Stephen Dyer says there is now little or no question that crimes were committed by ECOT (the late, unlamented Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow).
Someone knowingly inflated enrollment to collect millions from the state.
Who done it?
“Because it now appears that we have a smoking gun indicating that officials at the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow formed the necessary mens rea to be charged with crimes.
“According to an Associated Press story today (which ran all over the place, but I’ll link to my former employer’s version), people at ECOT — at one point the largest single school in the nation — were ordered to deliberately inflate enrollment so the school could keep getting paid $100 million plus to “educate” children, even if those children weren’t actually at ECOT.
“ECOT infamously did a remarkably poor job of educating those who were, by the way. How poor? Only 109 of 3,794 ECOT graduates from 2010 earned a college degree within 6 years of graduating.”
B
Diane Ravitch's blog 
A talking point for Dems running for the Ohio Assembly: “ECOT has robbed our state of billions of dollars and failed many of our most at-risk students. Who will repay this debt? Will the crooks of ECOT be held accountable and face jail time or will their allies in the Ohio Assembly continue to protect them?”
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“The software done it”
The software is to blame
For fraudulence, of late
The software we should name
For crimes against the state
The software has no prob
In perpetrating crime
To lie and cheat and rob
The public all the time
We’d better throw the book
At software and it’s kin
Or software will just look
To do it all agin’
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Don’t be silly. The guys who crashed our entire economy never set foot in a jail and, in fact, got hefty bonuses. These ECOT guys should get at least a couple million for their contributions.
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The ECOTerrorists undoubtedly have already stashed millions in Swiss bank accounts and in the Cayman Islands and undoubtedly have private island getaways to make their gettaway to should the need ever arrise (a very low, albeit nonzero, probability)
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Of course they should, and will.
After all, they’re Job Creators. They’re Innovators.They’re Disruptors. They’re Visionaries.
That they are also Liars and Crooks, well… so it goes.
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Reminds of those forgotten quotes in history:
“Only rich kids learn, why bother with the rest?” John Dewey
“All that tainted meat, I’ll get back to tending my garden.” Upton Sinclair
“Well, they showed us, time to retreat.” FDR
“Dream? What’s the point?” MLK, Jr.
“Ask nothing, it doesn’t matter anyway.” JFK
“I can’t wait until I can submit to my husband one day. This school stuff will only rot my brain.” Malala Yousafzai
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I liked you better when we weren’t speaking.
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Sometimes it’s too hard to resist shooting cynical fish in a barrel.
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Maybe cynical but tell me I’m wrong.
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You may well be right, but painting everyone with the same brush and sitting on the sidelines complaining certainly won’t change a thing. I’ve chosen to engage at the local and state levels. Good thing the people I “quoted” didn’t have advisors like you. If they did, you might not have the freedom to whine.
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How many big bankers and/or charter frauds have you gotten jailed by your efforts?
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Exactly the answer I expected. Perhaps you should consider picking up a civics book and reading some history. Nothing comes easily, and more often than not, it ends in frustration. That’s what makes the victories sweeter. Oh wait, whining and insulting is so much easier! And it get so much accomplished. You should admonish Diane to ban me from the site.
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BTW, Greg, I found a quote for you:
“It’s okay, nice white people, take your time. We can wait. Incrementalism is great!” –MLK
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“Wait, wait, don’t go on strike, we can talk this out. If we give up all our demands, the bosses will let us have an extra minute for bathroom breaks.” –Cesar Chavez
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“Police have a difficult job, so it’s understandable that sometimes they have to kill some thugs. Bless them for their service.” –Malcolm X
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Oh, excuse me, he didn’t say “thug”.
I believe he said “superpredators”.
Sorry, my bad.
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It’s a real political issue in Ohio, thanks to bloggers. There’s mainstream reporting on it every day in all 4 big Ohio newspapers.
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These people don’t seem that thrilled that 10 schools are slated for privatization:
“Houston ISD board members adjourned late Tuesday without voting on a controversial measure to give up control over 10 low-performing schools after the meeting turned physical and police escorted members of the public — nearly all of whom opposed the plan — out of the room.
Chanting “no more sellouts” and shouting at trustees, most of the roughly 100 community members in attendance watched angrily as officers began physically pulling disruptive residents out of the room.”
Ed reformers keep telling us privatization is wildly popular, but there’s always so much community opposition. Why is that? Do any of these people ever get invited to national ed reform conventions? Why do we never hear from them?
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Skirmish-at-shool-board-meeting-leads-to-ejections-12862150.php
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Re Houston and the 10 schools that were supposed to be handed over to a charter chain. The Houston Chronicle wrote an editorial in opposition, which may have weakened the board’s resolve.
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This story of fraud and embezzling should be on the national news. This is a much bigger story than the Atlanta cheating scandal, and that story was everywhere.
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Atlanta had one obvious thing in common with the recent Starbucks incident. A thing it didn’t have in common with ECOT.
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The Atlanta teachers are heading for jail, but ECOT will keep its millions.
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If anyone from ECOT ends up going to court and is found guilty for this fraud, if Trump can pardon them, he will.
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I believe it would be a state charge. Presidents can only pardon federal criminals.
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Thank you, I know that but Trump probably doesn’t.
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I believe it could be either if any Federal Funds were involved . But perhaps you are being too cynical . The story was written today perhaps we can wait a few weeks to see if anyone is indicted. I would not hold my breath but you never know.
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“Legal Schmegal”
Presidents do
Whatever they please
Critics are few
And Congress just flees
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