions and pursue legal action, if necessary. Local communities should write blank checks and hope for the best.
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Wonder what their budget was for advertising and PR.
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…and lobbying.
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“We had terrible internet service for our technology based middle school and high school”
How did I know this scam was “technology based”- because they always are? One of the companies advertises that they can save schools money on staffing with “online learning”
This is about education on the cheap for lower and middle income students. Come on- it’s obvious. People shouldn’t need a flashing neon sign to spot a blatant rip-off.
If they’re replacing staff with screens don’t accept it as “21st century learning”
It’s a scam and they’re all cleaning up selling it.
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Yes, they need to be sued, but courts are expensive and take time and energy.
What needs to be done is for the STATE’S ATTORNEY’S GENERAL TO INDICT THESE CRIMINALS SO THE JUSTICE SYSTEM IS UPHELD BY THOSE WHOSE JOB IT IS TO PROTECT US!
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Honestly, it should never have happened, or happen, in the first place. The government promotes charters, every kind, and the hedge funders are throwing symposiums showing how to get into the game of grifting tax dollars by opening charters and sweet real estate, technology, and service deals…all at the expense of the students. But, its all for the kids, right? And who cares, so long as the taxpayers are bilked out of trillions of dollars, and the middle class on down are given the shaft? You have to blame the government…when even during the government shut down, millions were gifted to TFA as part of the reopening. The politicians are patient….its been what now…25/30 years? They aren’t done yet, but the difference is we’ve wised up because they have become brazen and bold – they don’t even try to hide their lies anymore. Obama was the perfect president to pull off the duping of America.
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