Vielka McFarlane, founder of the Celerity charter chain in Los Angeles, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for misappropriation of $3.2 million from the schools’ accounts.
In January, Vielka McFarlane pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to misappropriate and embezzle funds for personal use. McFarlane, 56, had for years used her charter schools’ credit card and spent taxpayer money on expensive clothing, luxury hotel stays and first-class flights. The bulk of the money spent was for the purchase and renovation of an office building in Columbus, Ohio, where McFarlane intended to open another charter school.
McFarlane was also ordered to pay restitution of $225,138.15 within 60 days.
The case dates to 2012. A routine request for Celerity’s financial records from L.A. Unified’s charter schools division revealed credit card statements of lavish purchases beginning in 2009 — five years after McFarlane had founded the first charter school. The school district’s inspector general opened an investigation and eventually, the federal government got involved.
Her conviction and sentencing raise the question of why Ben Chavis, founder and operator of the American Indian Model Charter Schools in Oakland, had all charges dismissed a few weeks ago after a state audit found that he had redirected $3.8 million of the schools’ funds to his personal accounts and that he used federal charter funds to pay the lease for the charters, which were located in buildings he owned. Are there any investigative reporters tracking this story?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Please add Bill Batchelor of Tri-Valley Learning Corporation. Where are the charges against him? Bottom line, even with the threat of jail time, that alone does not seem to discourage charter operators from siphoning off the “profits”.
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they know that for the one or two who are caught and actually punished, hundreds more are left alone
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She will serve a few months at most, get out on good behavior and of course, not be forced to pay back the vast majority of the money she spent, which is undoubtedly already in doneone else’s name to prevent the courts from getting it.
That’s the way you do it.
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Only three comments. Make it four. I guess charter crime happens so often it’s not such hot news. Another day, another charter crime.
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Pay to play Ohio would have welcomed McFarlane’s charter school. And, the Ohio Board of Education would have turned a blind eye when she falsely labeled the school as public.
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It would seem to me that this story and the one featuring Jackie Goldberg (today’s postings) would immediately, if not sooner, have the LA board of education
slam on the brakes (not to mention reverse it) when it comes to charter schools. The lack of total accountability is what these supposed mercenaries count on. Those in cahoots (board members or state legislators) should be fired on the spot for taking money from anyone connected to school reform. Only teachers should get that honor.
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