Guy Brandenburg has compiled a list of D.C. charter schools that “never opened at all, even though they had raised funds, wrote curricula, were approved by the board, hired staff, began enrolling students, but never actually got their act together to hold classes and teach students. This list also leaves out several schools where the founders were found to be using their institution mostly to enrich themselves illegally, and the charter was transferred to another institution.”
He writes:
“Quick: How many “public” charter schools have closed in Washington, DC?
“Would you say five?
“A dozen?
“Maybe twenty?
“Guess what: According to the board in charge of these things, it’s forty-six. Yes: 46!”
Churn, disruption, chaos are not good in the lives of children.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Is this never opened or opened and then closed? It’s unclear from above.
It’s both.
Repeatedly in our district there have been schools test-score targeted and invaded, with almost all personnel dismissed or re-located in the name of bringing in new management and a magical “three year turnaround” — only to be lauded and spotlighted as successful for three years and then, due to the production of even lower test scores, heavily promoted in the press for yet another “magical” and very invasive turnaround.
Is there any comprehensive record of charters teachers who are discharged, and why they are fired in a given area?
I ask because one of the (many, many) complaints ed reformers have about labor unions is ed reformers don’t receive data immediately on which teachers are disciplined or fired. They accuse labor unions of hiding this information.
But at least labor unions HAVE that information. There’s no centralized data at all on how many charter teachers are fired or why they’re fired AT ALL, correct?
Where would one go to find out if complaints had been made about a charter teacher? Where would one go to find out why a charter teacher was fired?
Excellent question: Where would one go to find out why a charter teacher was fired? I suppose the answer varies with charter operators and state sunshine laws. If the charter is legally a private operation, and that has been the ruling in some states, I think the answer would not be found, but I am not a lawyer.
I recently saw Van Jones on CNN. He said he could not imagine a world in which black police officers repeatedly killed unarmed white men, and there was no collective outrage. The same indifference is shown to all the women that have been sexually assaulted, and the cities fail to process the ‘rape kits.’ There are over 400,000 of these on shelves in various cities across our country. When black and Hispanic students are caught up in charter fraud and churn, society can turn a blind eye. Straight white men apparently count more than everyone else in our society.
Diane, every single Democrat in the primary for Ohio governor is running on an unabashed pro-public school platform. Every one.
I credit you and your fellow advocates for turning the tide in Ohio. These politicians never, ever would have adopted pro-public school platforms without all of you. They stuck their finger up into the political winds in this state and made a purely political decision to start supporting public schools again.
http://www.dispatch.com/news/20180422/democratic-candidates-for-governor-have-big-plans-for-education
Ten years ago you couldn’t advocate for public schools in this state without being crushed by a phalanx of ed reform lobbyists shouting “public schools suck!” and moving the “debate” to charters and vouchers. It’s different now. You-all did that.
Ohio was one of the first states to adopt the whole ed reform agenda. We stupidly adopted every idea and plan and scheme these folks lobbied for 2 decades. Now we’re one of the first to recommit to public schools. There will be more.
I agree that the fact that politicians are even speaking to pro-public education interests is monumental. It does show that politicians are feeling the heat, which is very good.
But keep in mind that platforms are “aspirational”, not really much more than just campaign promises. We have to remain vigilant and not just accept their word about things. First of all, words are easy to fudge, especially when politicians quietly include charter schools with “public” schools. And anyway, actions speak louder than words as we’ve already seen too many times.
Agree w/dienne77–Ohia voters, let’s be careful out there. Lots of people here, in ILL-Annoy, think they can spot a true “progressive,” even when the whole voting record is known (& make sure to look it up for yourself). Look behind the oratory skills, the rolled-up sleeves, the attractive appearance (remember Robert Redford in The Candidate?); do your homework: read, talk to people (esp. if a candidate is an elected official–make sure to talk to people in her/his district & look very carefully at campaign contributions from EVERY one of her/his campaigns, all the way to the beginning).
&–vote on election day (once everything’s been said & done), not early, because PAPER is SAFER! (In the last election cycle, the security system for the voting machine{s} was/were shut down, & I believe that was in Ohio. Nonetheless, similar occurrences have happened throughout the country.)
The rolled up sleeves are a dead give away of a fake progressive.
Especially the “pressed” rolled up sleeves.
Thomas B Fordham Institute just published a tribute to John Kasich’s education legacy. I haven’t had time to read it.
Check is out.
The multiple charter scandals on Ohio garnered lots of media attention.
I hope it is embarrassing to sell charters in Ohio now.
Should be.
And with an election coming, it’s time to placate the 90% of kids and parents in public schools.
While they are in the mood, nail down concrete promises.
Chiara, from reading you over the years, I know that your voice has been very influential in my understanding of what has been going on. Thank you.
Here’s a related article on the same subject in California. While it was published in Ed Source in 2011, nothing has been done since then. So, how many more millions of dollars have been wasted in the last seven years????
https://edsource.org/2011/state-looks-into-start-up-charter-school-loss-of-tens-of-millions-of-dollars/1541