Charter schools: Is financial mismanagement the issue to watch?
Charter schools are not faring well in the national press where there have been a series of articles about financial mismanagement, including a searing three-part series this week in the Miami Herald.
We are seeing some of the same problems arising in Georgia that the Herald cites in its series. For example, the entry of for-profit management companies into the charter school market has dramatically increased the number of charter schools, but it has also led to the natural tension that results when profits become a driving force in school decisions and motivations. In fact, New York, New Mexico and Tennessee ban for-profit companies from managing charter schools.
According to the Herald series, which is worth reading:
But while charter schools have grown into a $400-million-a-year business in South Florida, receiving about $6,000 in taxpayer dollars for every student enrolled, they continue to operate with little public oversight. Even when charter schools have been caught violating state laws, school districts have few tools to demand compliance.
Charter schools have become a parallel school system unto themselves, a system controlled largely by for-profit management companies and private landlords — one and the same, in many cases — and rife with insider deals and potential conflicts of interest. In many instances, the educational mission of the school clashes with the profit-making mission of the management company, a Miami Herald examination of South Florida’s charter school industry has found. Consider:
• Some schools have ceded almost total control of their staff and finances to for-profit management companies that decide how the schools’ money is spent. The Life Skills Center of Miami-Dade County, for example, pays 97 percent of its income to a management company as a “continuing fee.” And when the governing board of two affiliated schools in Hollywood tried to eject its managers, the company refused to turn over school money it held — and threatened to press criminal charges against any school officials who attempted to access the money.
• Many management companies also control the land and buildings used by the schools — sometimes collecting more than 25 percent of a school’s revenue in lease payments, in addition to management fees. The owners of Academica, the state’s largest charter school operator, collect almost $19 million a year in lease payments on school properties they control in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, audit and property records show.
• Charter schools often rely on loans from management companies or other insiders to stay afloat, making charter school governing boards beholden to the managers they oversee. Loans to two Pompano Beach schools were disguised as gifts in financial documents to avoid scrutiny from the school district and make struggling schools appear solvent, the schools’ former managers said in court papers.
It is typically financial issues that land charter schools on the front page in Georgia, and that is what is happening to a well regarded local school. The AJC is reporting that Fulton school chief Robert Avossa is recommending that the school board deny a 10-year renewal to the award-winning Fulton Science Academy Middle School, the first Georgia charter campus to win the national Blue Ribbon School Award.
Avossa wants more district control over the charter school because of a financial misstep so the system is recommending a three-year renewal rather than 10 years. As is often the case when financial problems are cited, parents counter that the charter school is doing a terrific job at educating their children.
Avossa said past “issues” with the school bring a need for more checks and balances by district staff over its operations. Fulton Science, in its 10th year, serves more than 500 students and receives $3.9 million in state and local funding.
The charter campus paid more than $150,000 to a nonprofit without first putting the contract out for bid, creating an apparent conflict of interest. The school’s executive director and principal served on the board of the Grace Institute for Educational Research and Resources, which contracts with schools to provide technical support, professional development and purchasing services.
School district staff has advised Fulton Science that it could amend its application and reapply for a three-year contract. The shorter term would bring the middle school under the same renewal schedule as its affiliate campuses, Fulton Science Academy High School and Fulton Sunshine Academy. The schools joined together to borrow $18 million in revenue bonds from the city of Alpharetta’s Development Authority to help pay for a new campus, which opens in the fall. It will eventually house all three schools.
Fulton Science is the only county charter school to still operate under a “blanket waiver.” The district discontinued the practice after other schools with full flexibility had to shut down, including one with fiscal problems. Leaders at the middle school say they have a proven academic record and should be allowed to continue to operate with necessary flexibility from state laws over education, including mandates over class size, instructional time and teacher certification.
On Tuesday, nearly 100 Fulton Science parents, students and supporters packed a board workshop.
Fulton Science parent and board member Angela Lasseter cited the school’s success, including outperforming the district’s other middle schools for the fourth year in a row on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. “At no time during this process was [the] Fulton County school system willing to discuss the charter terms,” she said. “Instead Fulton County staff has dictated a three-year charter term to us that is below the national and state guidelines and considered punitive.”
The school’s charter contract expires June 30. Its leaders said the school could live with an eight-year renewal. If the matter is not resolved, it could delay the school’s plans to relocate and expand to accommodate a waiting list of students.
