Brandywine School District. Indian River School District. Indian River Volunteer Fire Company. What do all three of these have in common? Patrick Miller. A man accused of financial fraud in the two districts who is not behind bars. High crimes and misdemeanors indeed! But he is a free man. How is that even possible?
Former Family Foundations Academy charter school leader Sean Moore was supposed to receive a federal sentencing for his role in embezzlement of school funds. Nothing of record shows up anywhere. This is very puzzling. Why wouldn’t Moore have been sentenced? I received an anonymous tip a couple of months ago that suggested Moore may have cut a deal with the authorities. Who these authorities may have been is unknown or what the nature of the deal was. Moore was charged by the federal government so any deal would have been with the feds.
If Moore did cut a deal which would be unrelated to education, many Delaware citizens would be VERY upset. This was a man who was charged with looking out for the best interests of children. With a documented amount of over $160,000 stolen from the school, it is painfully obvious Moore had his own best interests in mind. When the allegations first came to light, many parents from the school refused to believe the leader would ever do this, but when it was revealed he did abscond with money meant for kids, parents were disgusted. This was just one of a few Delaware charter schools that came under the spotlight for this sort of thing but it had the biggest profile in the media. If Moore did get a sentencing, it should be public knowledge. He could have faced up to 30 years for his crimes in federal prison.
This saga has dragged out for years. It finally came to light in December of 2014 during the school’s charter renewal. Moore and fellow school leader Dr. Tennell Brewington were terminated. Other members of the board resigned and eventually the board was reconstructed with new members. The school entered a partnership with East Side Charter School which is now under the umbrella called Vision Academies. Family Foundations recently changed its name to The Charter School of New Castle.
I found out last evening about a press conference in which “credentialed journalists” were invited to a press briefing today at 2pm when the statewide results of the Smarter Balanced Assessment would be released. This is happening right now at the Carvel Building in Wilmington and an undisclosed location in Dover. I reached out to Alison May, the Public Relations Officer at the Delaware Department of Education, and Kelly Bachman, Governor Markell’s Press Secretary, to attempt, in good faith, to be allowed to attend this press briefing. My request was denied. The levels of collusion involving everything with the Smarter Balanced Assessment in Delaware have been egregious on levels unheard of, and my response to all of this, and everything surrounding it, will be swift and very public. Below is a copy of the email that was sent out to “Members of the Press” (it was not sent to me originally) and the following emails which were sent by myself and the responses received from Alison May and Kelly Bachman.
NOTE FOR PRESS ONLY: Last year, Delaware schools transitioned to a new Smarter Balanced state assessment. An embargoed briefing on the release of data from the first year of that assessment will be held for credentialed members of the press Tuesday, September 1, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at the Carvel State Office Building in Wilmington. There is also an opportunity to receive the briefing from Dover. If you have not yet done so and would like to attend, please contact alison.may@doe.k12.de.us for more information and to RSVP.
On Monday, August 31, 2015 3:45 PM, “Bachman, Kelly M (Governor)” <Kelly.Bachman@state.de.us> wrote:
Contact: Kelly Bachman, 302-299-9791
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Bill Signing: Senate Bill 57, Senate Bill 101
What: Governor Markell will sign Senate Bill 57, relating to the abbreviated title of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, and Senate Bill 101, relating to a new Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Committee – Joined by primary bill sponsor State Senator Bethany Hall Long, other bill sponsors, members of the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, as well as over 20 Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, the Governor will sign Senate Bill 57 and Senate Bill 101 into law. Senate Bill 57 will modernize the title of Advanced Practice Nurse to Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, as well as update requirements for licensure and prescriptions. Senate Bill 101 will create a new Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Committee to assist the Board of Nursing in regulation of nursing practice.
Who: Governor Markell
State legislators
Regulation division leaders
Healthcare professionals
When: Tuesday, September 1st at 12:30 p.m.
Where: University of Delaware, STAR Campus, Atrium, 550 S. College Avenue, Newark
*****
NOTE FOR PRESS ONLY: Last year, Delaware schools transitioned to a new Smarter Balanced state assessment. An embargoed briefing on the release of data from the first year of that assessment will be held for credentialed members of the press Tuesday, September 1, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at the Carvel State Office Building in Wilmington. There is also an opportunity to receive the briefing from Dover. If you have not yet done so and would like to attend, please contact alison.may@doe.k12.de.us for more information and to RSVP.
###
Editor’s note: I decided to contact Alison May to RSVP.
Exceptional Delaware
From: May Alison <alison.may@doe.k12.de.us>
To: Kevin Ohlandt <kevino3670@yahoo.com>
Cc: Bachman Kelly M <kelly.bachman@state.de.us>
Sent: Tuesday, September 1, 2015 7:50 AM
Subject: RE: Smarter Balanced Assessment Briefing Today
Kevin,
Alison
From: Kevin Ohlandt <kevino3670@yahoo.com>
To: May Alison <alison.may@doe.k12.de.us>
Cc: Bachman Kelly M <kelly.bachman@state.de.us>
Sent: Tuesday, September 1, 2015 8:11 AM
Subject: Re: Smarter Balanced Assessment Briefing Today
Editor’s Note: It is at this point in time I called Governor Markell’s Press Secretary Kelly Bachman at approximately 9:10am this morning. She heard my request, said she was just walking into work, and would get back to me. By late morning, I received no response, so I emailed her directly.
E
From: “Bachman, Kelly M (Governor)” <Kelly.Bachman@state.de.us>
To: Kevin Ohlandt <kevino3670@yahoo.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 1, 2015 12:52 PM
Subject: RE: Smarter Balanced Assessment Results Briefing Today
So there you have it. As anyone reading this blog knows, the Delaware Department of Education, the State Board of Education and Governor Jack Markell and members of his administration have been tampering with public education for several years. It is past time we put an immediate halt to this. And I am a man of my word, everything I told Kelly Bachman I would do will happen. I have the evidence already. These are not empty threats like we have been receiving from these liars for the past seven years. This was their last chance to show an iota of transparency to Delaware. If you would like to help contribute to the ever growing pile of pending complaints, please contact me immediately where you know how to reach me. This is the game-changer.
The Season Of Myths 