A look at how the Phila. Schools are being strangled, so that charter owners can grab tax money

[JPZenger]

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/357577

Excerpts:

"... It was the second consecutive year of thinning out staff that saw 3,800 teacher and staff positions eliminated, 100 school nurses, 90 school resource officers, and 43 bilingual counselors.
...Although the school district continues to have financial and academic trouble year after year, the finger pointing halts at the State of Pennsylvania. After taking control of the district in 2001, the state has not fixed any of the problems in Philadelphia; allowing the current situation to spread like a virus.

... the School District of Philadelphia will spend $729 million on charter schools in the coming fiscal year. Nearly a third of Philadelphia’s students will attend 84 charter schools this year and it will cost the district an estimated $7000 per student to attend a charter school. Parents are starting to move their children away from the nearly extinct public schools by enrolling them in charter schools and virtual charter schools. The problem with this equation is academics and money. A Stanford study found students at 100 percent of Pennsylvania’s cyber charters performed significantly lower than the peers at traditional schools. Five Pennsylvania cyber charters receive $200 million in tax money each year to produce unacceptable results. The Agora Cyber Charter, which is run by the for-profit company K12, made $31.6 million last year from state taxpayers. It’s interesting to note that billionaire Michael Milken is an owner of K12 and that Mr. Milken was convicted of racketeering and securities fraud in 1989.

Adding more fuel to the charter fire is the state’s law that keeps the school district powerless. Daniel Denvir says, “For reasons that aren’t clear, millions of dollars have moved between the network of charter schools, their parent nonprofit, and two property-management entities. The School District is charged with overseeing city charters but 'does not have the power or access to the financial records of the parent organization.'”

[blkmusclmachine]

1. "Race To The Top."

Savvy!