Funds misuse, nepotism feared at Texas charter schools
12:59 AM CST on Sunday, December 19, 2010
Last in an occasional series.
Focus Learning Academy, a charter school tucked in a strip mall in Dallas' Red Bird area, takes pride in teaching students with learning disabilities. For founder and Superintendent Leroy McClure, whose brother struggled with a learning disability, it's a personal mission.
Interactive map: Dallas-area charter schools
Database: TAKS scores, state ratings for Texas charter districts, schools
Link: Texas Education Agency information on charter schools
Part 1:
Charter schools spread across Texas with goal of newer, better teaching
'Black flight' changing Dallas schools' makeup
Part 2:
Texas' top charter schools demand more from students, parents, teachers
Dallas ISD to study public school-charter school partnerships
Part 3:
Charters give education in New Orleans a fresh start
Students who've stayed in Texas since Hurricane Katrina show big gains in new schools
Graphic: Big Easy's charter boom
Part 4:
Charter schools with ties to religious groups raise fears about state funds' use
More resources:
McClure earns $146,000 to run the school of about 700 students, about $50,000 more than the typical superintendent of a traditional Texas school district that size.
In addition, McClure's wife, Yvette, receives $100,000 from the school for consulting work and sits on the school board. His brother serves as Focus Academy's facilities manager, and his sister is a teacher there.
Focus demonstrates the hope for charter