As the school prepared to apply for renewal, the district investigated its finances and found problems with the $156,000 contract with the Grace Institute. County school officials criticized Fulton Science for failing to follow the procurement process and said that relationships between the school and the nonprofit were a “conflict of interest” because they shared common board members, said Laura Stowell, the charter liaison for Fulton County Schools. The principal and the executive director have since resigned from the Grace board. They said they were not paid for their work.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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65 comments Add your comment
Fred
December 14th, 2011
8:01 am
Greed is good.
Guest of a Guest
December 14th, 2011
8:20 am
Since when does Fulton County care about the mismanagement of public money? Sounds like Avossa feels threatened by high-performing charter schools that could one day put him out of a job.
Inman Park Boy
December 14th, 2011
8:20 am
How have our “regular” public schools done with financial management???
Charter Schools are PUBLIC Schools
December 14th, 2011
8:23 am
Maureen, the for-profit companies don’t run the school, the governing board does. Many charter schools don’t employ management companies at all (Fulton Science Academy doesn’t).
Charters schools are non-profit by law and the for-profit companies cannot place members on the governing board. So the conflict of interest argument is not as pertinent as you are trying to make it out to be.
Here is the Georgia Department of Education FAQ on Charter Schools for reference and more info:
http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/pea_charter.aspx?PageReq=CIIAPCharterFAQS
Concerned Citizen
December 14th, 2011
8:25 am
The FSA schools consistently outperform the other schools in the district. If this is what financial mismanagement gets you – where do I sign? Avossa – Give them the da&#$! 10 year charter and worry about the schools that are not performing….
Beverly Fraud
December 14th, 2011
8:26 am
And who might have LESS credibility when crying “financial mismanagement” than a shill for the educational industrial complex? (I think Dr. Trotter may have coined that term, in deference to Eisenhower.)
Bernie Madoff? Louis XIV? Nero?
30-yr Higher Ed Admin
December 14th, 2011
8:30 am
My son graduated from FSA after its second year of operation. I like to tell people it saved his academic life. It certainly changed the trajectory of his academic experience. After one year in the intellectually numbing environment of our neighborhood middle school, I had doubts he’d ever get past high school. FSA changed all of that. Learning became cool. Students took pride in their academic achievements. Uniforms took attention away from appearance. Inadequate teachers and disruptive students were quickly removed. His technology team won statewide awards. By the time he went to high school, he knew how to study, and had a new confidence.
He’s now a 4.0 senior in college and is applying to graduate school with plans to be a college professor. I attribute much of his success to FSA’s influence.
carlosgvv
December 14th, 2011
8:34 am
There aren’t many things you can count on, really count on. But, “money talks and BS walks” is an absolute certainty in our country. So, whether it’s for-profit schools or for-profit hospitals, look for money to win out over ethics every time.
Atlanta Media Guy
December 14th, 2011
8:34 am
Inman Park Boy, EXACTLY! What government entity has good financial management? This is what the fight is all about. Financial equality. Like Zero said, “We need to spread the wealth around.” How much more government intervention does the public need?
The Miami Herald is another one of the leftist rags that supports unions. The teacher union must make an enemy of Charter Schools and their operators. The teachers can’t have accountability, it would expose what they truly are! Greedy! The teachers unions who must maintain their over paid pensions and the fleecing of America. Greed is good when you’re a union member. But if your a for-profit company you should be shut down and closed and the government must take over.
I was just thinking SACS is owned by a for-profit company. Why does Georgia allow a for profit company to accredit the government schools? Leaves room for more graft using OUR tax dollars. Good work if you can get it.
Jamie Barrett
December 14th, 2011
8:44 am
I am a parent of a Fulton Science Academy (FSA) student by choice. Yes, I said choice, you don’t hear that in public education because we the parents are seldom given a choice. I have heard the accusations and knowing the people at FSA, I do not believe it. The faculty of this school are so committed to education and to the students that I feel bad for families that do not get to experience this method of learning. Anyone can throw out vague words like “issues” but NO OTHER SCHOOL IN FULTON CO. HAS OUTPERFORM FULTON SCIENCE ACADEMY IN ITBS SCORES FOR THE LAST 4 YEARS. Please look at the facts – school achievement!!! Do not let the Fulton County Board of Education take away CHOICE in public education, your are the best advocate your child has.
Charter Schools are PUBLIC Schools
December 14th, 2011
8:46 am
Also, with respect to the FSA charter renewal, the make-up of the governing board has also seemed to be an issue. In FSA’s current charter (the one it has operated under the last few years, not the renewal charter that is being voted on), the board is comprised of five appointed members and two parent-elected members (for one-year terms?)
