Southwest Learning Center

HEAD OF CHARTERS EARNS $204,000. Albuquerque Journal (NM) 11 Mar 2010 http://www.abqjournal.com/news/metro/112311207866newsmetro03-11-10.htm

The head of three charter schools with fewer than 500 students combined earns $204,000, more than any superintendent in New Mexico except APS' Winston Brooks.

Brooks earns $256,000 a year to oversee a district of 94,000 students; Scott Glasrud oversees the Southwest Learning Center in Albuquerque with a combined enrollment of 495.

Albuquerque school board president Martin Esquivel called Glasrud's salary "beyond ridiculous," adding that it raises questions about accountability at charter schools.

"I think the perception is going to be that this charter school has set up its own private fiefdom using public money," Esquivel said in an interview. "There's really no way to justify this at all."

Glasrud's schools came under scrutiny last month after he refused to provide bank statements to the Albuquerque district, saying doing so would violate the schools' autonomy. He, along with Mike May of Amy Biehl Charter High, eventually released the documents…

"Just like anyone, I negotiate the best deal for myself and my family," Glasrud said…

The next-highest-paid superintendent in New Mexico is Stan Rounds of Las Cruces, who earns $168,000 to oversee a district of 24,000 students, according to the New Mexico Coalition of School Administrators.

[Aggie Lopez, former APS board president and current president of the Southwest Secondary board,] also said Glasrud is more of a superintendent than a principal, and she pointed out that the Southwest Learning Center schools are highly successful, with a graduation rate of 95.2 percent. The schools also consistently make Adequate Yearly Progress in math and reading…

But Esquivel said the schools' performance cannot be directly compared with APS, because of the difference in demographics.

"Some would try to compare the academic achievement to APS, without disclosing the fact that they have nowhere near the same poverty issues," Esquivel said…

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APS QUESTIONS CHARTER SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT SALARY: APS RAISES MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT CHARTER SCHOOLS. KOAT.com (Albuquerque, NM) 11 Mar 2010

The Albuquerque Public School district is questioning why a charter school superintendent makes more money than the mayor of Albuquerque.

Scott Glasrud oversees three charter schools, Southwest Primary, La Luz Del Monte and Southwest Secondary.

According to reports, he oversees slightly fewer than 500 students and gets paid $204,000 per year.

Winston Brooks, superintendent of the Albuquerque Public School district, supervises 94,000 students and makes $256,000 per year.

"I think a $204,000 salary for 500 kids is absolutely outrageous," said Marty Esquivel, president of APS school board.

"The mayor of Albuquerque makes $100,000 a year, is that job tougher than being the mayor of Albuquerque?" said Esquivel…

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Fulton Science Academy Middle School

(Updated 6/5/2012)

NOTE: Also see entry about Georgia Gulen charter schools HERE. 

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“Fulton Science Academy Shifts to Private.”Johns Creek Patch, 5/29/2012

The Alpharetta school's charter ends this week as it shifts from a public middle school to a private Pre-K through 8th grade school charging $8,500 annual tuition.

Fulton Science Academy Middle School's charter expires after Thursday, May 31, as the school continues its quest to reopen in the fall as a private school open to all students Pre-K through 8th grade in Georgia.

Tuition starts at $8,000 with another $300 in application and enrollment fees...

The school announced it is registered under Georgia GOAL Scholarship program, which allows state tax credits for scholarship donations...

The FSA Private School Financial Aid Application will be available its website soon. The financial aid requests will be determined starting in July 2012.

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“State Board Denies FultonScience Academy Middle School Charter; Many Sandy Springs students attend FSA. Board members criticize the school's Governing Board and management over noncompliance, bond issues.” SandySpringsPatch, 5/10/2012

Fulton Science Academy Middle School lost its appeal to the state Board of Education for a charter this morning, so the school will be closed in July.

The school's charter through Fulton County Schools expires June 30...

The school's governance and financial stability were called into question, particularly regarding the issuance of $19 million in bonds and the construction work on a new school campus.

State Board Member Dan Israel said even though bond documents say the state, county and city aren't liable for anything doesn't mean they can't be sued...

"The Fulton Science Academy Governing Board and school management have acted during the past five months as if the state charter process is an opportunity for them to strike a deal so they can have a charter. The state charter process is instead an appeal by the school to the state," [Board member Linda Zechmann] said...

"Thirty more days won't change a thing," said Board member Brian Burdette. "They had the opportunity to work with the department and that didn't happen."

