ASSEMBLY MEMBER, PARENTS AND VIRTUAL EDUCATORS CHARGE THAT FOR-PROFIT CHARTERS ARE FAILING STUDENTS, VIOLATING LAW
Flanked by educators, including educators teaching at California Virtual Academies (CAVA), CAVA parents and students, Assembly Member Roger Hernandez (D-West Covina) during a Thursday morning news conference, slams the for-profit charter company for putting corporate interests above those of students and teachers.
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) – More than a dozen teachers, parents, and students from the California Virtual Academy (CAVA) and Assembly Member Roger Hernandez (D-Covina) at a Thursday morning news conference in front of the state Capitol denounced the operators of the charter school with putting corporate interests above the interests of students and their parents.“These for-profit charter school operators have created schools with low graduation rates, the misuse of federal funds, and poor services for special education students,” asserted Assembly Member Roger Hernandez, author of a measure to regulate these schools.
It is one of several charter school regulation bills CTA is cosponsoring.
Teachers representing their CAVA colleagues from around the state discussed the problems at the schools that have prompted 69 complaints to local school districts, county superintendents, the state Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the State Department of Education. The complaints allege a pattern of violations of state and federal laws, including misuse of federal Title 1 money. CAVA allegedly used Title 1 funds that were intended to help students from low-income families instead for conferences in Yosemite and Palm Springs.
“California Virtual Academy has shown us that children suffer when charter schools are more responsive to their shareholders than to their students,” the state legislator said. “The school’s focus should be on improving learning conditions, enhancing student learning, and ensuring that teachers have the tools and resources they need. Charter schools should not be entities that out-of-state corporations can use to profit at taxpayers’ expense.”
Ellen Davison, a CAVA teacher, declared that the school is failing its students. Swift action must be taken to address issues including a high dropout rate and other counterproductive irregularities.
Said Stacy Bailey, a teacher based out of CAVA@Los Angeles, “Students deserve the best education we can offer, but those enrolled in CAVA are not getting the Assembly Member, Parents and Virtual Educators Charge that For-profit Charters are Failing Students, Violating Law - California Teachers Association:
