Michigan has been Betsy DeVos’ Petri dish for school choice for 20 years. The state theoretically has no for-profit charters but in reality, 80% of its charters are run by for-profit management companies.
Michigan also has the largest number of charters that received millions from the federal Charter Schools Program but never opened. These are “ghost schools.” Carol Burris identified them in the NPE report Asleep at the Wheel.
Reporter Allison Donahue investigated to see where the money went.
The study highlighted how the money was spent at four of Michigan’s “ghost schools”: The Harris Academy, The Great Lakes Anchor Academy, Cultivating Growth and Warren Classical Academy.
Although the inspiration to open these charters differs from developer to developer, a common thread was found within these ghost schools’ invoices ─ for-profit consultants and education management organizations.
Betsy DeVos gave Michigan another $47 million to add more charters, but the state board of education rejected the grant. However the state attorney general said the state education Department was required to disperse the funds.
DeVos wants more charters-in Michigan, Alabama, New Hampshire, Texas, everywhere— and as the saying goes in D.C., she is shoveling the money out the door as fast as she can.
Needed or not, here come more charters!
Diane Ravitch's blog 
A reminder that the money DeVos is shoveling out the door is not her money. She is shoveling the public’s money to the private sector. Just more corporate welfare designed to enrich more private-sector frauds and con men.
Why put money into more EdisonLearning when they can’t do the job for which they were hired? I knew years ago that EdisonLearning was a waste of money but who listens to a retired music teacher? Back then I wrote to my GOP senator and representative and nobody heard my complaints.
Fund K-12 public schools. Indiana politicians are always looking for a cheap way out of doing their job for poverty level areas. Now a ‘non-profit’ charter is the answer for years of lack of funding and economic decline.
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[NWI Times] Gary Roosevelt academic team proposes new charter concept, $25 million investment to save school
GARY — EdisonLearning is proposing a new school concept for Theodore Roosevelt College and Career Academy ahead of a visit next week from Indiana State Board of Education staff.
The Florida-based academic services provider is looking to create a pre-K through 12th grade environmental studies academy in the school’s former home at West 25th Avenue — and says it can attract the funds to do it.
Students were first displaced from the historic Gary Roosevelt campus in February following extreme weather-related damages to the 90-year-old building expected to cost more than $10 million to repair…
Two-and-a-half years are left on the five-year contract between EdisonLearning and the Gary Community School Corp., which establishes EdisonLearning’s role as an educational services provider only in a building owned and facilitated by the public Gary school system…
Under state law, for-profit entities cannot obtain charters, so EdisonLearning is further proposing the creation of a non-profit entity governed by a local board of directors to oversee the new school.
EdisonLearning officials suggest this board would be comprised of five to seven community members representing the city, the Gary Community School Corp. and Roosevelt alumni…
EdisonLearning’s proposal comes following strong criticismin a series of recent Indiana State Board of Education meetings.
The academic services provider was first contracted by the state to work with the school in 2012, following years of failing academic performance. EdisonLearning’s relationship working in the school continued in the 2017 agreement struck with Gary schools after Roosevelt came out of state takeover.
However, standardized test scores and graduation rates have consistently reflected percentages half that of state averages in the years since EdisonLearning came to lead curriculum causing some to question the progress of the school…
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/education/gary-roosevelt-academic-team-proposes-new-charter-concept-million-investment/article_6bf745f1-7a53-554b-bad9-d7b60d102783.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share
On top of charters Michigan is about to enforce its Third Grade Reading Law. Sad.
The third Grade reading law is an underhanded way to boost fourth grade reading scores on NAEP, by holding back low scoring kids in third grade.
Jeb Bush perfected that trick in Florida.