For the renewal, Fulton County Schools stated that a majority of the board positions need to be parent-elected (i.e. four of seven). I believe FSA has countered with three appointed board members, two parent-elected board members (with two year terms?), and two board-elected parents (not sure of the length of their terms).
I think Fulton County Schools makes a valid point here. The appointed board members should hold a slim majority at best. Allowing them the board to pick two more board members still basically gives the appointed members a 5-2 say over how to run the school.
FSA has the various correspondence between their school’s board and the county school system on its website for further reading at http://fsamiddle.org/ if interested.
Also, I don’t believe any Georgia charter has ever been granted a 10-year renewal, so that request seems to be asking for something no other Georgia charter has been granted.
As for Fulton County schools response with a three-year renewal, I think that is because FSA middle plans on combining with Fulton Sunshine Academy (K-5) and FSA High (fomerly TEACH) to have one school.
To combine all three schools officially, FSA and the other two schools would need to send in one comprehensive charter renewal request. The other two schools (FSA High and Sunshine) have charters that expire within three years I think, so Fulton County Schools appears to be saying that FSA should extend their current middle school renewal request to three years until they are ready to submit one charter renewal for the combined K-12 school?
Of Course
December 14th, 2011
9:04 am
Financial problems aside, I’ve heard from more than one person that FSA has a muslim prayer room where the students and teachers are allowed to pray during the school day. Heard this from students and parents. Don’t know how true it is, but it certainly needs to be verified.
Friend of FSA
December 14th, 2011
9:09 am
Shouldn’t the Fulton School board be focused on shutting down the WORST performing schools instead?
CHOICE
December 14th, 2011
9:40 am
Seems to me that fear is dictating this decision. Not fear of financial mismanagement, but fear of embarrassment. Racial bias plays into this. The FCSS administration (mostly white Christian guys) doesn’t like having the FSA administration (Turks, mostly Muslims) outperforming them, constantly and consistently. Welcome to the White South.
Beverly Fraud
December 14th, 2011
9:43 am
You might think they’d want to focus on the PHYSICAL ASSAULTS of staff and students at Westlake High, instead of a school that is OUT performing most of its peers.
Tony
December 14th, 2011
9:49 am
The Miami Herald series did a good job of shining a light on the deficiencies of the corporate backed charter schools that are rapidly expanding and taking resources away from the rest of the children in our public schools. There is no doubt that some of these schools have shone very good results and those schools deserve praise for the accomplishments.
The facts related to the finances of charter schools is a major point that must be addressed if we are to continue to turn over tax money to these organizations. If charter schools are truly public schools, then they must submit to the oversight of their financial practices. One poster has claimed in this forum that the requirements are already in place, however it is well documented that the relationships between governing boards and management companies is not as straightforward as the poster implies.
Last year, as Georgia scrutinized the applications from some charter schools that got caught up in the fallout of the state Supreme Court decision against them we saw evidence of financial arrangements that were of grave concern. Those arrangements were caught by the local boards of education and were questioned. Fulton County is doing its due diligence in protecting the tax payers investment in public education by expecting the Fulton Science Academy to step up to the plate and offer a proposal that is more appropriate.
Charters are NOT the answer they are made out to be. In fact, most charter schools are performing similarly to the public schools. In Florida, most of the so-called failing schools from last year were charters. When the charter supporters acknowledge these facts and consent to the same financial oversight expected of other tax supported schools, then we may be able to be more open about our discussions regarding the place of charter schools.
Beverly Fraud
December 14th, 2011
9:52 am
“I was just thinking SACS is owned by a for-profit company. Why does Georgia allow a for profit company to accredit the government schools?”
That’s a really good question Atlanta Media Guy. Especially since SACS continued to give APS its approval and said NOTHING about the WIDESPREAD, MASSIVE cheating at APS.
It was ONLY when the school board made a change in leadership (one that didn’t jive with Mayor Reed/the “bidness” community’s agenda that SACS got involved claiming concern about the board’s “illegal” actions, WITHOUT noting in their report a judge found them PERFECTLY LEGAL.
Add to that, for all the stink SACS makes about “micromanaging” school board, did not SACS THEMSELVES “micromanage” but trying to strong arm the Furious Five into keeping the board chairwoman who DELIBERATELY HID CHEATING in power?
This was the perfect storm of the WORST of for profit and the WORST of government. But given the public schools’ track record, maybe for profit ISN’T the boogeyman; maybe it’s LACK of transparency and LACK of accountability.
