BASED ON NEW REPORT 8 OF 4O WASHINGTON STATE'S NEW CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE CANDIDATES FOR CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS WEBSITE
National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) Group: 1 in 5 charter schools not doing well enough to stay open
A group that oversees more than half of the nation's 5,600 charter schools said as many as one in five U.S. charter schools should be shut down because of poor academic performance. http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2019784379_charterschools29.html
Robert Treat Academy
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 2 minutes ago
*“Department of Education Cheating Investigation Implicates Two More Schools - Report claims that improvements in test scores at Robert Treat Academy, a high-profile charter, defy all odds.”* NJSpotlight, 11/14/2012 The state Department of Education’s year-long investigation into testing irregularities in a handful of public schools in 2010 and 2011 has leveled serious accusations against two more institutions, including a Newark charter founded by one of the state’s preeminent power brokers. Late yesterday the department released critical investigative reports of the Robert Trea... more »
Connections New Century Public Charter School
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 6 minutes ago
*“Connections Charter School Employee Subjectof Hearing.”* Big Island Now (HI), 11/26/2012 A charter school employee accused of violating state ethics laws will be the subject of a hearing to be held Tuesday in Hilo by the Hawaii State Ethics Commission. The commission has accused William Eric Boyd, an administrative assistant for Connections New Century Public Charter School in Hilo, with having a conflict of interest for having transactions with the school using his own private company... The complaint issued in October 2010 charges Boyd with 26 counts of the state ethics code... more »
Georgia Cyber Academy
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 9 minutes ago
*“Georgia Threatens To Close K12-run Online Charter School.”* StateImpact, NPR, (GA) 11/26/2012 The Georgia Department of Education is threatening to close an online charter school run by K12, the nation’s largest online education company, over issues with special education students. The agency issued a report last week that the K12-run Georgia Cyber Academy has repeatedly failed to comply with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and has violated student civil rights by failing to provide services required by the law. The school has 1,100 special education s... more »
Primavera Technical Learning Center
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 20 minutes ago
*“4 charter-school organizations where insiders benefited.”* The Arizona Republic, 11/17/2012 ... Damien Creamer and Vanessa Baviera Rudilla run one of the largest online schools in Arizona, and the non-profit school contracts with a for-profit company, American Virtual Academy, for its curriculum and software. Creamer and Rudilla are officers of the non-profit and earn salaries. American Virtual Academy also is owned by Creamer and Rudilla. From fiscal 2007 to 2011, the non-profit paid $42.3 million to American Virtual Academy. The non-profit is exempt from state purchasing laws... more »
Basis Schools (eight schools)
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 22 minutes ago
*“Insiders benefiting in charter deals, Board members, school officials did more than $70mil in business.”* The Arizona Republic, 11/17/2012 ... Basis Inc. charter schools are nationally recognized for their rigorous curriculum. The schools are the brainchild of Michael and Olga Block, who envisioned a college-prep curriculum that would rival the best countries. The first school opened in 1998 in Tucson. A second followed in 2003 in Scottsdale. For years, the Blocks worked for and were paid by the non-profit schools. Michael was the chief operating officer and treasurer, Olga the ... more »
U.S. Department of Education Office of Innovation's failure to monitor federal spending
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 30 minutes ago
*“Audit: US oversight of charter school funds lax; Audit assails US education department's monitoring of federal spending on charter schools.”*Corrected version, Associated Press, 11/1/2012 LOS ANGELES (AP) — An audit of the U.S. Department of Education's division overseeing hundreds of millions of dollars in charter school funding has criticized the office for failing to properly monitor how states spend the money. The report released in late September by the department's inspector general also singled out state education departments in California, Florida and Arizona for lax mo... more »
