New Charter School Audit Bill Would Make Kathy McGuiness Do Her Fricking Job

When the Odyssey Charter School debacle that made Delaware State Auditor Kathy McGuiness look like she was in cahoots with her Greek friends on the Odyssey board became public, it was obvious a change needed to happen.  State Reps. Kim Williams and John Kowalko introduced a new bill today that would give the General Assembly, the Governor, the state Attorney General, or the Secretary of Education more power to force the Auditor of Accounts Office to do audits for charter schools:

This Act authorizes the Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of the Department, or General Assembly, including a House, joint committee, committee, or member of the General Assembly, to request, and requires the Auditor of Accounts conduct or contract for, an audit of a charter school’s business and financial transactions, records, and accounts in certain circumstances. In addition, this Act makes clear that the Auditor of Accounts may not charge for an audit conducted or contracted for under this Act.

In addition, it would get rid of Kathy McGuiness’ ridiculous claim that she would have to charge a state agency for the cost of an audit.  This coming from the woman who cries poor for her Auditor’s office but has been giving out $100,000+ salaries like they are candy in the past few months.

These are the proposed changes to state code:

(4)a. The Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of the Department, or General Assembly, including a house, joint committee, committee, or member of the General Assembly, may request the Auditor of Accounts conduct or contract for an audit of a charter school’s business and financial transactions, records, and accounts if 1 of the following applies:

1. The Public Integrity Commission makes an advisory finding under § 5807(c) of Title 29 or final finding under § 5810 of Title 29 that a violation of § 5805 or § 5806 of Title 29 has occurred.

2. The Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of the Department, or General Assembly, including a house, joint committee, committee, or member of the General Assembly has evidence of a violation of State law or regulation or the misuse of State money.

b. The Auditor of Accounts shall conduct or contract for an audit of a charter school’s business and financial transactions, records, and accounts if requested under paragraph (d)(4)a. of this section.

c. The audit the Auditor of Accounts conducts or contracts for under this paragraph (d)(4) of this section must comply with generally accepted accounting principles.

d. When an audit is conducted or contracted for under this paragraph (d)(4) of this section, the Auditor of Accounts shall file a written report containing the information under § 2909(b) of Title 29 with the Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of the Department, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives who shall distribute the report to the members of the General Assembly and the Controller General and Director of the Division of Research.

The bill’s Senate Prime is Jack Walsh, along with co-sponsors including Reps. Baumbach, Bennett, Brady, Longhurst, Matthews, Mitchell, Osienski, Smith, and Viola along with Senators Delcollo, Pettyjohn, Poore, Sokola and Wilson.  Some of these names are very interesting, including Smith and Sokola who have long been champions for charter schools.  But perhaps they are realizing that Delaware can no longer tolerate the financial malfeasance going on at Delaware’s charters.

The next step for this bill will be the House Education Committee.  It remains to be seen if Chair of the committee, Rep. Earl Jaques, will let it be heard before June 30th.  If not, it would carry over into the second leg of the 150th General Assembly which begins in January, 2020.

On June 5th, McGuiness wrote a long letter to members of the General Assembly about why she is choosing not to have her office begin an investigative audit into Odyssey Charter School.  I don’t agree with her reasoning whatsoever and no one has ever done this before in the Auditor’s office when it comes to a charter school audit.

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Tabula Rasa

A clean slate.

2019 is here.  We have many newly elected officials in Delaware.  Legislators, a State Auditor, a State Treasurer, and an Attorney General.  They all have a once in a lifetime chance to begin something new and to start a new conversation.

Even the ones I have gone after in the past have a clean slate.  Their world is just beginning no matter how they got there.  They have a golden opportunity to do more than the status quo.  They have a chance to steer Delaware in a new and better direction.

Beginning today, we will see these public officials being sworn in to their new roles.  In exactly a week from now, many new State Reps and State Senators will become a vital part of the public eye.  What they do and how they do it will become the foundation of their future.

Who will go against the grain?  Who will put the needs of Delaware citizens over corporate interests?  Who will dare to fight their own party for what is right and just?  We will find out.

In modern times, Tabula Rasa was the title of the third episode of the hit television show, LOST.  As we slowly learned about the secrets harbored by the survivors of Oceanic 815, we also see that they are beginning anew.  Despite the history they had before the island, they had the chance to start over again in their present circumstance.  This is the reality of all the new elected officials in Delaware.