HS Public Teacher
December 14th, 2011
10:01 am
The ONLY people allowed to mismanage money is the Board of Education. Please. If this isn’t left up to the Board of Education, what else will they do?
Jerry Eads
December 14th, 2011
10:24 am
As I’ve said before, for the record, the existing research seems to suggest (pretty strongly) that on balance charters are no better, and perhaps a bit worse, than the schools they “replace.” The original intent of charters was to enable folks to experiment with different ways of doing things, NOT to be “better than” existing public schools. As with Wall Street, the fanatically religious obsession with reducing regulation has some interesting consequences.
The research also suggests fairly clearly that a consequence of charters (and vouchers) has been to facilitate segregation, although it seems to be more economic rather than purely racial. I’ll let others debate whether that’s intentional on the part of the powers that be.
NO silver bullets for “fixing” public education, especially as long as we continue to blame the schools (and teachers) for the entire malaise of our society. LOTS of pieces in this complex puzzle, and each one needs be addressed sanely and rationally for the long term, with attention to how each piece relates to the others. We’ll see.
liberalefty
December 14th, 2011
10:25 am
charter schools are public schools, but people think charter schools will save the world,cure cancer, end world hunger, stop wars etc. lol.
liberalefty
December 14th, 2011
10:33 am
if your child is doing lousy in school its probaly because of lousy parenting, not the school or the teacher.
Dr. John Trotter
December 14th, 2011
10:37 am
I am not a big fan of Charter Schools nor am I a big opponent of Charter Schools. I have seen good Charter Schools, and I have also seen some very bad Charter Schools. A lot of it simply depends on the kind of students who attend these Charter Schools. If the students are highly motivated and are well-behaved, then the chances are greatly enhanced that the Charter School experience is going to be good.
If the Charter School is started because the founder see it as a good way to get a whopping salary and to employ many members of the same family, then the Charter School will undoubtedly be a abject failure. We have seen a few of these too!
I am bemused at how strident the local school boards get over Charter Schools. I wish that they would get just as strident over students behaving like animals in the schools. Fights galore and impudent and unconscionable disrespect toward teachers don’t seem to raise an eyebrow on the school boards. Could it be that the school board attorneys’ agendas are driving this fight? Parents, follow the money. Always follow the money.
Mom of Teacher
December 14th, 2011
10:44 am
So are ALL other schools walking in a straight line with their finances? In the 10 year history of FSA, is this awarding of a single contract without a bid process the only infraction? Does the Board of Education or school system stand to gain anything by giving 3 years instead of 10? If they deny charter renewal, where do the students go and what is the financial gain for the school system. Answers ANYONE????
Ron
December 14th, 2011
10:52 am
Dr. T- what do we do with the difficult students? If we kick them out, then they just end up in another school system. I remember the days when we talked about “passing the trash” in Clayton county, when a kid would be kicked out of one high school and moved to another. While I agree with the basic premise that high behavioral standards are critical, I just wonder if we’ll ever be able to come up with a reasonable alternative for the difficult kids. A few of the challenging ones do eventually overcome themselves and leave with a diploma instead of in an orange jumpsuit…a few.
Charters are a great idea to reach out to specific academic groups. The problem is giving public money to private companies without overseeing its use. It would be like me paying someone to cut my grass for the year before it gets cut. I intend to inspect the yard before I pay for the work. If not, then I have little recourse if I’ve already paid the guy. I wouldn’t do that any more than I would trust a private company to take millions of our tax dollars without some direct oversight as to how it’s used. In the Fulton case, you can’t tell me that a board member of the school serving on the board of the nonprofit with which the school transacts isn’t at least a conflict of interest.
Beverly Fraud
December 14th, 2011
10:53 am
“As I’ve said before, for the record, the existing research seems to suggest (pretty strongly) that on balance charters are no better, and perhaps a bit worse, than the schools they “replace.” ”
This is no doubt true, as Maureen likes to remind us. So why the love for charters?
Choice. Think of it like being in a Yugo. If you’ve been ASSIGNED to the Yugo, you feel helpless. If you’re DRIVING the Yugo, even if it’s a Yugo, you feel a sense of control.
