School Choice or a New Opportunity for Profits?
A lot of questions are being asked about charter schools in Pennsylvania. State Representative Justin Simmons recently avoided a debate question about leveling the playing field between charter schools and traditional public schools. Instead of answering the question, Simmons chose instead to accuse his opponent of trying to destroy charters.
One individual who has been willing to discuss this topic is Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner. Recently Wagner released a report that focused on the enormous waste of money that is taking place. Some highlights from the report:
- Pennsylvania spends about $3,000 more per student to educate a child in a brick-and-mortar charter school and about $3,500 more per student to educate a child in a cyber charter school compared to the national average, which if addressed could save $315 million annually.
- Pennsylvania could save $50 million a year by eliminating a loophole which allows a “double dipping” of retirement benefit payments.
East Penn School Board Director Ken Bacher recently released a report focused on the local impact of cyber charter schools. Some of the highlights of this report:
- Many local school districts are able to provide a less costly on-line service compared to cyber charters.
- Limiting cyber charter tuition to that which it costs local districts to provide the same service would save local districts over $7 million per year.
- Acording to the Center for Research on Educational Outcomes (CREDO) in every case Pennsylvania cyber charter school students have performed worse than the public schools from which they draw students.
Some legislators in Harrisburg have stepped up in an attempt to tackle the flawed funding formula and provide taxpayer relief. Republican Mike Fleck released a bill in June while Democrat James Roebuck released a smilar bill. Neither of these bills has shown any signs of movement.
Very recently the PA state Senate has put forth it's own version of charter reform. Senate bill 1115 would give the power of approving new charter schools to the state thus ending local school district control. It would also exempt companies (“vendors”) from doing business with charter schools (“local
education agencies”) from Pennsylvania’s right-to-know
laws. In essence 1115 would give the state the ability to create a multitude of new for profit charter schools with less accountability to the public. It is also important to know that this bill was originally intended to address special education funding.
Another defacto reform has recently come down from PA Secretary of Education Ron Tomalis who changed the Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) rules for charters. Charter schools are now given credit for making AYP by simply achieving a certain score for one particular grade span. Traditional public schools by contrast must hit a particular score overall as well as all subcategories to make AYP. This change was made without the required federal permission. Similarly, charter school teachers were exempted from the new state teacher evaluation laws that apply to all other public school teachers.
One of the main leaders in the fight to expand for profit charter schools is an organization known as Student First. A simple google search on Student First campaign contributions to Representative Simmons may provide some insight as to why he evaded the question about charter schools.
Making public education more of a for profit enterprise has produced some serious money. One example is Nick Trombetta, former CEO of PA Cyber Charter (the state’s largest cyber charter). Trombetta reportedly took $10 million taxpayer dollars out of the school’s fund balance to finance construction of a performing arts center. Mr. Trombetta and his related companies have recently come under investigation by the IRS and FBI.
It should be pointed out that not all charter schools are for profit; Seven Generations in Emmaus is one such example. It's equally important to note that charter schools have been able to provide some unique and valuable services to students. However, I would hope that educational benefit rather than profit is the driving force behind charter laws and reforms. Unfortunately, a review of the facts does not look very promising.
Mark Spengler
6:32 am on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Update on 1115: The state charter authorizer is on hold again. This bill was amended yesterday and sent out of rules committee here it now heads to the Senate floor. Please contact your state representaives and encourage them to engage in real charter reform that fixes the funding formula as the Auditor General recomends.
Scott Bieber
9:56 am on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Yes, it's just terrible how this whole charter school thing has gotten our of whack, especially the cyber school racket. I guess some charter schools can provide a valuable alternative, but I hear that even the highly regarded Seven Generations in Emmaus has its problems. If we would just focus on reforming our existing public school system and transfer more money to our urban schools where the real problems lie, we could solve the education problem. And vouchers are not the way, because that will just cause the poor urban school to deteriorate even further.
Restroring mild corporeal punishment would also go a long way to restoring discipline in the schools, the lack of which is a major disruptive problem in the classrooms. Mammy Whitman in 5th grade at Lower Macungie elementary school kept order with a surprise whack on your back if you were fooling around. Nowadays teachers can't even get close to an unruly kid. If they tell a kid to shut up the student tells them they have the right of free speech. They think the classroom is a democracy. Who is telling our kids this stuff ??
