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.

West Houston Charter School

PROBLEMS CONTINUE TO MOUNT FOR BELEAGUERED WEST HOUSTON CHARTER SCHOOL, HEADMASTER CALLED ‘PUPPET’ ; June 23, 2010; Instant News Katy (Houston, TX)

First of a Two-Part Series

Problems for the beleaguered West Houston Charter School continue to mount, with the school facing the results of a TEA audit, declining enrollment, disgruntled staff and complaints that the needs of special education students are being ignored.

Several school insiders are also alleging headmaster Reginald Johnson is “just a puppet for an out-of-control school board.”

The new allegations come even as the lawsuit of former school administrator Jean Pickering continues to make its way through the court system.

The TEA has yet to publicly release the results of a recent on-site audit of the school but, during a weekend interview with InstantNewsKaty, two WHCS insiders said many of the problems that got the school in trouble with the state before Pickering was hired have now resurfaced.

According to the insiders, enrollment has plummeted and the school is in danger of defaulting on its bonds.

“We’ve lost students; we’ve got very nervous parents and everybody wonders what kind of future this school has. It’s had a TEA monitor before because of poor management, and it’s probably going to have one again,” one source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. “The school board is continuing to meddle and not let professionals do their job; morale is extremely low among teachers.”…

Another issue the school sources said is “a problem that’s about to blow up” is the school’s handling of special needs students. A lack of commitment by the board to special needs students has been a recurring theme for more than a year, and was one of the things that caused Pickering’s relationship with the board to sour, they said.

“Remember it was (then-Board President David) Dwyer’s wife who was improperly releasing information on a special needs student that seemed to start the whole thing going downhill for (Pickering). Since then, there have been numerous statements, including some from board members, that they didn’t really want to have to deal with special needs students because it would get in the way of their so-called ‘classical education’ theme for the school,” one source said…

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FORMER CHARTER SCHOOL STAFFER SAYS BOARD MEMBERS CALLED SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS NOT THE ‘FOCUS’ OF SCHOOL; June 28, 2010; Instant News Katy (Houston, TX)

Second of a Two-Part Series

As allegations continue to mount that members of West Houston Charter School’s board did not want to serve special needs students, a former school staffer has come forward to say she was repeatedly told the school was “not set up” for such students.

Kathleen Haymes was the school’s special programs coordinator/instructional technologist until the school decided to not renew her contract for the upcoming school year.

Haymes, who was also the parent of a special needs child enrolled at WHCS, was one of five employees let go, reportedly because the school needed to save money.

“As an employee, I was responsible for all struggling students and the programs required by state and federal law established for the struggling students. As a result, I was often having to say we needed to get this (or) that or get additional assistance for students who met the (special needs) guidelines,” Haymes told InstantNewsKaty. “Whether we had staff and resources, I’d have to find a way to make it work. I stayed current with changes in the laws in order to protect the school, but was repeatedly told that our school was not set up to serve students with special needs.”

Haymes also said she experienced the school’s reluctance to serve special needs students from a parent’s perspective when she had to fight to get the school to meet her own daughter’s educational needs…

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DISTRICT JUDGE REJECTS WEST HOUSTON CHARTER SCHOOL MOTION TO DISMISS PICKERING LAWSUIT; March 22, 2010; Instant News Katy (Houston, TX)

A move by the West Houston Charter School to have a lawsuit filed by former administrator Jean Pickering tossed out of court has been denied by 125th Judicial District Judge Kyle Carter.

Pickering sued the school under Texas’ Whistleblower Act, claiming board members forced her out as administrator after she raised concerns the board was meeting in violation of the Texas Open Meetings Act and that the wife of Board President David Dwyer had divulged confidential student information.

Attorneys for the school tried to have the lawsuit dismissed because, they said, Pickering “failed to invoke the grievance procedure of Defendant West Houston Charter School within 90 days of the claimed adverse employment action.” That failure, the school’s attorneys claimed, meant the court did not have jurisdiction over the dispute.

After hearing arguments from both sides, Carter ruled in favor of Pickering…

In the lawsuit, Pickering alleged then-board members Dwyer, Judy Paul and Lucina Botond engaged in a conspiracy to oust her as school administrator.

Pickering resigned before the board took action to terminate her, the lawsuit said.

Pickering has demanded unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, as well as “revoking any certificate authorizing the defendant to do business in Texas.” If ultimately granted, that revocation could result in a loss of the school’s charter with the Texas Education Agency.

In documents filed with the court, Pickering said her relationship with the board began to turn sour after Dwyer appointed his wife Heather to a key school committee. It was then Heather Dwyer allegedly openly discussed a special needs student in violation of student confidentiality restrictions…

3 comments:

Anonymous said...: Is there any update on this case?; October 19, 2012 at 8:04 PM
Anonymous said...: From what I just read, the court dismissed everything as they found Mrs. Pickering did not follow established school grievance procedures before filing suite.; December 4, 2012 at 5:33 AM
Anonymous said...: Case is covered at "leagle.com" search for "West Houston Charter School Alliance v. Pickering"; December 4, 2012 at 5:37 AM

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...

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West Houston Charter School

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