Ignite Public Schools, formerly IRRA Charter Schools (six schools)
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 39 minutes ago
*“Valley Charter School System on Probation.”* KRGV 5 News (TX), 10/15/2012 MISSION - IRRA Charter Schools remain on probation with the Texas Education Agency, the schools superintendent said in a letter to parents. The schools current status with TEA means they have not addressed major financial and education concerns. The school recently changed its name to Ignite. The letter was not the first of its kind sent to parents. TEA first put the charter system on probation in 2009. That's when the state started investigating the schools. The investigations concluded that the schools... more »
Quest Academy (NV)
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 46 minutes ago
*“You Paid for It: Quest Academy.”*KTNV Las Vegas (NV), 11/19/2012 Teachers quitting, parents enraged and demanding answers, and students caught in the middle. That's what's going on at a local school under investigation by the state. And it's raising issues of abuse of authority and waste of your tax dollars... Teachers are quitting, citing a hostile work environment. Five have left in just the last month... It all stems from allegations against Quest Academy Principal Connie Jordan and most of the school's governing board. Multiple school employees and one board member have fi... more »
Stars Middle School*
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 52 minutes ago
*“Former Stars Middle School employee accused of molesting a minor.”* WTXL ABC 27 (FL), 11/28/2012 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Tallahassee police say that a former employee of a local middle school, accused of molesting a minor, may have had inappropriate contact with other children. The woman, Rosa Lee Stephens, is listed as an employee of Stars Middle School in a police report. However, the assistant principal of the school, Mr. Ahmet Temel, says that Stephens hasn't worked there since October 1... [please see below] Stephens is charged with Lewd and Lascivious Molestation of a Minor... more »
Online schools (extreme spending on marketing)
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 1 hour ago
*“Online schools spend millions to attract students.”* USA Today, 11/28/2012 Virtual, for-profit K-12 schools have spent millions in taxpayer dollars on advertising, an analysis shows... An analysis by USA TODAY finds that online charter schools have spent millions in taxpayer dollars on advertising over the past five years, a trend that shows few signs of abating... The USA TODAY analysis finds that 10 of the largest for-profit operators have spent an estimated $94.4 million on ads since 2007. The largest, Virginia-based K12 Inc., has spent about $21.5 million in just the first... more »
Ricardo Flores Magon Academy
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 1 hour ago
*“Marcos Martinez, head of Ricardo Flores Magon Academy, resigns his post.”*Denver Westword (CO), 3/8/2012 Marcos Martinez, the controversial founder of the Ricardo Flores Magon Academy and subject of our cover story "A Hard Line," has resigned. So, too, have two other employees whom the school's board of trustees asked to take a paid leave while they investigated complaints against them. The school is now searching for a new leader. Meanwhile, it seems that Martinez is making moves in Wyoming. Liberty's Torch, a monthly newspaper in Cheyenne, recently ran a story about Martinez'... more »
Madrone Trail Charter School
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 1 hour ago
*“Madrone Trail parents seek intervention.”* Mail Tribune (OR), 11/20/2012 A parent of two Madrone Trail Charter School students urged the Medford School Board Monday to intervene with the operations of the charter school board. Lorraine McDonald said she represented a number of parents who have come together to share their worries about the charter school board... McDonald said she was one of the founding parents of the 200-student, Waldorf-inspired charter school, and since its opening, she has grown concerned over the board's ability to manage the school's future... Members of... more »
“9 Investigates lawmakers' connections with charter schools.”
