With a new year imminent it’s only fitting to see how the taxpayers of our state continue to be kept out of the loop and fed dribs and drabs of what is really happening with their money.
Today it is announced that the Laurel School district admitted they ‘diverted’ taxpayer money from where it was suppose to go. Diverted is a nice word for steal.
The Dept of Education advised the school district NOT to call the police. Now I’m no Charlie Copeland, but as a rule the police are the first people you call when there has been a theft.
Instead we have DOE advising that the police not be called? (I simply have to wonder if this is the mindset that runs Homeland Security in DC)
To take it one step further if this had been a charter school the FOR LEASE sign would already be up and the school shuttered with the school board doing alot of talking with the AG’s office.
I’m a native and proud of it, but this circle the wagons mentality we have within government has to end.
I’d love to ask the owner’s of the Thriftway in New Castle that is CLOSING due to embezzlement what he thinks the differerance is between him going out of of business and the state police investigating versus the Laurel School district where our money was simply diverted and the cops never notified.
This is criminal and yet all that will happen is the person diverting the funds will retire complete with pension, DOE will announce stricter controls on bookeeping. Laurel’s school board will announce a comprehensive review, etc, etc, etc.
I sure hope Joe Hurley and Gene Maurer know about this. “Your Honor there was no theft, just a slight diversion.” It works for DOE and Laurel so why not every other criminal?
The entire school district model is out of date and dysfunctional.
Mike Protack
Don’t forget not one employee suffered any consequences for mismanagement of funds in the CSD and the RCSD. Also administrators were not terminated because the school boards provide them with contracts for 2 to 5 years. I wonder how many people have long term contracts.
Also don’t forget an audit was not conducted on the use of federal funds during these period to confirm all federal funds were used per the approved grants.
To my knowledge no audits are conducted in our state to confirm federal funds are being used per any approve grant.
Jack
“Don’t forget not one employee suffered any consequences for mismanagement of funds in the CSD and the RCSD.”
The board was and is being purged but you are correct. FYI the former RCSD CFO works for DELDOT.
Jack, Red Clay signed a three year deal with Teacher for American for a program that required TFA teachers to sign on to a two year contract. TFAs are district employee paid same pay scale and benefits as they are district employes. However, Red Clay super with out a board vote or say signed the contract giving Teach for America $300,000.00 ($100,000.00 a year) for recuriting, training and professional development of the TFAs. Red Clay has an HR and professional development program. Also, these TFAs get $9400.00 from AmeriCorp after their two years.
F the federal audit because I reported to the USOIG the possiblity of misuse of Title 1 SES about $800,000.00 that may have went down the $$$ meltdown. As a member of the community financial review committee I asked over and over for “substantiation” of expenditures. My compaint was “possible” misuse. However, USDOIG refer complaint to Delaware DOE who concluded there was no misuse. However, I was never provided the substantiation.
If we really want to take education serious we need to elected the Delaware Secretary of Education taking that post out from under the governor. Let’s appoint Register of Wills and Deeds post that should be appointed by the counties
You got me stated ! LOL ! Teacher for America was audited in 2008 by USOIG which was not a full audit and findings were Teach for America could substantiate $774,000.00 of federal funds but yet TFA will set the new education standards.
Charlie and Levelle set the stage for the finanical transparency but were held back by their limited powers as elected officals. The people have the power and real voice but tend to sit around and step up after the fact.
What’s insane is, with all the money being pissed away to reform education they money could be used to reduce class sizes which does improve achievement. Red Clay’s $300,000.00 wated on TFA could had provide more teachers in Warner school to reduce class sizes. The Class size cap law has a wavier if the district can’t met the letter of the law.
Mike, noting is out-dated and the failures are due to those within feeding their egos off the taxpayer’s dime. You live in Red Clay and yet I never see you at board meetings grabbing that mic telling it like it is! If 1,000 citizens marched on Red Clay re: financial mealtdown and demanded the removal of the super it would have been done!