Mom of Teacher
December 14th, 2011
10:54 am
Very nice post Dr. Trotter. There is good and bad in everything. Fights and disrepect should raise the eyebrows of all board memebers. When my daughter accepted her first teaching position in Atlanta, I was mortified to find she had a panic button in her classroom. A PANIC BUTTON! But your last 2 sentences are probably the the most important…..Parents, follow the money. Always follow the money
Mom of Teacher
December 14th, 2011
10:59 am
Enter your comments here
Miss Management
December 14th, 2011
11:00 am
Check out the profits New Birth is making from charter schools. They house one DeKalb county public charter with about 160 kids called the “Leadership Academy” which had a rental agreement for $10,000 a month. On top of that, New Birth owns a former school building which was purchased from the school system for $150,000 several years ago and is home to another charter called “Destiny”. The schools are headed by married former DCSS administrators Frankie and Clarence Callaway (members of New Birth?). New Birth also had a private school housed in the church. Someone needs to check into whether the private school still exists or was somehow merged into the charter and is now paid for with tax dollars. Charter schools can be good, but they can also offer a slippery slope for mismanagement and funny business.
Beverly Fraud
December 14th, 2011
11:01 am
Dr. T- what do we do with the difficult students? If we kick them out, then they just end up in another school system.
Simple. You send them to LEARNING environments where the PRIMARY focus is on SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR.
You might be FIVE years behind in reading, but you can still BEHAVE. In fact many probably ARE five years behind, so you teach them where they are AT and give them clear goals to achieve.
How many teachers would gladly take 22 kids with NO disrupters over 18 kids with 3 disrupters?
Get the funds from cutting administrative BLOAT.
FSA Parent
December 14th, 2011
11:03 am
FSA schools are the best and the staff and management is committed to give the best education to their students.A lot of effort is being put in to get higher grades and it cannot be done without the hard work of all teachers.
Beverly Fraud
December 14th, 2011
11:03 am
“Check out the profits New Birth is making from charter schools”
That might change now that Bishop Eddie Sandusky has taken leave.
Beverly Fraud
December 14th, 2011
11:04 am
“Check out the profits New Birth is making from charter schools”
That might change now that Bishop Eddie Sandusky has taken leave.
Correction: That’s Bishop Eddie Long (Not quite sure how I got the name Sandusky confused with Long. Apologies)
Ron
December 14th, 2011
11:08 am
“Choice. Think of it like being in a Yugo. If you’ve been ASSIGNED to the Yugo, you feel helpless. If you’re DRIVING the Yugo, even if it’s a Yugo, you feel a sense of control.”
ROFL!! Great example- that is exactly the appeal of charter schools. Some that cater, like the science academy, to a specific academic skill have the potential to be a great idea. The problem is the lack of control once the money changes hands. In many cases, they promise you a Ferrari, all the while knowing all they’ll give you is a Yugo.
FocusOnTheStudents
December 14th, 2011
11:41 am
I am beyond disgusted by the bureaucracy that is taking place with Fulton County as it relates to the FSA schools (FSA MS in particular). This is all about MONEY…nothing more. Fulton County DOES NOT put ’students first” – it never has. The only people that come first are the Board members or parents who run some of the other schools in GA whose only interest is there OWN children versus ALL children. There is a constant means of separating students when the same success/opportunities should be afforded to ALL students in ANY school.
As a parent at FSA we came from private school which we chose to do based on the insanity that takes place in the standard public school setting, not from the children, but from the ADULTS in charge of the schools (i.e. Board, administrators, some teachers and some parents) – no one has the STUDENTS best interest at heart and it saddens me. Although hesitant, we did try traditional public school for kindergarten and it was a joke of an experience, so we went back to private for all of elementary. After hearing GREAT things about FSA MS and after researching, we applied – once accepted we left private school and have had a great experience at FSA MS and look forward to completing our middle school years there.
If Fulton County was REALLY concerned about the students, they would make the necessary provisions to grant the charter renewal for this school (as the school is willing to compromise the 10 year charter with an 8 year charter…a 10 year has been granted in the past to a school). How do you jeopardize one of the BEST performing schools in the state??!! The county is informed (and has to be) about the financials, etc of the school…at the Fulton County Board meeting those opposed to the charter had the audacity to verbalize having an issue with Turkish men running the schools and with Turkish being a language choice for the students (there is Turkish and Spanish, which I think are incredibly awesome). I was utterly disgusted by such blatant bigotry, but unfortunately, I was NOT surprised. It’s such a sad state of affairs…if anything Fulton County should look at what FSA, and any other successful school (whether public, private, or charter), are doing and try to find way to implement some of the same practices. When will the STUDENTS come first??!!
