Mecklenburg County Commissioner Dumont Clarke was not happy to read that county taxpayers could be on the hook for repaying $600,000 in debt that StudentFirst Academy has amassed in its opening months.
The school's board of directors met Monday with the N.C. Charter School Advisory Board to talk about the school's survival in the wake of financial, management and educational problems that led to the firing of two founders and top administrators in December. StudentFirst leaders said they can repay the debt over the next 2 1/2 years, relying on county money because state money can't be used for that purpose. The board also hopes to raise private donations to help, board members said.
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| Clarke |
"I would ask you to monitor developments involving this non-profit organization closely and consider being prepared to take all necessary and appropriate steps, including legal action should the Board decide to direct you to do so, to prevent the board of this non-profit from using future County tax dollars for a bailout of these current year debts," Clarke wrote. "...(W)hen the government gives money to non-governmental entities (whether they be non-profit or for-profit) to provide public services such as education, the government should take steps to make sure that the money is not wasted or misused. If a non-profit charter school can get into financial trouble this quickly after it opens (less than seven months) and need a local government bailout of its debts, it appears to me that the regulatory oversight that is in place for charter schools, particularly considering the rapid expansion of them that is underway for next year and the following year, is wholly inadequate."
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is required to pass along a per-pupil share of its county allotment to all charter schools that serve Mecklenburg students. This year CMS got $356.6 million from the county and must pass along money for just over 10,800 charter students.
In a recent report to the N.C. Office of Charter Schools, StudentFirst said it gets $74,780 a month in local money for just under 300 students enrolled there.
Paying back the debt, which includes bank loans and overdue bills to vendors, wouldn't force the county to pay StudentFirst extra. Instead, the payment plan would eat into the money available to pay for the education of next year's students. The StudentFirst board has already cut back staff and sacrificed many of the academic extras that were promised so they can bring spending under control.
The state advisory board has given StudentFirst's board until April to present a detailed financial and academic recovery plan. Based on that, the advisory board will decide whether to recommend that the N.C. Board of Education revoke the charter or let StudentFirst remain open.
County Commissioner Bill James agreed that he'd like to protect county money -- "I am generally in favor of oversight for everyone, even CMS" -- but voiced skepticism that the current system allows that.
Clarke said he expects county and CMS officials to continue talks about oversight of charter schools and local spending.
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64 comments:
Yeah, because to people like Dumont and Claire Fallon it's way more important to spend money on plopping down "low-income" housing in middle class neighborhoods. That's what will ultimately fix all of our education woes.
Dumont Clarke has cared less about wasting MILLIONS of dollars over the years with his former cronies Roberts and Helms on boondoggles such as the Whitewater Center, Knights Stadium and NASCAR HOF.
What he says makes sense to me.
(Disregarding HIS past, of course.)
As long as it's applied across the board to all such projects (as it should be).
Some of these Charter school ideas are just plain stupid and are run by self-serving fools (or criminals).
It seems to me that all bodies vetting and supervising these organizations should be held responsible in some way, for rubber-stamping the foolishness.
Especially since they screwed this one up for whatever reason.
Of course, this being politics...
Ahhh...the beauty of charter schools. Ol' McCrory would like to see one on every corner. Shamash is exactly right. Who cares about the messenger? The message is dead on.
Our government officials trip all over themselves trying to figure out how "government" can solve the problem of this demographic. So anyone who comes up with any idea can get a wad of money with little oversight and due diligence. Because if any government official suggested such responsible actions, they would be branded a racists for picking on this demographic. They would be roasted by the Charlotte Observer editorial board. Their homes would be marched on by the NAACP. And they jobs would demanded to be terminated.
When can we see an article about the positive and great things occurring in local charter schools like Union Academy, Queens Grant, Socrates Academy, Lake Norman, Kipp, Charlotte Secondary, Metropolitan Regional Scholars?
