Creating Integrity in the Charter School Application Process and Examining Charter Schools

Today the Joint Committee on Education heard several bills that I filed that would strengthen the integrity of the charter school application proposal process and create a working group to examine a number of issues surrounding charter schools. Finance Chairperson Kathy Clancy and Chairperson Val Gilman of the Gloucester School Committee attended the hearing and provided their testimony in support of my bills. To read the text of my bills and all the bills heard today by the committee please click here. Below are some photos taken of Kathy and Val as they spoke to the members of the committee.

Gloucester Daily Times Editorial

An editorial in today’s Gloucester Daily Times analyzes the many troubling aspects of the approval process utilized this year to consider charter school applications in the Commonwealth. I have been engaged steadfastly in efforts to investigate what has occurred in this situation, particularly with regard to the granting of a charter for a proposed school in Gloucester.

Persistence has yielded some troubling information, which emphasizes not only the need for the Governor to take action in this instance but also for legislative safeguards to be installed to ensure the integrity of the approval process, which up until now has earned national recognition for its past excellence.

Decisions about the proper education of our students must be handled with transparency, accountability and sound reasoning. I remain committed to the inclusion of these qualities in the process.

The editorial is posted below, as well as a summary of the amendments which I have added to the Senate version of a pending education bill, S.2205.



Gloucester Daily Times...Opinion Corruption Leaves No Choice but to Void Charter

Amendments inserted into the Senate version of the Education Reform Bill, S.2205:

Evaluative Materials:

- Requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to provide to the board a comprehensive written summary of all materials evaluating a charter school application no less than three days before a vote on that application.

Waiver:

- Standardizes the process for the waiver of any charter school regulations, and requires a 2/3 vote of the board of education for any waiver.

Written Findings:

- Requires that the board of education make written findings that any approved charter school meets all the legal requirements for the granting of a charter.

Seeking Integrity in Charter School Decisions

Given repeated examples of errors in the process by which a charter was granted to a proposed school in Gloucester, I requested, along with Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante, that the State Inspector General investigate the situation. He has now concluded that the process used to grant the charter contravened law and regulation.

Inspector General Sullivan has responded effectively to our request, and has committed himself to finding the truth in this matter since our request was first made. In doing so he has once again proven his commitment to promoting the integrity of the law in our state.

Please read his letter to Governor Patrick and reports from the Gloucester Daily Times and Boston Globe, which are posted below.


IG Letter to Governor 010210-11



Gloucester Daily Times...IG Report Clouds School Charter


Boston Globe...Gloucester Charter School Approval Faulted

Seeking Integrity in the System

We’re working with Inspector General Gregory Sullivan to fully investigate all of the inappropriate acts that appear to have taken place with regard to the approval and rejection of the charter schools in our Commonwealth throughout the last round of such actions. Recently the Boston Globe reported on our request for action and the Inspector General’s timely and effective response. Please copy and paste the below link into your URL bar to read the story.

http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2009/11/18/inspector_general_to_launch_probe_into_gloucester_charter_process/

Taking a Stand for Integrity

Yesterday I appeared before the Board of Education to request that it reopen the case of the granting of a charter for a school in Gloucester in the wake of the releasing of an e-mail by Secretary of Education Paul Reville in which he explained political motives in the process. Should my request not be honored I will seek action by Inspector General Greg Sullivan.

To read a news account of this situation from the Gloucester Daily Times, please click "Read more" at the bottom of this post.


Gloucester Times...Ed Board to Meet on Charter