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Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2008 > March > 06 > Entry
Five charters cited for fiscal missteps
Now-closed Colin Powell Leadership Academy
Five Dayton charter schools were cited by Ohio Auditor Mary Taylor’s office for financial problems in their annual audits.
The audits, released Thursday, show two schools — Academy of Dayton and New City School — with budget deficits.
Three schools cited by Taylor were begun by William Peterson, a former charter school superintendent over five schools who resigned under pressure last year. The schools formerly run by Peterson that were cited are Colin Powell Leadership Academy, Peterson Entrepreneurial Training Enterprise and Arise Sports Management Academy.
All of the audits were for the 2006-07 school year except Colin Powell’s, which is for the prior year. Colin Powell closed in January after Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann filed suit saying the school had failed to live up to its requirements as a non-profit because of its long-running poor academic performance.
Taylor issued a statement calling New City’s deficit a concern — it reached $202,319 at the end of last school year and had outstanding loans totaling $113,800.
“Operating with a deficit could lead to further financial distress if steps are not taken to control spending and eliminate the deficit,” Taylor said.
Academy of Dayton’s deficit was even higher, reaching $722,600 for the same period. New City was cited for 12 findings on issues that needed to be corrected, including failing to reconcile cash accounts monthly, excessive overdrafts costing $1,038, missing documentation for expenses and repeated errors in cash reconciliation.
Academy of Dayton was cited for five findings, including having an unlicensed chief fiscal officer and filing an inaccurate financial forecast with the state.
Peterson Entrepreneurial had 13 findings, including missing documentation of expenses, failure to have an operational budget, failure to reconcile cash accounts monthly or record revenue properly and failure to make payments to medicare.
Among Colin Powell’s eight findings were missing receipts, cancelled checks and signed invoices and failing to provide evidence of worker’s compensation coverage.
Permalink | Comments (20) | Categories: Charter Schools and School Choice
Comments
By Barb
March 19, 2008 5:05 PM | Link to this
Thanks Scott. You are the only way we have to get the information to the public who is fed information. I think Avoice is correct. Check the schedule of the Intervention specialist both on paper and in person. I am sure you realize the district can make a lot of things look good on paper. I have heard the Intervention specialists at OW only see students on paper. In actuality they spend the day in their office. Oh to have the luxury of getting things done without 31 children to help you. Perhaps check to see how many students they work with each day. What exactly is their job description? Who are they, what are their qualifications? Look at their background how did they actually do as a teacher in that position? What were their test scores were they effective teachers if not why are they specialists? Many people feel they are friends of someone, is this true? It is easy to tell someone how to teach but could these people really handle all that goes with teaching. Too bad about the blogs the way they are you have to look for specific blogs after a few days.By Avoice
March 18, 2008 10:02 PM | Link to this
Again Scott, why don�t you look at one of the DPS organizational flow-charts and speak with Dr. Brown. Perhaps he can share with you how many coaches/specialists, or whatever title the district has for people in his area, the funding source and how they can and can not be used. Then, actually get him to specifically tell you their job descriptions and how they are effectively working with children everyday. Ask him what his team does for students, not for reports or charts or cute publications. Ask him what they do for students. DPS teachers are being assessed many times and that data is available to you. Barb, the fact is that it takes time and money and a real desire and drive in investigative journalism to dig for facts. DDN is not known for doing this with DPS or the issues that have led to the last three decades of poor performance. (All one has to do is look at enrollment and the number of department heads, cao�s, and other made-up titles versus the number of classroom teachers that actually work with students every day.) It is much more cost effective to use PSA�s and mouthpieces that spend their time spinning issues that will make current and past administrations look good.(Look at the blogs from Buffalo New York and see what has happened with James Williams and his work there.) Most teachers will still do what is best for students and most administrators and department heads/cao�s will do what is best for their own personal gain.By Scott Elliott
March 18, 2008 9:25 PM | Link to this
Barb, I do intend to look into some of you allegations. It is not meant as a slight if I don’t answer a post. One of my challenges always is how to prioritize my time and expend my resources. Many times I have followed up on tips here and they have led to stories or blog posts. Many other times, they lead to dead ends. Much of what you asked me to look at was non-specific and hard to quantify. How do we know if math coaches make a difference or not? I’m not sure. The district likes to say that scores have gone up since they have been in place. Can you draw a cause-and-effect in that case? Not necessarily. But some of the specifics you cited I can follow up on. On your other question, I have no control over the physical design of the blog. Finally, I just want to reiterate that what the district or the board does or does not want me to look into has no impact on how I prioritize my time and resources.By Barb
