State Seeks Federal Guidance On Charter Funding Practices

Education Secretary Arne Duncan speaks during a town hall meeting with President Barack Obama, Monday, September 14, 2015, at North High School in Des Moines, Iowa.

The Indiana Department of Education says it will comply with rules governing the distribution of poverty aid after federal education officials notified the state late last week that its approach was “inconsistent with the statute and regulations”.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan made a passing reference to oversight problems during a media call with reporters.

The federal department of education announced the grant Monday as part of $125 million in awards to eight states.

“Why in the world would we take the indirect costs that constitute millions of dollars away from traditional public schools that have the burden of actually feeding kids, and give it to charters schools which do not share that same obligation?” In January of this year, the Wilmington City Council, where most of Delaware’s charters are located, asked the state Legislature to put a halt to the growth of charters, and allow the city more say in which ones could be established.

“I’ll be honest, it has been a rough start to the school year for us”, said Ryan Harrington, the board’s vice chair.

“It’s so important that from the academic side and the fiscal side that [charter school] authorizers and states hold charters accountable”, Duncan said. At the high school level, we have the School of the Arts (SOTA) and the Science and Math Institute (SAMI).

The state is also mulling how to go forward with key evaluations of the agencies that oversee charter schools. It’s a real shame that a few dislike school choice so much, they will cheer when education alternatives are shut down. In doing so, charter schools got a “Title I allocation that declined by more than 15 percent from their FY 2014 total allocation”, the email said.

[Read the “Dear Colleague” letter].

In a statement, the association said charter schools need to accumulate substantial surplus in order to make facility upgrades. Most Board members were concerned about the money the district would lose if the charter is approved.

What’s going on in our schools?

The superintendent urged people in the school district to look at the legislation, review it and contact the legislators about any concerns they might have.

“I think the community perception is that we have already given this our blessing when that is not quite what’s happened”, School Board member Jeannie Cole said. “Too often, charter school successes are isolated and don’t have an impact beyond the walls of their own buildings…We’re helping [charter] schools to scale”.

[Success Academy brings a road show to the Capitol].

The department sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to states, emphasizing the importance of financial accountability for charter schools receiving federal dollars.

The vote signified a disappointing roadblock to a year-long endeavor by Guild Charter School co-founders Tiffany Leary and Wendolyn McGregor, who said they would likely appeal the decision to the state board of education in 45 days, once the district has filed its written decision.

“Ohio has a pretty good mechanism in place to improve overall quality and oversight”, said Dabby, although she could not provide details.