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 1 hour ago
*“9 Investigates lawmakers' connections with charter schools.”* WFTV (FL), 11/14/2012 ORLANDO, Fla. — Over the past five years, the number of charter schools in Central Florida has climbed. These "nontraditional" public schools receive taxpayer money -- and 9 Investigates' George Spencer found some of the same lawmakers who are writing the rules for charter schools are also benefiting from them. Dayspring Academy Charter School in Port Richie is thriving, as evidenced by the "Another 'A' Rating" banner on its website. Last March, its business administrator, John Legg, made a spe... more »
Valley Academy Charter School
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 1 hour ago
*“Hurricane teacher arrested on sex charges.”* St. George Daily Spectrum (UT), 10/30/2012 ST. GEORGE — A former violin teacher at Valley Academy Charter School in Hurricane was arrested Tuesday on four counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony, following allegations made against him by four students at the school. Lynn R. Lundstrom, 62, of Ivins, was arrested following an investigation by the Hurricane Police Department. Four students reported being touched inappropriately by Lundstrom during class... Lundstrom was listed as a strings instructor at Vall... more »
Estancia Valley Classical Academy
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 1 hour ago
*“PED warns charter school against religious teachings.”* KRQE (NM), 11/2/2012 A letter from the Public Department of Education says some parents have complained a new charter school in Moriarty is using taxpayer dollars to teach religion. The letter was sent less than a month ago by Secretary-designate of Education Hanna Skandera, reminding school officials to follow state law. “What we provide here is a rigorous academic alternative,” says Roger Lenard, president of the Estancia Valley Classical Academy (EVCA) Governing Council... The state sent a letter telling the school it... more »
“Charter school companies, online learning outfits try to wield influence in Tallahassee.”
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 1 hour ago
*“Charter school companies, online learning outfits try to wield influence in Tallahassee.”* Miami Herald (FL), 10/22/2012 In the looming battle for public education dollars, Jon Hage has launched a pre-emptive strike. His school management company, Charter Schools USA, has doled out more than $205,000 in contributions to political candidates and organizations this election cycle, state records show. That's more than triple what the Fort Lauderdale-based company spent on political campaigns in 2010, and seven times what it spent in 2008. "If we don't support our friends in Tall... more »
Happy Valley School
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 1 hour ago
*“Insiders benefiting in charter deals, Board members, school officials did more than $70mil in business.”* The Arizona Republic, 11/17/2012 ... The Gaddie family reflects how family ties can run deep at charter schools. Happy Valley School in Peoria has a three-member non-profit board made up entirely of Gaddie family members, according to the most recent federal tax return. Ernest Gaddie is president. His wife, Delite Gaddie, is secretary, and their son, Glen Gaddie, is a board member... For several years, the school has contracted with Gaddie Curriculum & Education Consulting,... more »
Desert Heights Charter School
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 1 hour ago
*“4 charter-school organizations where insiders benefited.”* The Arizona Republic, 11/17/2012 For several years, [Desert Heights Charter School] had an agreement with Waterhouse Management, owned by a board member of the non-profit school, Richard Waterhouse. From fiscal 2007 through 2011, the firm was paid at least $1 million, according to federal tax returns. In 2009 and again in 2010 and 2011, auditors questioned the transaction, saying the value of the agreement for contracted business services is “not supported by documentation that provides the method and/or rationale for h... more »
Career Success Schools
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 1 hour ago
*“4 charter-school organizations where insiders benefited.”* The Arizona Republic, 11/17/2012 Payments: For several years, the non-profit organization [Career Success Schools] has contracted with the company of a board member, Kevin Zirk, for its employee 401(k) plan, and Zirk receives commissions based on the deposits... In fiscal 2011 and 2010, the non-profit contracted with the company of another board member, Ditza BenShalom, for air-conditioning repairs totaling $154,241. In fiscal 2010, the non-profit also paid $1.3 million for land for a new school campus from a company that... more »
Espiritu Schools
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 1 hour ago
*“4 charter-school organizations where insiders benefited.”* The Arizona Republic, 11/17/2012 Payments: No other large charter school has as many transactions involving family members as Espiritu Schools in south Phoenix. Armando Ruiz is the founder and a board member for Espiritu, a non-profit that operates three schools on one property. He also is on the board of a separate non-profit, called the A Group, that gets paid by Espiritu to handle non-academic functions of the school such as technology, sports, parent involvement, bookkeeping and human resources. This allows educator... more »
ScholArts Preparatory and Career Center for Children
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 2 hours ago