Fulton County Board Power Grab
December 14th, 2011
11:43 am
This is pure and simple a power grab by the Fulton Board. They do not like that a school can be successful without their “help”. As a parent of a teen that had a harrowing 3 years in a traditional Middle School, I am thankful that we were able to get my younger son into FSA. I don’t have a dog in this hunt – he graduates before the Board’s restrictions come into effect, or the school shuts due to lack of recharter approval. Fulton Board – please, don’t clamp down on something that is clearly working! Fix the problems in the system that are not!
Caroline Grannan
December 14th, 2011
11:57 am
Fulton Science Academy is a Gulen school, and Maureen, that should be part of the story and included in all coverage of the school. The press needs to stop being so timid and reticent about this issue. Here’ s a good account of the Gulen schools — the nation’s largest charter school network — from the Charter School Scandals blog.
http://charterschoolscandals.blogspot.com/p/gulen-school-characteristics.html
The Phantom
December 14th, 2011
12:41 pm
@ Maureen: “Charter schools: Is financial mismanagement the issue to watch?”
THE issue to watch is whether or not the schools educate the children, The financial mismanagement of some charter schools IS a valid concern, and for several of them this issue has been raised when they apply for their charter renewals. It is almost laughable that any public school system in the metro area would complain about financial mismanagement, but we know that the government hates competition.
Also, until you steadfastly state otherwise Maureen, I am placing you on the side of people who are in the “education industry complex” who see charter schools as a threat to the status quo. You have raised too many issues with charter schools to be a supporter. Not everyone can afford to live in Decatur and send their kids to Decatur schools; Some of us have to make the best decisions with the variables we have.
@ Jerry Eads, since you did not respond on the last charter discussion thread, I’ll ask again: please state the studies that charter schools are no better than the government schools they replace. Drew Charter, Neighborhood Charter School, and Wesley would not have been created if APS had been doing a stellar job in SRT-3. Are you really with a straight face going to tell people that Eastlake, Stanton, and Toomer provide better educations? If that was the case then all of those people north of the MARTA tracks wouldn’t be raising such a fuss about being moved south in the redistricting. And I don’t see the segregation that you claim, at least in this area. The same mix of people go to APS that go to the charters.
Having a choice in education is not a bad thing.
A reader
December 14th, 2011
1:03 pm
The issue here is that the board gave a contract to a company where board members had a vested interest. This is a clear conflict of interest, and not much different than Jay Cunningham of Dekalb County.
In addition, FSA middle school is not the best middle school in the county as some people have claimed. It is a good school, no doubt. But the student body is made up primarily of students who want to be engineers, so they do not have the same mix of students that a regular public school has. It has the best ITBS scores by a few percentage points, which is one indicator of how good the school is. But it has lower CRCT scores than many other middle schools in Fulton. FSA high school (formerly TEACH) has terrible SAT scores, as compared to both the Fulton County average and the Georgia average.
I do not see this as a “power grab”. I see this as the school board holding FSA to a standard. The school board has not threatened to close FSA, they just put them on notice.
Parent of FSA Elementary Student
December 14th, 2011
1:21 pm
As parent of an FSA Elementary School student, I am very impressed with the teachers and administrators; they set the bar high, and are dedicated to helping students achieve their full potential. My son is thriving at the school. After hearing neighbors (including current Fulton County school teachers) discuss their experiences with the local public elementary schools, I feel very fortunate to be in the public charter school system.
FSA Middle School is, in fact, outperforming other Fulton County Schools. They earned the highest ITBS score in all five subjects among Fulton County Schools for the last three years. In addition, they were recipients of the 2011 National Blue Ribbon School Award, were recognized as a High Achieving Middle School by the Georgia Partnership of Excellence in 2011, and received the Platinum Award from the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement.
Further, FAS Middle School participates in numerous competitions throughout each school year. Some of their most recent achievements include:
- 1st Place in National Science Olympiad – ‘Compute This’ Event
- Gold Medal in International Media Festival
- 1st Place in State Science Fair
- 1st Place in State Social Studies Fair
- 1st Place in State Model United Nations
- 1st Place in State Technology Fair
- 2nd Place in State Chess Tournament
- 2nd Place in State Future City Competition
If the Board sees the need for fine-tuning, then solve for specific issues needing attention; don’t close one of the best schools in the county!
PS – All of this information (and more) is available in FSA’s charter submission which is on the Fulton Board of Ed website: http://www.boarddocs.com/ga/fcss/Board.nsf/Public
Gonzalez
December 14th, 2011
1:54 pm
@ 30-yr Higher Ed Admin- It’s Pass not Past! I guess you went to that fine neighborhood public school!
