THIS A HUGE STORY that hasn't been presented to the public yet. Lots of Charter Schools that got Stimulus Money IN SPITE of being on the SCANDAL LIST!
Stimulus $$ was given to Charter Schools already under scrutiny for mismanaging funds or worse!
The scandals rage from bizarre, violent, religiously extreme, to outright theft. And yet they get Stimulus $$. I guess I am repeating myself.
I found this journey jaw dropping, to say the very least. I took this journey because I know kids that have had some really bizarre treatment at Charter Schools in my area.
CALLING ALL TEACHERS: If you have an interest and some time, I could sure use some help with this project.
So much money was and continues to be given to Charter Schools, I wonder if Charter Schools can survive without the Federal Money.
I'll let you be the judge.
This is a HUGE PROJECT. So I will publish and then revisit to add more information.
At this point, IF YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR CHARTER SCHOOL YOU WANT TO RESEARCH, use the SCANDAL and STIMULUS links below.
Here's the information, below the orange croissant.
The lists for both SCANDALS and STIMULUS Recipients are both very long.
Here is a partial look, some of those that begin with the Letter A, at both.
I have also included a list of the CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS for the STATE OF INDIANA, home of Mitch Daniels because the 12 Indiana Scandals pretty much tell the story of Charter School Scandals nationwide.
SCANDALS, Click to see whole list
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21st Century Charter School
A.A. Dixon Charter School of Excellence
A. Phillip Randolph Leadership Academy
A.T. Jones Academy
Abramson Science and Technology Charter School*
Academia Avance
Academic Leadership Charter School
Academy at the Farm
Academy of Arts & Minds
Academy of Moore County
Academy for Science and Design
The Accelerated School
Achievement Academy Charter School
Achievement First East New York Middle School
Achievement First Middle School - Crown Heights
Aisha Shule/W.E.B. DuBois Preparatory Academy
Albany Preparatory Charter School
Albuquerque Charter Vocational High School
Alexander Hamilton Charter School
All Tribes American Indian Charter School
Allen Village School
Alliance Academy – Evanston (OH)
STIMULUS RECIPIENTS, click to view whole list.
The schools in BOLD print are on the SCANDAL LIST ABOVE or I found a scandal by doing some research. There is some difficulty in tracking down information because:
1. Schools change names, for obvious reasons; and
2. BIG Company or Group owns lots of Charter schools throughout the country. Often, each of their individual Charter Schools have a different name that doesn't reflect the name of the Company or Group that owns them.
I used the search feature at Recovery.gov link to find 21st Century Charter Schools so the list will align with the Scandals list. Again, I did find some scandals for schools on the Stimulus list that are NOT on the Scandals list and have included their stories below.
21ST CENTURY CHARTER SCHOOL AT COLORADO SPRINGS, INC. CO 005572512
21st Century Charter School In IN 173888988
21ST CENTURY CHARTER SCHOOLS INC AZ 929545895
A W BROWN FELLOWSHIP CHARTER SCHOOL TX 051709967
ABBY KELLY FOSTER CHARTER SCHOOL MA 125639687
Abramson Science and Technology Charter School LA 884559167
ACADEMIA CESAR CHAVEZ CHARTER SCHOOL MN 123392602
Academic Leadership Charter School NY 016407758
ACADEMY CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL INC NJ 058371852
ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL PA 800482346
ACADEMY OF THE PACIFIC RIM CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOL, INC. MA 830984287
ACCELERATED LEARNING CHARTER SCHOOL AZ 114344364
ACCLAIM CHARTER SCHOOL AZ 003791105
ACE CHARTER SCHOOL CA 831799619
Ace Charter School AZ 557303216
Achievement Academy Charter Scho0l NY 780419482
ACHIEVEMENT FIRST CROWN HEIGHTS CHARTER SCHOOL NY 610648482
ACHIEVEMENT FIRST NORTH CROWN HEIGHTS CHARTER SCHOOL NY 962498270
ACHIEVEMENT HOUSE CHARTER SCHOOL PA 153650911
ACHIVE CHARTER SCHOOL OF PARADISE INC CA 603582854
ACORN MONTESSORI CHARTER SCHOOL AZ 014400654
ACSA - MARTIN BEHRMAN CHARTER LA 832109552
Ad Prima Charter School PA 824769587
ADELAID L SANFORD CHARTER SCHOOL A NJ NONPROFIT CORPORATION NJ 828511654
Agora Cyber Charter School PA 020033335
AIBT NON-PROFIT CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL, INC AZ 804027790
AISHA SHULE/ W.E.B. DUBOIS CHARTER SCHOOL MI 139436518
ALBANY COMMUNITY CHARTER NY 806742750
ALBANY PREPARATORY CHARTER SCHOOL NY 198285871
ALL ABOARD CHARTER SCHOOL AZ 128392177
ALL TRIBES AMERICAN INDIAN CHARTER SCHOOL CA 031628659
ALLIANCE FOR PROGRESS CHARTER SCHOOL INC. PA 023925502
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I am only going to review those Charter Schools with BOTH Scandal AND Stimulus Money. That doesn't mean there isn't scandal for Charter Schools NOT on the Scandal list. I've found them.