*“Charter school gets 30-day reprieve.”* The Columbus Dispatch (OH), 11/30/2012 A struggling Columbus charter school got a one-month reprieve to stay open, but it still might be forced to close just before students return from winter break. ScholArts Preparatory and Career Center for Children initially was told it wouldn’t be allowed to operate after today. But its sponsor, or overseer, extended the closing date to Dec. 31 after the school offered evidence that it had enough money to stay afloat for another 30 days. Kids Count of Dayton, the school’s sponsor, decided last month ... more »
Robert Treat Academy
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 2 minutes ago
*“Department of Education Cheating Investigation Implicates Two More Schools - Report claims that improvements in test scores at Robert Treat Academy, a high-profile charter, defy all odds.”* NJSpotlight, 11/14/2012 The state Department of Education’s year-long investigation into testing irregularities in a handful of public schools in 2010 and 2011 has leveled serious accusations against two more institutions, including a Newark charter founded by one of the state’s preeminent power brokers. Late yesterday the department released critical investigative reports of the Robert Trea... more »
Connections New Century Public Charter School
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 6 minutes ago
*“Connections Charter School Employee Subjectof Hearing.”* Big Island Now (HI), 11/26/2012 A charter school employee accused of violating state ethics laws will be the subject of a hearing to be held Tuesday in Hilo by the Hawaii State Ethics Commission. The commission has accused William Eric Boyd, an administrative assistant for Connections New Century Public Charter School in Hilo, with having a conflict of interest for having transactions with the school using his own private company... The complaint issued in October 2010 charges Boyd with 26 counts of the state ethics code... more »
Georgia Cyber Academy
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 9 minutes ago
*“Georgia Threatens To Close K12-run Online Charter School.”* StateImpact, NPR, (GA) 11/26/2012 The Georgia Department of Education is threatening to close an online charter school run by K12, the nation’s largest online education company, over issues with special education students. The agency issued a report last week that the K12-run Georgia Cyber Academy has repeatedly failed to comply with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and has violated student civil rights by failing to provide services required by the law. The school has 1,100 special education s... more »
Primavera Technical Learning Center
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 20 minutes ago
*“4 charter-school organizations where insiders benefited.”* The Arizona Republic, 11/17/2012 ... Damien Creamer and Vanessa Baviera Rudilla run one of the largest online schools in Arizona, and the non-profit school contracts with a for-profit company, American Virtual Academy, for its curriculum and software. Creamer and Rudilla are officers of the non-profit and earn salaries. American Virtual Academy also is owned by Creamer and Rudilla. From fiscal 2007 to 2011, the non-profit paid $42.3 million to American Virtual Academy. The non-profit is exempt from state purchasing laws... more »
Basis Schools (eight schools)
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 22 minutes ago
*“Insiders benefiting in charter deals, Board members, school officials did more than $70mil in business.”* The Arizona Republic, 11/17/2012 ... Basis Inc. charter schools are nationally recognized for their rigorous curriculum. The schools are the brainchild of Michael and Olga Block, who envisioned a college-prep curriculum that would rival the best countries. The first school opened in 1998 in Tucson. A second followed in 2003 in Scottsdale. For years, the Blocks worked for and were paid by the non-profit schools. Michael was the chief operating officer and treasurer, Olga the ... more »
U.S. Department of Education Office of Innovation's failure to monitor federal spending
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 30 minutes ago
*“Audit: US oversight of charter school funds lax; Audit assails US education department's monitoring of federal spending on charter schools.”*Corrected version, Associated Press, 11/1/2012 LOS ANGELES (AP) — An audit of the U.S. Department of Education's division overseeing hundreds of millions of dollars in charter school funding has criticized the office for failing to properly monitor how states spend the money. The report released in late September by the department's inspector general also singled out state education departments in California, Florida and Arizona for lax mo... more »
Ignite Public Schools, formerly IRRA Charter Schools (six schools)
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 39 minutes ago
*“Valley Charter School System on Probation.”* KRGV 5 News (TX), 10/15/2012 MISSION - IRRA Charter Schools remain on probation with the Texas Education Agency, the schools superintendent said in a letter to parents. The schools current status with TEA means they have not addressed major financial and education concerns. The school recently changed its name to Ignite. The letter was not the first of its kind sent to parents. TEA first put the charter system on probation in 2009. That's when the state started investigating the schools. The investigations concluded that the schools... more »
Quest Academy (NV)
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 46 minutes ago