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“Fulton Science Academy, State Don't Agree; While the middle school's governing board believes it has met requirements and answered all questions for its state charter application, the Department of Education still sees problems.” Alpharetta-MiltonPatch, 5/8/2012

Fulton Science Academy Middle School has spent $5.78 million to buy land and start construction of a new campus that its students seem unlikely to ever occupy. By mid-summer, there may be no school at all.

The state Board of Education will receive a recommendation to deny the school's charter petition at its May 10 meeting. A month later it is scheduled to vote on the petition.

The school's current charter with Fulton County Schools expires June 30.

The school sent a response to the recommendation for denial — "Supplemental Information for the FSA MS State Chartered Special School Petition", signed by Governing Board president Ayhan Korucu — but that may not sway the state board. (A pdf version of Korucu's plea, without supporting documents, can be found with this article.)

Lou Erste, Charter Schools Division director for the Georgia Department of Education, says the information in the May 4 letter wasn't enough to change the recommendation for denial.

"The answers provided by FSAMS in their unsolicited response to our April 30, 2012 denial letter are almost completely nonresponsive to the issues we raised in our letter," Erste said via email to Patch...

The school spent at least $2.7 million to buy land on Fanfare Way in Alpharetta. The school bought the land before the state approved the site, and started construction before a site plan and building design were even submitted for approval, all of which the state said were required.

But to pay for the land and build the school, $18.9 million in bonds were sold, and that has put its sister schools — Fulton Sunshine Academy and Fulton Science Academy High School — at risk, as all three schools are liable for the bond repayments...

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“Uncertainty faces Fulton Science Academy as state mulls charter application; Decision on charter renewal likely to come after end of school year.” Johns Creek Herald (GA), 3/29/2012

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The fate of the Fulton Science Academy Middle School will likely not be determined by the end of the current school year, leaving parents, students and school staff in a state of flux for at least three more months.

In December, the Fulton County School Board rejected the charter school's application for a charter renewal, effectively severing the relationship between the school district and the academically successful charter school. FSA has been in operation for 10 years in Fulton County and was recently named a National School of Excellence...

With local options exhausted, FSA applied to the state Department of Education (GDOE) in December to become a state charter school beginning with the 2012-2013 school year.

According to state officials, the final decision will be made by the state Board of Education in June, once the application has been thoroughly reviewed...

The indecision over the plans for FSA also impacts local middle schools, which are looking at two enrollment projections for next school year: one with FSA students returning, and one without.

In the meantime, construction has stopped on a new school building in Alpharetta that was intended to house FSA Middle School, FSA High School and the elementary school, Fulton Sunshine Academy. The school, which is being funded by an $18 million bond, is on hold, pending the state approval of the charter. If approved, FSA officials say they anticipate construction to be complete by January 2013.

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“FSA fails to satisfy state about school site permit; Second letter to charter school says state has concerns as FSA continues to build.” Appen Newspapers (GA), 1/31/2012 

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — An application for a site approval permit from the Fulton Science Academy (FSA) still fails to meet the state's litmus test after a second attempt to submit documents was returned by the Georgia Department of Education (GDOE).

The charter middle school is moving forward with plans to build an $18 million K-12 campus in Alpharetta, but must first receive the blessing of the GDOE to put the school on the 44-acre parcel. The state sent back FSA's first application last month, requesting additional information and clarification...

Last month, FSA was denied a renewal of their charter by the Fulton County School System and is now seeking to become a state charter school beginning next school year.

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“School Board Reject State's Mediation Offer with Fulton Science Academy; Charter school's executive director responds to accusations about the school's construction process.” Roswell Patch, 1/19/2012

...Superintendent Robert Avossa told the state Department of Education that Fulton County Schools has no interest in a mediation request by Fulton Science Academy after direct negotiations that lasted four months failed...

Two vital items communicated by Fulton County Schools to the charter school were not included in the charter renewal petition submitted to the Board of Education, he said: A listing of specific waivers for school personnel, and a three-year term aligning the middle school's charter with its partner schools–Fulton Sunshine Academy and Fulton Science Academy High School–which are bound financially through an $18 million bond.

Other issues have been revealed since the local board voted against the charter renewal, Avossa said in his letter. Not only did the school issue the $18 million bond before receiving a charter renewal, it also spent a large portion of the money and broke ground on its new facilities without state permission...

Avossa said these problems are even more evidence of problems.

"This pattern of reckless, premature actions taken by the FSAMS management constitutes additional breaches of their charter contract and has also now endangered the financial health of its FSA sister schools due to their joint and several indebtedness on the bond," Avossa said in his letter.

He also said this isn't the first example of irresponsible management and disregard for the district policies by the school...

