Key Issues

Public Control

Charter schools are granted greater autonomy from the decisions of public officials with the promise they will deliver better performance for our schools. But even with autonomy, charters, funded by taxpayer dollars, must be accountable to public institutions that set standards and expectations and closely monitor the schools. Unfortunately, experience has shown that the public is losing important control of a taxpayer-funded institution. In many cases, the public loses the ability to request and view important information. (See Transparency.) When neighborhood schools are replaced by charter schools, there often is a shift from a democratically elected school board to an appointed charter school board.

As the public loses control of charter schools, especially those operated by for-profit companies, the broader public is increasingly excluded from the decision-making process about directions, policies and programs that educate our children.

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White Hat may cash in on 12 schools

Tuesday, June 16, 2015   |   Tags: Corporate Profiles, K12, Oversight, Public Control, Transparency, White Hat Management

White Hat Management may sell off the management of 12 schools in Ohio. Who will they sell to? Pansophic Learning, a company started by Ron Packard, founder and former CEO of K12, Inc. Pansophic is a Virginia-based, for-profit operator. The contracts give the management company as much as 95 percent of state funding for the 12 schools, […] Read More »

Pearson is cashing in without results

Friday, June 12, 2015   |   Tags: Accountability, Public Control, Quality, Transparency

Pearson is making tens of millions from taxpayer dollars from deals made without competitive bidding, even though there is little proof that their services and products are effective. A POLITICO investigation found that “Pearson’s contracts set forth specific performance targets — but don’t penalize the company when it fails to meet those standards. And in […] Read More »

UnChartered Territory

Friday, May 22, 2015   |   Tags: Accountability, Charters, Equity, Finance and Facilities, Key Issues, Oversight, Parent Empowerment, Public Control, Quality, Strong Public Schools, Transparency

The School Project made a series of documentary films about the effect of school closures on Chicago’s families and educators.  “A team of documentary filmmakers began following affected families and educators, policymakers, and advocates as the closures unfolded — and their stories became a jumping-off point for exploring so many urgent questions facing public education today.” […] Read More »