Philly charters under investigation are applying for RTTT funds.

And PA will get 141 million of the education stimulus to "turnaround" more schools. That can mean more charters to add to the ones already being investigated.

This is moving ahead way too fast without considering all the consequences.

Nine Philadelphia charters under U.S. probe seek Race to the Top money



If criminal activity is involved consequences should be more than just revocation.

I say demand of charter schools the very same accountability that is being demanded of teachers in public schools. Right?

And what's more there are hundreds of millions going to Pennsylvania schools for "turnarounds" of more public schools. "Turnarounds" often mean turning it into a charter, though it may mean replacing the principal and/or faculty...or even firing all the teachers.

$141 million awaits low-achieving schools in Pennsylvania

Seems like they could use that money to enrich the curriculum in those schools, provide tutors, hire teachers for remediation. But no....they want to turn them into something else to suit the "reformers".



That goes right along with the thoughts many of us have had that the lowest 5% of schools will be "turnarounds" each year. Well on the road to taking over the public system of education.



The usual choices are reopening as a charter or replacing the faculty.

Here is more about the charter schools being investigate. There were at least 13, with 9 being investigating federally.

13 Philly schools being investigated



Meanwhile those 9 schools being federally investigated are free to pursue more of Arne's stimulus money...and I wonder if there will be any consequences down the road.

I get tired of hearing the attacks on public school teachers while behind the scenes private companies are allowed such freedoms....and face little regulation.

"Ted Kirsch, president of the American Federation of Teachers Pennsylvania, took a different view.

"Anybody who is under investigation for possible misappropriation of public funds should not be included in the proposal until the investigation is completed," he said.

U.S. Education Department officials said they did not screen applications for possible wrongdoing, and the criteria don't address fraud.

"States are being evaluated on the educational reforms they are proposing, not on other issues," a department spokesman in Washington said.

Although the U.S. Department of Education Inspector General's Office is monitoring the spending of federal stimulus money, it does not examine Race to the Top applications. The office would review any allegations of fraud, waste, or abuse referred by the department, spokeswoman Catherine Grant said."

Odd not being more careful with public money.

Slow things down, guys. Quit pushing this charter stuff so hard and so fast.

http://www.takepart.com/news/2010/06/07/charter-school-reform-heads-to-pennsylvania-

"A few weeks before news of financial abuse broke in New York, the Inquirer published the results of an investigation conducted by Philly's City Controller Alan Butkovitz into 13 of the city's charter schools. The results, eerily similar to those in New York City, weren't pretty. Among the investigation's findings:

* "Questionable financial management, incomplete or missing records, and ethical lapses" were found at all 13 schools.
* One charter school adminstator, who was working for three different schools, claimed to have worked more than 365 days in a year.
* One school in West Philadelphia was doubling as a nightclub on the weekends.

..."Pennsylvania appears set to clean up the vague language in existing law that makes such funding violations possible—the bill working its way through the state senate calls for Butkovitz and other city controllers to be given auditing powers.

But Governor Ed Rendell is pushing for a comprehensive overhaul of how charter schools are funded, another easy-to-exploit system. From the Notebook:

In past attempts to revise the funding, the Rendell administration has gotten nowhere. It first proposed legislation in 2007 to alter how cyber charters are reimbursed and how all schools are paid for special education students. Now, districts can get two to three times the amount per student for special education students as for regular education students, but there is no requirement that they spend the money on those students and no differentiation in payments for mild vs. severe disabilities.

Okay, so perhaps the jig won't be up for a little while longer."

a last late night early morning kick.

We are become one with the neocon dream.

I thought only states were eligible.

"The schools are included in Pennsylvania's statewide application for $400 million under the federal Race to the Top program, The Inquirer has learned.

But even as the state Department of Education retools its application to meet a June 1 deadline, officials say they do not plan to remove those nine charters from the bid for money to turn around failing schools, revamp teacher evaluations, and help struggling students."

Read more: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20100517_9_Phila__charters_under_U_S__probe_seek_Race_to_the_Top_money.html#ixzz0ql3PLxYC


IMO charters should not be included at all, esp. not while under investigation. It appears there are NO rules that are consistent across the different states on RTTT....this does seem odd.