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"School board denies Fulton Science Academy MS renewal petition.” Fulton County Schools press release, 12/20/2011

At its December 20 meeting, the Fulton County Board of Education denied the Fulton Science Academy Middle School’s petition to renew in a unanimous vote. The board based its decision on the FSA governance board’s inability to meet the school system’s requirement for a three-year charter term and a blanket waiver...

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“Fitch Downgrades Fulton Science Academy, GA's Revs to 'BB-'; Rating Watch Negative.” iStockAnalyst, 12/20/2011 

...CHARTER RENWAL TENSION NOT REFLECTIVE OF INVESTMENT GRADE:

The downgrade to 'BB-' reflects Fitch's heightened concerns regarding Fulton Science Academy Middle School's (FSAMS) ability to effectively manage the charter renewal process; a fundamental credit characteristic of investment grade ratings in this sector. Last week, Fulton County School District's (FCSD, the local charter authorizer) superintendent recommended that the FCSD board deny FSAMS' current petition to renew its charter, expiring June 30, 2012. Fitch views recent events as a significant, rapid and unexpected deterioration in the authorizer relationship. This level of uncertainty over the charter renewal is more reflective of a 'BB-' rating.

CHARTER RENEWAL AT RISK:

The Rating Watch Negative reflects Fitch's concern that the FSAMS charter may not be renewed. The FCSD board is scheduled to vote on the renewal petition this evening (December 20). Based on discussions with FCSD and FSAMS staff, Fitch believes rejection of the petition is a real possibility. In that event, FSAMS' charter would be scheduled to expire on June 30, 2012...

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“Fulton County Schools, Charter Interim Compliance Report, Fulton Science Academy Middle School.” January 2011 (emphasis added) http://fsamiddle.org/images/stories/interimcompliance.pdf

Requested Actions (pp. 2-3)

While the school continues a strong academic record, it remains challenged in the areas of governance transparency and participation…

…We understand that the school is now using the services of the Grace Institute. We request that the relationship with the Grace Institute cease effective March 4, 2011, and that the original terms of the contract approved by the FCBOE be honored…

     1. According to its website, the Grace Institute does not claim to be an EMO. However, the scope of the services provided by the Grace Institute according to the contract supplied do indeed fall into the commonly accepted definition of an EMO and under the areas of governance as defined by the GADOE (personnel, finances, curriculum and instruction, resource allocation, establishing and monitoring school improvement goals, and school operations).

The renewal contract did not specify the use of an educational management organization in general nor Grace Institute in specific. As such, the relationship is not approved b either the school system or the state.

     2. According to the Federal 990EZ Form, the Grace Institute’s board of directors includes the FSAMS Executive Director (who also serves Fulton Sunshine Academy and Fulton Science Academy High School) and the principals of the FSAHS and FSA MS, among others. This represents a business practice that is not in compliance FCBOE policy prohibiting conflict of interest.

     3. There in no indication that a Request for Proposal (RFP) process was followed by the governing board in the hiring of the Grace Institute.

     4. The operations of the school reflect attendance at one conference conducted by Grace, but no transparency regarding the scope of the services provided is evident in any documentation provided by the school to date. Neither is any review period to assess the quality of the services indicated in the contract.

     5. Finally, although the contract supplied reflects that there is a fee associated with Grace services, there is no detail as to the amount of tax payer dollars gong to the Grace Institute on an annual basis nor the formula for establishing such funding levels. Neither is there an articulation of the actual per pupil fee amounts to be paid by the school nor the schedule of payments in the contract. No payments are mentioned in the Annual Audit by the independent auditor, Mr. Sam Durden, CPA. Since the Grace institute serves schools outside of Fulton County and the state of Georgia, the lack of transparency in the supplied contract makes it impossible to determine if state and local tax dollars are funding activities to benefit schools outside of Fulton County and the state of Georgia…

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The proposal for the Fulton Science Academy Middle School was submitted in March 2001 by Cosmos Science Academy, Inc. See http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/_documents/schools/charterschools/Fulton%20Science%20Academy.pdf

The founding board:

• Bekir Ozcan, Staff Engineer at Georgia Power Company
• Yucel Altunbasak, Georgia Institute of Technology, Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Serdar Tunaboylu, Electric Motor Drive Specialist at Siemens
• Erdogan Dogdu, software engineer
• Kemal Cem Gur, teacher in Turkey, moved to Georgia in 1999

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Fulton Science Academy (“Fulton Science Academy Middle School Inc.” (EIN 582512910)

Names appearing on 2004-2008 Form 990s: Ali Ozer, Ayhan Korucu, Baybars Bakay, Cevdet Akbay, Cheri Garvin, Feroz Fatehali, Fethi Gotepe, Kenan Sener, Levent Bulut, Mustafa Basgun, Mustafa Kecici, Sabrina Moore, Selim Ozedmir, Sherry Saylam [possibly related to Mustafa Z. Saylam and/or Saltuk B. Saylam], Steven Greene, Tuncay Kucuktas, and Wendi Murphy.

