My knowledge of stock market terminology pretty much begins and ends with “bear market” and “bull market,” but I only had to hear the term “dead cat bounce” once for it to stick in my metaphor-friendly ears. Here’s the definition of the term: “A temporary recovery from a prolonged decline or bear market, followed by the continuation of the downtrend.” It comes from the phrase—sensitive cat lovers, avert your eyes—”Even a dead cat will bounce if it falls from a great height.”

K12 Inc.’s stock value has been following what looks like a classic dead cat bounce over the past year — a general decline punctuated by a few small upsurges. If that’s what’s going on, if it’s heading toward oblivion, it couldn’t happen to a more deserving for-profit, publicly traded education corporation, with the possible exception of the Apollo Education Group that runs the University of Phoenix, which has gone through a similarly deserved decline.

The similarities between the two for profits are revealing. Both make their money off taxpayers. K12 Inc. runs online charter schools in a number of states, including our Arizona Virtual Academy, so it gets state funding for every student it enrolls. University of Phoenix gets most of its money from student loans and grants from the Feds. Both need to continue growing to make a profit, so they use any means necessary to attract students. They depend on hard sell recruiting, where lying to students and their parents is an acceptable tactic. Both are far less concerned about the quality of education the students receive than the money they bring in. University of Phoenix is notorious for its poor instruction which is often valueless for the future employment the school promises. K12 Inc. schools tend to be among the lowest achieving schools in the state. Some of its schools have closed or are in danger of closing because they’re below the states’ required thresholds.

K12 Inc.’s stock may rise again, just like the University may, true to its namesake, rise like a Phoenix from the ashes. But the world of education would be better off if both continued on their downward trajectories and ended in oblivion, leaving wealthy stockholders with costly holes in their portfolios. No more students would fall victim to their shoddy economic and educational practices, and the wealthy backers of education privatization might realize that for profit education is as bad for their wallets as it is for the students it serves.

This article appears in Jul 2-8, 2015.

40 replies on “K12 Inc.’s Dead Cat Bounce?”

  1. Is this an article based on envy? Did Bush do it? How does this bear up against schools like, let’s say any comparable school in TUSD? How about an article on the students who have completed these charter schools and where they re with their lives right now. Another hateful article.

  2. Harold, I’ve written about K12 Inc. for years (Google “K12 Inc.” + Safier). Their shoddy practices are well known and have been covered in local papers and the NY Times. A few years ago, the Arizona school was on academic probation, and other states have closed them down for poor performance. They have been sued by their stockholders. Their dishonest recruiting policies are well documented.

    This is truly a vile corporation which is far more interested in profits than in education. Because of what K12 Inc. has done to many children, they deserve to be scorned. Same with University of Phoenix. The sooner the world of education is rid of both of them, the better.

  3. Then you must have a link to the article you have written about the rate of success and failure of these students.

  4. Not to defend either of those companies, but it’s a characteristic of people who have worked only in the public sector that they perceive nefarious motives in every one working in the private sector (e.g., all they care about is making money). It could be said of folks in the public sector that they only care about protecting their turf and budget. Neither is entirely true all the time.

  6. Tearing down and sucking money out of public education is a good reason to be skeptical of for-profit education. Another is the perverse metamorphosis of institutions like schools and prisons where the aspiration of serving the public good is substituted with serving private stockholders. I disagree with bslap, It’s not that those in the private sector are all greedy. A good economy is a good thing. Rather, the problem surfaces when the profit motive is introduced where it should not be. Some years ago, a developer tried to convince a Benson city council member to support a new private prison there because the legislature was going to pass a law that would put lots of immigrants behind bars. Profits drive laws that support more profit, whether or not it is good public policy.

  7. Take a look at the stock performance ITT Tech and you will see further evidence that the for-profit business model is in its death throes. When the predominant revenue stream (federal loans, grants and subsidies) is cut off, there really is no other way to survive and prosper. In ITT Tech’s case, the stock has plummeted from over $75/share in 2012 to about $3.00 this week.