Race to The Top is nothing more than an attempt for the federal government to takeover control of local schools. Next week Red Clay board will vote on the RTTT MOU and when RTTT rips our schools appart the board will blame the governmnet saying their hands are tied.
As far as Laurel, where is the hell is Beau Biden and why isn’t he getting poractive and step in! The CFO admitted to a crime handing Beau and open and shut case! The CFO should be convicted of a felon and barred from working for any state , county, city government agency. A fine double to the amount taken and 5 years probation. No need to warehouse this guy in prison as the his failures will imprison him for life. Beau Biden needs to set an example to send a clear message.
Sorry for the typos, this suff gets me so fired up I can’t see straight
I’d love to know what DSEA and the districts have been promised to stay quiet on RTTT money contingent upon being pro-charter.
As of Monday 10 groups may have submitted charter applications. 5 already have.
Everyone in Dover knows the RTTT money will go towards the general fund to help cover the deficit. Traditional schools will see maybe 5 cents of RTTT money.
So where is their – DSEA and the districts – incentive not to oppose more charters?
The deal has been cut and I bet it involves alot of promises but for the life of me I can’t figure this one out.
A couple of promises maybe:
1. Require Charter School teachers to be part of DSEA.
2. Maintain 19 school districts and increase the staffing at district level.
3. Increase staffing at DOE.
Jack,
You must be related to Greg Lavelle or Charlie for they possess the same intellect you obviously do.
It IS those types of promises that they have to be getting.
jj1234—thanks–
jj1234
“Everyone in Dover knows the RTTT money will go towards the general fund to help cover the deficit. Traditional schools will see maybe 5 cents of RTTT money.”
RTTT will goes towards turning around 5 failing schools and additonal supplemental funding for Title 1 .
“Dr. Lowery indicated the impact of receiving these funds is huge. The funds would be used to support five schools targeted as “turn around” but also to all districts through the title I formula and would have an impact on professional development.”
My guess we’ll see more Teach for America teachers.
“I’d love to know what DSEA and the districts have been promised to stay quiet on RTTT money contingent upon being pro-charter.”
Education will see growth in jobs. Markell and Obama can’t produce jobs in the private sector so more money will be pumped into education. Markell has educators /districts by the balls in that if they don’t play RTTT ball surely harsh state education budget cuts will be comeing their way.
“The Board expressed concerns about complete funding for the state’s new assessment as well as any technology infrastructure upgrades that may be required. The Board was assured that the assessment would be funded. Dr. Lowery pointed out that 90% to 91% of the education budget is funding that is passed on to districts and charter schools.”
RTTT was to help fund assessment / teacher evaluations but as you can see the districts and charter schools will take it on the $$$$$ chin.
Markell has signed on to Duncan’s Core Standards that will deliver a national standardized test which I am sure if Duncan has his way will be part of NCLB 2.0 aka ESEA. What this means in about two years Delaware new assessment test will be out the window and our schools will need to conform to the national standards.
Charters, bring them on and God bless those that want to serve at-risk students. I am not for build charter schools re: capital funding but I am 100% behind more operational funds for all schools with poverty with 30% and above poverty level. From what I analyzed (God help us) is data suggest schools with greater than 30% poverty tend to not meet the standards.
I much rather see all parties come to the table and fix the current school system rather than build more charter schools that feed the loving charter school management compaines. The state auditor will have a feild day trying to keep up with the additonal required audits. Great business for the insider law firms
and private accounts.
From what I see http://www.doe.k12.de.us/infosuites/ddoe/sbe/docs/11-19-09%20SBE.pdf the state board of education is grearing to require charter school applicants and charter renewals up to tow the line a little tighter.
” Require Charter School teachers to be part of DSEA”
Not going to happen !
