Noble Network of Charter Schools
As public funding for Chicago
charter schools increases, so do questions about accountability and governance
within these publicly-funded–but privately-run–institutions.
According to the Chicago Public Schools’
2013 budget, charter schools will receive nearly $483 million in
funding, up more than 13% from funding in 2012. The resources are significant
for the expanding charter school network within the city–particularly Noble
Network of Charter Schools–which serves nearly 8,000 students across a dozen
campuses. The organization’s most recent non-profit
filing shows that Noble receives the lion’s share of CPS funds
allocated to charter schools, and they are expected to receive $69.9 million in
2013.
But a recent report raises red flags on the lack of accountability at
one of Noble’s charter schools. Marsha Godard, a parent at Chicago Bulls
College Prep, told DNAinfo Chicago
that she paid nearly $2,000 in fees to keep her son at school...
Godard’s son was fined for various offenses, including an
unkempt appearance and not making eye contact. Other items in Noble’s
strict student code include ”chewing
gum, possessing soft drinks or energy drinks like Red Bull, eating chips, not
tucking in a shirt after being warned and carrying a permanent marker.”
This is not the first time the Noble Network has received criticism for
the fees. In February, parents protested the
Noble Network for charging fees as disciplinary action. According to the Chicago Tribune, Noble
raked in approximately $200,000 in disciplinary fees in 2011 and almost
$400,000 since the 2008-09 school year...
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