    Great article David, let’s hope congress keeps the heat up and a new Republican administration doesn’t rise from the ashes and kick the dead cat through the goal posts after 2016.

    Unless, of course Hillary is nominated and elected.

    http://dailycaller.com/2015/04/14/hillary-…

    Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton disparaged America’s troubled for-profit college industry on Tuesday despite the close ties she and her husband enjoy with Laureate, America’s largest for-profit education corporation by enrollment and a company beset by charges of financial instability and unethical practices.

    Clinton’s disparaging remarks about the often seedy for-profit college industry omitted the fact that she and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, have deep ties to Laureate Education, an international conglomerate of aggressive, telemarketing-happy, for-profit colleges that is ensnared in controversy all over the globe.

    I guess Laureate will be beefing up its speaker fee for Hillary in the coming month (assuming it hasn’t already).

    Think independent, vote your conscience.

  8. Harold, here are two recent links for you. Tennessee threatened to close its K12 Inc. school for poor performance, then allowed it to stay open another year but not take new students. http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/educa…

    Teachers at California K12 Inc. schools are complaining about the schools’ practices. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/educat…

    Bonus: Here’s a long takedown of the corporation by a hedge fund guy who’s a big supporter of privatization and “education reform” but says K12 Inc. is terrible. http://www.businessinsider.com/whitney-til…

  9. Whom do lousy public schools steal from?

    Oh that’s right me!

    Plus we never mention children harmed by public schools. The bias here is overwhelming.

    Bush is sure glad the Koch bros came along. Continue the hate…if you must. But we see this for what it is and I think Harold said it best. Jealousy…and control. It’s just like what unions do.

  10. This is turning into a reading comprehension failure once again. David, I have no trouble finding these links on my own just the same as you. What you seem to have trouble understanding is that I/we would like to see where you have done your OWN investigation interviewing those who had attended those schools locally. My own limited experience with those on base is they are more than satisfied nut they WOULD be since a charter company put a school into the one closed by TUSD. You go on about falling stocks from someone else’s research but you can’t seem to produce your own. Once again, put your money where your mouth is.

  11. Why does every discussion about leadership and control return to a discussion about two hick lawyers from Arkansas? One the lied under oath and the other that lied under oath.

    That’s right they both lied under oath. There no longer is a penalty for perjury. It may be a prerequisite to holding office.

    Should we hope they’ll start telling the truth now?

  12. I understand the issue with for profit schools, however David you continue to write with blinders on. What else is TUSD other than a for profit school system. Sanchez and his crew just milked the tax payers for everything. You blindly said the new budget was great, it is not , Sanchez has used his regular tactic of smoke and mirrors and you fell for it. I asked you to talk to Hicks and Stegeman as to why the voted no on the budget, you have not. Presenting both sides of the issue is the only way to get to the truth. I would to see your next article talk about your conversations with these board members. If TUSD were traded on the exchange we would be looking at crash. A change is coming in TUSD watch closely.

  14. Harold R. Simpson, the charter opened on the base is a tech/science school for older students. It has absolutely no resemblance to the school that was closed . Again, the one they closed was an elementary school simply because people coming in had less elementary aged kids than in previous years. Two elementary schools were not needed on the base. They considered opening a middle school in that building but to be prudent with tax payer money, they decided to bus to existing middle schools.

    The charter school is an entirely different type and age level of school( Sonoran Science) than the one that left. I am glad the folks there like it because tech schools are hard to find in Tucson since our governor cut so much in tech funds. You compare apples and oranges. If I were a parent of an older student who wanted and needed a tech school, of course I would like it there. There aren’t many to choose from through no fault of TUSD. The tech program was much loved by Tucson parents and they are still fighting to have that program funded.

    Thank you David S. for the article. I feel cautiously optimistic because so many are being discovered that are not doing what they are suppose to be doing . It hurts the students and of course none of us want that.

  15. Brian – You have transparency with TUSD so you know about that alleged milking. Charters have zero transparency requirements – administrators don’t need to disclose how much they are milking the state for and “teachers” don’t need to meet any requirements.

  16. “Sanchez and his crew just milked the tax payers for everything.”

