tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post8188088321305712776..comments2024-03-28T02:21:17.452-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charters - The Gift that Keeps on GivingMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-81702261707945101042014-08-11T10:22:26.511-07:002014-08-11T10:22:26.511-07:00Is my timing good or what? Perfect example of Utah...Is my timing good or what? Perfect example of Utah legislator advocating for "school reform" whose wife is a lobbyist for the charter school industry. <br />http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/58272722-90/frank-sltrib-district-seat.html.csp<br /><br />Minor conflict of interest, but Utah legislators seem to consider that an asset....to their wallets. <br /><br />CTAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-49645848476488020962014-08-11T10:18:32.932-07:002014-08-11T10:18:32.932-07:00There is also a much better chance of 1) getting t...There is also a much better chance of 1) getting the money back and 2) seeing the perpetrators go to jail when any embezzling is done in the public school system. With the charter schools, very little can be done. I've known of some people in AZ who got off scott-free with several hundred thousand dollars they "borrowed" from a particular charter chain. Because of the grey area in which charters exist (public/private money), and the lack of accountability (AZ asks charters for accounting of monies and the charters say no, and there's nothing anyone can do about it), they get away with a lot more. And yes, AZ is among the queen bees when it comes to charters suddenly closing their doors. I've had more than one friend/relative relate stories of going to school only to find a chain on the door - no warning. Money's gone, school is closed, no ability to get school records, teachers don't get paid, and the charter school founder skips off with the money to another state to start up another charter. <br />Then there's Utah, where they don't bother embezzling - they just hire all the family members and keep all that public money in the family. One family member sells the land to the other family member (at a very high cost) who uses the family member in the legislature to get the charter school charter approved (wife usually "works" as a charter school lobbyist) , then hires another family member's company to build the charter school (also at a very high cost), then the now-complete charter school hires all the founders family members at highly inflated salaries as teachers (don't need a cert to get a job), secretaries, and administrators, and even invent jobs to ensure all the family members are employed, and ensures that the kids enrolled all attend the correct ward. It's quite the racket, but totally sanctioned by the legislature. And the sad thing is, we don't even know half of what goes on behind the scenes in the charters. Ever tried an FOIA on a charter? Good luck with that. <br />Give me the public system any day, screwed up as it may be in some places. At least there is some recourse and accountability, even though at times it may not seem that way.<br /><br />CTAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-19928995923402627622014-08-11T09:27:30.954-07:002014-08-11T09:27:30.954-07:00Correct, because SPS is a school district constant...Correct, because SPS is a school district constantly robbing peter to pay pal then potter. The entire district would have to go Bankrupt before a single building.<br /><br />I believe handing over large sums of money for contracts to friends that provide zero benefit to the school district is a kin to embezzlement.<br /><br />It might be even worst because they do it right in our face and of coarse have a "policy" that allows for it. <br /><br />Junket anyone<br /><br />NB ParentAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-34141361259342119742014-08-11T09:16:26.171-07:002014-08-11T09:16:26.171-07:00NB, certainly there have been instances in SPS. I...NB, certainly there have been instances in SPS. I'm not going to tell you otherwise.<br /><br />But these sums of money, throughout the U.S.? An order of scale different. And embezzlement in SPS did not leave a school struggling to stay open or parents wondering where they can send their school if it closes.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-79749119130589083492014-08-11T09:08:57.595-07:002014-08-11T09:08:57.595-07:00Just to add balance:
Are saying SPS staff doesn&#...Just to add balance:<br /><br />Are saying SPS staff doesn't embezzle?<br /><br />NB ParentAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-42336946855241023782014-08-11T04:42:03.186-07:002014-08-11T04:42:03.186-07:00Charters LOVE it when they can get a public school...Charters LOVE it when they can get a public school district to include them in the enrollment process.<br /><br />Not only does it give them additional exposure and facilitate access, it is yet another opportunity for them to out-source work to the public system for free. If the public schools are doing their enrollment for them, then they don't have to do that work or, more to the point, pay for that work, themselves.<br /><br />We're also seeing that some of that regulatory "red tape" that frees charters to innovate is actually needed to prevent abuses. The wheels of justice turn slowly. It takes a year or two before the charter can start embezzling, and then it takes a year or two for anyone to notice, then it takes a year or two for someone to investigate and then it takes a year of two before charges are brought and then another year or two for the case to reach trial. It's a long, slow cycle.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.com