charter schools continued:
Brennan’s company called White Hat Management has 34 operational schools and enrolled 15,700 students last year.
There have been many shady issues revolving around White Hat Management and their charter schools in Ohio. First of all, charter school sponsors are often chosen and paid by the very schools they are supposed to be holding accountable. The Ohio Council of Community Schools sponsors 19 of the 34 schools; which is headed by the daughter of a pro-charter former state legislator who was a registered lobbyist for White Hat and OCCS. White Hat pays OCCS more than $405,000. All the while, Ohio charter schools are supposed to be community-based schools, overseen by INDEPENDENT boards. Also, in order to get millions of dollars in state and federal tax money, independent boards are supposed to be for non-profit. However, the OCCS has given more and more control of the state tax money to White Hat at approximately 96% of the agencies budget. White Hat now has more control and oversight than was originally intended. The teachers that they hire and pay deal with 30:1 student to teacher ratios while making $20,000 less per year than public school teachers. White Hat also hires, supervises, transfers or fires the school principals without even having to consult the OCCS. White Hat also buys and owns all supplies and equipment. In the event that White Hat and the schools separate, the schools would have to buy back all the supplies and equipment.
The facilities the school use also brings up a more than profitable situation for Mr. Brennan. The Diocese of Cleveland has set up highly favorable terms for the use of empty Catholic schools to house its Hope Academies. White Hat than charged its schools at least $1.5 million more in rent than the company agreed to pay for use of the school properties. Not to mention that because these facilities are churched owned properties, they avoided $700,000 in property taxes. Brennan also required a 2% fee to the schools for national advertisement. The company was also able to rack up $186,500 in interests for letting the schools lease computer equipment at cost plus 10%. White Hat also made 10% interest on operating loans totaling $288,400.
In the end, our legislators have essentially created and allowed Charter schools to come to Ohio, which gets Ohio tax money, under performs public schools, underpays their teachers, and making a huge profit from the tax money, operating loans, and interest from equipment. One could say that Brennan has struck it lucky rich in Ohio. Although, I’m sure that contributing $120,000 and raising $500,000 more in campaign contributions for legislatures that turned out to be for “school choice” proposals, helped. I would comment on the issue but if you read what I wrote, than you will see how I feel. The situation wouldn’t have been so bad had the students been doing better than public schools. However, this is not the case. Interestingly enough, other charter schools in other states like Massachusetts have done better than public schools and continue to do better every year. So, the answer may not be getting rid of charter schools but rather making more stringent rules and guidelines for them to follow. After all, the end product was not for someone to get rich off of running a for-profit school. The end product was for our children to have the option to have a better education regardless of who they are, where they come from, or how much money they have.
More on Diana at http://www.loraincounty.com/government/candidates/?id=115