    But isn’t running gubmint like a private sector business a good thing?

    That’s what the private sector does: enrich leaders when they succeed, and enrich them when they fail. Oh and underpay the people who do the real work.

    That’s the Republican platform isn’t it?

  17. Alexandra as I said I understand the issue, I believe that all schools receiving public funding should be scretanized equally. Anyone that robs the children of their education should be jailed and you are right to an exent TUSDs transparency is as much as Sanchez will allow, look at the numbers Sanchez and TUSD are failing , I would just like to see David dig deeper, he might not like what he finds, and we would possibly have the truth, if he will talk to Sanchez and the majority why talk to Hicks and Stegeman, what is he afraid of

  18. Guardian, I can tell by the number of words you use you know what you are talking about but the charter school on base is a middle school per this contract request: http://www.dm.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123…
    It might be a tech based school but in the end it is just another charter in a franchise of several in Tucson. The parents didn’t choose the school, the Air Force did based on the criteria the Air Force set forth. There were other agencies involved including the Air Force Auxiliary. I only know this because of my own involvement when the RFP was let. Other than that I don’t know very much because I don’t use as many words.

  19. Harold, Sonoran Science Academy opened in 2009 and Smith closed in 2006 and was an elementary school. Since that time the Sonoran academy became 6-12 years ago. I believe the school that they would have gone to in TUSD is now a K-8 school and doing very well but is a regular school, not a tech school. They base and TUSD had to make decisions at the time that benefited the most students and what was best for the particular students at Davis Montham. I think what they all did was for the best concerned.

    So as I have mentioned, my interest is that all children get a good education. Closing the tech program in TUSD was a bad idea which falls directly in Ducey’s lap. I hope that the parents at Sonoran Academy keep a watchful eye on the school for they are a charter and since it has so many branches, I assume for profit. That is very worrisome for me but I also hope it remains able to do a good job. My goal is to put correct information out there and not to bash TUSD for things it has not done wrong. I also support David S in calling out schools that are abusing tax payer funds and hurting kids. I have had dealings with TUSD for a long time and I have not had that experience with them. Some people have wanted more choices and are getting them. However I think big mistakes are being made in education for profit and want them found. We can have honest discussions and be honest as I really think David S is and I do more research and have not found information that contradicts his. ITT tech charges huge fees and this is a another story waiting to unfold.

  20. Brian says: “look at the numbers Sanchez and TUSD are failing”

    TUSD’s graduation rate is greater than the state average.

    If TUSD is failing, then the whole state is failing, isn’t it? Or do you use a different benchmark for failing, and if so what is it?

  21. No Alexandra, if TUSD is failing (which it is, in many respects) the whole state is not failing.

    Here are a few bench marks for “succeeding” in a school district:
    The sites are safe, rodent-free, and well-maintained.
    The students have the supplies they need (including textbooks) on time, when the school year starts.
    The curriculum doesn’t become the plaything of ideological wars between members of the governing board’s fluctuating majorities and minorities (cf. the elimination of MAS, then the changed graduation requirement from European History to World History, which forced some teachers to deliver instruction in an AP subject they were not prepared to teach).
    The governing board majority observes The Arizona Open Meeting Law and tells the public the truth about what the law requires.
    Members of the minority are not constantly trying to undermine the majority by planting negative stories about their decisions in various media outlets.
    Raises are not granted across the board when there is an unresolved operating deficit.

    I could go on, but I won’t. Compare TUSD’s operations to those of Flowing Wells, Vail, or any number of local public districts. They all have the same problems with funding stemming from the Arizona legislature’s decisions. Some of them manage the situation much better than others do.

    TUSD still has many good teachers — and some of them are outstanding, exemplary educators — but it is not a high functioning DISTRICT by any stretch, and in managing its own operations it compares very poorly with other public districts, including Flowing Wells, which, like TUSD, does not serve a high-SES population.

    As for TUSD being “transparent” (one of the things you asserted in an earlier post) — to whom is it transparent? To those with crystal balls? To those with ESP? Not even the governing board members give the impression that they understand TUSD’s finances.

