Just two days ago, the Bradley Success Academy in Goodyear, Arizona, shuttered, stranding its students.
The school sent a letter to parents expressing its regret.
One parent said she was finished with charter schools.
“”I will never put my child in another charter school again … because they are financially unstable,” Stephanie McMullen said.
“And then there are the practical concerns.
“I’m afraid he’s going to be behind and other kids like him are going to be behind,” McMullen said. “It’s not right. Teachers are out of work, too.”
“Preschool teacher Michelle Miller is one of them.
“For all the hard work that we’ve done all year long, it’s heartbreaking that they would do something like this to us,” she said as she held back tears.”
The school enrolled 450 students. It was started in 2003.it was managed by for-profit Imagine, which has a record of making money in real estate.
A reader of the Blog alerted me with this comment:
“And, another charter school closed its doors abruptly. The Bradley Success Academy shuttered his doors & locked the gate in Goodyear, Az,. a small suburb to the west of Phoenix. (One of those cookie cutter developments built on the edges of an old western town) It signed charter papers in 2003. The letter cited overwhelming financial problems. In looking through their Facebook pages, it seems many parents were unhappy. The Facebook page also touted their expertise in Special Ed. But, looking at the credentials and expenses, no monies were spent on Spec. Ed. Could be wrong, I’m not an expert at finacial reporting.
“I am currently investigating how much money they’re going to abscond with. One of the things that stood out in the financial report turned into Arizona Department of Education is they have over $8 million worth of capitol assets. Didn’t see any real problems with finances, other than revenue & expenses don’t quite line up.
“One of the charter holders is Paula Poultridge, Regional finance Director for Imagine Schools. Hmmmm…………………something to look at?”
Well, don’t worry. Arizona probably still has a neglected and ignored public school system to act as a back-up for this privatization experiment.
Right now it does. I don’t know what happens when they succeed in eradicating it.
We can criticize and stigmatize the popularity of charter schools among the “cookie cutter” suburbs all we want; but they are here to stay – until there is directed and thoughtful critiques and attractive alternatives. Many public schools are dingy, unattractive and boring factories. Many unemployed teachers have few alternatives. Capitalism is capitalism: buyer beware; but buyer be informed (and politicized.)
This is just nuts:
“But being an AltSchool partner is not free, districts do pay a price. Arcadia, which has a three-year contract with the platform, will be paying approximately $5,000 per teacher in exchange for the use of AltSchool’s personalized learning platform, class coaching, IT support and professional development opportunities. According to AltSchool representatives, most partner districts will be paying the $5,000 per teacher per year for the first year of training and onboarding support from AltSchool. After the first year, the price is around $2,500 for the use of the platform and ongoing support from the company.”
The starting wage for an Ohio public school teacher is about 37k. What could possibly be in this platform to justify spending 5k a year PER TEACHER on it? You could add a teacher to every grade level in my district at 5k a year additional per teacher per grade, and reduce class size.
That’s close to the entire state subsidy for ONE public school student in my district.
This seems WILDLY over-priced, in addition to being WILDLY over-hyped.
https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-01-24-what-s-the-next-step-for-altschool-paid-partnerships-with-public-schools
It seems to be a waste of money. Perhaps administrators should do their homework before they jump on any bandwagon. Most computer assisted instruction does not work. Why would anyone be so reckless with hard earned tax dollars?
“Didn’t see any real problems with finances, other than revenue & expenses don’t quite line up.”
Not a problem, it’s the raison d’être.
This is not a rare or uncommon experience, this does happen with some regularity across the nation. The students are stranded in the middle of the year and it’s up to the parents to find a school for their children ASAP. It’s sickening and deplorable. The vital school records for each pupil often disappear or are locked away for a prolonged period of time due to litigation or just plain malfeasance/nonfeasance on the part of the charter school administrators (adminimals as Duane would say). These charter school mid-year closures are traumatic for everyone involved especially the kids; it’s disruptive, chaotic and destructive to say the least. Many other charters close abruptly, without any warning in July or August which can be just as disruptive in many ways though there is a little more time to find a replacement school.
Pushback on vouchers from Iowa:
“On Monday, the Wall Street Journal published a front-page story about Milwaukee, which began offering the nation’s first vouchers three decades ago. Among the findings: “The city’s nearly 29,000 voucher students, on average, have performed about the same as their peers in public schools on state exams.”
We hope Iowa lawmakers will pay attention to information like this instead of pursuing misguided legislation.”
Iowa lawmakers won’t pay attention to information because Iowa lawmakers are captured by the ed reform lobby. The ed reform lobby is pushing vouchers so Iowa lawmakers are pushing vouchers.
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/editorials/2018/01/31/iowa-school-choice-legislature-vouchers/1079107001/
Bad reviews from parents on the school’s Facebook page. I’ve been in touch with one whose son was hit by the pre-k teacher. Filed a police report. Nothing. The school did an investigation, but not through a third party which is illegal. The school board has been contacted and child protective services. As well as the Arizona Office for Americans with Disabilities. Of course, it’s always the children with special needs who are abused. This incident is likely part of why they closed. I am so disgusted. And sad for the families who were duped.
Reason after reason to support our public schools and our public school teachers!
Both are for public good not for profit.
This charter school should be closed since they opened it’s a corporation that was registered on 2008, I don’t think they will be 10 years open. Google search this name: julio Robaina and Carlos Hernandez. Carlos ALBAREZ knows the principal knows that his charter should be forced by the Feds to shut the doors. Please check those names and google them, any questions? Do not hesitate to ask. Thanks.
The City of Hialeah Educational Academy issued calls to actions to their parents through email and text alerts, such as this one, asking them to praise HB 7069 on social media.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article151507657.html#storylink=cpy
HIALEAH EDUCATION ACADEMIC. INC SHOULD BE UNDER PRESSURE BECAUSE THERE IS THE WORST CHARTER I EVER WISENESS.
They Pandora’s box is open. I have no more choice than force and sue that corporation !
I have a lot of Choices , they are bad Choice 🤔
Charter schools to parents: Write to Gov. Scott, get volunteer hours
BY KRISTEN M. CLARK AND KYRA GURNEY
Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau
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May 19, 2017 11:53 AM
Updated May 19, 2017 02:46 PM
TALLAHASSEE
Some school choice advocates in South Florida are going so far as to offer incentives to parents in order to amplify the perception of public support for a controversial K-12 public schools bill that many are urging Gov. Rick Scott to veto.
At least two privately managed charter schools in Hialeah — Mater Academy Lakes High School and City of Hialeah Educational Academy — publicly advertised this week that they would give parents five hours’ credit toward their “encouraged” volunteer hours at the school, so long as they wrote a letter or otherwise urged Gov. Rick Scott to sign HB 7069.
“It is IMPERATIVE that the Governor, and the rest of the State of Florida, see what a POSITIVE DEMAND there is for this education bill,” read an alert on the homepage of Mater Academy Lakes’ website Thursday evening. “This is the strongest legislation supporting the charter school movement since charters were first established in Florida 20 years ago.”
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“We need all of our Bear Family to show their support for HB 7069 and encourage your friends, family and children to get involved as well,” the message continued.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article151507657.html#storylink=cpy