Charter schools spending public money like it belonged to them...Philly, NYC

[madfloridian]

and probably other places as well.

The city controller in Philly is trying to oversee how taxpayer money is being spent by the charter school companies. He is not very happy about what he is finding.

From the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Butkovitz: Charter schools spending like it's their money

City Controller Alan Butkovitz yesterday blasted the Philadelphia School District's Charter School Office for failing "to monitor charter schools," which spend millions in taxpayers' dollars.

Butkovitz released a scathing report citing financial mismanagement, excessive executive salaries and "opportunities for possible fraud" at 13 charter schools his office investigated over the last 14 months.

"Many charter schools, through leasing agreements and associated nonprofits, are transferring taxpayer-funded assets to nonprofits that are not accountable to the school district," the report said in one of its key findings. Butkovitz called for changes in the state's charter-school laws to bolster oversight of the schools. He is set to discuss his findings at a state Senate Education Committee hearing at Widener University today.

He said the school district spends more than $350 million in public funds on the 67 charters schools in the city.

A total of 13 schools in Philly are under investigation by him.

13 Philly Charter schools under investigation

Many of them for profiteering.

City Controller Alan Butkovitz's investigation of 13 Philadelphia charter schools found repeated examples of complex real estate arrangements in which charters leased or rented facilities from related non-profit organizations.

"The way the charter law is written and not enforced--there is a gigantic loophole through which people can profiteer," Butkovitz said. "This is not supposed to be a vehicle for maximizing profit for operators and related parties."

Turning public schools into profit for real estate. Not good.

In New York City many schools are being charged huge amounts per student by their management company, Victory Schools Inc. The interest is adding up, and the taxpayers are having to foot the bill.

From the New York Daily News:

Charter schools on hook for thousands of dollars in interest payments to for-profit company

Three city charter schools are on the hook for thousands of dollars in interest payments to a for-profit management company.

Victory Schools Inc. charges charter schools between $2,000 and $2,700 a student for back office support and help with curriculum planning and hiring.

But if the schools can't pay up, they get socked. The company charged more than $100,000 in interest payments to three of its schools last year alone, using rates ranging from 6% to about 15% if a school pays late.

And I agree with this statement:

"No school should be using tax dollars to cover interest payments, especially at credit card rates," said city Public Advocate Bill de Blasio.

Blending public and private money...and the profit is going to the private companies. Public schools systems are paying out the money, and the charter school management is getting richer.

[louis-t]

1. Profit before pupils. Graft, corruption, greed, bribery...

Welcome to the republican utopia.

[RandomThoughts]

3. actually many of them believe they are in heaven already.

It allows for not caring about people they can think are in hell, and allows for a empathy breaker for other groups, it is a nasty trick played on many people. If they can convince themselves it is God's justice for them to 'have' and God's justice for others to 'have not' then they don't have to feel guilty or remorse for lack of moderation or empathy. Its a common empathy blocker.


I firmly believe in Robin Williams approach, sure it says in the Bible, the chasm between heaven and hell is too far to cross, but it also says nothing is impossible with God. So I don't think accepting anyone is destine, or is in hell, is a good thing.


What Dreams May Come
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pHCtLzmras

And I like this song. Give me a choice, as long as one person was in hell, how could I enjoy heaven?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xcd7ucSfgLo

Also why I respect John McCain, the reports of his actions when a POW are that same thought. Although I think his year was 2000.

[Tansy_Gold]

2. +1000 -- or as many as it takes to keep this in the public eye

charter schools are -- almost without exception -- worse failures than the "failing" public schools they're touted as replacing. Not only do they not do their stated job of educating, but they add to their failure by ripping off the taxpayers with their bullshit propaganda of "AND WE CAN DO IT CHEAPER!"

They can't, they don't, and they won't.


If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't.




Tansy Gold, supporter of PUBLIC education

[madfloridian]

9. Trouble is it can't stay in the public eye if media ignores it.

Just a few bloggers writing about it are not enough.

[pscot]

4. Give corporations access to tax dollars

That's the whole point. Private schools, private prisons, private armies; they're bleeding us dry.

[madfloridian]

10. In every area they are getting that access now.

What concerns me is that people might gripe about the others being wrong, but too many think it is okay to do it with education because teachers are "bad".

[pscot]

19. Are charter schols subject to the exigencies of levy

elections? Or can they just demand funding on the basis of contract obligations? I don't know how Florida operates, but in Wshington the state is required by law to fully fund education. It has never lived up to that obligation. Our local schools hold fund drives so they can buy pencils, for gods sake.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. Is it Good for the Children?