    Commenters who like to give the impression that the district doesn’t have serious, ongoing problems that need to be addressed aren’t helping the cause of public education. If public education is to be a valued and respected institution, as it should be, we need to see all our local manifestations of it are uniformly held to reasonable, achievable standards. Leadership needs to speak about the problems honestly and develop a feasible plan for solving them.

    David Safier said a while back that he thinks we should cut TUSD leadership some slack because the district is an old, unwieldy ship. Most of us who have entrusted passengers to this vessel prefer the commentary of those who acknowledge that the community has a right to expect that the ship will get its passengers where they need to go — “oops we hit another iceberg” is not good enough, when we’re talking about children’s educations.

  22. “Here are a few bench marks for “succeeding” in a school district:”

    None of those are measured by the Arizona Department of Education. Your measures are subjective partisan rants, the ADE measures are objective.

    “TUSD still has many good teachers”

    They do, but this state is in the midst of a teaching staff implosion (as ADE calls it, a “crisis”) because of failed state leadership. From the Arizona Department of Education:

    “It has become necessary to collect information to more succinctly communicate the crisis our state now faces with ensuring all students have access to highly effective teachers in their classrooms…

    According to the ADE survey, 54% of districts and charters indicated that salaries were the primary obstacle in recruiting out of state candidates. 49% indicated that salary was one of the top three reasons cited for teachers leaving their organization.

    In Arizona, 29% of teachers had three or less years of experience in the 2013-2014 school year. During this same school year, 24% of first year teachers and 20% of second year teachers left their positions and were not reported as teaching in Arizona…Research indicates that it takes from three to five years for a teacher to become effective in their instruction…62% of district and charters who responded indicated they still had open teaching positions. Specifically, 74% reported having between one and five open positions and 4% stated that they had more than 20 open teaching positions….24% of Arizona’s educational workforce is eligible to retire within the next four years”

  23. We should be able to expect ‘function’… hard to functional when a school district has been targeted to be closed forever. The biggest reason is private companies have wanted TUSD privatized forever… they want to abuse those state fund( in other words steaL THEM). (Tom Horne said in the early 90s… I will see TUSD closed… I believe the argument was about MAS or a reasonable facsimile then). THE reality the Republican government is beholden to private enterprise. Imagine if TUSD hadn’t been targeted because of money, which is due to size or was. I have watched it from the wings forever.

    As for transparency, go there and talk to and ask for any information you want. I have always gotten my answers. Another ploy from this faction is ‘ No we don’t have anything but we will…. ‘ . No evidence . Just accusations and dirty press from a couple of places in particular.

    Flowing Wells is a whole new 9 yards. Your former superintendent who I think is a great person, could not stand the politicizing of everything. I looked back recently to see if there was dirty press about him. I didn’t look when he was superintendent because I thought he was doing a good job. YOu bet he was raked over the coals. That is what happens regardless of superintendent or board. The right wants to own it completely. Look at the mess the right has made of education and our state. When will people wake up. And yes TUSD has many great teachers and schools. And please if someone cites the Democrats I will repreat… We have been under a Republican controlledgovernment in AZ since the early 1980s. Janet Napolitono had a red (very) congress. It falls in Repubs laps 100%.

  24. Who made education just another political football? Take a look in the mirror. Outcome based education, Goal 2000, Back to Basics, No Child Left Behind, these were not Republican tricks foisted on ignorant parents. They were the democrats.

  25. Oh David W you are so wrong in so many important ways. Those driving ideologies have been bipartisan however more importantly when George W was president , the curriculums across the country were dummied down in a way that no Dem ever has supported. Rote type learning was the main type of learning promoted under his presidency and measured. The same ideologies can actually be entirely different depending on how they are promoted. The incessant testing falls in both parties’ laps.

    So with others, President Obama put forth Common Core standards which contrary to what some believe, is all about critical thinking( which is why Diane Douglas had to back off, if only temporarily on getting rid of them. She found out that across the state, people recognize their worth.) I encourage all to take a class in it. They are wonderful but yes it does teach us how to think. Rote learning is the lowest level of learning.

