IT YOU AREN'T OUTRAGED YOU ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION
THE PROBLEM WITH NO ACCOUNTABILITY CHARTER SCHOOL BULLSHIT
Charter schools have been in the news a lot lately, and not for good reasons. They've been charged with fraud, embezzlement, mismanagement, and child abuse. And now, to add insult to injury, one of the co-founders of Breakthrough Charter Schools in Cleveland, Ohio has been arrested and charged with engaging in prostitution as part of a statewide human trafficking operation called "Operation Buyer's Remorse." I mean, come on! When will Congress act to stop the no accountability of charter schools instead of spending on scandal-riffic charter schools?
John Zitzner, the founder of Breakthrough Charter Schools, was among 160 people taken into custody from September 25-30. 149 suspects were charged with engaging in prostitution, two charged with seeking to have sex with minors, and six charged with promoting prostitution. Zitzner's case is being handled through the Rocky River Municipal Court. The Ohio Attorney General's Office said that Zitzner told task force members "he works in education at Friend of Breakthrough Schools." Board Chair Jeff Berlin confirmed that Zitzner worked for Friends of Breakthrough, a separate organization from the schools, and did not work at any of the Breakthrough Schools.
But let's not focus solely on Zitzner. Let's talk about the bigger issue at hand: the lack of accountability in charter schools. The U.S. Department of Education has requested and received $440 million from Congress for the CSP grant every fiscal year. That's a lot of money! And yet, 14 percent of charter schools that received CSP State awards closed or never opened between fiscal years 2006 and 2020. That's just 638 schools that received about $152 million (8 percent) of the approximately $2 billion provided in CSP State awards during that period. That's not so bad, right? Wrong!
Charter schools are supposed to be held accountable for their actions, but time and time again we see instances where they are not. The lack of oversight and regulation is alarming. It's like giving a teenager a credit card with no limit and no consequences for their spending habits. They're going to go wild! And that's exactly what we're seeing with charter schools.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that all charter schools are bad. There are some great ones out there that are doing amazing things for their students. But the bad apples are spoiling the bunch. And until we start holding these schools accountable for their actions, we're going to continue to see scandals like the one involving John Zitzner.
So what can be done? Well, for starters, Congress needs to start taking a closer look at how these schools are being run. They need to put more regulations in place to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent appropriately. They also need to hold these schools accountable for their actions. If a school is found to be engaging in fraudulent or illegal activities, they should be shut down immediately.
In addition, parents need to do their homework before sending their children to a charter school. They need to research the school's history and reputation. They need to talk to other parents and students who have attended the school. And they need to ask tough questions about how the school is being run and how their tax dollars are being spent.
In conclusion, the problem with no accountability charter school bullshit needs to be addressed. We can't continue to turn a blind eye to the scandals and illegal activities that are happening within these schools. It's time for Congress to step up and start holding these schools accountable for their actions. And it's time for parents to start doing their homework before sending their children to a charter school. Let's make sure that every child has access to a quality education, but let's do it in a way that is transparent, accountable, and responsible.
Charter school founder arrested in Ohio human trafficking sting | wkyc.com https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/human-trafficking/john-zitzner-cleveland-breakthrough-charter-schools-statewide-human-trafficking-operation/95-fbdcdfa0-b6b1-4db0-9539-ee4846be1871
John Zitzner, Founder of Breakthrough Charter Schools, Arrested in Human Trafficking Sting AG Dave Yost announced the arrests of nearly 150 suspects in 'Operation Buyer's Remorse.' Zitzner was charged with engaging in prostitution https://www.clevescene.com/news/john-zitzner-founder-of-breakthrough-charter-schools-arrested-in-human-trafficking-sting-42860285
Charter Scandals - Network For Public Education https://networkforpubliceducation.org/charter-scandals/
Big Education Ape: US DEPT. OF EDUCATION SENDS MISSOURI CHARTER SCHOOL CHAIN A 36 MILLION STARTUP MONEY BOMB http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2023/09/us-dept-of-education-sends-missouri.html