Latest News and Comment from Education

Sunday, February 28, 2021

California: Charter Operators Will Repay the State at Least $215 Million | Diane Ravitch's blog

California: Charter Operators Will Repay the State at Least $215 Million | Diane Ravitch's blog
California: Charter Operators Will Repay the State at Least $215 Million



Will Huntsberry of Voice of San Diego writes here about one of the biggest scams in the history of charter schools (the biggest was probably the ECOT–Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow–scandal in Ohio, which cost the state about $500 million).

The two ringleaders of an online charter school scam that raked in hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges on Friday. 

Sean McManus and Jason Schrock, as well as nine other defendants, including a superintendent, were charged back in 2019 as part of a complicated scheme that involved enrolling fake students into their online charter schools and collecting public money for each student...

“The general activity is you and your friend got these millions of dollars from the state and you funneled them into your pocket, correct?” asked San Diego Superior Court Judge Frederick Link, while taking the pleas. 

Both answered yes. 

Online charter schools are allowed to collect just as much CONTINUE READING: California: Charter Operators Will Repay the State at Least $215 Million | Diane Ravitch's blog