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From http://graceschools.us/ (accessed Oct 2010): 

“In short, Grace Member Schools are also called “Grace Schools“. However, this abbreviation is a bit misleading as the Grace Institute is not a Charter Management Organization (CMO). This usage more correctly should be read as Grace Schools Network or Grace Member Schools.”

Current members include:

• Fulton Science Academy-Middle (GA)
• Fulton Science Academy-High (GA)
• Stars Middle School (FL)
• River City Science Academy Middle and High School (FL)
• Orlando Science Middle and High School (FL)
• Sweetwater Branch Academy Middle and High School (FL)
• New Springs Middle School (FL)
• Fulton Sunshine Academy Elementary School (GA)
• River City Science Academy Elementary School (FL)
• Sweetwater Branch Academy Elementary School (FL)

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Grace Institute for Educational Research & Resources, Inc. (EIN 262674420)

• Names appearing on 990s for 2007-2009 Form 990s: Yucel Aktas, Ilbey Budak, Avni Cokavci, Selim Ozdemir, Ali Ozer, Namik Sercan, Kenar Sener. Each of these individuals has held positions at Fulton Science Academy schools

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Additional reading:

• Fulton Science Academy / TEACH / Fulton Sunshine Academy: Evidence of affiliation with Gulen Movement http://gulencharterschools.weebly.com/fulton-science-academy.html
• Florida Schools: Orlando Science Middle/High Charter School, River City Science Academy, Sweetwater Branch Academy, Stars Middle School, New Springs Middle School. Evidence of affiliation with Gulen Movement http://gulencharterschools.weebly.com/florida-schools-orlando-river-city-sweetwater-stars-new-springs.html

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Students from the Fulton Science Academy at the 2011 Turkish Olympiad Southeast sponsored by the Istanbul Center, a Gulenist organization ("That center is devoted to the practice and propagation of the teachings of Muslim leader Fethullah Gulen." See @ fgulen.com). These pageants are held in multiple regions in the U.S. and around the world. The student performers have been trained in Gulenist schools.

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Read More

Bonita Springs Charter School

FOUR WOMEN SUE BONITA SPRINGS CHARTER SCHOOL FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT. Naples News (FL) 04 Jun 2010 http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/jun/04/four-women-sue-bs-charter-school-administrator-sex/

Four women have sued Bonita Springs Charter School in federal court claiming sexual harassment and retaliation at the hands of their administrator.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court for the middle district of Florida in Fort Myers, said Ana Sanchez, Elsa Aguilera, Maria (also called Carmen) Soto and Otilia Hernandez were fired after they refused repeated sexual advances from former school administrator Jorge Castillo.

Soto, 63, was also discriminated against because of her age, the suit claimed. Castillo is said to have told her no work was available, however, the school then hired younger female employees with less experience.

All four women filed a charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which, in May, found evidence that violations had occurred and granted their right to sue…

That harassment created an “intimidating, hostile and offensive work environment” with “tangible adverse employment action,” the suit said.

The claim did not enumerate specific examples, but said the women faced unwelcome verbal comments, inappropriate touching, continued requests for sex or sexual favors.

“Lee Charter Foundation, the governing body of the school that is located at 25380 Bernwood Drive, is also named as a defendant.”…

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MOTHER SUES CHARTER SCHOOL. Orlando Sentinel (FL) April 08, 2005 http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2005-04-08/news/0504080163_1_bonita-springs-charter-school-teacher

BONITA SPRINGS -- After a little girl got sick in the bathroom of her kindergarten class, the teacher made her don rubber gloves and remove a clog from the toilet, according to a lawsuit filed by the girl's mother.

Lori Januska sued Bonita Springs Charter School this week after she said her 5-year-old daughter, Heather, clogged the toilet Sept. 22 and her teacher made her remove it while the class watched.

The suit said "a vulnerable 5-year-old was subjected to cruel, unusual and traumatic disciplinary actions which directly resulted in severe emotional distress, pain and suffering, and mental distress."

The girl suffers from an incurable gastrointestinal condition.

The suit, which seeks an unspecified amount in damages, claims the school staff was negligent in hiring an unqualified teacher.

Principal Pamela Franco and school-district attorney Keith Martin would not comment on the suit.

