John Thompson: More Oklahoma Charter School Scandals - Network For Public Education

John Thompson: More Oklahoma Charter School Scandals - Network For Public Education

John Thompson: More Oklahoma Charter School Scandals

John Thompson keeps a close eye on Oklahoma education shenanigans, which means he has a lot to do these days.

As the Oklahoma charter school scandals keep expanding, they provide a case study in the political dangers traditional public schools face as extreme charter advocates attack schools struggling with the COVID pandemic. Each week brings new headlines about some Market-driven charter activists, and their devotion to the law of the jungle. Others are propelled by self-righteousness, denigrating the sincerity of anyone who disagrees with them. But these attacks also show that the choice zealots’ tactics could backfire, putting their competition-driven reform experiment in jeopardy.

It is hard to tell these intertwined stories without a frustrating amount of detail, but a cartoonby Mike Allen in NonDoc.com seems to illustrate a crucial dynamic. The Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS) is portrayed as a coach holding a ball which is labeled “audit.” Three players are identified as charter schools; one being Epic, the biggest target which has been accused of the greatest malfeasance, and another charter, Seeworth, which was closed due to a financial scandal, and the third being Santa Fe South, which had previously seemed to be above the political fray. The portrayal of Santa Fe South as a part of the same team, which has played fast and loose with the rules, and is threatened by an audit, foreshadows the following narrative.

In Oklahoma, the latest twist in the state’s biggest, most drawn-out scheme by Epic Charter Schools is that the State issued a new $10.5 million fine. This follows an $11.2 million fine that Epic has not paid.

The Statewide Virtual Charter School Board has scheduled a contract termination hearing for Epic One-on-One for May12-13 but now it looks like both sides could come to an CONTINUE READING: John Thompson: More Oklahoma Charter School Scandals - Network For Public Education