More virtual school potential fraud

Ohio lawmakers forward e-school attendance allegations

ASSOCIATED PRESS

COLUMBUS — State lawmakers in Ohio have referred allegations to authorities that an online charter school failed to dis-enroll hundreds of chronically truant students in order to pad its rolls.
Ohio Virtual Academy, which serves about 13,000 students statewide, says it follows all state reporting laws and enrollment guidelines.
Reps. Bill Hayes (R., Harrison Township) and Teresa Fedor (D., Toledo), the House Education Committee’s top Republican and Democrat, told the Associated Press on Monday they have forwarded an anonymous whistleblower’s email to state Auditor Dave Yost, whose office has made school attendance fraud a priority.
Hayes also involved the Ohio Department of Education and alerted the school, whose authorizer said it is conducting its own review.
The whistleblower provided a lengthy list of specific students listed as truant, in some cases for most of the school year.

I wonder how much this cost the Ohio taxpayers?  How many youths are going to be unprepared to be productive citizens because of a lack of education because the E-school is more concerned about collecting money than insuring the students receive an adequate education.  A shameful scam.

I think K-12 is in trouble and would not be buying their stock.

CURMUDGUCATION: Do Charters Create Pressure for Excellence

CURMUDGUCATION: Do Charters Create Pressure for Excellemce: Charles Sahm and I have been in as low motion conversation about charters. After the New York Times ran a less-than-inspiring portrayal of E...



Another good analysis of the costs of E-Schools in PA

10th Period: Ohio Charters Just Don't Work, Part III

10th Period: Ohio Charters Just Don't Work, Part III: Now that I've shown how state data indicate that Ohio's charter schools simply aren't up to snuff with Ohio's school distric...

Postscript: Treasurer Cincinnati College Prepatory Academy

A follow up on the aftermath of  of the scandal at Cincinnati College Prepatory Academy.  Stephanie Millard, the treasurer of that school and of Ohio Connections Academy has plead guilty to two counts of unauthorized use of property.  Two years probation.  Not sure what other schools she served as treasurer, but I suspect that many charter schools were looking for a part-time accountant to bless their dealings.  I do know that this indictment and conviction did generate a taxpayer paid audit of Cincinnati College Prepatory Academy and Ohio Connections Academy and perhaps others.  Both audits found issues.

This is why reform is needed as to the finances of charter schools and their for profit management companies.  The loosie goosie fiefdoms paid by the taxpayers, with unelected weak school boards, are a tempting target for abuse.

From the court records:

SENTENCED COUNT 4: UNAUTHORIZED USE OF PROPERTY CONFINEMENT: 180 DAYS, SUSPENDED 180 DAYS HAMILTON COUNTY JUSTICE CENTER PROBATION: 2 YRS

SENTENCED COUNT 16: UNAUTHORIZED USE OF PROPERTY CONFINEMENT: 180 DAYS, SUSPENDED 180 DAYS HAMILTON COUNTY JUSTICE CENTER PROBATION: 2 YRS

10th Period: State Defines "High Performing" Charters

10th Period: State Defines "High Performing" Charters: One of the things most charter school reformers agree about is that whatever Ohio's charter school reform looks like, its few high-perfo...



Good blog.  It does not appear any of the virtual schools made the list

E-Shools in Ohio $224 million

The worm is turning

The Columbus Dispatch is finally getting on board.

Seems pretty reasonable.  It is the taxpayer’s money.  Campaign donors do not speak for the majority of taxpayers.  Despite the massive marketing please let the results (including the finances) speak for themselves.  Billions have been spent.  How much is enough?

“Ohio’s charter-school system has attracted national ridicule for its giant-sized accountability loopholes…

A significant gap, flagged by Yost, is that the bill fails to require school-operating companies to disclose how they spend the hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions of tax dollars they are paid to run the schools. Their status as private companies doesn’t change the fact that they are using public money to provide public education. Under current law, some operators refuse to show their books to the governing boards that hired them, let alone to the public.

This lack of accountability is unacceptable, and lawmakers should fix that before they sign off on H.B. 2.”

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2015/03/22/1-a-big-step-forward.html