L.A. officials unexpectedly move to shut down charters implicated in cheating
In an unexpected action, Los Angeles school officials Tuesday voted against renewing the operating agreements of two charter schools involved in a cheating scandal last year. The decision could lead to a shutdown of all six schools run by the Crescendo organization.
The vote by the Los Angeles Board of Education was based on the revelation at Tuesday’s meeting that a principal implicated in the cheating scandal had been hired by the outside organization brought in to manage the Crescendo schools. L.A. Unified officials had explicitly directed that no former Crescendo principals could work either for Crescendo or for the Celerity charter organization, the outside group that was brought in.
“This was beyond not following the agreement we had,” said L.A. schools Supt. John Deasy. “I would use the word 'directly lied to.' "
Celerity Chief Executive Vielka McFarlane said that she hired the principal, Sheryl Lee, before agreeing to