There are bad apples in every basket but plenty of good ones. Let's see a story on good apples.
I'm irked that this organization wasn't properly vetted. Can we trust those who are making these decisions?
Whether it's a county school system or charter school, all are public schools and use the same public tax dollars for operations. Unlike county school systems, charter schools do not receive any public funds for capital improvements. It does not appear to be a "bailout", just an isolated case of a charter school mismanaging their public fund allotment. Let's ask Mr. Melody how many NC charter schools are properly managing public funds?
To Wiley Coyote--FYI and to all the taxpayers--the next boondoggle coming is the Amateur Sports Complex coming to the Bojangles Arena on Independence. They plan on spending around 80M dollars to create a Sports Complex with a group that has had "NO, None, Nada" success in developing such complexes. In fact the two complexes they tried to develop--have problems (a la Bert Hesse). But since the development group wants to allow the CRVA to run the events--the City and Ron Kimble feel it is a good deal. CRVA-check Whitewater Complex and NASCAR HOF. CRVA has never run an event--they could not even inflate a basketball. Stay tune--the next White Elephant is coming to the East Side along with the Movie Studio at Eastland Mall.
There does need to be more oversight--it does seem like many charters DO get rubber-stamped without enough scrutiny. (Remember the cases of the charter applications that were plagiarized last year?) Nobody's saying there aren't successful charters--of course there are. But they are all using public money. For the county and the elected Board of Education to have no say in how they are run, yet be left with the bill at the end of the day--that's a problem, to me.
A hit piece to make charter schools look bad. Dumont Clark, the Observer. NYC Mayor de Blasio, Barack Obama and the rest of the Democrat Party have a vested political interest in protecting failed public schools no matter how many poor and minority students it may hurt.
The article makes the per pupil expenditure sound bad..."Student First gets $74,780 a month in local money for just under 300 students enrolled there." Wow. Sounds like a lot. A big rip off. It is $2988 per year. CMS spends $8973 per pupil and the amount is consistent with local money spent in CMS per pupil.
Clark lectures "It appears that the regulatory oversight that is in place for Charter Schools is totally inadequate." Really? Well what about concern for the inadequacy of oversight of all the wasted millions of our $1.2 BILLION budget for the failed CMS public school system? A system where their best plan for improving student test performance is to make the test easier.How about regulatory oversight for all the wasted money funneled through the Democrats in cities, states and federal programs throughout the country?
Mr. Clark asks for "options the city has to avoid paying for the independently run public school's mistakes." Why not the same option the Democrat Party turns to for their "mistakes" and careless disregard of spending? Just figure out how to take more money from the taxpayer!
But the taxpayer is suddenly a concern and fiscal responsibility a concern when it involves a program like Charter Schools that liberals oppose for political reasons.
Anon 8:15am
"I'm irked that this organization wasn't properly vetted. Can we trust those who are making these decisions?"
I don't think we can.
I already mentioned one failed Charter "academy" that was run by an ex-con.
After his last school failed, he was put on the board of ANOTHER school which was recently approved by the state.
I wonder if he had to mention his prison sentence on his application?
For some reason, I suspect that he didn't.
I wonder if the people who approved him (twice) even know.
(Or maybe I'm wrong and it's just another guy with the same weird name from the same town in Delaware who just happens to be running pretty much the same business of serving the "disadvantaged".)
I'd want to know if the principal or board member of my kids school was an ex-con.
But, hey, maybe that's just me.
Kantstanzya,
A hit piece?
C'mon, I'm just as much in favor of Charters as anyone, but who wants them run by fools or charlatans?
I say nip it in the bud. BEFORE they get approval.
These aspclowns are hiring relatives and voting themselves huge raises and getting it all rubber-stamped.
I wouldn't want that happening in ANY school.
But ESPECIALLY in Charter schools which have so much more potential for actually improving education.
If properly monitored.
Of course, I'd like to see the same sorts of incompetence exposed in the public schools as well.