Mark Levinsen, senior vice president of administration and human resources for Charter Schools USA, investigated the original complaint and said the teacher was disciplined.

Read More

Morningstar Academy Charter School

In 2003, the for-profit Educational Administrative Services opened Morningstar Academy. EAS also operated the now-defunct California Charter Academy. Read about the CCA scandal @ http://charterschoolscandals.blogspot.com/2010/05/california-charter-academy-60-schools.html

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PROBATION FOR TEACHER/MINISTER IN AJ SEX EXPLOITATION CASE. Gold Canyon Today (AZ) 07 July 2009 http://www.goldcanyontoday.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=471&Itemid=189

Former Apache Junction charter school teacher and youth minister, Bobby Kennedy, 31, received lifetime supervised probation despite his pleading guilty to attempted sexual exploitation of a minor and furnishing obscene materials to a minor.

Kennedy was accused of molesting a 15-year-old female student at Morningstar Academy Charter School, kissing her and coercing students to take naked pictures of themselves with his cell phone in 2005. He was originally arrested by Apache Junction Police (AJPD) in May 2005 charged with 2 counts of sexual exploitation of minor and 2 counts of child molestation that reportedly involved at least three female students in incidents that occurred on school property at 1105 W. Superstition Blvd.

Kennedy was held in the Pinal County Jail on $750,000 bail until June 27, 2005 at which time his bail was reduced to $150,000. Kennedy subsequently posted the reduced bail and was out on bond while authorities continued to investigate the case, which led to an additional indictment on August 11, 2005 on 22 charges including molestation, sexual abuse, aggravated assault and furnishing obscene materials to a minor.

Kennedy failed to appear for a hearing on the charges on August 23, 2005 and dropped out of sight, prompting the AJPD to put Kennedy on their “Most Wanted List” where he remained for nearly three years.

Police believed that Kennedy’s mother and principal of Morningstar Academy, Carolyn Kennedy, had prior knowledge of her son’s actions with students and also that she helped her son to flee prosecution. In 2006 Kennedy’s mother pleaded guilty for failing to report the abuse of a minor and received two years probation and a suspended 90 day jail sentence along with paying a fine of $2,500. Despite her conviction and alleged failure to help authorities locate her fugitive son, she was allowed to retain her position as principal.

After nearly three years on the lam, Kennedy was arrested by Deputy U.S. Marshals on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 in Lawton, Oklahoma where he was living with his wife and small son. On Monday, June 26, 2009 Kennedy was sentenced to lifetime supervised probation with a 180-day deferred jail sentence with 52 days already served.

When told of Kennedy’s sentence of probation, former AJPD Commander Jay Swart who was instrumental in Kennedy’s capture by the U.S. Marshall’s was incredulous saying, “What? I can’t believe that! How can anybody justify probation for someone who confessed of such grievous actions against children?”

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Additional stories about this case

• PROSECUTOR TO FIGHT MOLESTATION SUSPECT'S BAIL-TEACHER WHO FLED IS CAUGHT, FREED ON BAIL AGAIN. The Arizona Republic 16 May 2008 http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/05/16/20080516molest0516.html
• PRINCIPAL'S SON ARRESTED THREE YEARS AFTER MOM SHELTERED HIM ON MOLEST CHARGE. AZcentral.com 19 Mar 2008 http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/WATCHBLOG/19644

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OPERATOR OF VALLEY SCHOOL FACES CHARGES IN CALIF. The Arizona Republic 11 Sep 2007 http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0911charter0911.html

The Arizona State Board for Charter Schools refused Monday to allow a charter-school company to change its name after its owner was indicted on felony-theft charges in California.

C. Steven Cox owns Educational Administrative Services, which operates Morningstar Academy, an elementary school, in Apache Junction.

Cox was indicted Sept. 4 in San Bernardino on 56 felony counts of misappropriation of funds and 56 felony counts of grand theft while operating the now-defunct California Charter Academy, run by the for-profit Educational Administrative Services. Cox was indicted along with a Hesperia City Council member, and both pleaded not guilty.

California shut down the school in 2004 after auditors found that the owners had drained the school's coffers of millions of dollars to provide high executive salaries and perks and give questionable contracts to friends and family members.

Arizona agreed to sign a contract with Cox in 2003 to open the Apache Junction elementary charter school.