“Increase staffing at DOE”
DOE “Mr. Jackson reported that the Department met its target by eliminating 11 positions and a total of 35.9 positions over FY 2009 and FY 2010.”
Perhaps they will increase staff once the bucks roll in. Surely the added responsiblity of those not cut must require harder work.
More moeny comes in and none to reduce class sizes!
jack the writer on this blog doesn’t know jack about much of anything. Copeland and Lavelle should be insulted to be mentioned in the same sentence with jack.
Kilroy is correct the $$ will go the bureacracy. Not the classroom.
And imho, Jack is close to on par with Greg and Charlie. I couldn’t figure out what the pay off was; now we have some very strong possibilities.
CRI needs to start a RTTT money tracker where it shows who gets what when.
As for improving low performing schools we’ve had New Directions, DSTP, Cadres, heterogenous grouping, full immersion, parent Math nights, parent ice cream nights, teachers visiting places such as the LACC for parent conferences, say no to drug days, motivational speakers, staff inservice on whole group instruction, “a kid always starts with an A” inservice, movies showing how educators need to have a “paradigm shift”.
Sadly, I can go on.
In 1992 Colonial school district got 3 MILLION dollars for at-risk kids. There isn’t one person in Colonial who was there then that can tell you where one penny of that money went.
RTTT money is like the entire stimulus package; a charade.
jj1234
“RTTT money is like the entire stimulus package; a charade.”
Fact is RTTT “is” stimulus money which is being diverted to fund the agenda to privatize public education and break the backs of the union. However, the paln will fail but as a consolation prize new charter schools will get a leg up.
Charters could pay a price under RTTT because many of those struggling high poverty charter schools could be told certain teachers must good based on their student’s achievement. Here again is another intrusion by the feds. Do charter school with the flexiblity to fire at will need a federal babysitter?
If Delaware legislators don’t have the courage to eliminate the class size waviers that will force the districts to follow the law, fund choice transporation, allow exsiting tradtional public schools to convert to charters by the will of the parents no impeded by a lobor vote and address the funding needs of all public and charter schools they don’t have the will to really reform Delaware public schools.
The Delaware legislators fail to hold themselves accountable by enacting a law that requires the Identification of funding sources notated in the text of proposed legislation. I’ll do my best to push that change this year.
Is it not too much to ask legislators to be just as accountable as teachers?
The corruption typified by misappropriation and improper disbursement of funds is symtomatic the terminal disease afflicting our public schools.
While it is right and proper to address the fiscal irresponsibility outlined in the above posts, the fact of the matter is that the system is not fixable or reformable. A tipping point has been reached in which the educational system is now irretrievably broken. Therefore, it needs to be replaced.
This should be a message Republicans run with in 2010 and 2012.
We all know the strong resistance of teachers’ unions and the general entropy and downright deterioration of educational standards are the two chief reasons the public schools have not been reformed. The educational bureaucracy, with rare exception, is interested in feeding itself and not in the education of our children and grandchildren.
Previous attempts at reform have always been stymied by the unions, which, as I have previously pointed out, have followed the industrial model of rewarding longevity of tenure rather than excellence of teaching.
Also, the plethora of programs for teachers has shackled and boxed them in with formulaic and uncreative standards which have deprived the teachers of the individuality and zest necessary to creative teaching. The result is suffocation of true teaching and dumbed down kids.
What is needed is the establishment of a real marketplace for alternative schooling and the deregulation of publicly financed schools. Other nations, such as–Gasp!!–Sweden and the Netherlands, have followed such a model with some success.
Best,
Fay
Fay Voshell
“We all know the strong resistance of teachers’ unions and the general entropy and downright deterioration of educational standards are the two chief reasons the public schools have not been reformed.”
So when will our legislators stop the lobbyist games with the teachers’ union?
One of the biggest problems with Delaware’s education is the VT card. VT is voluntary transfer used by teachers who can meet individual teacher assessment in their given school. Their only choice is to VT to another school with an opening. However, the schools with the most openings are usually low perform high poverty schools. Why are we putting some of our worst teachers in schools with the greatest of need?