But that probably won't happen.
according to many of the parents who are posting reviews at greatschools.org, Queens Grant is apparently not one of those good apples either, but then again, that is merely their opinion. Lake Norman looks like a really good school and offers a nice alternative for those looking for options. Even though I am not an advocate for charter schools, it would be tough to send a child to North Meck where it appears there has been very little reinvestment in facility upgrades.
If a project, ANY PROJECT, makes economic sense, you wont need to use huge government handouts to bribe someone to do it.
Can Dr Leake find out if any of the criminals involved with this charter school scam also happen to have worked at DSS or attend a certain church? There seems to be a pattern in local Govco management when these problems arise, and they seem to be a Democrat at the root of the cause.
When will the voters in our county ever wake up?
Joyce Waddell is not happy the county wasted money of this charter school when it could have been used to build another unnecessary high school and name it after some more of her relatives.
Shamash: Perhaps you have missed all the recent articles on the sex offenders and child porn perverts that have been uncovered recently in the public schools? One was even a principal.
Charter Schools are not perfect. They will have their share of problems and of problem people just like any organization. But the model has proved to be much more economical and much more effective and successful in improving educational performance than our public school model.
If we held public schools to the same standards the left wants to hold Charter Schools to we would close most all of them.
This is a bad apple. A couple of things the state should do if you are going to set up a charter within an already economically and educationally low area
: the charter before opening doors must show at least $100,000 in reserves at all times and if that money is to be used, someone from the state must approve its use. The state also must demand a detailed list of how these schools will raise money, and not the typical "raise funds from community", but a detailed list how (festivals, marathons, silent actions).
But at the same token, this Observer writer never writes about the good of charters in the Charlotte area or how North Charlotte students are flocking to the charters. The charters in the North Charlotte area are running on 1000 kid waitlist, parents are getting desperate to get their kids out of CMS. I want to see an article about this and what CMS is doing about this.
Dumont, how about you clawback that Chiquita money first, then you can have a little bit of moral standing regarding the charter school?
I'm "irked" (I can think of a better word) that I'm still paying county taxes to fund the idiocy inherent in CMS while my child attends a Christian school. This school system is well on its way to becoming just another big-city urban jungle, and no amount of money you can throw at it is going to reverse that trend. Democrats are now running this town...and we ALL know how that ends up, every time. Lord help us.
A few years ago the teachers at Queens Grant were called to a special meeting. The teachers were told the budget wasn't going well so they would have an immediate 10% pay cut. Charter school leaders can get in over their heads early on. I personally would not consider any charter that is less than 4 years old.
As a Parent with children that would have attended, CMS I took the financial hit sold our home and LEFT Mecklenburg County ASAP.
It was the BEST thing, I could have EVER done for my CHILDREN. Sorry but CMS is not the answer for education.
While it's not true that I've NEVER written about charter successes, it's absolutely true that I have written little or nothing about most of the schools cited (though many individual CMS schools could make the same complaint). Part of the challenge is what comes out in some of these comments -- when I do a "success" article I want to make sure it stands up to scrutiny. Trying to tease out the charters that offer the clearest academic value and explore more about how they do it is high on my to-do list.
How is this Charter staying open next year EVEN A QUESTION? NO! There should be better oversight - no question there - for everyone!
As the previous writer wrote Ann, there continuous to be a absolute lack of Observer coverage on why so many charters are opening in North Charlotte and why there is a 1000+ family waitlist at any of these charters. There was one article written in the beginning of the school year about this but nothing about why families are leaving CMS in droves. Not one reporter has spoken to CMS officials and held them accountable. Families in this area are desperate, parents are blue in the face trying to talk to education leaders about this issue and really have given up. The Observer continues its coverage on Union County and South Charlotte issues, but continues to miss the hottest topic in education regarding CMS, North Charlotte/Huntersville issues with the schools. Why are parents willing to sit on a 1000+ waitlist, desperate to leave CMS even to a charter that just opened. Hence, Union County parents look like a bunch of brats considering the garbage that North Charlotte parents are going through with the schools. Nice coverage observer!