*“You Paid for It: Quest Academy.”*KTNV Las Vegas (NV), 11/19/2012 Teachers quitting, parents enraged and demanding answers, and students caught in the middle. That's what's going on at a local school under investigation by the state. And it's raising issues of abuse of authority and waste of your tax dollars... Teachers are quitting, citing a hostile work environment. Five have left in just the last month... It all stems from allegations against Quest Academy Principal Connie Jordan and most of the school's governing board. Multiple school employees and one board member have fi... more »
Stars Middle School*
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 52 minutes ago
*“Former Stars Middle School employee accused of molesting a minor.”* WTXL ABC 27 (FL), 11/28/2012 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Tallahassee police say that a former employee of a local middle school, accused of molesting a minor, may have had inappropriate contact with other children. The woman, Rosa Lee Stephens, is listed as an employee of Stars Middle School in a police report. However, the assistant principal of the school, Mr. Ahmet Temel, says that Stephens hasn't worked there since October 1... [please see below] Stephens is charged with Lewd and Lascivious Molestation of a Minor... more »
Online schools (extreme spending on marketing)
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 1 hour ago
*“Online schools spend millions to attract students.”* USA Today, 11/28/2012 Virtual, for-profit K-12 schools have spent millions in taxpayer dollars on advertising, an analysis shows... An analysis by USA TODAY finds that online charter schools have spent millions in taxpayer dollars on advertising over the past five years, a trend that shows few signs of abating... The USA TODAY analysis finds that 10 of the largest for-profit operators have spent an estimated $94.4 million on ads since 2007. The largest, Virginia-based K12 Inc., has spent about $21.5 million in just the first... more »
Ricardo Flores Magon Academy
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 1 hour ago
*“Marcos Martinez, head of Ricardo Flores Magon Academy, resigns his post.”*Denver Westword (CO), 3/8/2012 Marcos Martinez, the controversial founder of the Ricardo Flores Magon Academy and subject of our cover story "A Hard Line," has resigned. So, too, have two other employees whom the school's board of trustees asked to take a paid leave while they investigated complaints against them. The school is now searching for a new leader. Meanwhile, it seems that Martinez is making moves in Wyoming. Liberty's Torch, a monthly newspaper in Cheyenne, recently ran a story about Martinez'... more »
Madrone Trail Charter School
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 1 hour ago
*“Madrone Trail parents seek intervention.”* Mail Tribune (OR), 11/20/2012 A parent of two Madrone Trail Charter School students urged the Medford School Board Monday to intervene with the operations of the charter school board. Lorraine McDonald said she represented a number of parents who have come together to share their worries about the charter school board... McDonald said she was one of the founding parents of the 200-student, Waldorf-inspired charter school, and since its opening, she has grown concerned over the board's ability to manage the school's future... Members of... more »
“9 Investigates lawmakers' connections with charter schools.”
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 1 hour ago
*“9 Investigates lawmakers' connections with charter schools.”* WFTV (FL), 11/14/2012 ORLANDO, Fla. — Over the past five years, the number of charter schools in Central Florida has climbed. These "nontraditional" public schools receive taxpayer money -- and 9 Investigates' George Spencer found some of the same lawmakers who are writing the rules for charter schools are also benefiting from them. Dayspring Academy Charter School in Port Richie is thriving, as evidenced by the "Another 'A' Rating" banner on its website. Last March, its business administrator, John Legg, made a spe... more »
Valley Academy Charter School
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 1 hour ago
*“Hurricane teacher arrested on sex charges.”* St. George Daily Spectrum (UT), 10/30/2012 ST. GEORGE — A former violin teacher at Valley Academy Charter School in Hurricane was arrested Tuesday on four counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony, following allegations made against him by four students at the school. Lynn R. Lundstrom, 62, of Ivins, was arrested following an investigation by the Hurricane Police Department. Four students reported being touched inappropriately by Lundstrom during class... Lundstrom was listed as a strings instructor at Vall... more »
Estancia Valley Classical Academy
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 1 hour ago
*“PED warns charter school against religious teachings.”* KRQE (NM), 11/2/2012 A letter from the Public Department of Education says some parents have complained a new charter school in Moriarty is using taxpayer dollars to teach religion. The letter was sent less than a month ago by Secretary-designate of Education Hanna Skandera, reminding school officials to follow state law. “What we provide here is a rigorous academic alternative,” says Roger Lenard, president of the Estancia Valley Classical Academy (EVCA) Governing Council... The state sent a letter telling the school it... more »
“Charter school companies, online learning outfits try to wield influence in Tallahassee.”
