Charter Schools Operate More Like Corporations Rather Than Schools
The Brownsville Beacon does not mince words when it comes to charter schools. We believe calling these organizations schools is a stretch and calling them public schools is laughable. They often times operate under a veil of secrecy and confidentiality. Where traditional public schools are subject to information requests by the citizenry, charter schools do not.
These charter schools receive state funding and operate with minimal oversight. They operate private entities within the companies that secure private donations and funds.
If these schools are to continue receiving public funds, they should be held to the same accountability standards, rules, and regulations as traditional public schools are.
Jacob Carpenter is a writer for the Houston Chronicle. His article follows below.
Several weeks after IDEA Public Schools nixed plans to spend millions of dollars on a charter jet lease, the charter network’s leader announced the end of additional “hard to defend” spending practices Thursday, including the purchase of tickets and a luxury box for events at San Antonio’s AT&T Center.
In a letter sent to IDEA’s 7,000-plus employees, CEO Tom Torkelson apologized for spending patterns that have brought unflattering attention to the state’s largest charter school organization. The network’s since-reversed decision to ink an eight-year aircraft lease and its spending on San Antonio Spurs games have drawn criticism from the Texas AFT, an umbrella organization for teachers unions throughout the state.
“Some of IDEA’s biggest fans have been telling me lately that a number of decisions I’ve made as CEO were really dumb and unhelpful,” Torkelson wrote in his letter. “It’s been hard to hear, but they’re right.”
IDEA officials said they will not renew an agreement with Spurs Sports and Entertainment for the tickets and luxury box once the basketball team’s season ends in the spring. More than 1,000 employees have received tickets each season, with the “lion’s share” going to campus-level staff and students. The accommodations cost about $400,000 this year, paid for with private funds, IDEA officials said.
In addition, IDEA no longer will allow business deals between the network and high-level leaders and their relatives — which have occurred on at least eight occasions in the past four years. Most notably, IDEA’s recommended uniform vendor in the Rio Grande Valley since 2012 has been RGV Pro Direct, a company partially owned by IDEA Chief Operations Officer Irma Muñoz’s husband. Muñoz said earlier this month that her husband sold his 50 percent stake in the company at the end of 2019.
Patty Quinzi, legislative counsel for the Texas AFT, said some of IDEA’s spending practices illustrate the need for additional state oversight. Unlike traditional independent school districts, charter schools are governed by private nonprofits.
“It’s really puzzling that there are no questions from state leadership as to why this is OK,” Quinzi said. “With (traditional) public schools, at least there’s elected governance that has to be in the same city.”
Torkelson and other IDEA leaders have defended their spending practices in recent weeks, calling them part of the charter’s more business-like ethos.
On HoustonChronicle.com: IDEA charter school network grounds plan to lease private jet
Torkelson argued the jet would increase staff efficiency as IDEA rapidly expands across Texas, Louisiana and Florida. The eight-passenger jet lease was projected to cost nearly $2 million per year, to be paid out of private donations.
The AT&T Center accommodations, district officials said, served as rewards for staff and students. In a February 2019 web post, IDEA leaders said employees gained access to an “Employee Appreciation Suite” for reaching performance goals, earning a “master teacher” designation or submitting employee referrals, among other reasons.
“It was a morale and motivational event for us,” said IDEA Judson College Prep Principal Joaquin Hernandez, who took 21 teachers and three office staff members to a Spurs game in the fall of 2018.
In interviews with the Houston Chronicle earlier this month, three IDEA board members said the district violated no laws and followed conflict-of-interest policies when conducting business with organizations and individuals tied to high-level leaders. In one case, board member and prominent donor Michael Rhodes said IDEA bought land for a Rio Grande Valley campus from his company at a below-market value, which benefited the charter’s expansion.
Still, Torkelson said the connection between some spending choices and student success “hasn’t always been strong enough,” prompting the changes.
“For each individual choice, there has been a business case — to save time, recognize good work, make an out-of-town assignment or constant travel more tolerable,” Torkelson said. “However, in IDEA’s aim to be entrepreneurial and different from traditional education systems, sometimes I’ve pushed us to a place that’s hard to defend. I’m sorry I put IDEA and our friends in that position.”
IDEA enrolls about 51,000 Texas children at nearly 50 schools, most of which are located in the Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio and Austin. The network plans to open its first four schools in Houston in August 2020, and aims to enroll 100,000 students nationwide by 2022-23.
The organization has produced remarkable academic outcomes for lower-income students, helping draw donations from some of the nation’s most prominent charter school supporters and a $117 million federal grant for expansion. About 99 percent of IDEA’s Class of 2018 graduated in four years and 86 percent enrolled in a Texas college or university.
