Ethics complaint targets philanthropy in public education; Newark schools a prime example
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg
Their ethics complaint says the two private groups that helped fund and develop the plan should have registered as lobbyists, which would have compelled public disclosure of donors and meetings with public officials.
And while nothing illegal is alleged, the complaint highlights an issue that has become increasingly relevant as cash-strapped schools nationwide seek money from nonpublic sources to offset budget cuts. Supporters say private money funds badly needed innovations, yet critics say there is not enough transparency.
"Is it fair for a small number of really rich people to take over educational policy-making?" said Kenneth Saltman, an education professor at DePaul University in Chicago. "Who are the lobbyists really working for? Who's funding them?"
Parents United for Public Education, the Philadelphia group that filed the complaint in December, contends that the powerful William Penn Foundation and Boston Consulting