The American Indian Model School in Oakland has a checkered history.
It began as a school for American Indians. It was taken over by a swaggering, authoritarian leader named Ben Chavis. Chavis quietly got rid of the American Indians and replaced them with Asian and white students. The scores escalated, and the charter became famous and celebrated for its “no excuses” discipline and its high test scores.
Rise and Fall of California’s Most Celebrated Charter School
Governor Schwarzenegger visited the school, as did a parade of media luminaries. Chavis became a hero on the right, as he excoriated unions, multiculturalists, liberals, and anyone who questioned his harsh methods.
In a book called “Sweating the Small Stuff,” David Whitman cited AIMS as an exemplary charter school. Whitman’s book was published by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Whitman became Arne Duncan’s speech writer.
The ceiling fell in on Ben Chavis, leader of AIMS, when a state audit discovered that $3.8 million was missing from the school’s account–and had been deposited in Chavis’s personal and business accounts.
Chavis retired, but the school lives on.
Earlier this year, Chavis wS arrested and charged with fraud.
The latest news is that the school is in turmoil. Parents, teachers, and students are angry at the administration.
AIMS is listed by Jay Mathews as one of the best high schools in America, positioned as #11 on his list.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Typical, a big deal from some politicians that he was connected with and another corrupt POS steals the money. Money is gone and the kids got the shaft. Seems like that’s all you hear about with these charter schools. He won’t do any hard time, business as usual.
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I’ve been following this story.
What’s funny is the reaction from libertarian and union-hating-public-school-hating journalist John Stossel to all of this. You know… Stossels all about shrink down the government to nothing because the corrupt government will waste and/or steal your money, to the answer is to jsut de-regulate everything everwhere… blah-blah-freakin’-blah.
The lengths to which corporate ed. reformers like Stossel will go to defend their own is boundless.
Check out how union-basher and public-school-hater John Stossel went to bat for Chavis when the corruption story first broke back in 2013.
In a nutshell, Stossel’s take on the situation is:
Even if Chavis — enabled by Stossel’s beloved deregulate-everything libertarian cant — is guilty of everything of which he’s accused — i.e. illegally plunder and line his pockets with millions of taxpayer dollars — “who cares?”
https://patriotpost.us/opinion/17846
Really, John? “Who cares … ?”
Chavis, exploiting Stossel’s beloved de-regulation in education (otherwise known as privately-managed charter schools), goeas and lines his pockets of millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money — the charge that Stossel,and his fellow libertarians endlessly lodge at the government — and we in the public shouldn’t “care”?
Apparently, if a fellow libertarian in the private sector charter school world commits the same crimes that Stossel alleges the public sector engages in, we should all let that crook get away with that because … reasons?
Quick word on the term … “The Blob.”
In Stossel’s Bizarro-World, anyone involved with public education and/or teacher unions is part of the amorphous evil ” ‘Blob’ that makes it hard to improve schools.” In this case, the Blob is, in Stossel’s words, “taking out its revenge” on Ben Chavis.
Back in 2013, Stossel lays out his defense of Chavis, making the case that Chavis is just a noble educator, and innocent victim of “the Blob”: (parentheticals mine)
https://patriotpost.us/opinion/17846
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JOHN Who cares? STOSSEL :
“I wrote recently how teachers unions, parent-teacher associations and school bureaucrats form an education ‘Blob’ that makes it hard to improve schools. They also take revenge on those who work around the Blob.”
(“work around the Blob”, of course, included Chavis illegally lining his pockets with pver $4 million of taxpayers money.)
” … but Chavis paid his wife to do accounting work, rented property to his schools and didn’t follow all of the Blob’s rules. … Chavis, though, explained how working with his wife and renting space to the schools – regarded by the board as too incestuous – saved government money.
( No, John, it’s not just “too incestuous.” It’s a major conflict of interest, and a federal felony, one that Chavis, at the time, knew full well that he was committing, yet hoping that he would never caught doing so. And Mr. and Mrs. Chavis were not doing this “to save money”; they were doing it to enrich themselves at the public’s expense. That’s why Chavis will soon be wearing a prison jumpsuit.)