10:44, my January story on the application season did cite north Meck families choosing charters and touched on the heavy concentration of existing and new charters in that area. Again, not at all disputing that there is much more to explore. Also, that story touched on one of the issues with the long wait lists: They're real, but many of the same families are on several lists.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/01/10/4602095/school-choice-boon-brings-options.html#.UyBzavldUbI
The northern meck. parents seem to pointing to the negative impact the opening of the popula Hough high had on Noth Meck high. Mallard Creek and Vance seem to be losing many to lake norman charter. Could some of the parents explain?
I guess the 25% of voters who voted against the $290 MILLION CMS bonds a few months ago all live in the northern part of Mecklenburg County.
Kantstanzya,
I don't think most problems are unique to either Charter, Private, or Public schools.
I haven't missed all the problems in public schools just as I haven't missed the priest scandals and problems at private or Charter schools.
Predators, scoundrels, and con-men can be (and are) at them all.
Fortunately, they're still a minority, though.
But that may change if we politicize this and start favoring a particular type of school.
ALL SCHOOLS need scrutiny.
I'm actually glad the Charters are apparently being held to a higher standard than public schools.
(Even if it may be by people who would like to see them "fail".)
It means they will more likely turn out to be superior schools.
I'd like to see the same laser focus on public schools, too.
I don't buy the "saintliness" of any particular type of school or teacher, (despite the Diane Ravitch's of the world.)
The Hough High v. North Meck, and Mallard Creek and Vance v. lake Norman Charter issues seem clear to me. Demographics, which translates to readiness and desire to learn and discipline in the classroom. The only fault I can find with CMS is its hugely bloated central staff. But once empire building becomes the goal, it is hard to dismantle.
Was he the commish which made the over 50 percent drop out rate at West Charlotte and all the dismal rates of dropout in CMS, his cause?
Wait that was Bill James over and over trying to get a future for so many kids.
Kantstanzya,
Further on the "scrutiny" and left vs. right...
I suspect that this school would be considered a "left" school based on its demographics.
But I don't think that should matter.
I would like to see MORE scrutiny of Charter schools for the simple reason that charlatans of all types just LOVE what are known as "affinity" groups.
It's a lot easier to scam people who feel like they "share" something in common like a religion, race, creed, political party, etc., etc., etc.
Or maybe being "selected" to attend a school.
A LOT MORE Charter schools are likely to fall into the category of "affinity" groups than most public schools which simply take whomever is thrown their way.
Just look at the history of scam artists and how they prefer to work and you'll see what I mean.
Bernie Madoff was successful primarily due to the demographic he chose to fleece and their sense of trust and "superiority" to others.
OF COURSE, they believed Bernie was well-connected and smart enough to get those fabulous returns that no one else could.
Why wouldn't they trust him?
He was ONE OF THEM.
You'll see this theme repeated time and time again in fraud.
Ann mentioned her story above.
Any writer will tell you to put what you really want to convey in the last line.
In the story she cited about Choice, she did not state anything herself, but posted this comment from someone she interviewed.
“I think charter schools are a really good idea,” she said, “but it’s going to increase the divide between the haves and the have-nots.”
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/01/10/4602095/school-choice-boon-brings-options.html#.UyBzavldUbI#storylink=cpy
And by the way did anyone notice the lack of an interview with a couple of teachers and parents at this charter school she has taken under her wing hoping it becomes the next Pat McCrory is insulted people looking at the website story?
Strange how close to 10,000 Charter School students at so many schools did not have any problems and apparently are getting a great education.
We all know that if you are a Charter School Parent with a whiff of anything bad about the school, you can be front page of the observer tomorrow.