March 18, 2008 5:44 PM | Link to this
I am sorry I so often forget the District changes the name of jobs to confuse us. I guess many of us might refer to these jobs as useless or nepotism. I can understand how the traveling intervention specialists that do not work with children need to be paid extra. I think if you really look into it you would be impressed with how the Math Olympics last year lead by many of the same people added up the team scores incorrectly and gave trophies to the wrong teams. I agree with Avoice these blogs are allowed to die if they do not agree with upper administration. Scott it really bothers me when you are asked a question and you do not reply. I ask again is it possible to change the way blogs are presented with the active ones on top?By wondering
March 17, 2008 5:59 PM | Link to this
Barb, Are you speaking of the five “traveling math specialists” or the math intervention teachers, who are in your building on a day-to-day basis? The term COACH has been eliminated this year. I do understand that the Specialists WERE paid to attend the Math-O-Lympics. For what??? To totally mess up and confuse the whole system!!! The math intervention teachers were NOT paid, but volunteered that day AND many other days to prepare their teams for the competition. As for the job descriptions, those should be open to the public. However, they are probably so vague that the upper administration is able to bounce around and get away with whatever they choose to do.By Avoice
March 14, 2008 7:31 AM | Link to this
Barb, notice how this is a non-issue. Oldprof and others will get their say and then the thread will die. Too bad, because you and other Dayton teachers know and speak the truth frequently but for the most part it dies here in the blogs. It takes too much work and time to really investigate the issues facing DPS teachers and students. It is easier if we just print the things that are fed to us by information officers and board members. Remember, the real work is done at Ludlow I & II, not in the buildings with students.By Barb
March 13, 2008 10:04 AM | Link to this
Scott could you look into the minutes, coaches job descriptions and how beneficial they are to the schools. While upper administration have found they are a necessity I think you will find classroom teachers thing they are being paid to do nothing and are more of a hinderance than a help.By Avoice
March 13, 2008 8:06 AM | Link to this
Perhaps Scott could contact Dr. Brown? Math and those coaches and their specific duties associated with this position were his responsibility. Barb, you must remember that those coaching positions are there for teaching teachers. The District feels that you need help because you did not go to college. You did not attend continuing education classes, and you are not highly qualified. You know nothing about teaching and the district likes to use your scores (the needless, district imposed assessments that you have to keep) against you. Coaches are there to teach the teachers, not students. Besides, Debra is too busy finishing her doctorate work and looking for another position to worry about doing work for DPS students. Sorry to tell you this Barb but teachers are not that important at DPS. Just ask anyone at Ludlow.By Barb
March 12, 2008 8:42 PM | Link to this
I have heard this is in the board minutes: Coaches are getting paid to go to the Math Olympics Saturday. I find that really disturbing since the teachers who have put all that time into building a team are forced to volunteer their time on Saturday. They receive no compensation at all. Is it true Orville Wright has filed a grievance because their coaches are doing nothing to help them? I had heard that when they have work to do they just close their doors and are not bothered by teachers and students. Since this is a CAO School I am sure Dr. Braithwaite has a handle on it isn’t she in all 5 CAO schools every week? At least I thought that was what was said. Maybe the board members who read this blog could look into these things and clarify for us.By School Supporter (Classic)
March 11, 2008 9:33 PM | Link to this
To Oldprof’s credit, he’s mostly civil. But given the intractable appearance of the postions taken by (warring?) parties, why would folks from the business community step in to help DPS? Yes, we have something to offer; Yes, we want to help. But the odds of being helpful don’t appear all that promising. Thoughts?By Barb
March 11, 2008 6:08 PM | Link to this
I don’t think you can expect too many people to lower themselves to come into DPS. I know Oldprof and Mary who blog a lot have said they have spent time in schools. Of course they do not say when or where, but what can you expect when our administrators or Board members do not spend time in school. They have read a lot though and isn’t that the best way to make decisions because it is always just like they read in the manual. I don’t know, I hardly every read directions that are totally accurate or even have all the parts. If only teachers would do a better job, motivate students and make all parents happy why we would be the top district in the nation with our superb leadership.By Avoice
March 11, 2008 2:06 PM | Link to this
