UTAH'S SPECTRUM ACADEMY: ANOTHER CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDAL (NUMBER 1,666,666)
In the latest episode of "Charter School Scandal," we have Utah's Spectrum Academy taking center stage. This charter school for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders has been federally investigated for classroom-related civil rights concerns, and let's just say, it's not looking good for them.
The investigation found that the school violated Section 504 of Title II of the Civil Rights Act by repeatedly using restraint and seclusion practices on its students. Now, I don't know about you, but I thought we left those practices back in the medieval times. Apparently, Spectrum Academy missed the memo.
But wait, it gets better (or worse, depending on how you look at it). The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) found that these practices took time away from students' education. So not only were these kids being subjected to archaic forms of punishment, but they were also missing out on valuable learning time. Talk about a double whammy.
And as if that wasn't bad enough, the school failed to provide compensatory resources to make up for the lost classroom time. So not only were these kids being punished unnecessarily, but they were also being cheated out of their education. Bravo, Spectrum Academy. Bravo.
But fear not, dear readers, justice has been served. The school has agreed to implement significant changes to its policies, procedures, and training requirements. And they've also agreed to provide individual remedies for students who experienced restraint during that time. So I guess that's something.
Now, I know what you're thinking. "This is just one charter school. It can't be that bad." Well, my friend, you couldn't be more wrong. If charter schools aren't stealing public funds, committing fraud, or engaging in corruption, they're abusing kids too. It's like a never-ending cycle of scandal and controversy.
Don't believe me? Check out the Network for Public Education's "Another Day Another Charter Scandal" page. They've even got a sorting feature that allows you to search charter scandals by state and by 12 different categories. It's like a buffet of scandalous behavior.
Look, I'm not saying all charter schools are bad. I'm sure there are some out there that are doing great things for their students. But with so many scandals and controversies surrounding the charter school system, it's hard to keep up.
So to all the charter schools out there, I have a message for you: stop it. Just stop it. Stop stealing public funds, committing fraud, engaging in corruption, and abusing kids. It's really not that hard.
And to Utah's Spectrum Academy, I have another message: get it together. Restraint and seclusion practices have no place in a modern-day classroom. It's time to join the rest of us in the 21st century.
In conclusion, let's hope that this latest scandal serves as a wake-up call for the charter school system as a whole. It's time to clean up your act and start putting the needs of your students first. And if you can't do that, maybe it's time to re-evaluate whether or not you should be in the education business at all.
Read Spectrum Academy documents: What investigators found at Utah charter for kids with autism https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2023/09/09/read-spectrum-academy-documents/
Utah's Spectrum Academy federally investigated for civil rights concerns https://www.abc4.com/news/wasatch-front/utahs-spectrum-academy-federally-investigated-classroom-related-civil-rights-concerns/
Charter Scandals - Network For Public Education https://networkforpubliceducation.org/charter-scandals/