Former Capital School District Teacher Arrested For Debit Card Card Abuse. Where Are The Charter Leaders Arrests For Larger Crimes?

It doesn’t just happen in charter schools.  According to WBOC, former Dover High School teacher Brian Ogbin gave himself up to the Dover Police last Friday and was charged with theft under $1500 and unlawful use of a payment card under $1500.  So how does it work that this guy gets arrested for theft under $1500 but charter school leaders and employees from Family Foundations Academy, Academy of Dover, and Providence Creek Academy get away with stealing funds in the five to six digits and NO arrests have been made?  It has been over nine months since the State Auditor report came out on Academy of Dover.

Ogbin resigned as a teacher with the Capital School District at their February board meeting.  According to the article, the theft of funds using the debit card and funds taken from a wrestling fundraiser were discovered following an investigation.  The article does not state who held the investigation.  I would imagine cash advances from Dover Downs totaling over $500 would have sent some red flags flying though.  How many debit or p-cards (state procurement cards) are floating around out there ready for someone to use at a moment’s notice for stuff like this?  While I’m glad this situation was discovered relatively fast compared to the charter school stuff going on out there, where are the controls that could stop this from happening in the first place?  Should school “clubs” or “organizations” be allowed to have their own control over funds generated by the district and fundraisers?

My biggest concern with all of this is the sheer hypocrisy involved.  I’ve been told by some in the know that something will happen with these charter school leaders.  That was in November.  I have asked “larger organizations” about this.  How long does it take to build a case against a charter school employee while a traditional school district employee is arrested for something similar but less egregious?  It makes it very hard to believe there will be accountability for the charter thieves in light of this.  They absconded with hundreds of thousands of dollars.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Matt Denn, what is the Department of Justice doing about this?

 

Earl Jaques: Release That Bill! Why are you not releasing it? That is the frightening question!

Delaware State Rep. Earl Jaques is not releasing House Bill 186, legislation sponsored by Delaware State Rep. Kim Williams.  This bill received 8 votes to have the bill released from the House Education Committee a week ago.  This bill would allow charter schools to have post-audits done by the State Auditor, just like traditional school districts are required to do.

With every Delaware media organization jumping on the Academy of Dover auditor report issued yesterday, as well as Family Foundations Academy’s massive theft by former heads of school, and the fact that the auditor released information with regards to 7 charter schools being investigated by that office, I have to wonder why Jaques is not releasing this bill.  Does he answer to the people of Delaware or the Delaware Charter Schools Network?  This is just another of the many colossal failures Jaques has committed this year as Chair of the House Education Committee.  Between him and Sokola I truly don’t know which is worse.  I think a full-scale investigation needs to occur with both these legislative clowns.  How high does the collusion go with those who want to privatize our public schools?

Family Foundations Parents AND Teachers, It’s Time To Tell The Truth!!!!!

Anyone even remotely associated with Family Foundations Academy needs to bear all about this school, and now would be the time to do it.  If you know of any problems there such as financial mismanagement, bullying issues, abuse, harassment, special education issues, test manipulation, anything, please be honest and let the Delaware Department of Education Charter School Office know what’s really going on there.  Children are the victims of the outright fraud and manipulation perpetrated by the Heads of School there.  In the end, it doesn’t really matter who spent more on school credit cards for personal use.  It’s not right, and anything else that has gone on there needs to be brought to the surface.  This message is also for teachers, former teachers, staff members and any board member that wants to come clean.

Delaware Secretary of Education Mark Murphy and the Delaware State Board of Education will make a decision on the charter renewal of Family Foundations Academy at the January 15th State Board of Education meeting.  They are also extending public comment until the end of the day on January 12th.

As per the charter school office website:

On December 18, pursuant to the approval of the Family Foundations Academy Board of Directors to waive the 60-day time period for a decision on its renewal application, the Secretary of Education deferred the decision to allow for necessary due diligence on potentially serious allegations of financial mismanagement.  The Secretary of Education will announce his decision at the January 15, 2015 State Board of Education meeting, to be held at 1:00 p.m. in the Townsend Building in Dover.

Under the original renewal process timeline, the deadline for public comment was Friday, December 12 and the record closed prior to the December 18 State Board of Education meeting. Since the timeline for FFA’s renewal has been extended, the DOE will also extend the timeline in which public comments may be submitted and materials may be added to the record. The new deadline for all public comment and new materials will be Monday, January 12, at 11:59 p.m.

All public comment and new materials may be submitted to the Charter School Office by email at infocso@doe.k12.de.us. Public comments may also be submitted through an online form.