And why not a story on how much we would have to pay for new schools and the like for those kids if we brought them back into the CMS fold.
I am glad that this charter school is getting a chance in the real world to get a plan, as it is already captured, weighed and found guilty by the court of public opinion led by our only educational writer at the observer.
Ann,
Just do the articles on the schools and see what happens.
Nothing makes the cockroaches scatter like the light of day, so you'll probably never see them.
But those who know will probably tell where they are hidden.
Well so you show your real face here Shamash and you tried to present yourself as fair and balanced.
Talking about those Blattaria
Strange how we have so many folks who only want the government teaching kids on this site.
You would think we would have a lot on here helping to get the Parents getting choices in the education of their kids.
But hey, this is the observer.
Ettolrahc,
So by saying to shine the light on the schools (ANY SCHOOLS) and see what comes out, I'm biased?
OK, maybe in your world where you want one side or the other to have something to hide.
So, to you my "real face" is blind support of government schools?
Wow, I'll bet you're the first one to say that.
Others would swear I'm a right-wing racist and hate all public schools.
I've been called both.
So maybe I am unbiased.
Sorry shamah, since this was a story on a Charter School and you did not say all schools in your comment, well not until this last one you made, than some may have felt you wanted only stories on Charter Schools.
I know that for some reason we have seen an extraordinary focus on Charter Schools by the observer. I just wonder which of those crawly things are not getting reported in CMS.
Especially since the have what 130 thousand kids and Charters only around 11 thousand.
I just hope you do not think we do not need government control of the majority of kids futures. It would just be great if we had the same focus on CMS.
And the affinity group thing was wonderful to see on her.
So humans tend to trust folks who are like them?
And how Madoff got into this story is interesting.
I bet you do not like the show Shark Tank?
Ettolrahc,
Well, I try to be clear, but sometimes...
Yeah, you're right about the focus as far as stories on individual schools have gone (from what I've seen).
Maybe it's because it's harder to hide Charter school failure since they tend to go bankrupt when they screw up while public schools just keep dipping into the bottomless trough.
Until, say, the local government goes bankrupt.
And the affinity group thing was just a lesson I learned as part of life (and from being a registered stock broker type for a while and following the stories of various financial scams).
You see it all the time.
Someone puts a "Rev." in front of their name, or joins a social club or two, and people will line up to give them money thinking they are automatically worthy of their trust.
I don't buy any of that.
But you see something similar happening in the Charter schools from time to time as well.
Basically, anywhere scam artists can find an easy target with deep enough pockets, they'll take advantage of whatever "noble" intent they can conjure.
It's all for the kids, anyway.
Shamash, welcome to my world. Sometimes the best testimonial is that both sides are equally mad at you.
I think CMS gets far more scrutiny from me and other news media than all charter schools combined, even with the recent StudentFirst stories. I also think it's a near certainty that misdeeds and problems at individual CMS and charter schools go unreported. There's the sheer volume, there are personnel confidentiality laws that block revelation of some important information, etc.
My take is that charters and districts both have oversight systems that are different and imperfect. Districts have elected boards. Charters have self-perpetuating boards. News media and larger segments of the public keep an eye on districts. The state Office of Charter Schools monitors charters. Districts have central staff which, ideally, can detect and deal with problems at individual schools. A whole lot of for-profit companies are lining up to work with (and make money from) charters and districts. Bottom line: Waste, fraud, mismanagement and all the other bad stuff can happen in either setting. So can all the good stuff we want to happen in schools.
Even though I basically support Charter schools, I think they do pose a whole new set of issues than existing private and public schools.
That's why I'm not against closer scrutiny of Charters.
We're all accustomed to the regular government fraud and waste, but this opens the playing field to a whole new group of scam artists wanting government money.
These people will not all be saints.
to the person who remarked about the recent sex scandals at CMS schools, google Tim Ruzbacki (York Prep in Rock Hill SC), a board member of that charter school who was CONVICTED of child porn (he spent a lot of time on that campus). Google Dianne leigh Farrell of Union Acadamy ( the good apple school), arrested for having sex with underage male students.