Fulton County parent
December 14th, 2011
1:56 pm
@a reader 1:03 pm
I don’t know that you can name “the best school” in a city, county, state, etc. because I believe that some students work/learn better in different environments. However, I think it is pretty easy to see why FSA has received the recognition that they have received. According to the AJC (http://www.ajc.com/news/2011-georgia-crct-results-1000807.html – select system and school), the eighth grade class had the number 1 rank for Reading, English/Language Arts and Science for the 2011 CRCT. I believe that this ranking is state-wide. Additionally, according to Fulton County, the Fall 2011 ITBS results (http://portal.fultonschools.org/departments/Org_Advancement/Assessment_Accountability/Documents/Test_Scores/ITBSResultsfall11-1.pdf) are the highest in the county, again for the eighth grade.
The sister elementary school did quite well too. It looks like they were either first, second, or third in the county for all subjects (3rd and 5th grade) except 3rd grade reading (7th in the county).
To me, they are doing something right and I think we should encourage more schools to attempt to emulate their success rather than attempt to increase bureaucratic oversight.
As a parent of children in both a traditional public school and a charter school, I am grateful for both. Each school offers an environment that is better suited for each of my children. I believe both types of schools can co-exist and help serve all of the children in the community rather than trying to force the children into a standard, on-size-fits-all learning environment.
Former SPARK parent
December 14th, 2011
2:18 pm
Maureen, if we were going to write a 10-chapter book about financial mismanagement and fraud in Atlanta, the first 9.75 chapters would be about Craw Lewis, Pat Pope, Beverly Hall, Beverly Hall’s $100,000/year chauffeur, and all the MANY other public-school crooks who have looted the metro area for years. And yet you once again have tried to subvert the charter-school movement, using the free pass your bosses give you to express squishy liberal opinions of your own so long as it’s on a blog and not in the newspaper proper.
Of course charter schools should be transparent and undergo scrutiny. But to single out charters for financial misdeeds while you are living next to corrupt DKSS and hapless (if not equally corrupt) APS; to invent a headline that does not make any attempt at fairness or proportionality; wow. That’s exceptionally weak.
Beverly Fraud
December 14th, 2011
3:26 pm
I can’t believe someone actually used the words “fraud” and “Beverly Hall” in the same post.
Shocking I tell you…just shocking!
Jerry Eads
December 14th, 2011
3:54 pm
@Phantom, sorry I missed your request the last time. There are good publics (frequently with high income students) and “poor” publics, typically those with a preponderance of very low income students. There are, similarly, good charters that exist because parents who care want to get their children away from what are typically very low income enrollment schools.
ON AVERAGE, the performance of such schools is NO BETTER THAN the publics from which those students were drawn. That means that some are better, and some are worse. If every school could be an exception on the plust side of the equation, we’d be in great shape. The research is also quite clear that schools in low income (e.g., inner city) areas are not as well run as those in upper income suburban districts.
The list of refereed research (not “reports” from politically leaning think tanks) is growing, and usually comes to the same conclusion. The most recent example, which will have the references of earlier research:
http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/publications/redirect_pubsdb.asp?strSite=pdfs/education/charter_school_impacts_ES.pdf
You likely won’t want to drag yourself through the tedium of the full report but the “executive summary” (in quotes because it’s longer than most journal articles) should suffice. AND: research also suggests that CARING PARENTS make a huge difference. Bravo to you for caring, regardless of your income level.
Charter Schools are PUBLIC Schools
December 14th, 2011
4:48 pm
I was incorrect in my earlier statement that no 10-year charter had been granted to a Georgia Charter school.
Actually, Fulton Co. Schools approved a 10-year charter for Hapeville Charter School in their 2009 Charter Renewal application with the following caveats (refer to section 5.1 – “Term of Charter Waiver” on page 47 of Hapeville’s Charter renewal – http://www.fultonschools.org/school/hapevillems/Charter%20Agreement_06112009.pdf)
“Additional Understandings: It should be understood that FCSS does not approve charter terms that exceed five years.”
“Further, we understand, as stated earlier in this document, that we agree to additional accountability measures as follows:”
“1.Hapeville Charter School must achieve SACS accreditation within the initial five years of the renewal term (See Item O in this report).”
“2. Hapeville Charter School must include a FCS representative on the advisory board of the charter school for the entire term of the renewal.”