A couple decades ago a local agency had a campaign here

Is it Good for the Children?

They distributed tens of thousands of bumper stickers and cards. You saw that phrase everywhere. On car bumpers, in classrooms, in doctor's offices . . .

And people really discussed issues with that frame of reference. Especially at school staff meetings and school board meetings. It forced us to always put the children first, above everything else. It's not about what's best for the adults, it's about what's good for the children.

I'm going to look and see if I can find one of those bumper stickers.

[Grand Taurean]

6. Just another scam.

Which explains why Eli Broad and Billy Gates are in on it.

[madfloridian]

11. A scam pretending to not to be one.

It's a move to discredit teachers while turning schools into profit making entities.

[MikeMc]

13. Right

I've enjoyed your posts for months, Mad. My wife is an American Fed of Teachers member. I'd like to add that repugs hate all unions, so they hate a brainy union like the AFT or NEA even more. Second, they hate an educated population, because knowledge disrupts the ability of the repugs' ultra-wealthy masters to rule that population. Last, under the crony capitalism and spoils system mentality that dominates every GOP effort to 'govern' (at least post-Eisenhower), the rule is "If it's not nailed down, steal it."

PS: Republican Gomorrah, by Max Blumenthal, points out that Dobson ally Gary Bauer, Reagan's undersec. of Ed., "used his post to limit funding for public schools, which he blamed for eroding the country's moral character." ! (p. 67.) So they hate public schools in Jesus' name. Either that, or they're just crooked criminal liars who want ALL the money and power.

[madfloridian]

16. Love the part about Bauer....first time I heard that.

"PS: Republican Gomorrah, by Max Blumenthal, points out that Dobson ally Gary Bauer, Reagan's undersec. of Ed., "used his post to limit funding for public schools, which he blamed for eroding the country's moral character." ! (p. 67.) So they hate public schools in Jesus' name. Either that, or they're just crooked criminal liars who want ALL the money and power."

Now they are just taking away funding for public schools for just any old reason...and giving it to private companies.

People get irate about other services being turned over to private companies, but it's ok if it is being done to teachers.

The decades of propaganda have worked so well.

Thanks for the nice words and welcome to DU.

[MikeMc]

20. Thanks, Mad

Tom Tomorrow did a good cartoon on the issue, where corporations take over public education in the name of 'market efficiency', sell off the 10th grade to balance the books, then run the school into the ground and receive a government bailout.

I sent my wife the piece you did on Race to the Top, since Pgh is in that program now, and she gave it to some of her colleagues. (I saved the link, your 5787) The Neil and Bar bush involvement was a new one to me, and your info on Gates and Duncan was new to me and very informative. Our AFT local (400) should pay you to post on their web site.

[Dappleganger]

7. Where are the taxpayer lawsuits??

Why aren't these charlatans being taken to court for stealing taxpayer money?? As a taxpayer I want to know that every single goddamn penny is going to help educate the children.

[madfloridian]

8. There should be lawsuits. There should be fighting back.

[sulphurdunn]

12. Saying that business interests

can run schools better because they're in it for the money is like saying that wolves make better sheep dogs because they're wolves.

[tonysam]

14. Neoliberalism or Friedmanism says public services like public education

are inherently bad not because they are "inefficient," but because they are PUBLIC.

In their twisted world, the "public good" or "community" doesn't exist.

These bastards don't belong on this planet.

[liam_laddie]

15. Cost-per-student?

Thanks, madfloridian! :fistbump:
This issue is intensely, if not widely, discussed here in Cincinnati. The public system spends about $13,460 per student (34,700 enrolled, $467 million budget/2009-1010 year.)

How many students are enrolled in the (67) Philadelphia charter schools? Without even addressing the quality or success of the students, just how much is spent per-student there? Curious taxpayers want to know!

I also note that the Phila. Comptroller's report of April 8 notes charter school expenditures of $300 million, whereas the Daily News reporter's figure is $350 million. Error? Typo? What's the correct number?

The $2K-2.7K per student noted for outside consultant Victory Schools, Inc. services seems outlandish. Further, the conflict-of-interest and self-dealing apparent is almost certainly endemic across the nation in the charter school movement. Yes, good ol' republic party family values. Y'know, ethics, neighbor's keeper, common good...all those Palin-like qualities. Gimme a break!

[madfloridian]

17. Good questions, and I don't know the answers except what I read...

in the news. :)

[freebrew]

18. Repug commandment:

Socialize the costs, privatize the profits..