Ettolrach,
You must have been out of town a few weeks ago when the studentsfirst story broke. Ann did interview teachers and parents about the school.....as well as others. Teachers stated they rarely if ever had seen the assistant principal and office manager of the school. The two just happened to be the husband and son of the charter director. When hundreds of thousands of dollars of public money is either missing or been squandered it is newsworthy. Add the lawsuits, firings, and state ultimatums then this obviously is a public interest story. The moral here is if you don't want negative publicity then don't screw up.
it's amazing to me that when a writer merely reports about an issue with a local charter school she gets tapped as anti charter and pro public schools. I tend to agree with this commissioner on this, why should the tax payer be on the hook for two individuals who stole this money. And if you think this is an isolated issue, you are greatly mistaken. Research Carolina International School for example. Research Mr. Baker Mitchell, as you will find, he is on the charter school board of NC and is currently under federal investigation (talk about the fox ruling the hen house). Corporations such as Charter Schools USA, Jonathon Hage has been using his strong political influence to promote his education empire since 1996. There are questions being raised about him as well with regards to his hiring of senators wives etc to gain favor. He is worth millions as a result and he is not alone, this is all over the country.
The weirdest thing I've heard about so far in Charter schools (operating on a larger scale) is the Gulenist movement.
It seems that they are all across the country and allegedly funnel money back to a Turkish guru of some sort named Fethullah Gulen.
http://turkishinvitations.weebly.com/list-of-us-schools.html
Of course, given how lax we are in the US with all sorts of things (and how "political correctness" keeps us all in line), nothing would surprise me.
And a NY Times article on the Gulen schools in Texas:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/07/education/07charter.html?_r=1&hp
"Operating under the name Harmony Schools, Cosmos has moved quickly to become the largest charter school operator in Texas, with 33 schools receiving more than $100 million a year in taxpayer funds."
"records show that virtually all recent construction and renovation work has been done by Turkish-owned contractors. Several established local companies said they had lost out even after bidding several hundred thousand dollars lower."
H'mm.
Sounds like a good use of US tax dollars to me.
Follow the money if you can.
Only 25% percent voted against it? That's low..
I think NC needs to slow down. I am a on the conservative side of things but it seems many of the decisions made last summer have failed or been changed. Tillis said the master pay legislation was a mistake. The 25% tenure legislation is not working. I belive in charters. There are good charters and bad ones. Nation wide 1 in 4 are successful. Weed the bad charters out. Pay teachers what was promised before the great recession and come up with a bonus plan for our best teachers. Be methodical, plan. Do not just do things because Florida does. Make sure we have stable funding. From what I have read, the new plan to pay new teachers only has funding for one year. We seem to be rushing into things and making everyone unhappy. We need to see what works for NC.
6:14...
The $290 million in bonds for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools won 74 percent of the vote with all precincts reporting. That was the largest margin of victory for a CMS bond vote since the 73 percent approval in 1997.
My son attends this school and believe me it wasn't pleasant! I agree tax payers should not be on the hook for this. Those individuals placed in charge that had access to the funds should be held accountable. The only reason we are still there is because he has an excellent teacher and cared for his students during that turbulent transition. All eyes are on Student First and I'm certain things should get better.
So Ann interviewed Parents and Teachers at this school.
Any way I might find that story?
Thanks
I didn't agree with the bond but I do think teachers need their pay back. Mabey people thought the money was for teachers as well. I believe schools are students and teachers. Not buildings and stadiums and on... Thanks for the info
It'd be nice to see a story or 2 about parents who've taken their children out of CMS in favor of a charter, only to bring them back to CMS mid-year because the charter school was a ruse.
Talk to teachers and administrators, every year about 2-3 months into the school year and then again at the break, droves of students come back to CMS because the charters they were at were awful.