Speaking of unions, Delaware biggest union is that of state legislators who cater to their lobbyist! When will we break that union’s’ back?
As far as Republicans 2010 and 2012, if you want to reform public education / unions, present a plan that holds all stakeholders accountable. Take a hard look at Delaware education legislation that is underfunded and unfunded! Why in the hell did the Delaware legislators enact a class size cap law with waviers to school districts that can’t meet the law? Why did the state legislators in 2002 repeal Title 14, Chapter 2, Subchapter I, Section 207 ? Why didn’t the state legisalators enact the Choice School Law without transportation funding especially for high poverty children? Why did state legislators support charter school laws that select students based on intelligence?
Why are we electing Register of Deeds and Wills and not Delaware’s Secretary of Education. Should the the secretary of education be a puppet of the governor?
“What is needed is the establishment of a real marketplace for alternative schooling and the deregulation of publicly financed schools.”
I agree and no public school should be able to pick and choose their students. Change the charter school law from converting exsiting public schools to charters from ,only if over 50% of parents “and” over 50% of teachers votes yes to 75% of parents with no vote from teachers, only if the school is rated less than commendable! Why did republicans vote for a charter school law that gives so-called failing teachers such a vote?
Deregulate publicly financed schools ???? Dam we can’t keep the crooks in check with regulations!!
Arne Duncan oversaw 400,000 students in one Chicago school district. So why can’t Delaware DOE oversee all of Delaware’s schools and hire and fire teachers and administrators? I’ll tell you why, they and the governor don’t want such accountablity !
Critics says ,America schools can’t compete with China’s schools !! But its OK for America’s government to mortgage oversleves to China.
kilroy,
There are a lot of things in your posts which could be addressed, but let’s start with this one;
“Speaking of unions, Delaware biggest union is that of state legislators who cater to their lobbyist! When will we break that union’s’ back?”
I agree with the above. The buck stops at the state legislature and the administration, both of which are in thrall to the teachers’ union and the union lobby.
Conservative shave repeated over and over agina that one thing that will change the systemic rot is to vote in conservative candidates who see the big picture and who are willing to make the drastic changes necessary.
But there is also the consideration of the influence and directives of the federal government, which influence is also in thrall to the NEA. The top down influence, reinforced by stimulus dollars to the states has proved almost irresistible to most governors–but at the price of state autonomy and states’ rights, both of which need to be resurrected.
So we also need to change the top down corruption that inevitably follows with federal dollars by righting the state budget.
To give due credit, I only summarize and elaborate on themes pounded home again and again on this blog by Charlie, C.R., Homegrown, Mike Stafford and Resolute.
Fay
Kilroy and all:
You may be interested in the linked (and very thoughtful) article on charter schools. The author points out that inner sity parents are less interested in the shibboleth of integration first than they are about an excellent education ofr their children. He also points out that if charter schools received the same public financing as public schools, perhaps real school choice would be assured.
Bottom line, inner city minority parents want the best education possible for their children and don’t want some ideological purity test for integration to stand in the way.
Now, lest some ideologically driven leftist fanatic reading this post accuse me of being against integration and therefore a racist, let me point out what is obvious to those who know me: I believe in the equality of education for all races.
I’m merely saying I agree with the author that inner city parents want education for their children FIRST, and do not want to prioritaze an artificially contrived and disruptive “diversity” similar to that attempted during the bussing eras.
Summary: It appears minority parents want realism: to put first things first; among them, reading writing and math skills which they believe trump formulaic “solutions” drummed up by outsiders who don’t understand or care about the needs and concerns of inner city parents.
Charter schools are a way to achieve those goals.
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZDNjNmVmZDM5ZDJjN2YxYzkyNTk2MjliZjk4ZjdkODM=
Best,
Fay