Barb, do you really think that Old Prof understands what actually happens inside Dayton Public School classrooms? He would never consider a dialogue with teachers as an informative event. After all, we are just teachers. Old Prof is way above that. His sources are from Percy, Jill and you know who! So Barb, take it for what it is worth. His knowledge will always be limited to select dialogue. The dialogue that is nice to print, but uninformed.By Barb
March 10, 2008 9:01 PM | Link to this
Oldprof I believe teachers have used data to improve the reading score. I doubt that you will find many of the front line people who feel there is much help from Dr. Mack or coaches. I would bet that over 75% of teachers would argue the coaches are for the most part a waste. When asked to help their answer is we are not allowed to work with students. When they have something to work on they just give up working with teachers or their small group of children. A coach may not be exposed to students or teachers for 2 weeks to finish working on something such as grading or a graph, the same things a teacher is asked to do in their own time at home. Perhaps instead of giving Dr. Mack credit we should consider that teachers have taken the job more seriously as they have become more aware of how high stakes testing works. There is so much more material out there now than there was even 5 years ago. In a previous blog it was said Dr. Mack and his cronies should not be blamed for test scores falling last year, yet Oldprof wants to give them credit for the rise in the last few years. Makes you want to scratch your head. Interesting who supports the administration and the board and their relationship. I know I always take that into account when reading the blogs.By School Supporter (Classic)
March 8, 2008 11:55 PM | Link to this
Thanks for the links, Oldprof. Dr. Mack and the (former) board could have presented themselves more favorably if they had highlighted that information (rather than just an improved state report card). Does DPS track percentage of new fourth graders at grade level in reading and math? Is the curricular emphasis working?By Oldprof
March 8, 2008 12:35 PM | Link to this
Classic, DEA takes no position on instructional methods. The district’s student achievement problems were pretty fairly outlined in the Great City Schools’ report of 2002 http://www.cgcs.org/pdfs/DaytonFinalReport.pdf and you’ll note that a failure to implement a consistent curricular and instruction plan was listed there—but in the past several years many of those problems were remediated. You can read about the way Percy Mack used data to improve reading in DPS at http://www.beyond-the-book.com/leadership/leadership_020806.html Sorry to say but Mack is an exception; few education leaders—and I’d dare say none at all in Columbus—are using hard data and solid research to determine learning outcomes that are appropriate for our students.By James
March 8, 2008 8:57 AM | Link to this
The real shame is that some business leaders followed, financed and encouraged Jon Husted and Chester Finn with this Charter School Facade. And now even after Mr. Finn has admitted that the charter school “experiment” is a failure here in Dayton, who have been the real losers? Certainly not Mr. Husted and his U.D. football buddy Mr.Peterson or Mr. Finn. They continue to do very well financially while the Dayton Public Schools and the Charter Schools fight over scarce resources needed to educate under privileged children in the mist of Mr. Husted and Mr. Finn’s “experiment”. Yes, the real losers continue to be the students and the Dayton comunity. And now Mr. Husted is looking forward to being rewarded by election to the Ohio Senate next year with his dismal record on home foreclosures, job losses, economic development and school funding. Lets see just how smart our citizens will be next year and how much will we remember.By School Supporter (Classic)
March 7, 2008 5:42 PM | Link to this
Oldprof writes, “Reading, for the mainstream student, ought to be done via direct instruction and phonics IMO.” What is the position of DPS and DEA on this? What evidence has been weighed in formulating reading policy? How was “what’s best for kids” incorporated in policy formulation?By Oldprof
March 7, 2008 9:31 AM | Link to this
Rick, it seems to me that you have the greater degree of arrogance, since you think you are so privileged as to tell others what I think. I’m not an educrat, and elsewhere on this blog I’ve been quite critical of what goes in in colleges of education. Regarding instructional methods, I believe that different approaches are necessary for special education, advanced placement, and mainstream students. Reading, for the mainstream student, ought to be done via direct instruction and phonics IMO. Please try to represent me accurately in the future—or do what I do, and present your own ideas rather than a sad burlesque of others’. If that sounds like elitism to you, fine—you’re entitled to your own opinion. You’re not, however, entitled to own my opinion.By Rick
March 6, 2008 11:30 PM | Link to this
Once again Oldprof demonstrates his elite arrogance. You were perfectly happy when public education had broken down, as long as it was being run by “education professionals.” You know, the ones who tried to convince us the “whole word” method was better than phonics. Sorry, but you educrats lost your credibility a long time ago.By Oldprof
March 6, 2008 9:16 PM | Link to this
This is what happens to our tax dollars when amateurs are permitted to run schools with inadequate oversight. John Husted and the Fordham Foundation should apologize to us for being the champions of this incompetence.