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.

Winfree Academy

FORMER EMPLOYEES CLAIM TEXAS CHARTER SCHOOL VIOLATED TEXAS LABOR LAW; December 23, 2010; LAS Newswire

Irving, TX: Former employees have claimed that Winfree Academy, a network of six charter schools in North Texas, has violated Texas labor law by hiring friends and family members over more qualified candidates, the Dallas Morning News reports.

According to state records, complaints of nepotism at the academy date back to at least 2001, the news source said.

One employee, who filed an anonymous complaint with the Texas Education Agency in 2004, said that "a great majority of people that are hired seem to be friends or relatives of the owners and principals...qualified candidates were passed over so that a friend of the owner could be hired. Positions are filled, not based on qualifications, but by who is on the 'inside.'"

Melody Chalkley, a former public high school teacher who started the academy in 1997, told the news provider that such accusations are unfair and untrue. She explained that family members and friends were instrumental in the expansion of the academy…

21 comments:

Anonymous said...: Its true....I would NOT send my kids to Winfree Academy. I dont think Winfree is going to be in operation much longer; October 28, 2013 at 12:09 PM
Anonymous said...: The administrators at Winfree have little or no formal education....Student population is reducing at a rapid pace at each winfree campus...Winfree currently has a 80% drop out rate among its students district wide. This is not good.; October 31, 2013 at 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...: Several years ago, winfree closed its grapevine campus because of its low enrollment numbers, in 2014 winfree will be closing its denton campus also from low enrollment numbers. There's a pattern here.; November 4, 2013 at 8:16 AM
Anonymous said...: 15 teachers has recently resigned from Winfree because of low pay, and low employee morale. Denton/Lewisville campuses have graduated only 2 students combined for the 2013-2014 school year thus far.; November 7, 2013 at 12:28 PM
Anonymous said...: Winfree Academy Charter School is currently being monitored by the TEA.; November 25, 2013 at 9:07 AM
Anonymous said...: Teachers are leaving Winfree Academy at a rapid pace.....Winfree teachers are among the lowest paid teachers in the State of Texas.; January 6, 2014 at 11:34 AM
Concerned Mom said...: I am very worried now because I took my son out of DHS due to bullying and depression. Tried the home school route but he needed to be around his peers. He started Winfree(Denton) this year and I have been very impressed. I do have a concern how some of the students are allowed to act out in class and play jokes on teachers. If anyone has more information regarding problems with Winfree Acadamy, please let me know. You can email me if you like at azmiller.miller1@gmail.com. Thank you, Concerned Mom; February 7, 2014 at 9:35 AM
Anonymous said...: Enrollment is decreasing at all winfree campuses. Teachers are still quiting winfree. Bad morale among teachers, winfree's director of instruction is abusive to teachers and staff. Not a good place to work or send your students.; March 11, 2014 at 10:20 AM
Anonymous said...: How is this place not shut down by the state yet?; June 12, 2014 at 2:36 PM
Anonymous said...: Winfree is a scam school.I had heard at one time that scores were rigged for the students so they could graduate and she could get more money. Don't know how true that is, it wouldn't surprise me. Daughter was in charge of finance for years, not qualified to hold that position. She sure got plenty of money to hold that position. There is a lot of covering up going on in there. What's up with the TEA not shutting it down! There needs to be a federal investigation to find out just how much money changed hands in there and to who.; September 6, 2014 at 1:50 PM
Anonymous said...: My son goes to Winfree. It has given him a terrific education. The teachers are so nice and giving. My son is happy there.; November 14, 2014 at 2:44 PM
Anonymous said...: As a former employee of Winfree Academy I can tell you first hand that this school did in fact hire friends and family members at school I worked at the Principal had her mother working for her, but the mom did not really have a job just creating crafts. I was let go due to one of the friends of Melody not liking me. There was a lot of nepotism on all campuses.; December 25, 2014 at 7:03 AM
Unknown said...: Any updates on Winfree. Im relocating from San Diego to Dallas area and was planning on enrolling my son at the near Duncanville. Any info on this location would be appreciated.; November 29, 2015 at 12:11 PM
Anonymous said...: I was forced to quit by the principal at the lewisville campus in 02; April 17, 2016 at 12:04 AM
Anonymous said...: I was thinking about enrolling at the richland campus but all these negative reviews have me second guessing are these still issues or have they been resolved?; August 22, 2016 at 8:41 AM
Anonymous said...: Richardson has a new principal and more newer staff all the friend like positions got fired due to a new needed experience the corporate was asking . I went last year and it was more difficult but I'm back again and it's better then before . It's not bad as they say.; August 31, 2016 at 10:29 AM
Anonymous said...: I seen that the nepotism was reigned in by the Texas Education Agency and that the founder Melody Chalkley was let go as well as her daughter. Looks like TEA cleaned up Winfree.; September 23, 2016 at 2:42 PM
Anonymous said...: Anyone have any issues recently? I am not happy and curious if anyone else is as well?; October 14, 2016 at 12:30 PM
Anonymous said...: I'm a current student of Winfree. From my experience so far, at least in North Richland Hills, there doesn't really seem to be anything to terribly bad happening. Maybe in the past there were some problems with nepotism. But now, that seems to be gone. The main problem i've seen is favoritism to the regular students in comparison to those in the Courage program. (Courage is a program where students who have problems with metal illnesses, abuse, and drug addictions can be put, if they so request.); August 15, 2017 at 1:43 AM
Unknown said...: I went to winfree in grapevine i learned more there and did so much better there than i did at any keller school I went to i went from d's and c's to all straight A's you had to do your work to earn your grade no teacher handed that out to you sad to see all the negative reviews when it did wonders for me and other students there too; October 5, 2017 at 2:32 PM
Anonymous said...: I currently go to winfree and honestly it still sucks. Most of the teachers that actually cared about the education of the students ALL left around the same time in one year. The new principle doesn't care about anything but the money. Granted we do have some cool new teachers but I'm not happy there. I have been attending for a while this is my third year and I was originally in the courage program for the first two years and it didn't help me at all it actually made my problems worse. I already suffered from minor anxiety and depression problems, however being there my anxiety and depression has gotten considerably worse since attending. I used to be able to manage my problems, but now I cant even go to school without being in CONSTANT anxiety. It has even gotten in the way of me graduating. Most of the staff don't care at all about the students. Winfree I can honestly say has given me the worst anxiety I have ever had. Since attending the school I also developed severe social anxiety and I cant be anywhere near the school without uncontrollably shaking. Do your kids a favor and find any other place to send your child. The schools are filled with trouble making kids with severe alcohol and drig addictions.; October 28, 2017 at 12:17 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

Winfree Academy

21 comments: