ALBANY -- An Albany charter school is accused of screening potential students to weed out those with academic challenges and could be put on probation this week as a result.
As a result of an investigation that began almost a year ago, Institute officials made the rare probation recommendation, which means the school would have to meet a set of corrective requirements or risk having its charter revoked. The recommendation will be voted upon by the SUNY board of trustees on Tuesday. SUNY authorizes half the state's charter schools.
"The extent, specificity, and sources of the allegations are unprecedented," the report reads. "And the complainants all linked the alleged behavior to attaining higher scores on the state assessments in light of a pending (charter) renewal decision."
Many of the issues center around former Albany Preparatory principal Carol Lennon. She also is accused of threatening to fire all the employees after learning that they came forward.
Institute investigators found evidence that Lennon also was under-reporting the school's teacher attrition rates, as well as its number of violent incidents. Though some parents were told there was a waiting list, the school was dramatically underenrolled. There are now just 200 students enrolled in grades 5 through 8 out of an expected 300.
Despite the problems it found, the Institute also is recommending that the school's charter be renewed for a three-year term. That vote is scheduled to occur next month.
The school has a new principal, and immediate admission was offered to all students who were shut out, said Brian Backstrom, chairman of Albany Preparatory's board of trustees.
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