The Arizona State Board for Charter Schools on Monday tabled a request to allow Educational Administrative Services to change its name, citing the board's recent suspension of Cox's fingerprint card pending the outcome of the indictments…

The company has had money problems in Arizona. Its 2006 audit shows it was operating with "an accumulated loss of $174,050" and owed $34,882 in state and federal taxes. Its 2005 audit reported that an employee embezzled $27,640 and that financial records were missing after an attempted "hostile takeover" of the school by two employees…

Read More

Sequoia Choice Arizona Distance Learning

CHRISTIAN SCHOOL EXPELS CHILDREN OF INQUISITIVE WOMAN. The Arizona Republic 13 Oct 2009

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2009/10/13/20091013expel1013.html

A Christian school in Glendale expelled the children of a parent who persistently asked questions about how the private school was spending its tuition money.

Lise Hopson had been asking Joy Christian School in Glendale why she paid tuition when a public charter school, Sequoia Choice, was providing the bulk of the private school's academic courses. Charter schools, like all publicly funded schools, are free…

The Republic published an article about the relationship between Joy Christian School and Sequoia Choice on Oct. 2. Before the article was published, state education officials sent copies of parent complaints and state records about the two schools to the state Attorney General's Office for review…

The day before Hopson was quoted in the Republic article, Hopson picked up her daughters as usual after school. The principal handed a letter to Hopson that stated both Hopson and her husband, James, were not "contributing to the harmonious attitude of the school."

In the letter, Kempf called Hopson's actions disruptive and damaging and said they "may have caused financial losses to the school, as well."

Kempf "terminated" the Hopson children's education at Joy Christian School as of 5 p.m. that day and gave the Hopsons a formal notice that as of 5:30 p.m. that day, they were barred from school and church property. The notice allowed the family to visit the "reasonable radius" of the gravesite of Joanne Wright, the children's grandmother, and access to a building leased by the charter school, as long as the Hopsons did not exit their vehicle or talk to anyone on campus.

Hopson's father, Don Wright, said last week that he had his wife's remains removed from a niche on the Joy property.

Wright said a letter he wrote to the pastor also may have led to the children's dismissal. Wright questioned Joy Christian School's relationship with a public charter school. In the letter, Wright said he "expected a refund" of $12,700 in tuition and threatened to take the issue to state officials…

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SCHOOLS UNDER SCRUTINY FOR FINANCING PRIVATE SCHOOL WITH TAXPAYER DOLLARS. The Arizona Republic 02 Oct 2009 http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/10/02/20091002sto-joy1002.html

State officials are raising questions about an arrangement in which a private school in Glendale and a public charter-school operator have teamed up to help finance the private school with taxpayer dollars.

State records obtained by The Arizona Republic show that Sequoia Choice Arizona Distance Learning, a charter-school firm, collected at least $1.9 million in state funds from 2005 through 2008 to teach courses to students of Joy Christian School.

During the same period, Joy was collecting tuition payments from the parents of the same students, many of whom used private-school tuition tax credits to help pay. Tuition ranges from $6,710 to $8,000 this year.

Last month, the partnership between Sequoia and Joy Christian, which is affiliated with Community Church of Joy, a megachurch along Loop 101, caught the attention of Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne…

An official with the Attorney General's Office said the office will examine the legality of all aspects of the partnership.

A non-profit tuition organization that provides most of Joy's scholarship money said it will stop providing the tax-credit funds if Joy does not dramatically reduce the number of Sequoia-provided courses.

In 2008, Sequoia taught nearly 60 percent of Joy Christian's courses. Sequoia said that the arrangement started when it was asked to help the students and that Joy does not pay it to provide the classes…

The partnership is another indication of how the state's private-school tuition tax credit has been used in ways not originally intended.

The tax credit gives taxpayers a dollar-for-dollar reduction of their state income tax for donating to private-school tuition scholarship. The money is collected and distributed by non-profit school-tuition organizations.

A series of Republic stories has revealed that the tax-credit law, which is scarcely enforced, has given rise to creative ways to tap state funds. For example, some charter schools, which are privately owned but state-funded, obtained tax-credit money by designating the afternoon half of their all-day kindergarten as a private service…

The partnership between Joy Christian and Sequoia began in the 2004-05 school year when Sequoia began providing Joy a few courses that the private school couldn't afford, such as a high-end math course and a language course, said Ron Neil, manager of Sequoia…

By 2008-09, Neil said, Sequoia attorneys warned the charter school that religion had become too prominent in Sequoia's classrooms at Joy; classroom prayer and crosses displayed in class could raise issues related to separation of church and state, Neil said…

Last school year, state officials began receiving complaints from a few parents who didn't like that they were paying tuition at Joy Christian when most courses were provided by a public charter school.

"When I started to piece things together, what we were paying for really came down to music, PE, art and Bible class," said Joy Christian parent Lise Hopson, who has two children at the school. "It almost feels as if our kids are pretty much at a charter school, with a little bit of biblical emphasis."…

Read More

Coral Academy of Science - Reno

REACTION TO ATTEMPTED KIDNAPPING AT CORAL ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL. MyNews4 (Reno, NV) 12 May 2010 

…A 15 year old girl was approached by a man, who grabbed her arm and tried to kidnap her. The girl screamed, struggled and pulled away. Then the man ran away.

The girl reported the crime, and Coral Academy on East 9th Street was put on lockdown for two hours.

"We were scared someone on campus was trying to kidnap one of the students, it was kind of scary thinking it could've been one of us instead of person who it was," said Alexis…

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NEVADA SCHOOL ATTACKS PROFANE SPEECH IN POEM.  Free Speech Matters 22 April 2006 

UPDATE:

April 22nd, 2006: after winning a restraining order in federal court — so that administrators at Coral Academy of Science could not prevent him from reciting the poem of his choice — Jacob Behymer-Smith won 2nd place in the Nevada state finals of the "Poetry Out Loud" contest with his recitation of W.H. Auden's "The More Loving One." His performance wins the school a $1000 prize to support literary programs. For details and commentary, visit the Nevada State Arts Council website or local blog Reno & its Discontents.

April 11, 2006: Coral Academy of Science student Jacob Behymer-Smith won the district "Poetry Out Loud" competition (a national recitation contest co-sponsered [sic] by the Poetry Foundation and the National Endowment of the Arts) with his recitation of W.H. Auden's "The More Loving One." As he prepares to compete in the state finals on April 22nd, the school administration has sought to keep Behymer-Smith from reading that poem, citing concerns that it contains "profane" language (click here for the text of the poem). Below is NCAC's statement to the school, with support from the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, PEN American Center, and the National Council of Teachers of English…

The More Loving One
W. H. Auden

Looking up at the stars, I know quite well
That, for all they care, I can go to hell,
But on earth indifference is the least
We have to dread from man or beast.

How should we like it were stars to burn
With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection cannot be,
Let the more loving one be me.

Admirer as I think I am
Of stars that do not give a damn,
I cannot, now I see them, say
I missed one terribly all day.

Were all stars to disappear or die,
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total dark sublime,
Though this might take me a little time.

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Read the restraining order HERE.

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Read about the Gulen charter schools in Nevada HERE.

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Additional reading: Coral Academy of Science - Evidence of affiliation with the Gulen Movement  http://gulencharterschools.weebly.com/coral-academy-of-science.html

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Eagles Peak Charter School (4000 students)

FORMER SCHOOL DIRECTOR GETS $1M.  North County Times (San Diego County, CA) 20 Aug 2010 

A jury awarded the former executive director of the now-defunct Eagles Peak Charter School $1 million this week in a wrongful termination lawsuit filed after the administrator was fired in 2008, an attorney said Friday.

In the lawsuit, the former executive, Rich Alderson, accused the school’s board of directors of firing him after less than a year on the job for refusing to retaliate against employees who had criticized them.

The jury determined that the school acted with fraud, malice or oppression, according to Bob Ottilie, Alderson’s attorney…

In his lawsuit, Alderson claimed that trustees had asked him to do something to keep the employees from speaking up, which he refused to do…

A few months earlier, disagreements between the board and former Executive Director Kathleen Hermsmeyer caused the school to split in two. Hermsmeyer and most of the other administrators moving to the newly formed River Springs Charter School based in Riverside County.

Before the division, the school was the largest in the region, with nearly 4,000 students. It catered to parents who primarily taught their children at home and had learning centers throughout San Diego, Riverside and Orange counties.

The school closed last year after the school board at the Julian district decided not to renew its charter. At the time, the district’s superintendent said the move was spurred in large part by Alderson’s firing.

In September, Mountain Peak Charter School opened with many of the same programs, employees, students and the same board president as Eagles Peak.

The new school is sponsored by the Mountain Empire Unified School District and serves more than 500 students in San Diego, Riverside, Orange and Imperial counties with learning centers in Vista, Chula Vista and San Jacinto…

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REPORT DOCUMENTS PAST PROBLEMS AT CHARTER SCHOOL. North County Times (San Diego County, CA) 07 Dec 2007

VISTA -- A county report released this week says poor judgment and lax oversight led to several problems at North County's largest charter school, where allegations of money mismanagement, nepotism and conflicts of interest erupted into an ugly power struggle last year.

The controversy at Vista-based Eagles Peak Charter School has since subsided; the massive academy split into two separate schools in early 2007. No criminal charges were filed against anyone at either school.

The county report says problems from the past could continue to haunt Eagles Peak, including the possibility that the school will have to return roughly $7.3 million in state funding. The school that branched off, River Springs Charter School, is not included in the audit and would not have to share that burden.

The report was released Tuesday by the San Diego Office of Education, which hired an auditing firm to look into 12 allegations against former administrators at the school that had been lodged by its board of directors. The report specifically studies what it describes as the actions of six top administrators who have since left Eagles Peak…

The report doesn't place all of the blame on former administrators. The school's board of directors contributed to the problems by not keeping an eye on expenses, the audit states. Before last year, the school board "provided minimal monitoring, at best," according to the report.

The report specifically examines several decisions and transactions by former Eagles Peak Executive Director Kathleen Hermsmeyer and her management team, including $18,284 worth of food purchases, $32,458 in balance transfers onto school credit cards and the lease of a beach-front condominium for visiting administrators…

Because school officials never asked for documentation of those credit card expenses, the auditors say it's impossible to determine exactly where that money went. When Hermsmeyer parted ways with the school earlier this year, the Eagles Peak board signed an agreement saying it would not seek to recoup any money…

Eagles Peak runs sites in San Diego, Riverside and Orange counties; River Springs operates schools throughout Riverside County.

Each organization has more than 2,000 students and caters to parents who home-school or want more involvement in their children's education than traditional schools often offer…

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CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD FIRES DIRECTOR, GRAPPLES WITH DEFICIT. North County Times (San Diego County, CA) 01 Feb 2007

TEMECULA -- As the largest charter school serving Southwest Riverside and North San Diego counties continues its split into two autonomous entities, the board overseeing half its operations fired the school's longtime executive director after a five-hour meeting Tuesday night.

Citing several contentions, including misappropriation of money and conflicts of interest, the board overseeing the Vista-based coastal operation of Eagles Peak Charter School terminated the employment of Kathleen Hermsmeyer, who has been on administrative leave from the coastal division since November.

Hermsmeyer remains director of Eagles Peak Charter School Inland Empire. She did not return phone calls Wednesday.

The decision to fire her came as coastal board members said they are grappling with a projected deficit of $2.4 million for this fiscal year, which ends June 30. The board members said they largely blamed Hermsmeyer for much of the debt, contending the school has been mismanaged…

The votes came after three teachers resigned, citing concern over the school's direction and what they contended was the board's misguided agenda. Several parents also pleaded with the board that certain academic programs run at the Temecula campus should be spared. Several parents shed tears over the school's Montessori program, saying their children needed it.

About half of Eagles Peak's students are home-schooled, and the others are enrolled in various academic programs the school offers, ones that often include a mix of home-schooling and time spent at one of the campuses, dubbed learning centers, under the direction of teachers…

Each organization has a separate charter and roughly 2,000 students. The coastal school is chartered through the Julian Union High School District and the inland school is chartered by the Riverside County Office of Education. They are public schools and do not charge tuition…

Other reasons cited for Hermsmeyer's firing included her alleged decisions to:

- Allow a top administrator to earn $64,500 on loans the school took out without board approval.

- Lease a $43,000 sport utility vehicle, albeit partly for school use, an action the board called needlessly excessive.

- Lease a beachfront condominium in Oceanside for two top administrators to supposedly attract quality employees, an action the board called "tantamount to a gift of public funds."

- Give a "substantial pay raise" to employees last year without board approval and despite the school's negative operating balance at the time of $655,000, raises the coastal board contends benefited Hermsmeyer as well as her husband and sister, who were also employees.

- Work as a teacher while also working as executive director, and collecting two salaries, "constituting a self-dealing transaction and a violation of the Political Reform Act."…

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DISPLACED PUPILS TO ATTEND GREEN OAK FOR TWO WEEKS. San Diego Union-Tribune (CA) 25 Sep 2004 

VISTA – Nearly 230 kids shut out of their charter school when city officials closed it Thursday will go to class at Green Oak Ranch for two weeks while school officials figure out what to do.

Citing unsafe conditions such as narrow hallways that could impede fire evacuation, Vista Fire Marshal Phil Paige served operators of Eagles Peak Charter School, 450 W. California Ave., with eviction papers Thursday…

"It's likely we won't be able to do what the city needs us to do in two weeks. We'll need to find a more long-term facility or facilities for these kids," she said.

Assistant City Manager Rick Dudley said the city received a complaint Tuesday saying the school was unsafe. He said school officials put their pupils in the building without consulting the city on building codes.

"Schools have different standards for construction and access than say a commercial business," Dudley said. "You can't just throw school kids in an old commercial building and call it good."…

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