The organization that ran a ton of back-end business operations for many Delaware charter schools is kaput. Their website is unavailable and their Facebook page hasn’t been updated since 2015. While details are few about when and why they shut down, I will write more details as they emerge. I’ve written about Innovative … Continue reading Innovative Schools Innovatively Closed
Tomorrow, we will know the fate of Delaware Met. The odds are in favor of charter revocation effective at the end of this marking period. The big question then becomes this: where will the students go? The last thing these students need is more chaos and uncertainty. But does Innovative Schools care about that? Not … Continue reading Innovative Schools Screws Delaware Met!!!
Delaware Met, the story that never stops. The latest? Turns out Innovative Schools is recruiting for an executive director. And the starting salary? $100,000.00 for the job. That’s a lot of money for a brand new charter. Is this in addition to the principal position, held by the returning Tricia Hunter-Crafton? Because in their budget … Continue reading Is Delaware Met And Innovative Schools Offering Hazard Pay For It’s Executive Director Job?
Looks like Delaware Met isn’t the only brand new charter school to open this year that is having problems. Turns out First State Military Academy in Kent County is feeling major opening pains as well. First State Military Academy (FSMA) picked the Innovative Schools inspired “New Tech Network” for their model. You would think with … Continue reading First State Military Academy Having BIG Issues As Well, Another “Model” Of Learning Through Innovative Schools…
Innovative Schools does many different things as a charter management organization. For the Delaware Met, they do Human Resources, Academic, Facilities, Financial, Management Consulting, Operations, and School Models (Big Picture Learning). For these services, Delaware Met has paid Innovative Schools around $380,000.00 just in FY 2015 alone. At most charters, this work is handled by … Continue reading Innovative Schools Has Not Been So Innovative With Delaware Met
It seems Jemeul Anderson is no longer the Operations Manager for The Delaware Met. This role is through Innovative Schools. As announced last night, The Delaware Met is up for formal review consideration at the Delaware State Board of Education meeting tomorrow. According to Join Delaware Schools, a job posting went up yesterday for an Operations Manager … Continue reading What Happened To Innovative Schools Operations Manager At Delaware Met?
Innovative Schools started as a charter school management organization, but they are trying to get bigger. They have already infiltrated Seaford School District with their Delaware New Tech Academy, and they have plans to get even bigger by 2020. In the application for Delaware STEM Academy (opening next fall), Innovative Schools comes right out and … Continue reading Innovative Schools Bold Plans For Education In Delaware
Now that the Delaware Met is closing down a month after it opened them, many in Delaware are asking “what the hell happened?” Don’t worry, I’m in that same group. In all my time doing this, I never got a lead that turned into something solid within hours, much less a lead that announced the … Continue reading Delaware Met Paid $380,000 To Innovative Schools Over Two Years…For What?
Tonight, Delaware Governor John Carney will attend a Christina Board of Education Study Session. When was the last time a sitting Governor went to a Board of Education meeting, much less a workshop? That is because Carney has big plans for Christina. Very big plans. But don’t fool yourself for one second into thinking any … Continue reading Behind Governor Carney’s Not So Innovative Plan For Christina, Shades Of Markell 2.0 Teacher Killer
The following press release was just sent out by the U.S. Education and the Workforce Committee regarding National Charter Schools Week. U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, a Republican from North Carolina and also the Chairwoman of the Committee, praises Eva Moskowitz and Success Academy as if they were the greatest schools on the planet. I would love … Continue reading Rep. Virginia Foxx Blows Smoke About Success Academy During National Charter Schools Week
On Friday, the Delaware Department of Education and Delaware Secretary of Education Dr. Steven Godowsky had a little party at Dover Air Force Base Middle School. What was the occasion? Honoring schools who do good on standardized testing when it comes down to it. I’m sure these schools worked hard and the students did well … Continue reading Delaware DOE “Honors” 13 Schools For Doing Good On High-Stakes Testing….
How about them apples? Turns out the much ballyhooed funding for the Priority Schools initiative in Red Clay and Christina is not even going to be granted at the full amount now. If I were a judge looking at this, I would definitely say that violates the whole Memorandum of Understanding each of the six … Continue reading Funding For Priority Schools Now “Short” Which Violates MOUs With Red Clay & Christina…Was This The Plan?
Delaware Governor Jack Markell has painted himself into a corner, and his escape latch is disappearing by the day. In an article in EdWeek and also the Governor’s blog on his own website, Markell went to town on school vouchers while opposing opt-out, cherry-picking what schools kids should go to, and glorifying standardized testing. I am … Continue reading Governor Markell Bashes On Vouchers While Also Slamming Public Schools And Opt-Out But Fails To Realize His Policies Are Promoting The Idea
“The Contractor will have a track record of influencing teachers, school leaders, parents, school boards, and other constituents, and will have the exceptional interpersonal skills and credibility to drive rapid performance through school turnaround initiatives. This critical role will report directly to the Chief Accountability and Performance Officer.” The deadline for the bids on contract DOE … Continue reading Some Big Names Bidding For Priority Schools Contract With The DOE…
Academy of Dover was placed on Formal Review by the Delaware State Board of Education last Thursday, April 16th. According to the Delaware Charter School Accountability Committee, the reasons for the request were in regards to potential financial mismanagement and academic performance. It was added the school is in the process of ongoing litigation, which … Continue reading Academy of Dover In Serious Trouble Over Noel Rodriguez’ P-Card Splurges & The Schools $2 Million Dollar+ Judgment
The News Journal has just announced the Delaware Department of Education has given an ultimatum: close your three priority schools, convert them to a charter, or hand them over to a management company. They have until February 27th to comply. Matthew Albright’s article is not shocking. I’ve expected this response for quite a while. Now … Continue reading Delaware DOE To Christina: You lose your priority schools, close them or hand them over!
Originally posted on Diane Ravitch's blog:
It is clear that the issue of desegregation has fallen off the agenda of the nation and the U.S. Department of Education. Not even DOE’s Office of Civil Rights has shown much interest in the resegregation of our narion’s schools However, the ACLU still remembers the Brown decision…
I was going through my drafts folder on this blog and I found several articles I either started but never finished or ones where information changed drastically. For some of them, I either got bored writing it, it was repetitive from other stuff I wrote, or it just didn’t make any sense. Some of these … Continue reading From The Vault: Titles Of Draft Articles Never Revealed
Events at Odyssey Charter School have been bubbling for some time now but they are coming to a boil in recent weeks. When the Odyssey Board of Directors chose not to renew Headmaster Nick Manolakos’ contract, they put forth Riccardo Stoeckicht as their new “Campus Operations Officer” and Denise Parks as their Head of School. … Continue reading Teachers & Parents Are NOT Happy With Odyssey’s Lack Of Transparency With New Leadership
Based on their 2015 tax filing, the Rodel Foundation of Delaware Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Paul Herdman, makes an astonishing $398,000. Keep in mind this was in 2015 so he is most likely well over that pesky $400,000 barrier. Good lord! I found lots of interesting stuff in this tax filing, signed off by Dr. … Continue reading Rodel’s Paul Herdman Has To Love His Insane $398,000 (And Counting) Salary! Plus: Rodel’s Friends Make Big Bucks Too!
The Exceptional Infinite 