21ST CENTURY CHARTER SCHOOL AT COLORADO SPRINGS, INC.
This Colorado 21st Century School is called Pikes Peak.
Received $79,562
Oddly, this school was given the $79,562 in the 3rd Quarter of 2011, after the following lawsuit was filed by the state.
Lawsuit and legal investigation formally opened June 20, 2010. HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT, FRAUD AND MISUSE OF FUNDS COMPLAINT
21st Century Charter School In Gary, INDIANA DUNS Number: 173888988
Inspite of a number of scandals from 2006 - 2011, including POOR MONEY MANAGEMENT, this school recently received Stimulus $$
Received $727,220
$727,220 was distributed in the 3rd Quarter of 2011.
Scandals:
PARENTS BOYCOTT CHARTER SCHOOL; May 10, 2006; Post-Tribune (Gary, IN)
TEACHER'S AIDE CHARGED IN CHOKING INCIDENT; May 27, 2006; Post-Tribune (Gary, IN
LOCAL CHARTER SCHOOLS CITED BY INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS; March 31, 2011; The Times of Northwest Indiana (Munster, IN)
The Indiana State Board of Accounts has released reports on three local charter schools, citing examples of poor record-keeping and money management.
Reports were released in mid-March on the 21st Century Charter School of Gary, Charter School of the Dunes in Gary and the East Chicago Urban Enterprise Academy.
All three reports covered the period of July 1, 2008, to June 30, 2010.
Other Indianna Charter School Scandals
White called for the state to investigate what he calls an illegal charter schools
practice that will cost his district $500,000 in state aid this year.
White said 72 children have come back to IPS because they were homeless and could not be transported to charter schools or the charter school was unequipped to handle their special disabilities or they faced disciplinary expulsion...
Allen County charter school teachers made $21,000 less on average than their regular
public school counterparts in 2010, according to a Journal Gazette analysis.
Charter Schools and Vultures: Charter Schools owned by REITs.
REIT is a tax designation for a company that invests in real estate and is required to
distribute 90% of its income, which may be taxable if held by the REIT, into the hands of the REIT investors.
After REIT becomes the owner, they enter into a long-term lease with the school tenant with the usual triple net, annual escalator:
AND Indiana taxpayers – become for the RENT AND for being responsible for maintenance costs, utilities, insurance and taxes…
Taxpayers will spend more than $3.2 million in rent this year on just four Indiana charter schools. Most of the dollars are flowing to a Kansas City, Mo., real estate company that earned $84.7 million in profits last year.
CHARTER SCHOOL CO-FOUNDER FACES NEW ALLEGATIONS - LAWSUIT ACCUSES DIMITRI SNOWDEN OF $45K IN FRAUD
CHARTER SCHOOLS BOARD VOTES TO REVOKE FLANNER HOUSE HIGHER LEARNING CENTER'S CHARTER;
CITY TO CLOSE FOUNTAIN SQUARE CHARTER SCHOOL
ISTEP RESULTS: CHARTER SCHOOLS FAILING TO MEASURE UP? February 14, 2011; Chesterton Tribune (Northwest Indiana)
WELLS ST. IMAGINE PLACED ON PROBATION; BSU CITES ISSUES FROM JG REPORT,
Board members were not aware or were not accurate in what the board’s role should be or how it should interact with Imagine Schools Inc., the for-profit company based in Alexandria, Va., that owns the schools.
Urban Brightest Community Academy
SPONSOR REVOKES CHARTER FOR FORT WAYNE, IND., SCHOOL, July 20, 2004, The Indianapolis Star
IT MAY BE DO OR DIE FOR INDIANAPOLIS CHARTER SCHOOL; November 6, 2010; Indianapolis Business Journal (IN)
Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) San Francisco-based organization
In 2008, KIPP Indianapolis returned more than $8,000 in Title I funding that had been improperly used on items ranging from teacher salaries to spa services at a professional development retreat.
KIPP CHARTER SCHOOL IS SUED IN SEXUAL-ASSAULT CASE, MOTHER OF GIRL CLAIMS NEGLIGENT SUPERVISION ON '07 TRIP, July 26, 2010, The Indianapolis (IN) Star
OH MY, IN INDIANA? THIS IS A NATIONALLY CONTROVERSAL STORY: Gulen Schools
Indiana Math and Science Academy
NOTE: The Indiana Math and Science Academy has been identified as a Gulen charter school.
FBI Investigating Gülen Charter Schools: Gülen Leaders Lavish Gifts And Dinners on Mitch Daniels and Other Indiana Officials
TO BE CONTINUED