CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS

A compilation of news articles about charter schools which have been charged with, or are highly suspected of, tampering with admissions, grades, attendance and testing; misuse of funds and embezzlement; engaging in nepotism and conflicts of interest; engaging in complicated and shady real estate deals; and/or have been engaging in other questionable, unethical, borderline-legal, or illegal activities. This is also a record of charter school instability and other unsavory tidbits.

Memphis Academy for Health Sciences

Charter School Discipline: Memphis Academy for Health Sciences discipline practices questioned (WREG-TV, February 25, 2009)

Fast Facts:

Parents say Memphis Academy for Health Sciences disciplines unfairly

MAHS paddles students who act up in front of assembly of student body weekly

Charter school board member says discipline keeps school safe

Antonius Hart and his wife, Rachel wanted a good learning environment for their sons so they chose Memphis Academy for Health Sciences, a charter school. However, they're wondering if the charter school system, one that allows each individual school to set their own rules, is a good one and if more oversight isn't needed.
"It's been ran like he's a dictator, an enforcer," said Hart, the student's father.
The Harts 9th grade son was told to leave the school for good after he threw an obscene finger gesture at a teacher. First, he was paddled during what's called chapel. That's when every Friday students who misbehave are brought into an assembly and disciplined before the entire student body.
Hart said, "I guess its like some kind of primitive humiliation type thing. They whoop them in front of all of them. I guess this is to show if we enforce this right here, this is what's going to happen to you."
After the paddling, the school decided that wasn't enough. The principal sent Hart's son a message on the son's personal cell phone. The message said, "Tomorrow you will be suspended as a result you will have to transfer from MAHS. I still can't believe what you did. It cannot be justified."
The Harts say the school should have called a parent. Plus, they say he'd already been punished once.
The director of the board for MAHS wouldn't give us an on camera interview because he says this is one situation that involves one set of parents and in doing so, it would overshadow all the good things his school is doing.
In a telephone interview Bernal Smith II told News Channel 3, "We tell our parents up front. Corporal punishment is a part of our discipline program. It's a part of what allows us to keep a safe sound environment in our school."
As for as paddling students in front of the student body, Smith said, "We use that so the rest of the students that witness that, it's a deterrent for them not to behave in the same way."
The Harts believe because they have spoken out against the charter school's discipline practices, their other son, a special needs student at the school. He is currently suspended for hitting another student in the back. The Hart's says their son denies hitting anyone.
Smith won't talk about specifics concerning the Hart children but he says it is unconscionable to think anyone at the school has an axe to grind with any student.
News Channel 3 has called the Tennessee Department of Education to find out how much autonomy charter schools have when it comes to discipline. We were told the person we needed to talk to was in a conference all week. News Channel 3 will keep you posted about what they say.

4 comments:

Unknown said...: I don't know the students in question, nor their individual situation, but I am familiar with the school. My daughter is a 4th year student there, and I think overall they are doing a great job. I think no one institution will please every parent, but I feel their method works. When I grew up corpal punishment was in effect, and school seemed to be a safer place. In fact its biblical. As I stated before, I feel Mr. Weathers, Mr. Alexander, and Mrs. Biles are operating in the best interest of the students as a whole, and are acting out of love and general concern; March 18, 2013 at 4:48 AM
dymphna said...: Public humiliation and inflicting pain is about control, not about student welfare.

These poor kids are getting Bully Lessons. The more sensitive ones will become victims, the more aggressive kids will graduate into Professional Bullydom.

There is too much violence in our culture already. "Paddling" kids teaches them nothing they don't already see outside school.

