Links on why public money should not be given to unregulated charter schools. Add yours!

[madfloridian]

(Repost from last May...there are many more reasons now and more links to add.)

Here is one from today in LBN.

Head count shows 'unusually high' discrepancies at charter schools (Ohio)

I am making a list of part of my research and links about how I believe charter schools harm public education. There are good charter schools, the idea itself is a good one. However it's an idea that was hijacked by greedy companies that manage schools for money, formulate standardized tests in secret, and companies that use charter schools to dabble in real estate with public money.

That is basically the gist of my argument....that taxpayer money is being given over to private companies which are NOT regulated and have almost no oversight. That is the reason for charters. The powers that be say that if schools are not burdened with rules they will be better schools.

So ask yourself why then are public schools regulated and have oversight? Why start a system of schools that has none. When you do that the greedy step in and take over, and there is no one willing to speak against them or stop them.

When someone tells me I don't know what I'm talking about or that I am not qualified to talk in a negative way against Arne Duncan's policies...then I can link to these articles. Not all are my posts, and there are valuable links.

And I think 33 years of teaching with new training every few years at a nearby college at least make me more qualified than the billionaire boys' club (to quote Diane Ravitch).

Unregulated charter school finances wasting taxpayer money. Rampant fraud, harm to students.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/8440

Florida charter schools get 91 million for facilities. Public school funding dwindles.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022774952

FL charter schools claim 80,000 on waiting list. Not true.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022344727

FBI raids Kenilworth charter school
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014670340

FL budget: $133 per charter student, $18 per public school student
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/04/30/1296034/-FL-budget-133-per-charter-student-18-per-public-school-student

"The Invasion of the Charter Schools"
http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2009/06/invasion-of-charter-schools.html

Charter school leader pushes kids to become her personal lobbyists
http://pando.com/2014/03/06/charter-school-leader-pushes-kids-to-become-her-personal-lobbyists/

"Stand and Deliver" school, Garfield High, sadly is one of 12 public schools available to outside bidders
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/4973

2009 Some Catholic schools in Florida converting to charter schools this fall.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/5085

Charter school company hired felon on probation. He stole $202, 837.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/8537

Unregulated charter school finances wasting taxpayer money with rampant fraud.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/8532

Imagine Charter Schools sells 5 schools for 44 million...will have them leased back to them.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/5586

Compilation of charter school scandals over the past year.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/6012

Charter schools are a tip of the hat to deregulation supporters.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/3753

Two FL charter schools owe half a million to Lee county. Gave wrong number of students.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/8431

NYT's investigative article about Imagine Charter Schools and Dennis Bakke.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/6057

Charter school offers to give $100 to each student who recruits someone new.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/6260

"Parent Revolution"? Not really. Not grassroots. Started by charter school companies.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/8098

Charter schools in TX receive $19 million from state, red flags raised in audit.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/4963

Charter school director: When "test day came, they were like little test-taking machines.”
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/6707

Metro Nashville Public Schools lose $3.4 million funding for rejecting charter school. Power play.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/8481

More charter school problems in FL. Where's the oversight of taxpayer money?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024282410

Four states, 4 examples of charter schools fraud. Oversight needed badly.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024106466

Labor board decides Chicago charter school is really private, subject to private sector laws.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022121286

This is how they are declaring schools "failing" so they can be turned into charter schools.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024966712

Forcing brain damaged students to take the same test as everyone else and counting their scores with the others.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024956116

Turkish charter schools, Harmony, finalist for 30 million from Race to the Top federal money.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022131852

States are being forced by Arne to raise the number of charter schools or lose millions in federal money.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024939550

When FL charters close money doesn't get back to the public schools.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024934579

One testing company put a gag order on teachers to keep them from talking about how sorry the tests are that calls schools failures and turns them over to charters.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024882119

Florida's largest charter school under investigation.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024854017

The kind of testing that fails public schools so they can be turned into charters run by private companies.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024848990

Thank you, Raul Grijalva: Obama’s Market-Based Policies Endanger Public Education.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024843639

"we have not spoken earlier, as we are a staff that exists in fear of bullying, retaliation...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024832541

White Hat Charter schools got about 1 billion from Ohio, claimed public property as theirs

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024800260

Arne Duncan complicit as forces of privatization take over public schools.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024752043

NY legislature: Charter schools get free space in public schools. Hostile takeover of public arenas?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024751666

Build an F-Rated Charter School? WITHOUT Approval? Only in Florida. From Daily Kos today.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024694215

Eva Moskowitz moves charter school into another public school's space, boots them from classrooms.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/6703

FL gave $25 million to pro-profit charter schools for non-attending students in 2006-2007

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024472708

Online charter school, K12, got 730.8 million from taxpayers in 2013. Teacher speaks out.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024291075

That's just a few things. Adding more later on.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

1. Remind me never to piss you off or challenge you to prove something LOL

To me charter schools are a way for capitalist assholes to profit off of us while at the same time making sure the education is poor, crappy, keep the people stupid and superstitious, religious, etc.

[madfloridian]

5. It's about profit for private companies, charter management and testing companies and more.

It's not about the students and their needs.

[wavesofeuphoria]

2. Thanks for these links madfloridian

Here in NY, Cuomo is full bent on killing public education ... full on support for charters.

ThirdWayers are killing public education. Profits in education. Business models for education. This is obscene.

[madfloridian]

4. He said public schools ""Single Greatest Failure Of The State"

And he does not support public employee unions, esp. not teachers' unions.

[Starry Messenger]

3. K&R

[madfloridian]

6. Thank you.

[Starry Messenger]

10. My pleasure!

[immoderate]

7. Capitalism.

--imm

[yortsed snacilbuper]

8. Pittsburgh charter school eyed by FBI, state official says

In Harrisburg, a debate among lawmakers is intensifying over longstanding complaints that charter schools are overpaid by taxpayers and need strengthened ethics and financial disclosure laws.

The audit arises at a time when charter schools are in the news for alleged misuse of taxpayer money. Federal authorities indicted Nick Trombetta, founder of Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School in Midland, and accused him of stealing $1 million from the charter through a network of shell companies.

Read more: http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/5049310-74/fbi-pathways-urban#ixzz3Paoiy5ZT
Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook

[madfloridian]

9. Thanks for the link.

Interesting username BTW

[spanone]

11. k&r...

[liberal_at_heart]

12. K&R

[ND-Dem]

13. I never heard of any public schools shutting their doors without notice

and leaving their students standing at the doors wondering what to do next, but I've heard of some charter schools doing it.

Seemed to me the height of irresponsibility and a darn good argument against privatized public schools.

[madfloridian]

14. Good point. They take the taxpayer money and then run..

[ND-Dem]

15. yes. why is it even allowed?