“3. Hapeville Charter School must meet all other requirements outlined in the FCS checklist to include AYP status, enrollment projections, positive financial statements and audits, etc.”
“4. Failure to meet the above requirements may result in termination of the charter.”
Bob
December 14th, 2011
5:03 pm
It seems to me that the FSAMS administration (Principal Sener, etc) are playing high stakes poker with our children’s education. No doubt FSA has done a wonderful job exceeding all academic expectations. However, I don’t quite see what this has to do with granting a 10 year charter and waivers. Also, there has been an inordinate amount of pressure on the students to support the administration’s position (i.e. dress down days granted). This is totally improper. Personally, I could care less about the religious affiliations of members of the administration. Regarding conflict of interest, FSAMS has been less than forthcoming about their association with Grace. The fact that Ali Ozer founded and incorporated Grace has not been previously disclosed to parents (at least I wasn’t aware of it). At the end of the day, where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire. I think the school should accept the 3 year charter, if it is still on the table, and move on.
Bob
December 14th, 2011
5:18 pm
Also, regarding Grace, I would be very interested in a full disclosure of what happened to the over $150,000 that was paid out. Who received it? What is their relationship (if any) to members of FSAMS administration? Finally, doesn’t anyone wonder why there is such a high proportion of Turks and Muslims at this school? I don’t ask this question out of any sense of “racism”, more out of curiosity. Specifically, are there any hiring practices that favor one group over another group? Are there any admissions practices that favor one student over another student? The Fulton County Board is doing their job as the protector of taxpayer money and taxpayer interest. I just wonder about the facts that have not yet been disclosed. FSAMS should feel fortunate to have a charter at all, rather than trying to get one for 10 years. Principal Sener, what’s the real story?
MM
December 14th, 2011
5:22 pm
O.K., my daughter attended FSA for all three years so I guess I’ll chip in here. FSA was great for my daughter. At first I saw FSA as a way to gradually introduce her to the “complexities” of modern urban life. The high percentage of Asians is key to the academic superiority plus their teachers are very good. A general atmosphere of sanity prevails. A virtuous cycle indeed. As you might expect FSA quality is also due to the fact that students are self-selected (or at least parent-selected). The fact the students start out as superior on day one is a prime explainor of FSA academic results.
I don’t have any particular knowledge of the non-compteted vendor situtation but FSA obviously should not do that anymore. Fulton County should not use this as an excuse to get in FSA’s face either. Give credit where credit is due.
No big lesson for the future of American education because of atypical student mix and better teacher quality, neither of which is due to charter status. Go FSA and thanks from my daughter and me.
Caroline Grannan
December 14th, 2011
6:29 pm
By the way, while there has been some press coverage of the Gulen school issue, the press is very reticent to mention is — as @Maureen was in this post. It’s quite evidently what has been wryly and accurately called Islamophobiaphobia. Maureen and colleagues, sorry, but you need to man up. It’s your job. It’s part of the story — a big, looming part — and you need to tell it; that’s what reporters do.
Attentive Parent
December 14th, 2011
6:35 pm
It is my belief that Avossa was brought in by SACS to gut academics in North Fulton so it could not be used as a comparison point involving teaching the material and transmitting knowledge as Common Core rolled out. Had Fulton or Cobb participated in Race to the Top, the MOU would have bound each district to make sure the schools and professional development emphasized the learning frameworks. In other words, a commitment to use the constructivist approach. They declined as taxpayers still want the transmission of knowledge to be the focus of the schools.
By somehow magically ending up with supers from Council of Great City Schools districts who were also 2 out of the 7 districts participating in the Gates funded MET teacher evaluation project both districts have effectively picked all the constructivist approaches that brought so much dysfunction and illiteracy to APS.
Avossa’s first principal pick, who also magically was released from his CMS contract, apparently announced yesterday at his first principal’s coffee, that he was bringing the notorious outcomes based education, whole child, learning centered, group project and isn’t lecturing dreadful approach to Riverwood. He told the parents they would have to adjust, or was it submit?, to the change.
If Fulton Academy was actually committed to teaching math and science as a discipline and body of knowledge to be mastered to the best of each student’s ability, that would be inconsistent with the agenda Avossa has demonstrated and stated so far.
The respective Boards seem to think Avossa and Hinojosa answer to them. It is AdvancEd though who really seems to be behind who gets brought in for interviews and who gets promoted. And every admin in those states knows it.
And those revelations are only the tip of the iceberg of a very ugly story.