charter schools

STAY ISSUED TO DELAY CLOSURE OF THREE CHARTER SCHOOLS IN GROSSMONT DISTRICT

By Miriam Raftery

July 6, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) – Three nonprofit charter schools operating within the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) have been ordered shut down by a judge, but now a stay issued has been ordered for one year until an appeal can be heard. 

The schools at risk of closure are Diego Valley East charter in El Cajon and San Diego Workforce Innovation High charter schools in Lakeside and Lemon Grove. 


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EAST COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS AMONG 11 INDICTED IN CHARTER SCHOOL FRAUD SCHEME

By Miriam Raftery

May 30, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) – San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan yesterday announced indictments against 11 individuals in a statewide charter school scheme that stole over $50 million in public funds.  Those indicted include Nancy Hauer, superintendent of the Dehesa Elementary School District in El Cajon, and Steve Van Zant, former superintendent of the Mountain Empire Unified School District that services Descanso, Pine Valley, Potrero and Campo.

The ringleaders, Sean McManus and Jason Schrock, CEO and president of A3 Education, sought out small school district with limited oversight experience and proposed that they authorize online charter schools to earn oversight fees paid for through public funds, according to the 253-page indictment handed down by a grand jury investigation May 17th after a year-long investigation that involved interviewing over 70 witnesses.


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CHARTER SCHOOL CURBS PASS ASSEMBLY, BUT DRAMA FORETELLS COMPROMISE

 

 

By Ricardo Cano, CALMatters

CALmatters is an independent public interest journalism venture covering California state politics and government.

Photo:  Teachers unions rallied in Sacramento as the Assembly narrowly passed part of a package of charter school reforms. Photo for CALmatters by Ricardo Cano

May 23, 2019 (Sacramento) - Legislation that would give local school districts more control over charter-school authorizations narrowly passed the California State Assembly Wednesday in a dramatic vote that served as an initial litmus test for a package of consequential, union-backed charter regulation bills.


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CHARTER-MAGEDDON: LAWMAKERS ADVANCE A RAFT OF UNION-BACKED CHARTER SCHOOL CURBS

 

 

By Ricardo Cano, CalMatters

CALmatters is an independent public interest journalism venture covering California state politics and government.

Photo:  Charter school advocates and teachers unions mass at the Capitol on April 10, 2019, as state lawmakers consider dramatic curbs on charter schools. Photo for CALmatters by Dan Morain

April 20, 2019 (San Diego) - As charter school advocates rallied en masse and California’s teachers’ unions flexed their political muscle, a cluster of bills that would dramatically curb the growth of charters in the state cleared the Assembly Education Committee on Wednesday. The votes were the first in what figures to be a lengthy, high-stakes battle this session between two of the state’s most powerful education interests.


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REPORT: CHARTER SCHOOLS TAKE $65.9 MILLION IN FUNDING ANNUALLY FROM STUDENTS IN SAN DIEGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

 

 

$142.6 million net loss in three Calif. districts, while student needs go unmet

East County News Service

May 9, 2018 (San Diego) -- In a first-of-its-kind analysis, researchers found that public school students are bearing the cost of charter schools’ rapid expansion in San Diego and other school districts throughout the state. 

The analysis, Breaking Point: The Cost of Charter Schools for Public School Districts, conducted by think tank In the Public Interest with Dr. Gordon Lafer, examines the cumulative effect of charter schools on California school districts, which rank 42nd nationwide in per pupil spending. 


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COURT RULINGS IMPACT CHARTER SCHOOLS IN EAST COUNTY

 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Diego Valley Charter School students protesting to save their school at November 2015 GUHSD board meeting

July 8, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Several recent court rulings impact the future of many charter schools in California, including several in East County.

Last October, a California appellate court ruled that charter schools can’t expand within their home county by opening campuses outside their own authorizing district.  That ruling affected a suit filed back in 2015 by the Grossmont Union High School District seeking to shut down the Julian Charter School, Alpine Academy and Diego Valley Charter School, all operating within the GUHSD boundaries.


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BILL WOULD BAN PRIVATELY OWNED CHARTER SCHOOLS IN CALIFORNIA AFTER SCANDALS OVER CHAIN TIED TO EDUCATION SECRETARY DEVOS

 

East County News Service

April 17, 2017 (Sacramento) -- A California bill aims to crack down on profiteering by private charter schools that have been pocketing public funds while providing a poor quality education to students, Cal Matters reports.


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JUDGE RULES FOR SD UNIFIED IN SUIT AGAINST ALPINE DISTRICT OVER ENDEAVOR ACADEMY

 

By Miriam Raftery

March 19, 2015 (Alpine) – Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Gunther has ruled in favor of the San Diego Unified School District in a lawsuit filed against the Alpine Union School District over the Endeavor Academy (also known as the Albert Einstein Academy for Letters, Arts and Sciences, Inc.). View the judge’s order here.


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EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: TOP LOCAL AND STATE NEWS

November 1, 2012  --  (San Diego’s East County)--East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL/REGIONAL

  • The end is near (Turko Files helps bring end to Alpine Blvd. repaving nightmare)
  • The Mayoral candidate scorecard, general election edition (Voice of San Diego)
  • For Filner, it’s always sunny in San Diego  (Voice of San Diego)
  • Filner’s travel becomes campaign issue(UT San Diego)
  • The 2012 elections:  vital issues that affect Latinos (San Diego Free Press)
  • Supervisors could end $1,000 limit on contributions (KPBS)
  • Helix Highlander band takes first place (La Mesa Today)
  • Tesla stores challenge auto dealerships (U-T San Diego)
  • ACLU sues over photo restrictions at border (Sacramento Bee)
  • Spring Valley grocery worker is poster child for New York Times story (La Mesa Patch)
  • From Sex Dolls to Staged Garbage: The Election's Worst Campaign Dirt

STATE

  • Debunked: 6 lies that Biotech and Big Food are telling voters about Prop 37 (San Diego Free Press)
  • CA Charter schools grow to over 1,000 for 2012-13 (U-T San Diego)
  • Court says Arizona group must provide information in CA election (Sacramento Bee)

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.


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HUNTER’S CHARTER SCHOOL BILL PASSES COMMITTEE, HEADS TO HOUSE FLOOR

 

July 14, 2011 – A new education bill, championed by Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine), is making its way to the floor of the House of Representatives. The bill is a part of a series of education reform bills looking to overhaul current elementary and secondary school laws.


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WILL A NEW CHARTER SCHOOL IN EAST COUNTY MAKE THE GRADE?



Flurry of new charter approvals raises questions over state funding priorities in an era of budget shortfalls

East County Magazine Special Report

By Miriam Raftery

 

August 5, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – In the 2009-2010 school year, California approved more than 88 new charter schools at a cost of tens of millions of dollars. Recent charters approved include middle schools opening in districts that already have schools with high academic achievements--new charters with oversight provided by a district with middle school test scores that rank in the bottom 10% statewide.

These findings, discovered by East County Magazine, raise serious questions about budget priorities at a time when the state faces a $20 billion deficit.  What are the long-range consequences of approving numerous charters, all entitled to a portion of public education funds? 


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