This is a disgrace.; June 13, 2013 at 8:41 PM
Unknown said...: I attended M.C.S.for 12 years when C.P.was used,and we did not have all the discipline problems with the students dis-respecting the teachers like they do now days...Why?..because we knew the paddle could be used on us,and our parents didn't run up to the school and make a big stink about it either,I might add!...I remember in the 7th grade,we had this one white girl named Lisa,and everyday she'd bully all of the girls,and the teacher could not teach for the girl talking over her,and this went on for over a week,then one day the principal happened to be walking down the hallway,and heard her big loud mouth talking and cursing...Lisa,..Does your Mother know you are behaving like this at school?..How about you come with me over to the office,so that we can call your Mother?...Well,the girl stood up and went with the principal to the office only about two doors down,and we all said..Ut-o?..And we all kind of thought that we knew(and hoped)what was about to happen,but after about 5, minutes of not hearing anything,the teacher began teaching,and about another 5 minutes later,..We all heard the very loud smack of the wooden paddle being used,followed by 9 more loud smacks in a row,as we all stopped and listened quietly,along with our teacher who was standing up at the black-board,then after the paddling was over with,the principal brought Lisa back to the class-room in tears,and she squirmed around in her desk,and smelled of wet pee,and I know it's not nice to say,but all of us hearing her get paddled 10 times,and having to sit there and smell her strong odor of wet pee for the whole rest of the day made all of us behave good(including Lisa)for the remainder of the school year,and none of us had to be paddled again,so let the others say what they want to say,but paddling is a very effective way to make students obey the rules,and that is why I think it's a good disciplinary tool for all of the schools to keep order in the class-rooms!; February 24, 2014 at 5:32 AM
Bob Jameson said...: My son has attended this school for 4 years now and let me tell you, you'd be hard pressed to find another school in the city with fewer discipline problems than this school. In the four years my son has been there, he's only seen ONE fight. In today's school, that is unheard of. As much as some of you want to call it bullying, I call it tough love. Those teachers work 9 hour days and attend school one weekend out of the month. Many of them participate in extra curricular activities that add on to their long days, and they do it out of love. How many bullies do you know who are willing to stay after hours tutoring and mentoring kids. I understand everyone is going to have their opinion, and some people just won't ever agree with it, but in my eyes, its the ideal school and if you have concern about your child's safety, this is the school for them.; January 12, 2015 at 12:34 PM

Inform yourself about the Gulen movement!

1. WATCH KILLING ED, Mark Hall's feature-length documentary about charter schools, corruption and the rise of the Gulen Movement in America
2. READ the "Expose the Gulen Movement" report.
3. WATCH the Gulen Movement 101: Session One webinar presentation (1/22/2014)
4. WATCH the 60 Minutes segment "U.S. charter schools tied to powerful Turkish imam" broadcast. (5/13/2012)
5. READ my response to the 60 Minutes piece.
6. READ my guest article about Gulen charter schools published by The Washington Post. (3/27/2012)
7. WATCH my interview talking about Gulen charter schools, or my presentation at LaborFest (segment between 49:18 min. & 1:07:36 min.)
8. READ my postings labeled "Gulen movement" HERE.

As one observer tweeted, "U.S. media have focused too much on the Islamic nature of the Gulen movement. Real concern is its shady dealings and improprieties."

Please be aware that Gulenists have created a large number of anonymously-operated damage control websites. They started to appear a few months after publication of Greg Toppo's article in USA Today (August 2010).

Remainders

1. Bruce Baker's excellent analysis of whether charter schools are public or private.

2. Jim Horn's Top 10 reasons for why 1%ers support urban charter schools.

3. What reporters covering charter schools need to know about miracle schools, vouchers and all that educational flim-flam (i.e. be skeptical and always follow the money).

4. As of May 2013, only eight states do not have a charter school law: Alabama, Kentucky, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia.

5. Balkanize: "to break up (as a region or group) into smaller and often hostile units" (Merriam-Webster dictionary)

6. *Phrase coined by John Thompson: "educational civil war"

7. "A system that allows school operators to donate to the officials that regulate them is pretty sorry." h/t "X"

8. Re the Gulen movement. Two important psychological principals of which to be aware: the Backfire Effect and the Black Swan Theory.

Pleas for charter school oversight

AS U.S. AID GROWS, OVERSIGHT IS URGED FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS; February 24, 2010; New York Times

…The president of one influential charter group told the House Education and Labor Committee that the federal government had spent $2 billion since the mid-1990s to finance new charter schools but less than $2 million, about one-tenth of 1 percent, to ensure that they were held to high standards.
“It’s as if the federal government had spent billions for new highway construction, but nothing to put up guardrails along the sides of those highways,” said Greg Richmond, president of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers…

CHARTER BACKER SAYS HOUSE PROPOSAL WEAKENS OVERSIGHT; April 30, 2011; Columbus Dispatch (OH)

A leading school-choice supporter says the sweeping changes proposed by House Republicans would weaken oversight of charter schools severely and threaten to turn Ohio into a "laughingstock of the nation's charter-school programs.