The best part is those teachers have to work twice as hard to catch those students up, otherwise their test scores will knock the teacher into the ineffective category and we all know the wingnuts in Raleigh are looking for anything they can use to hammer teachers even more.
Whoever said charters are doing a better job of educating is living in rainbow unicorn land. Those students that come back to CMS are further behind than when they left.
Anon 9:50pm.
If this is really happening, I'd hope that the teachers would be interested enough THEMSELVES to document this and present their case to the wingnuts in Raleigh.
And to CMS and the public and anyone else who will (or even won't) listen.
Otherwise, the wingnuts are correct to keep hammering the teachers who are foolish enough to cover for the incompetence of their "competition".
Of course, the teachers seeing this would have to actually coordinate their response and present facts, not just opinion.
I'd like to see them do this if it is happening.
Why wait for a story in the paper?
Make it happen if you have the facts.
Be a whistleblower when you see something going wrong.
Or just be another silent victim of the "wingnuts".
It's all for the kids.
Strange how in this country if you do not agree with someone you are labeled and shown as being totally against them.
Maybe we need less of these self proclaimed unbiased folks and more folks who do not listen to the stories trying to sell something, but concentrate on the facts they are saying.
I know that has helped be see right through agendas like those we see her in Ann's many missives. And those who adorn her page with flattery.
And someone mentioned on here apparently we have boomerang kids giving Charter Schools a couple of months and going back to the fold at CMS.
And then the poor Teachers at CMS have this effecting their ratings as those two or three months must have taken those kids memories and they know nothing when they arrive back.
At least that is way we are to buy that story.
Or try this, the Charter was too intensive, and the parents took them back to CMS where the were put back with a different teacher, allowing the original teacher they were with at CMS not have them in their ratings.
You seem to have left out the major part where all their education up to this point has apparently been rendered at CMS.
I am sure you are not pulling an Ann on us.
I hate to ask again.
But someone said they had the story where Ann interviewed the Parents and Teachers at this school we have had about seven stories on.
Could we get that citation or link?
I hate to keep asking if they do not exist but I would hope Ann would answer this question as she do so many of her friends on here.
Thanks all.
Shamash, I can't imagine any teacher has any stomach to be a whistleblower on students returning from charters. I'd think a lot of teachers perceive that Raleigh doesn't give 2 pennies about their opinions, so why waste the time and effort for zero return?
They'd rather take that time to teach those returning students and hope their invalid effectiveness rating doesn't get them fired.
To the Charlotte spelled backwards commenter...when you make a informative, valid comment, I'll reply, though I'm sure you'll have a wonderfully ignorant comment to make to that too.
Anon 9:59am
To me this would be a form of corruption and should be reported even if no one wants to hear it.
If they just "fix" the problem quietly then they're part of the problem by not exposing it.
And nothing will change.
And maybe they will get fired, but that is what happens to the timid who allow others to run all over them.
Eventually, all we'll have is the incompetent teachers and those who cover for them waiting to get fired.
"I hate to ask again".
OK, so Google it.
Shamash, talk with teachers at various schools, especially those in areas with lots of charters. They're happy to talk outside of the school and off the record...don't blame them, in this environment, it's better to let someone else be the rabble rouser. It's not worth the effort to try, many of them need this job, the state knows that too and take full advantage of it.
Well, I'm not doing that for them.
If they won't stand up for themselves, then that's just too bad.
I've had to do something similar before in my job (actually my wife's) when we worked at the same company.
We took the consequences which included us BOTH getting "bad reviews" and eventually leaving within a year or so of stirring the pot and doing the right thing.
(At least the Dept of Justice said we were right, and notified the company lawyers to stop what they were doing in violation of certain employment laws...)
So, try to change it, put up with it, or leave.
And be willing to pursue greener pastures if necessary.
But, hey, that's just me.
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