John Fox
11:01 am on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
|transfer more money to our urban schools where the real problems lie, we could solve the education problem.|
Because throwing money at a problem has traditionally proven to work, right?
optimist
11:49 am on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
The movement towards for profit public education at the expense of the taxpayer is alarming.
srodham69
1:00 pm on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
This is quite disturbing for several reasons. First, there is absolutely no transparency regarding this issue. The average person, including me, would have no idea any of this is going on right now. Secondly, do these people not talk to their constituents? Do they not read polls? Pennsylvanians are NOT interested in paying for pseudo private schools for these kids that don't cut it in the public schools. We are blessed to have excellent public schools in East Penn and many surrounding communities. But we pay for them. We should not be made to pay for more. Third, is anyone else alarmed at the scores being recorded by students of these schools. They are being outperformed by the public schools threefold while sucking valuable tax dollars out of communities.
Does anyone know who's actually responsible for this mess? I know I don't think we should have to pay for it anymore.
Celeste
2:39 pm on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
I agree with srodham69. East Penn School District is a great public school with good solid programs. My kid is striving and doing well because I get involved as a parent and take a big interest in what she is being taught and how she is performing.
I believe that it is unfair to take monies from our taxes to support charter schools in the district when the taxpayers were not polled for their opinions. If parents are dissatisfied with the curriculum taught in the current public school system, then they should focus their efforts on improving or modifying that curriculum, not creating a separate entity that benefits so few citizens in the district.
Mark Spengler
4:02 pm on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Update on Senate bill 1115. Over time this bill has continued to get better. Gone is the state authorizer of new charters, the parent trigger and the idea of exempting the transactions with vendors from the right to know laws.
One problem that still exists is the mulptiple charter provision which allows the formation of multiple charters by granting a single charter to operate two or more charter schools under the oversight of a single board of trustees, which only the state, and NOT local school districts, have the authority to receive, review and act on these applications. With no change in how charter schools are funded, this will allow charter schools to consolidate their charter with the Dept of Education, while still being funded by local taxpayers.
Consider contacting your state Reps. and telling them to vote no on 1115. This bill should return to being a special education funding bill period. Real charter reform is a seperate issue and needs to tackle the flawed funding formula taking into consideration what the Auditor General has said. This could be done via the Fleck Bill: http://www.pahousegop.com/NewsItem.aspx?NewsID=14514
Ron Beitler
11:44 am on Thursday, October 18, 2012
I do not understand the cost for cyber charter....
Mark Spengler
3:01 pm on Thursday, October 18, 2012
Ron,
For profit cyber charters are allowed to charge local school districts in a way that is completely unfair. A student attends a for profit charter and the school district then sends money to that charter. The formual for this is totally flawed and is making some people very rich. Best to look at the Auditor General's report.
Ron Beitler
11:45 am on Thursday, October 18, 2012
If your "for profit" you shouldnt get public money. I'm all for charter school funding so long as they are NOT for profit.
I think it's that simple. If your for profit you should be disqualified from taxpayer money.
Mark Spengler
2:58 pm on Thursday, October 18, 2012
Update on charter reform - Senate bill 1115 passed the Senate but died in the House. It should be noted that a lot of the charter ideas that originally went into 1115 started in the House over the summer. I think lawmakers like Justin Simmons who apparently was originally on board with ideas such as the state charter authorizer should read the report given by the Auditor General. We need real reform that starts with the funding formula, keeps local control over approving new charters, and brings for profit charter and cyber charters in line with the PA Right to Know Laws fully. http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/10/pa_house_pulls_the_plug_on_cha.html
Rich Cranium
6:46 pm on Thursday, October 18, 2012
Mark you seem to be harping on Simmons a lot, is he your represntative? Or are you just harping on him because Kevin Deely is running against him and you are a Teacher Union hack?
Mark Spengler
3:32 am on Friday, October 19, 2012
Rich thanks for the question. My concern with Rep. Simmons started last year when I saw him say that PA has not cut education spending but only chose not to replace federal stimulus money. This is not true. The state cut a lot of funding via the charter school reimbursement, block grant, distinguished educator program etc. Now Simmons claims funding of schools is at an all time high. This is because Simmons and his party have decided to include pension and social security payments as spending on schools. A great opportunity to speak about the cuts was provided by the League of Women Voters last year at an LCCC event but he did not show up or send any staff. In addition, I'm obviously concerned about this for profit public education movement going on. Mr. Simmons is obviously very connected with Student First on that issue. I get that you don't like Mr. Deely or unions. If you believe I'm a hack that is your business.
Rich Cranium
7:39 am on Friday, October 19, 2012
well you didn't answer my question so I am going to assume that means that you are not in his district, and that you are in fact only harping on him because you support his PSEA backed opponent simply because Mr. Deely will be a voice for the Teachers Union in Harrisburg, and will only serve you and your fellow teachers, not the people of the 131st district.
Lauri Lebo
4:27 pm on Thursday, October 18, 2012
Excellent resource. Thanks for breaking it down.