"It's hard for me to say that," said Terry Ryan, vice president of Ohio programs and policy for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, which sponsors seven charter schools in the state, including two in Columbus...

It was just last year that Mr. Ryan said, "The charter movement must police itself."
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"The idea of regulating charter schools makes no sense because deregulation is the justification for the policy." -- Jim M., retired teacher

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Perhaps it's finally dawning on some charter school supporters that the whole business is a huge can of worms.

Message to readers

With the systematic privatization of public education being conducted via the rapid expansion of charter schools, I regularly receive messages from teachers and parents who have charter school horror stories they want to share, and/or are in need of advice about a charter school situation in their community (e.g., "The charter school I attended has been closed. Do you know how I can get a copy of my transcript?). I also hear from journalists who are seeking information.

Just so you know, this site is a one-woman volunteer operation. Sorry folks, I'm DEFINITELY NOT union-sponsored.

Welcome

Charter School Scandals (CSS) was launched on May 14, 2010 to provide the public with a source of independently collected information about U.S. charter schools.

For instance, compare what you learn from my entry for the 3,500 student CATO School of Reason to the information provided by the pro-charter Center for Education Reform in their compilation: "Closed Charter Schools by State: National Data 2009" (63 page pdf). In the CER's document, the closure reason is "Management" explained as "Inadequate record keeping, suspect relations with private and sectarian schools," but the true story is much bigger and dirtier than that.

CSS is a non-billionaire funded (and un-bought off!), non-union affiliated (!), one-person operation in the name of transparency and public service to our democracy. I post the information as quickly as I can, but have a massive backlog due to the sheer number of stories. Please check back periodically for new additions.

And as you scroll through these stories, be sure to keep a running tally of the estimated legal costs.

Gulen Movement MUST READS!

Under the radar of the American public, the Gulen movement has been quietly advancing its presence in the U.S. via the establishment of charter schools, "cultural centers", and "interfaith dialogue" centers. Politicians, reporters, academics, community leaders, and charter school families have been strategically targeted, influenced, and given gifts, as the Gulenists have steadily built up their political cover. But how many of these Americans have an understanding of the controversies which surround this secretive movement and its worldwide political ambitions? And how would the public respond to finding out that such a movement is opening more and more charter schools, supported by their tax dollars as part of the GM's primary global project, without being willing to admit the connection?

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LEARN MORE

1. Read about the federal investigation into the Gulen Movement's charter schools.

2. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Islam, Secularism and the Battle for Turkey's Future, 23 August 2010, STRATFOR Global Intelligence

3. Video of Joshua Hendrick of the U. of OR and Y. Alp Aslandogan discussing the Gulen Movement. Here are the first 24 pages of Hendrick's 2009 thesis.

4. Charter School Watchdog

5. Gulen Charter Schools (don't miss the entry HERE.)

6. A Guide to the Gulen Movement's Activities in the U.S.

7. Gulen in the International Press

8. "Turkey's survival of the fittest: The Islamic anti-Darwinism movement in Turkey is being helped by an unlikely source - US Christian conservatives," 12 March 2008, ISN Security Watch)

9. "Religious movements in Turkey," 20 December 2010, OpenDemocracy

10. "First Class Revolution: From Medina to Mecca" and "Fethullah Gulen's Missionary Charter Schools Coming under Increasing Scrutiny in the United States and around the World," 24 January 2011 & 26 February 2011, Kurdish Aspect

11. "Turkey: Politics of Identity and Power," 13 August 2010, Congressional Research Service

12. "Turkey's pivotal role in the international drug trade," July 1998, Le Monde diplomatique (more background info)

13. EXTRA CREDIT: Check out the animated Imperial History of the Middle East and this Middle East geography game.

Bad apples, tips of icebergs, and cans of worms

In 2000, the Center for Education Reform wrote:
"A few bad apples shouldn't sour the public on the promising charter school movement, but when a bad apple does turn up, critics of charter schools pounce on it. Charter opponents are quick to claim that "more than a few" schools have closed and even quicker to characterize the movement as one that invites unscrupulous, fly-by-night operators to set up shop.Those mean ol' charter opponents. Isn't it curious how the reformers don't have any problem at all with building up a few negative public school stories into an anti-public teacher-bashing movement of national proportions in order to destroy teacher unions and public schools as a whole?"