“ ‘Yes. Some of the money did go to me,’ he told me. ‘Someone had to step up and get space. We had 34 kids when I started. Today, we have 1,200.’
(Back to Stossel)
“And those kids got a better education for less tax money. Who cares if Chavis kept some?”
(John, I’ll tell you “who.” Investigators and prosecutors at the U.S. Department of Justice. That’s who.)
“Chavis says that if the board thinks he stole money, they should arrest him instead of shutting down his schools.
(You’re getting your wish, Ben. Get ready for prison jumpsuits and convict food.)
“ ‘If I did steal anything … punish me. Don’t punish the students.’ ”
(Again, you’re now getting your wish, Ben.)
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I guess in Stossel’s deranged libertarian mind, the U.S. Department of Justice only “cares” and is going after Chavis because it is part of The Blob, too, or perhaps it is a gullible dupe or an unwitting pawn of The Blob.
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John Stossel is an absolute horror show of libertarian crap on steroids. The sad part is that he has a powerful platform from which to vomit up all his toxic sewage. He even argued one time that price gouging was a good and positive thing. So if some merchant charges $20 for a bottle of water during an emergency, it was A-Ok, no problem (for a filthy scum like Stossel). I know it’s wrong but I wish that wrestler had ripped Stossel’s head off back in the 1980s.
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John don’t know jack either.
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It was a shock that AIMS was not shut down. Somehow, there is this ridiculous thinking that a new CEO and board will somehow be better than the last group. Maybe they will be, but the lax oversight that allowed Chavis to operate under the radar for years is still the law of the land.
I also suggest that interested readers take a look at the AIMS website and review their handbook. Charters are free to create their own standards for academics and discipline. AIMS is a great example.
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A question is whether or not the story of America Indian Model is an individual that is corrupt or was it the deregulated charter school system? The latest news points to deregulated charter school system being problematic and just corrupt person.
Charter school corruption has motivated a reform movement to regulate California’s deregulated charter school laws. But regulation of charter schools is facing a formidable challenge: California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) lobby well financed by the 1% and taxpayers education dollars diverted to supporting CCSA lobbying efforts.
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How about initiating class action lawsuits against all the charter crooks who steal from the taxpayers for their personal gain, and thus also harm students? If California taxpayers pursue a class action against Chavis for return of the $3.8 M he stole from the public purse, and add other damages of perhaps $20 M, and join accomplices, it might slow down this extreme pilfering. Same could be done with Celerity, etc.
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AIMs also has one of the worst rates of cohort attrition between grades 9 and 12, shedding more than 65% of its students. Then, it makes the usual outrageous claims of high graduation rates and college readiness. It has also been tireless in its efforts to colocate with another middle school on arguably one of the best pieces of school property in Oakland. No shame…when the story originally broke about Chavis and his misdeeds, it was amazing how many people were totally fine with all that because of the awesome! test scores. In the charter universe, anything is okay as long as it produces high test scores.
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Chavis quietly got rid of the American Indians and replaced them with Asian and white students.
I knew of this school, but had no idea of it’s true demographic makeup. I just checked online for demographics, and that’s basically right. Not really that many white students, but lots of Asian students. Three identify as American Indian out of a total of 644 students. That is weird and dismaying branding, to call yourself an “American Indian” school and have no native Americans.
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Are the citizens of this country DAFT? Charters and vouchers are bad…period.
I had a lobbyist tell me with a straight face and with a self-righteous tone of conviction, “There’s nothing we can do about poverty.” Huh? Duh? Of course, I disagreed.
Again, are the citizens of this country DAFT?
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How about we just open schools with the name TRUMP emblazened on them? They’ll be so great that it will be filled with teachers who graduated from Trump University even if there is NO Trump University.
And…when the exorbitant amount of money for a coat Melania owns and wore at an event is discussed and applauded, I know this country is in trouble.
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Yvonne, are you referring to that adorable jacket that cost $51,000?
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Yes, JACKET, Diane. Thanks for responding. That’s the one, indeed. I almost threw up when I read about this.
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When I lived in NC I knew folks that were called Lumbee Indians by the locals named Chavis. Could it be that this Chavis come from one of those families?
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Jay Mathis don’t no jack!
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Neither do I-know not no
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