Academica Schools / Florida politician (ethics complaint)

A Tallahassee mother of three said she filed an ethics complaint this week against state Rep. Erik Fresen over his family’s ties to a charter school company.

Fresen, a Miami Republican, voted in a Florida House committee last week for a broad charter schools reform bill. His sister and brother-in-law work for Academica, which runs numerous charter schools in Florida…
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

State Rep. Erik Fresen, who sits on several education committees in the Florida House, is again raising eyebrows for his family ties to a prominent Miami-Dade charter school company.

Fresen’s sister and brother-in-law run Academica, a for-profit company that manages dozens of charter schools.

Last week, Fresen slipped language into a bill that would prohibit cities from imposing stricter zoning and building restrictions on charter schools than on traditional public schools. Charter schools are publicly funded but privately run.

The provision is aimed in part at South Miami, which recently approved charter school regulations that could directly affect Academica. The company, city Mayor Philip Stoddard said, may be looking to expand Somerset Academy at SoMi, where Fresen’s twin sons go to school. And Academica has expressed interest in building a school in Palmetto Bay.

Fresen scoffed at the idea that he put forth the provision to benefit his family. His brother-in-law, Fernando Zulueta, runs Academica with Fresen’s sister, Maggie. And Fresen is a land-use consultant for Civica, an architectural firm that has designed several Academica schools…

But while school districts must meet certain criteria to expand or build a new, traditional public school — such as hold public hearings — charter schools are often exempt. The new provision would prevent cities and counties from setting some of those rules at the municipal level, said Tucker Gibbs, a Miami land-use attorney who is fighting a proposed Academica school in Coral Gables…

1 comment:

Diane said...

To add to your story behind the story of Representative Fresen, not only was the complaint found to be unwarranted by the Florida House "lawyer on duty" but he is none other than George Levesque, husband of the infamous Patricia Levesque, deputy Chief of Staff for Jeb Bush and his Foundation - the Charter School pushers.

To add goo to the pot,there are several representatives and senators of Florida who own or have financial interest in charter schools here in Florida. You would think they would recuse themselves from these votes but they do not - they see absolutely nothing wrong with voting.

More info - we here in Florida are so blessed to have Mr. Fresen become our FL. House Speaker this next session - this wet behind the ears, has hardly worked a day in his life punk. When Jeb Bush Or Patricia Levesque speaks, Fresen jumps! But then the Florida Legislature is full of thse nincompoops who have absolutely no experience for whatever committee's they serve on. BUT - - - -

They certainly have stars in their eyes when Jeb Bush speaks - what ever Jeb Bush wants - Jeb Bush gets! No I am not a Democrat - but a republican who is sick to death of these lousy excuses for legislators especially when they pretend to be doing good for us, "dumbing down our kids" and they are still Bush's "little workers."

How soon we forget - I wonder if it is the Savings and Loan money Jeby Baby used to start his foundation.

http://www.weebly.com/weebly/main.php#
truthneducation@ymail.com