This charter scandal results in justice for bilked parents; Charter threatens to call the police if parents are late; and a look at new funding proposed for English learners
by Rob D’Amico, Texas AFT Communications Director
(Follow on Twitter @damicoaustin and @TexasAFT)
Couple used charter school as a ‘piggy bank’ for themselves, but parents are getting their money back
The phrase “another day, another charter school scandal” continues to be a fairly accurate assessment of the state of corruption in charters across the country. (You can see a collection of more stories at the Timeout for Charter Schools website.) But here’s a look at an older scandal that at least has some justice in the outcome.
As ABC 13 in Houston reports, Houston-area parents with kids that attended Varnett Charter school will be getting hefty checks reimbursing them for fraudulent fees charged by the couple managing the schools:
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday that families who attended Varnett Charter Schools, under the leadership of Alsie Cluff Jr. and Marian Cluff during a seven-year period, will receive $110.02 per student, per school year.
In all, 4,000 families can expect to see $604,889.79 in financial restitution as part of a $4.4 million restitution order.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick said parents were asked to pay for things like field trips and resources, even the chance to wear street clothes to school on Fridays in lieu of uniforms.
The only problem: the federal government was already reimbursing or funding these items, Patrick said at a Tuesday afternoon press conference.
“This was a husband and wife that ran a set of charter schools, the Varnett Charter Schools, that they used as, in a sense, their own personal piggy bank,” said Patrick.
….Marian Cluff and Alsie Cluff Jr. were sentenced to 10 and 3 years in prison respectively on June 15, 2018.
As part of the restitution order against the Cluffs, a “very nice house” on Houston’s south side, a ranch, and farm equipment were seized and sold at auction.
The Texas Education Agency investigated the school in 2011 after Marian Cluff was accused of spending thousands of taxpayer dollars on Broadway shows, cruises and other travel.
Cluff was also accused of employing several family members who were seated on the school’s board.
Last summer’s Houston Chronicle article has more on the scams perpetrated by the Cluffs.
Charter chain threatens to call the police if kids aren’t picked up on time
I get it: no one wants to stick around at school or after-care waiting on parents who are late. It has to be frustrating and often unfair to school personnel. But as KSAT TV in San Antonio reports, one IDEA Charter Schools campus is taking an extreme measure.
Pick up your children by 5 p.m. from school or the Idea Monterrey Park School will call the police.
A letter informing parents of this warning was sent home with children who attend the school.
Some parents KSAT spoke with said the letter took things too far.
“It’s very harsh,” one parent, who didn’t want to be identified, said. “They went beyond, and it’s not fair to parents, single parents and our babies.”
….The letter states that, if a child is not in an after-school program, they must be picked up by 5 p.m. or police will be called. It also said that if a student is in an after-school program, they must be picked up within 30 minutes after that program ends. If not, administrators will call police.
Principal J.L. Tyrrell sites school safety as one of the reasons for the new protocol to be put in place by Monday. He also said the school doesn’t have the staff or a security officer to watch students after 5 p.m.
….KSAT contacted the San Antonio Police Department to see what officers could do if they were called out to the school. We are still waiting for a response.
Indeed, what would the police do? Regardless, there has to be a better solution than involving the police.
A detailed look at funding prospects for bilingual and dual-language classes
The Austin American-Statesman digs deep into funding prospects for bilingual and dual-language education, should the new school finance proposals pass.
Although it is considered a landmark piece of legislation that would make several necessary updates to the state’s school finance system, House Bill 3 would not change the funding weight for hundreds of thousands of non-native English speaking students, according to bilingual education advocates.
HB 3, which as originally filed would spend $6 billion in classrooms and $3 billion on property tax relief over the next two years, does not change the 10% extra funding school districts currently receive for each of their English language learners. The state hasn’t changed the 10% bilingual funding weight since 1984.
Instead, the bill would give another 5% for English learners who are in dual language programs, which provide instruction in English and a student’s native language. As celebrated as dual language is, only about 20% of the state’s 1 million English learners are in dual language programs, according to the San Antonio-based Intercultural Development Research Center, citing Texas Education Agency data. And, given a statewide shortage of bilingual teachers, dual language can be difficult to implement effectively.
The article delves into more statistics on both types of curriculum, including their benefits and drawbacks, so it’s a good read if you’re not familiar with either of these strategies.