    The rest is on our state again … falls in the Republicans lap. Republicans seem to fight funding and supporting education in a way that no other state does. That is why we sit so poorly nationally in both funding and achievement.

  26. Alexandra, the ADE stats you listed did not address the topic of the comment you were responding to. The topic of that comment was this: in a situation in which ALL public school districts are dealing with difficult conditions created by the Arizona Legislature, some do better than others with how they manage their operations.

    If you would like to provide us with some statistics that would be “on topic,” pull five year trends in student, faculty, and administrative attrition rates in all the public school districts within Pima County. Comparing those rates would begin to shed some light on what is being discussed here.

    RE your uncivil “slam” against the TUSD parent who had very valid concerns about the condition of the sites, the delivery of textbooks, the effect of the board’s politicized wars on the delivery of instruction in the district: whether or not students have textbooks when the school year begins is an objective, measurable fact. Same with the condition of the sites and whether their maintenance needs are met. Same with the sad history of politicized curriculum wars on the TUSD board. All facts. None of what was written in that comment can justly be characterized a “subjective partisan rant.” There are many “facts” that fall outside the data the ADE takes an interest in. They, like the statistics the ADE reports, are worthy of discussion and consideration.

    The saddest aspect of the commentary in these streams is the relentless way some commenters attempt to belittle or denigrate those who offer honest reporting on some of the problems they observe directly in our public schools. These are the only things that can help the cause of public education locally: HONEST identification of problems, EFFECTIVE delivery of solutions. Constant reversion to the notion that the only real problems we face originate from “Republicans” and / or “the Koch brothers” and / or the “Arizona legislature” and / or “Diane Douglas” is neither accurate nor helpful.

  27. Then get involved. Commenting online is not involvement.

    Again, ADE measurements show that TUSD graduation levels exceed the state average, and you nuts continue to ignore that because it doesn’t fit your fairy tale that TUSD is failing while the rest of the state is excelling.

  28. ” Compare TUSD’s operations to those of Flowing Wells, Vail, or any number of local public districts. They all have the same problems with funding stemming from the Arizona legislature’s decisions. Some of them manage the situation much better than others do.”

    Okay. The average TUSD school building is over 40 years old. The oldest Vail high school is 14 years old.

    As these schools that have chased suburban growth get older they’ll pay the price of having less efficient facilities that require more energy, more maintenance and more repairs and will have a more difficult time “managing the situation”.

  29. I applaud you and know you speak the truth. You have some up-to-date stats. What really amazes me is with all the complaining some do about TUSD spending too much money , they seem to not mind charters that are hurting children by delivering shoddy education and leaving some in deep debt. Also these are facts, not something David S. has made up and they accuse him of being envious? or other ridiculous adjectives. I am just confused at what they support. There are many of us who appreciate the work so many put into educating our children. I appreciate teachers and administrators and support staff and people like you.

  30. Still waiting for the “five year trends in student, faculty, and administrative attrition rates in all the public school districts within Pima County,” Alexandra. Didn’t think you would provide them, because they won’t support the case you are trying to make.

    But how about getting us some data on the delivery of textbooks this August — what percentage of TUSD students will begin classes with all the textbooks they need? Or do you deny that that’s data relevant to assessing how TUSD is doing in the area of meeting students’ needs?

    As for your ignorant remark, “Then get involved. Commenting online is not involvement.” I have been involved. It’s my involvement that’s given me an “on the ground” understanding of the conditions in the schools. In general, in these comment streams, it’s those who HAVE been involved and paying attention who provide facts about service delivery on TUSD sites and how TUSD board decisions impact the sites. If you show yourself unable to recognize that what’s being described is factual, then what does that prove except that you yourself don’t know enough about the sites to distinguish between easily observable facts and a “subjective partisan rant”? Looks to me like you may know ADE stats, but you know next to nothing about the actual operations of TUSD. I’ve just re-read all your comments. There is not a single thing in any of them that demonstrates an “up close and personal” understanding of what is going on in the district. You reiterate, “Again, ADE measurements show that TUSD graduation levels exceed the state average.” You don’t think a school district could be lowering the bar to boost graduation rates? This “fact” you keep recycling demonstrates absolutely nothing about TUSD’s relative merit among the various public districts in the state.