About 93 percent of IDEA’s revenue came from local, state and federal sources in 2018-19. IDEA also owns a private company that receives donations used to support the network.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect board member Michael Rhodes' company sold land to IDEA.
These charter schools receive state funding and operate with minimal oversight. They operate private entities within the companies that secure private donations and funds.
If these schools are to continue receiving public funds, they should be held to the same accountability standards, rules, and regulations as traditional public schools are.
Jacob Carpenter is a writer for the Houston Chronicle. His article follows below.
After backlash over $2M luxury jet, IDEA charter schools to stop spending $400K on Spurs tickets
Several weeks after IDEA Public Schools nixed plans to spend millions of dollars on a charter jet lease, the charter network’s leader announced the end of additional “hard to defend” spending practices Thursday, including the purchase of tickets and a luxury box for events at San Antonio’s AT&T Center.
In a letter sent to IDEA’s 7,000-plus employees, CEO Tom Torkelson apologized for spending patterns that have brought unflattering attention to the state’s largest charter school organization. The network’s since-reversed decision to ink an eight-year aircraft lease and its spending on San Antonio Spurs games have drawn criticism from the Texas AFT, an umbrella organization for teachers unions throughout the state.
“Some of IDEA’s biggest fans have been telling me lately that a number of decisions I’ve made as CEO were really dumb and unhelpful,” Torkelson wrote in his letter. “It’s been hard to hear, but they’re right.”
IDEA officials said they will not renew an agreement with Spurs Sports and Entertainment for the tickets and luxury box once the basketball team’s season ends in the spring. More than 1,000 employees have received tickets each season, with the “lion’s share” going to campus-level staff and students. The accommodations cost about $400,000 this year, paid for with private funds, IDEA officials said.
In addition, IDEA no longer will allow business deals between the network and high-level leaders and their relatives — which have occurred on at least eight occasions in the past four years. Most notably, IDEA’s recommended uniform vendor in the Rio Grande Valley since 2012 has been RGV Pro Direct, a company partially owned by IDEA Chief Operations Officer Irma Muñoz’s husband. Muñoz said earlier this month that her husband sold his 50 percent stake in the company at the end of 2019.
Patty Quinzi, legislative counsel for the Texas AFT, said some of IDEA’s spending practices illustrate the need for additional state oversight. Unlike traditional independent school districts, charter schools are governed by private nonprofits.
“It’s really puzzling that there are no questions from state leadership as to why this is OK,” Quinzi said. “With (traditional) public schools, at least there’s elected governance that has to be in the same city.”
Torkelson and other IDEA leaders have defended their spending practices in recent weeks, calling them part of the charter’s more business-like ethos.
On HoustonChronicle.com: IDEA charter school network grounds plan to lease private jet
Torkelson argued the jet would increase staff efficiency as IDEA rapidly expands across Texas, Louisiana and Florida. The eight-passenger jet lease was projected to cost nearly $2 million per year, to be paid out of private donations.
The AT&T Center accommodations, district officials said, served as rewards for staff and students. In a February 2019 web post, IDEA leaders said employees gained access to an “Employee Appreciation Suite” for reaching performance goals, earning a “master teacher” designation or submitting employee referrals, among other reasons.
“It was a morale and motivational event for us,” said IDEA Judson College Prep Principal Joaquin Hernandez, who took 21 teachers and three office staff members to a Spurs game in the fall of 2018.
In interviews with the Houston Chronicle earlier this month, three IDEA board members said the district violated no laws and followed conflict-of-interest policies when conducting business with organizations and individuals tied to high-level leaders. In one case, board member and prominent donor Michael Rhodes said IDEA bought land for a Rio Grande Valley campus from his company at a below-market value, which benefited the charter’s expansion.
Still, Torkelson said the connection between some spending choices and student success “hasn’t always been strong enough,” prompting the changes.
“For each individual choice, there has been a business case — to save time, recognize good work, make an out-of-town assignment or constant travel more tolerable,” Torkelson said. “However, in IDEA’s aim to be entrepreneurial and different from traditional education systems, sometimes I’ve pushed us to a place that’s hard to defend. I’m sorry I put IDEA and our friends in that position.”
IDEA enrolls about 51,000 Texas children at nearly 50 schools, most of which are located in the Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio and Austin. The network plans to open its first four schools in Houston in August 2020, and aims to enroll 100,000 students nationwide by 2022-23.
The organization has produced remarkable academic outcomes for lower-income students, helping draw donations from some of the nation’s most prominent charter school supporters and a $117 million federal grant for expansion. About 99 percent of IDEA’s Class of 2018 graduated in four years and 86 percent enrolled in a Texas college or university.
About 93 percent of IDEA’s revenue came from local, state and federal sources in 2018-19. IDEA also owns a private company that receives donations used to support the network.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect board member Michael Rhodes' company sold land to IDEA.
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