The charter industry in Michigan might be the worst in the nation, although it has stiff competition from the charter industry in Nevada, Ohio, and California. About 80% of charters in Michigan operate for-profit, and their academic results are unimpressive. The few high-performing charters use the usual tricks of excluding the kids they don’t want. A few years ago, the Detroit Free Press conducted a year-long investigation into the state’s charter sector and described it as a $1 Billion (Billion with a B) a year industry that is unaccountable and produces results no better than, and often worse than, public schools.
In early December, the failing but profitable charter industry is holding its annual conference. Will it discuss its problems? Will it honestly assess its failings?
Of course not! It will celebrate its role as “Innovators.” If anyone knows of any innovation that the Michigan charter industry has produced, please write in here and let us know. Its biggest innovation seems to be stuffing its pockets with taxpayers’ money that was supposed to support public schools, not enriching greedy entrepreneurs.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Well, looters, scammers and fraudsters can innovate, too!
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“Charter Innovation”
With “Rent to self
At sky-high rate”
The charter’s help
To innovate
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Give ’em credit, Diane, it takes a lot of creativity, ingenuity and hard work to bilk the people out of that much money!
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“Charter Innovation (2)”
Harvard hatched
With Wall Street wean
Fraud unmatched
Is charter scheme
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They will celebrate innovative ways to lie and fool the public so they can make money.
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Good gawd … NO SHAME. What are they drinking? Hope not the same water I drink.
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I’m so done with the top-down “innovation” from the charter sector!
These two articles were both published today in NC:
After ‘pattern of failure,’ state board votes to close Bertie County charter school: http://www.wral.com/state-board-revokes-charter-of-heritage-collegiate-in-bertie-county/17086240/
NC State Board of Education members miffed by charter takeover district’s slow roll-out
http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2017/11/02/state-board-education-members-miffed-charter-takeover-districts-slow-rollout/#sthash.mDZUcjos.dpbs
In that second article, NC State Board of Ed member Olivia Oxendine made clear that they aren’t done with our Durham schools:
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“The model was a minimum of five schools and we were going to do something very bold and robust,” said Oxendine. “We were going to do it better than Tennessee or other states, because North Carolina does things better than other states.”
State Board of Education member Olivia Holmes Oxendine
Oxendine questioned why the three struggling schools that made the short-list with Southside-Ashpole—Glenn Elementary in Durham, Willis Hare Elementary in Northampton County Schools and Williford Elementary in Nash-Rocky Mount Schools—were dropped from consideration for next year.
“Each one of those schools needs to be in this model,” she said. “Absolutely needs to be.”
Oxendine demanded that state board members not forget those low-performing schools, which submitted already enacted plans for improvement in the coming years. Oxendine called on leaders to “hold their feet to the fire.”
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