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 1 hour ago
*“Charter school companies, online learning outfits try to wield influence in Tallahassee.”* Miami Herald (FL), 10/22/2012 In the looming battle for public education dollars, Jon Hage has launched a pre-emptive strike. His school management company, Charter Schools USA, has doled out more than $205,000 in contributions to political candidates and organizations this election cycle, state records show. That's more than triple what the Fort Lauderdale-based company spent on political campaigns in 2010, and seven times what it spent in 2008. "If we don't support our friends in Tall... more »
Happy Valley School
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 1 hour ago
*“Insiders benefiting in charter deals, Board members, school officials did more than $70mil in business.”* The Arizona Republic, 11/17/2012 ... The Gaddie family reflects how family ties can run deep at charter schools. Happy Valley School in Peoria has a three-member non-profit board made up entirely of Gaddie family members, according to the most recent federal tax return. Ernest Gaddie is president. His wife, Delite Gaddie, is secretary, and their son, Glen Gaddie, is a board member... For several years, the school has contracted with Gaddie Curriculum & Education Consulting,... more »
Desert Heights Charter School
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 1 hour ago
*“4 charter-school organizations where insiders benefited.”* The Arizona Republic, 11/17/2012 For several years, [Desert Heights Charter School] had an agreement with Waterhouse Management, owned by a board member of the non-profit school, Richard Waterhouse. From fiscal 2007 through 2011, the firm was paid at least $1 million, according to federal tax returns. In 2009 and again in 2010 and 2011, auditors questioned the transaction, saying the value of the agreement for contracted business services is “not supported by documentation that provides the method and/or rationale for h... more »
Career Success Schools
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 1 hour ago
*“4 charter-school organizations where insiders benefited.”* The Arizona Republic, 11/17/2012 Payments: For several years, the non-profit organization [Career Success Schools] has contracted with the company of a board member, Kevin Zirk, for its employee 401(k) plan, and Zirk receives commissions based on the deposits... In fiscal 2011 and 2010, the non-profit contracted with the company of another board member, Ditza BenShalom, for air-conditioning repairs totaling $154,241. In fiscal 2010, the non-profit also paid $1.3 million for land for a new school campus from a company that... more »
Espiritu Schools
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 1 hour ago
*“4 charter-school organizations where insiders benefited.”* The Arizona Republic, 11/17/2012 Payments: No other large charter school has as many transactions involving family members as Espiritu Schools in south Phoenix. Armando Ruiz is the founder and a board member for Espiritu, a non-profit that operates three schools on one property. He also is on the board of a separate non-profit, called the A Group, that gets paid by Espiritu to handle non-academic functions of the school such as technology, sports, parent involvement, bookkeeping and human resources. This allows educator... more »
ScholArts Preparatory and Career Center for Children
The Perimeter Primate at CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - 2 hours ago
*“Charter school gets 30-day reprieve.”* The Columbus Dispatch (OH), 11/30/2012 A struggling Columbus charter school got a one-month reprieve to stay open, but it still might be forced to close just before students return from winter break. ScholArts Preparatory and Career Center for Children initially was told it wouldn’t be allowed to operate after today. But its sponsor, or overseer, extended the closing date to Dec. 31 after the school offered evidence that it had enough money to stay afloat for another 30 days. Kids Count of Dayton, the school’s sponsor, decided last month ... more »
