Charter Nepotism At ASPIRA & DAPSS

Delaware Academy of Public Safety and Security will have a new Director of Instruction as of July 1st.  Deborah Panchisin resigned as an Executive Director of Instruction at Appoquinimink School District last month, effective July 1st.  Greg Panchisin is the Chief Operating Officer at Las Americas ASPIRA Academy.  Greg and Deborah Panchisin are married.  Margie Lopez-Waite is the Head of School at Las Americas ASPIRA.  Margie Lopez-Waite is the current President of DAPSS’ board.  Margie Lopez-Waite is slated to be the next Head of School at Delaware Academy of Public Safety & Security.  Margie Lopez-Waite proudly boasted of having someone lined up to take over the position of Director of Instruction a few months ago at a Charter School Accountability Committee meeting when DAPSS was under formal review.

This is what happens when anyone is allowed to insert themselves into a leadership role at a charter school.  They cause chaos and use personal connections to hire who they want and who cares if it is a very personal connection.  Because they are two different schools, it is not against the law.  But it is certainly a manipulative and scummy move.  Please continue to tell me this is “for the students”.  Margie Lopez-Waite played the Charter School Accountability Committee and the State Board of Education.  And Secretary Bunting.  And they fell for it hook, line and sinker.

The Panchisins make a combined income of $245,000 in their current roles.  Deborah Panchisin makes $136k at Appoquinimink.  Greg Panchisin makes $109k at ASPIRA.  Say she gets a pay cut for her role at DAPSS.  They would still most likely be making a combined income well over $200k.  I imagine that handling instruction for 200 students as opposed to many more at Appo would be less work.  Less stress.

This is Delaware…

Delaware Audit Investigation Slams Indian River School District For Nepotism, Fraud, Conflict Of Interest, And Personal Spending

Delaware State Auditor Tom Wagner released the Indian River School District Audit Investigation at 2pm today.  The numerous allegations in the report include using facsimile signatures for purchases, the Superintendent receiving gifts in the form of jewelry, the former CFO donating over $50,000 to non-profits where he served as the President of the boards, the business office lying to the auditor about a discrimination lawsuit against the former CFO, incorrect paychecks and salaries for teachers, not following the state rules for accounting, the CFO’s sister-in-law working in the business office, almost $160,000 in payment vouchers that had half for invalid purchases and the other half breaking rules all over the place, possible allegations of the district paying for a board member’s tuition at a Maryland school, many reimbursements to the CFO’s personal American Express Card, over $20,000 on in-state food purchases, the Superintendent buying White House Christmas ornaments, over 20% of certain scholarships given to relatives of board members, and much more.

Indian River has a referendum in five days, on November 22nd.  Do you support this referendum after reading this report?

Updated: 3:02pm, 11/17/16: The Dover Post is reporting the district will hold a press event tomorrow at 10am to discuss the Auditor’s report.  Newsflash, Bunting was mentioned in this report a lot.  She doesn’t get to just walk away and blame everything on Patrick Miller, the former CFO…

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Now Providence Creek Academy (Charter School) is in Hot Water With Parents! No Love From DE Charter School Network for Kent County Charters?

Correction, 11/5/14, 9:07am, the terminated employee was not a computer teacher, but the IT Tech person.  Sorry for any confusion!

This is what they call a hat trick!  Last month I wrote about Academy of Dover, this morning I wrote about Campus Community, and now the third: Providence Creek Academy.  This one is kind of crazy, so bear with me!

The custodian at the school got fired, for of all things, having a BB or pellet gun on the premises.  That and his bad aim!  The guy had a love for shooting cats!  And other things according to this Twitter post:

Providence Creek Academy custodian nearly shot a fellow employee – said he uses the rifles to shoot "coons and birds" http://t.co/hE5KiSWODO

— Eleanor La Prade (@DSNEleanor) October 3, 2014

But even more bizarre was the IT Tech person got canned for inappropriate use of the internet.  When he was fired, he made quite the scene and even threatened staff members during his exit!  This culminated in the police showing up at the school last Friday, during the students’ Halloween parade!  Maybe they thought it was part of the holiday fright fest, but no, this really happened.  But nothing like this ever happens at charter schools, right?

Where this story gets even more strange is how the principal was involved.  The IT Tech guy is the principal’s son, and the custodian is distantly related to the principal.  What’s that phrase I’m looking for… oh yeah, nepotism!

As a result, their school Board called an emergency meeting, and parents tried to crash it.  The Board tried to get the parents to leave, but the parents wanted to know what the hell was going on with the craziness, and the fact that threats were made by an employee.  The Board President denied any threats were issued by the teacher, but another board member confirmed it.  The Board President was not happy about the other member owning up to the reality of the situation.

As a result, there is a parents forum tonight at 7pm at Providence Creek.  Here’s the link to their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ProvidenceCreekAcademy#

Gotta love these Kent County charters!  Isn’t the DE Charter School Network supposed to put band aids on all the charters and make everything better?  Kendall, I know you have your “priority” right now, but you might want to give some love to the charters south of the canal!

Updated 11/5/14, 9:09am: The DE Charter School Network did send in Chuck Taylor, former Head of School at PCA to help “fix” the problems.