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madfloridian

(88,117 posts)
Tue Mar 17, 2015, 01:36 AM Mar 2015

York PA schools temporarily saved from being turned over to underperforming FL charter company

Not long ago a judge handed over all city schools in York PA to a Florida charter company.

The owners actually had a yacht named Fishing for Schools.



In what appears to be a last-ditch effort to carry out a two-year-old plan to turn all of York’s schools over to for-profit charter corporation Charter Schools USA, Pennsylvania’s Department of Education filed a petition in a York County court earlier this month to take away almost all local control from the school board, and put the district in the “receivership” of state-appointed York education official David Meckley.

Meckley, a local businessman who once served on the board of a nearby school district, was appointed in 2012 to oversee York’s financially beleaguered school system under a 2012 law that allowed the state to appoint “recovery officers” for any school districts with significant debt. His plan for York involves a slew of concessions from the district, from teacher layoffs to extracurricular cutbacks. But the most controversial part is the handing over of the entire operation of the district to Charter Schools USA.

..... Charter schools are public schools that receive state tax dollars, but function with their own boards of directors and enjoy substantial independence from state and local regulations. Charter Schools USA is a for-profit company which operates 58 schools in several states, including Florida, for a combined 48,000 students, however, both Hage and Pozzuoli send their children to Pine Crest Schools – a private school located in Fort Lauderdale.

There are big dollars in those students numbers. If Hage and Pozzuoli make $100 off each of those 48,000 students, that would be a $4.8 million dollar annual payday.


Well, now David Meckley has resigned as recovery officer after many complaints.

Meckley resigns as recovery officer for York City schools

The York City School District's chief recovery officer resigned Friday, saying that the Wolf administration's opposition to converting schools to charters made it "impossible" to move forward.

David Meckley, who was appointed by the state in late 2012 to craft a plan for turning the district around financially and academically, said he submitted his letter of resignation to the education secretary on Friday afternoon.

Then, Gov. Tom Wolf took office and brought in a new education secretary.

The Wolf administration's "anti-charter position has made it impossible" to move forward with existing plans, Meckley said in a statement.

Meckley said in an interview that, around December, he, district administrators, the proposed charter board and some community leaders had crafted an alternative plan that involved a mix of district- and charter-run buildings. He said he had significant conversations with the Wolf administration about it, but "ultimately the position came down that charters are off the table."


Kudos to Governor Tom Wolf.

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York PA schools temporarily saved from being turned over to underperforming FL charter company (Original Post) madfloridian Mar 2015 OP
This is how all Democrats should act toward public schools. madfloridian Mar 2015 #1
York is our governor's home town BumRushDaShow Mar 2015 #2
I much admire him for doing that. madfloridian Mar 2015 #3
Kick FloriTexan Mar 2015 #4
Appreciated. madfloridian Mar 2015 #5
"…charters are off the table." Love it! Luminous Animal Mar 2015 #6
Integrity! Starry Messenger Mar 2015 #7

BumRushDaShow

(127,323 posts)
2. York is our governor's home town
Tue Mar 17, 2015, 05:33 AM
Mar 2015

and he currently lives in his own house there rather than in the governor's mansion in Harrisburg. His family is multi-generational there and I am glad that he was able to find a way to torpedo the landmine that Corbett purposely left behind in York.

madfloridian

(88,117 posts)
3. I much admire him for doing that.
Tue Mar 17, 2015, 10:11 AM
Mar 2015

Things like this are going on all over the country. It's so good to see someone take a stand.

madfloridian

(88,117 posts)
5. Appreciated.
Wed Mar 18, 2015, 01:20 AM
Mar 2015

More rain on the way, huh? Guess what, your rain is not coming this way...it's going north instead.

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