I will give all of them a chance.  And I mean ALL of them.  Even the one I have written about the most on here.  Because, as of tomorrow, that person will be in a very unique position and how she does that will be the truest testament to her character and I truly hope she rises above my expectations.  I will believe they all mean what they say and how they want to make life better for Delaware.  If they slip and fall, I will be there.  If they succeed, I will be there.  I am watching them with curious eyes.  In my eyes, it is about more than political party.  I have always believed that.  It is about doing what is right, especially for kids.  Because they don’t always have a voice and they truly don’t care about Democrats or Republicans.

Exceptional Delaware Endorsements For Election Day In Delaware

Finally! All the talk can stop about who is better.  After tomorrow we will know.  I felt obligated to give my endorsements for all the races.  Some will care, some won’t.  Some may shock you while some will be all “duh, didn’t see that one coming!”  Just do one thing tomorrow- VOTE!  It’s one of the strongest ways you can make your voice heard in your state and country!

Here are my “official” endorsements:

The McGuiness Temper Explodes At Debate As She Attacks Freedom #VoteSpadola!!!!!

The League of Women Voters forum at Delaware State University this evening was the perfect showcase for anyone who might be on the fence about the State Auditor position.  Kathy McGuiness scowled and complained her way to absurdity tonight.

Final Delaware General Election Candidates

The Delaware Primary reduced the number of candidates.  We now have a clear understanding of who will face who in the General Election.  Some seats in the General Assembly have been determined by the results of yesterday’s primary.  The election is November 6th.  Start your engines!

Vote In The Delaware Primary Polls!

 

FINAL LIST of Delaware Filed Candidates for State Attorney General, State Auditor, State Treasurer, State Representative, State Senator, U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator

This is a list of the FINAL candidates for both the Delaware Primary and the Delaware General Election.  I will be coming out with endorsements in the next few weeks.

Election Day 2018 is three and a half months away.  The Primary is in less than two months.

Dates to know:

9/6/18: Delaware Primary

11/6/18: Delaware General Election

Last updated: 7/10/2018, 11:38am

** UPDATED ** 7/10/2018, 11:38am ** Delaware Election 2018: Who Filed For State Rep, State Senator, AG, State Auditor, State Treasurer, U.S. Senator & U.S. Representative

This is a list of the FINAL candidates for both the Delaware Primary and the Delawware General Election.  I will be coming out with endorsements in the next few weeks.

Election Day 2018 is four months away.  The Primary is in two months.  Candidates have until this Friday, the 13th, to withdraw and get their filing fee back.

For each elected position, if it is in red it is currently Republican, and blue for Democrat.  If there is more than one person in the same color for each position, that means there will be a primary for that party on Thursday, September 6th.  Winner goes onto the General Election.  If they are unopposed, they won and can sit back while the rest have two more months of campaigning!.  If it is crossed out, that means a candidate dropped out of the race.  Every single seat or position has someone running for it at this point.

Dates to know:

7/10/18: Last date to file for major parties

9/6/18: Delaware Primary

11/6/18: Delaware General Election

Last updated: 7/10/2018, 11:38am

Delaware DOE Twisting The Opt Out Screws To Parents With Threat Of Funding Cuts Now, Getting Desperate…

In a document released yesterday by the Delaware Department of Education from the Office of Assessment, it appears the DOE is coming up with more threatening language for parents opting their child out of the Smarter Balanced Assessment.  They are still sticking to this paragraph 173 which states schools and individuals can’t opt students out.  The rest is what the schools have to do, not anything about the parents.  I will say it one more time DOE before I go to the Attorney General with this tomorrow.  The “individuals” you write about is defined in the state code and parents aren’t a part of that!  It is not relevant.  You have been informed about this.  Stop with the bullying!  It is illegal to apply state code to a different part of the population the law does NOT apply to!  Read the latest Delaware DOE threat statement here:

Just stop with the pathetic “funding cuts” language. Half the states bagged out of this crap, and I don’t see them getting those cuts.  I don’t see New York and New Jersey where the vast majority of the population of parents want to opt out getting these cuts. Let’s cross that bridge when it comes to it.  Cause the US DOE has punked you into getting this stuff out there.  But don’t bark at to Delaware parents.  We will bite back…

Furthermore, you’ve been out of compliance with the Office of Special Education Programs for years, but I don’t see any IDEA funding cuts to Delaware.  Here’s what “may” happen.  You’ll get a warning the first year, second year you go on watch, and by then America will have come to it’s senses and banned both common core and this turd of a test.  So take your public punches and stop trying to bully and intimidate parents.