But are charter schools really so innocent?

- In 2009, 83 percent of 145 Minnesota charter schools were found to have at least one financial irregularity in their audit.

- In February 2009, a New Mexico state audit found financial problems with 36 of the 44 charter schools in Albuquerque.

- Philadelphia City Controller Alan Butkovitz (April 2010): "The fact that there were significant issues at 13 out of 13 [schools] raises the likelihood you would see many of these same issues found in a much larger sampling of the schools.By May 2010, his probe had widened to 18 charter schools."

Relationships terminated

Charter school promoters live in an abstract world where it's perfectly fine to shutter a school when the "need" arises. This reveals a profound detachment and utter disregard for the emotional lives of the children and families who, as a result, end up being subjected to tremendous disruption, stress, termination of meaningful relationships, loss and grief. Kids need security and dependability.

A school going "out of business" takes a very different emotional toll on families and children than when their local gas station or Denny's restaurant does.

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The demise and death of our institutions of social support:

Family............check!
Church............check!
Neighborhoods............check!
Schools............check!

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"It comes down to what ultimately is in the best public interest here -- supporting the growth of charters or not. Does that support ultimately weaken the rest of the school district? You bet it does." (Fred LeBrun, Albany, NY)

Observations

There is no doubt but that an increasing number of inspectors, auditors, investigators, prosecutors and court rooms (and a lot of time and money) will be needed as more state charter caps are lifted.

Part of the problem is that too many people running charter schools see them as their own little fiefdoms. After all the effort and money put into setting up their schools -- and with political leaders and the mainstream media shining their bright spotlights on charter schools -- the stakes are inordinately high for them to be able to show "success."

Another problem I've discovered by doing this research is that the unmonitored access to millions of public education dollars is drawing unscrupulous people into the "business." At other times, new-found access to funds is proving to be too tempting for some people who were perhaps less criminally-minded.

Additionally, I've now discovered that, in this era of high-stakes testing, the education security business is booming. As one company put it, "Cheating on tests isn't the exception anymore; it has almost become the rule."

On competition

From "Deregulation and Charter School Swindles" by Gary Clabaugh (Educational Horizons, Winter 2009):

Two main ideas inform the charter school movement. The first is that competition is an essential ingredient in school improvement. Charters are said to provide that.

The trouble with this argument is that competition doesn't select the best, only the most popular. McDonald's doesn't produce the best-tasting or most-nutritious food, for instance, but its heart attack specials certainly are popular. A second-rate school might prove similarly competitive if it provides a tawdry but reassuring education to the children of the low-information crowd. Fearful your kids will discover you are an ignoramus? Send them to Alpha Charter where they will never learn to doubt.

Dedication

This Web site is dedicated to Eli Broad, Bill Gates, the Walton family, Arne Duncan, Whitney Tilson, Joe Williams, Reed Hastings, Ted Mitchell, Jack O'Connell, Tom Vander Ark, George Miller, Joanne Weiss, Randy Ward, Arnold Swarzenegger, all Milton Friedman-lovers, and any other free-market, pro-school choice, minimally-regulate-what-goes-on-in-charter school supporters who are also proud self-stated "DISRUPTORS" of public school communities, who have almost never, EVER been part of a public school community or local neighborhood, or who rejected being part of any public school community or local neighborhood long, long ago -- but have ended up deciding to help tear apart the tapestry of basic local human connections anyway.

Visitors

A variety of people have been looking at my blog, probably because of the great Gulen charter school information I've posted. This site is regularly visited by readers from Turkey. I get periodic visits from dhs.gov, doj.gov and ed.gov. I've had visits from house.gov and ed.gov, and at least one visit from someone at eop.gov (? Executive Office of the President). I've had a few visits from a couple of mystery IPs that are supposedly associated with the State Department, specifically the CIA. Hmmmmm...

Pages

Memphis Academy for Health Sciences

4 comments: