D.C. School Accountability Report: How charter schools won D.C. politics | TenSquare across state lines | and more

In the Public Interest’s pick of recent news about the privatization of public education in the District and the families, students, and teachers fighting back. Not a subscriber? Sign up here.

How charter schools won D.C. politics. Journalist Rachel Cohen tells the must-read story of how federal intervention, an army of lobbyists, and taxpayer money have helped D.C. charter school operators keep local lawmakers off their backs. Washington City Paper

TenSquare crosses state lines. The prominent (yet secretive) charter school consulting firm TenSquare was involved in real estate deal in St. Paul, Minnesota, that resulted in a nearly 100-year-old historic church being torn down to build a charter school. Salon

“The warnings about safety came for months.” The D.C. Public Charter School Board (DCPCSB) knew for months about safety issues plaguing at Monument Academy Public Charter School but did not force changes. The Washington Post

Charter school performance “almost” matches neighborhood schools’. Retired teacher Tom Ultican writes, “Washington DC charter schools did not significantly outperform public schools or even match them on the last two years of PARCC testing.” Tultican

Shady school construction deal in Prince George’s County. Prince George’s County’s school district has selected four middle schools that will be rebuilt and two that will be constructed through a public-private partnership. As In the Public Interest’s Jeremy Mohler wrote last month, “Public-private partnerships are often more expensive and riskier than borrowing money with cheap, tried-and-true municipal bonds. They also tend to keep the community and public employees in the dark, especially before a contract is signed.” The Washington Post