    But please do keep the facile “guerrilla girl” comments coming. They’re very easy to counter — as are all thoughtless, poorly informed, belligerent comments from people who can’t demonstrate through their writing that they understand the commentary of others or have adequate experience in the district’s schools to provide worthwhile commentary themselves.

    And yes, Guardians, many in your camp are “confused,” like you, and seem unable to understand written English, or — even more surprisingly, the evidence in front of their own eyes about what’s going on in the institution they love to support. Keep writing. I love to read your comments and others like them. They provide a fascinating case study in the ongoing relevance of George Orwell’s essay on “Politics and the English Language.” Haven’t read it yet? I suggest you look it up.

  32. “Didn’t think you would provide them, because they won’t support the case you are trying to make. “

    The point that TUSD graduation rate is above the state average, per ADE?

    You’re focused on limiting the scope of analysis to Pima county because you’re terrified of acknowledging the problem is statewide and bigger than your punching bag TUSD.

    “You don’t think a school district could be lowering the bar to boost graduation rates? “

    That’s what AIMS was supposed to be for, until Ducey and his minions in the Legislature repealed it this year.

  33. There are still…. (what a signature) Your comment is so off-base that for the purpose of real clarity I will address.
    This illustrates exactly what I know: You and your cronies are minions of the charter school industry. George Orwell’s essays are very old and yes I am well aware in fact I saw something the other day about that and I will get back to it.

    What you write is not based on fact and so you site someone who has nothing to do with what is happening. Only the propaganda says it is. I say this because either some of you are extremely brain-washed or are getting paid well. None of you address the money lost and education lost by the charter schools who make a profit. You can’t but what you are doing is finally coming more clear. Bear with me. I will give you an example after I hit another point.

    I hope some of you do learn about the Common Core because you have no idea what critical thinking is or what the Common Core is.

    The other day a friend of mine sent me a video about ‘public education’. I watched for about 10 minutes of the hour . It made me sick because it was so full of lies and distortions. I will describe it and try to be succinct.

    It pictures long ago when people learned from nature- using pictures of Native Americans…. (Insert now we have marching troops from China all in a row which is suppose to be public ed). We teach about nature, ecosystems and if possible schools have gardens. Children move and play and yes they work but certainly not in any way shown in this film.

    It a pictures of time of freedom when people learned from each other and there were smiling and interacting. (Insert another marching of troops in uniforms from another country). This is propaganda pure and simple. Public education teaches intercommunication skills. They have them outside as much as possible. They have them learning how to understand and care for each other.

    After 10 minutes of this and feeling sick, I finally learned the depths to which the money behind this movement to get rid of public education is. It will say anything, do anything to accomplish this which is basically give the rich a great education and oh well forget about anyone else. Don’t kid yourself “There are still….” You are are being brainwashed completely or you are paid ( I was going to say well but that isn’t necessarily true). I might add there are no pictures of the U.S. public ed system which this is suppose to be about.

  34. Guardians: You do not KNOW that I “and my cronies” are “minions of the charter school industry.” In jumping to this conclusion, you simply prove (again) the truth of your assertion that you are “confused,” which is the most honest and accurate thing you have said in these comment streams.

    I am in fact a supporter of public education, and I have through the years done quite a bit to contribute to the needs of various TUSD sites. However, I am also someone who believes that what it is most important for us to do in support of public education is:
    1) to tell the truth about what the actual conditions are in our public schools
    2) to focus our attention relentlessly on finding effective solutions and improving conditions.

    Continuing to blame the legislature and asking the public to focus its attention on the Koch brothers, and / or Diane Douglas, and / or Doug Ducey is entirely pointless. The best way to counter those who would like to undermine public schooling is to ensure that all of our local systems are transparent, high functioning, and meeting children’s needs. In the case of systems that are not meeting those criteria, this needs to be done through effective reform, not through lying about what conditions actually are or trying to change the subject or disparage the speaker every time the realities our children experience are described.

