Massive Teacher Exodus At Providence Creek Leaves Parents Shaking Their Heads

Last night, parents of Providence Creek Academy students attended an open house at the Clayton charter school.  Many were wondering where all the teachers from last year went.  Many teachers quit due to the shenanigans involving management at the school.  One parent said it looks like 90% of their former teaching staff is gone now.  Many parents have wondered what is going on with the school since I wrote some pretty damaging articles last month.  It has been very quiet, as if some type of gag order went out.  It has become more than obvious that former teachers no longer wanted to put up with what is going on there and opted for better employment elsewhere.  As for all these new teachers it is only a matter of time before they realize what they signed up for.

How the state of Delaware can turn a blind eye to this school is beyond me.  Once again, I have nothing against the school but rather the leadership, the rubberstamp board, and those that follow the administration with their undying loyalty and subservience.  There is something rotten in the foundation of this school but nobody wants to call Chuck and Audrey out on the carpet in full public view.  Why?  If you quit there is absolutely no reason not to go public.  I want to believe former teachers feel PCA was a toxic work environment.  That is NOT good for kids.  Speak out.  Let folks know what is really going on there.  This is a school that has seen more turnovers than a Pepperidge Farm store.  Parents want consistency at schools, not this.  The former “We’re Worried” group appears to be defunct since most of them most likely said screw it and found jobs elsewhere.  That doesn’t change the situation on the ground at PCA.

As for all the financial fraud and the cover-up that went on with it, I sincerely hope the State is looking into that.  Cause the Delaware Department of Education certainly isn’t.  Chuck is obviously good at covering his tracks but there are always bread crumbs.  There has still be no formal announcement of formal charges against ex-employee Shanna Simmens.  There has to be a reason for that.  If it is a case where Chuck and Audrey have that much influence that they are just waiting for the statute of limitations to run out, that is a crying shame.  That shows corruption unheard of in this state.  I can’t for the life of me figure out why parents would willingly send their children to a school run by such devious and corrupt people.

For those who have reached out to me wanting to know more, I sincerely wish I had more to tell you.  I wish our State would do more.  But Delaware is proving to be as crooked as they come when it comes to protecting leaders who are in it more for themselves than for the  benefit of children.  Disgusting…

PCA is having a board meeting next Tuesday evening, August 29th, in their library at 7pm.  If I were PCA parents, I would go and demand answers from this Board of Directors, especially Board President Amy Santos.  Enough is enough.

Sean Moore From Family Foundations Academy STILL Hasn’t Been Sentenced, Plea Bargain Was Cut

One of the most frequent questions I am asked is “What is going on with Sean Moore from Family Foundations Academy?”  Today, I have some answers.  It turns out Mr. Moore is awaiting sentencing and struck a plea deal to have the charges reduced.  His next sentencing date is August 7th.  This date has changed a few times.  The other former Head of School from Family Foundations Academy, Dr. Tennell Brewington, actually had a court date today but I have not heard what happened at that one.  Once again, no word on Academy of Dover’s former financial scoundrel, Noel Rodriguez except that he was charged by the feds as well.  I also heard Shanna Simmens from Providence Creek Academy is working on some sort of “payment plan” to pay the school back in lieu of charges.  Good luck with that one!  I guess it’s okay for these people to be walking the streets when they took student money from schools.

Below are the court docs that pertain to Moore’s case.  Other documents are sealed.  If the gentleman who called me last February could please call me again, I would love to continue that conversation.  Shoot me an email at kevino3670@yahoo.com.

CRIMINAL DOCKET

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UNITED STATES VERSUS SEAN MOORE

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PLEA AGREEMENT

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Charter School Fraud Ignored By Delaware House Republicans, Education Chair Jaques & Senator Sokola

“Rep. Dukes asked how many charter schools are under investigation.  Ms. Davies said seven.  Rep. Dukes asked if they were serious infractions.  Ms. Davies said some of the investigations are far enough along to know it is really bad.”

One of the most interesting legislative arguments in the past few months has been the saga of the charter school audit bill.  First introduced by State Rep. Kim Williams back in March, the bill has taken on different forms, culminating in a House Education Committee battle from 6/17/15.

The minutes from the 6/17/15 meeting clearly show a House divided with common sense prevailing on the Democrat side (with the exception of Education Chair Earl Jaques) and blissful ignorance on the side of the House Republicans.  When it comes to charter school accountability and transparency, this pattern consistently emerges and it does not bode well for the education system in Delaware when seven schools are investigated by the state Auditor of Accounts.  I asked one House Republican why they voted no on House Bill 186, but he was unable to remember why at the time.  This was late in the evening on June 30th, but I would think anyone would know why they voted no on a bill.

By the time the bill got to the Senate floor, Senator David Sokola immediately tabled the bill and demanded it be heard in the Senate Education Committee.  Sokola has long been a clear supporter of charter schools and has sponsored or supported many bills that give them the lack of transparency they currently have, including the original charter school legislation from 1995.

When the Delaware General Assembly shows a clear bias towards charter schools, who represent only 10-15% of Delaware students enrolled in these types of schools, but takes up so much of the conversation, it is very troubling to know charter schools can get away with so much.  When we have Education Committee chairs on both sides of the General Assembly who very openly make every attempt to protect these schools is extremely disturbing.  Even more alarming is the parents and supporters of charter schools who just don’t care, or continue to enroll their children in schools that have clearly had serious financial abuse.

I contacted the Auditor of Accounts office a couple weeks ago and spoke with Ms. Davies.  I asked again for the names of the other four charter schools being investigated by that office, but she explained she was not able to do so at the time because that could give a presumption of guilt when no judgment has been rendered since the investigations are still under way.  Which I completely understand but there is another side of this issue which I did explain to her.  Parents make choices for their children with different schools and they have a right to know if the school they choose has issues going on.  She understood that, but was still unable to reveal the schools.  I don’t blame her in any way.  It is a thorny issue.

We have to wonder, as citizens of Delaware, why certain legislators seem more concerned with looking good for the Delaware Charter Schools Network than showing clear transparency and open government for the constituents they represent.  Charter schools are not evil in and of themselves, but the secrets, lies, and cover-ups are increasing rapidly and the more they occur the more we see this insane protection of them by some of our legislators.