    In the essay I mentioned in my earlier post, George Orwell wrote about the way language is used to conceal, rather than to reveal, what is happening in the world. What he writes is absolutely relevant to the current state of local discourse on TUSD. In our circumstance, as in the circumstances Orwell wrote about, what is needed is HONESTY, not propaganda.

  35. I also have no connection to charter schools. Never attended one, and never sent a child to one. I spent years sacrificing time and money to TUSD only to watch it fall into a shameful state of disrepair. from the buildings to the political hacks at 1010. Common Core is another liberal attempt to save public education from it’s competitors.

    Stop pointing fingers at others, accept the blame, and become part of the solution. If not we may be witnessing the end of TUSD.

  36. Guardians,

    “What really amazes me is with all the complaining some do about TUSD spending too much money , they seem to not mind charters that are hurting children by delivering shoddy education and leaving some in deep debt.”

    You ARE confused. Attendance at charter schools is as free as district run schools; they leave no children in “deep debt.” Both charters and public schools have high and low performing members and the research shows equivalent educational outcomes measured on statewide assessments.

  37. I have no connection to charter schools , I believe in public education and don’t want TUSD to fail, however I have been in the trenches for many years . I have watched this current leadership drag TUSD down , it is about to die , and I’m trying to save it. I know many teachers and administrators , very good ones that are concerned about the actions of this leadership. If TUSD’s graduation rates are up, it is fraudulent , go to the June 23rd recording of the board meeting , you will see a teacher at the call to the audience talking about the fraudulent use of the Plato system , in which children didn’t actually take the class and teachers names were fraudulently used as instructors. I know of a few stories of children who were failing this year and wouldn’t graduate just a couple of weeks before the graduation deadline, they were in Plato classes and had no chance to graduate , but miraculously passed these classes in less than two weeks and graduated . FRAUD? yes. Listen well to what insiders have to say , TUSD is under investigation by The AG, the auditor general of the ADE, Grijalva is being investigated by the county attorney, and every state agency , including the governors office has been swamped with complaints about TUSD. I agree that charters are not being watched as they should , but my children go to TUSD and I am trying to effect change, why don’t you do something about the charters. If I can get this mess in TUSD straightened out I would be demanding a change , as it has been said in other comments ” DO SOMETHING”, BUT DONT TURN A BLIND EYE TO TUSD, our children are being robbed .

  38. Rick Spanier, I was referring to all the posts about the colleges that are for profit and not the high school and elementary school. Just to clarify, I have said repeatedly that the profits made from other charters which are hidden under the umbrella of the corporations and they pay that is given to the administrators is hidden from the public. Two separate types of schooling(college vs. younger kids) and 2 different ways there is misuse of taxpayer money. As I have said before, my Canadian friend said, “You mean schools honestly start schools using taxpayer money , make a profit but no one knows how much because it is buried and mixed in with a corporation’s money? They don’t have to disclose how much they pay their administrators if they are a corporation for profit? Biggest scam I have ever heard of”. I did explain and nobody has to remind me that that there are legitimate independent charter schools not for profit who do disclose what they make and how much the people who work there make. However, I just read a new study and they do at best as well as regular public schools or worse. Exceptions are there also but some are focused on select types of kids… those who can be pushed very hard. Charter schools need to be cleaned up.

    The only confusion I have is why so many of you aren’t screaming about this. Ample evidence about fund abuse in charters but instead you scream about TUSD and state ridiculous things like Brian Sauber posts. If indeed there is a problem with the tests, the ADE, Diane Douglas, and TUSD will be all over it. It will be all over the papers . So I will wait and watch. Diane Douglas really wants to find abuse as does the ADE.

  39. Brian Sauber, there is no record of anything you mentioned: No AG investigation , or Plato abuse, or ADE investigation. I have written someone I know well and will come back with any corrections if I am wrong. I don’t like that in education by anyone.

Comments are closed.