A forwarded message to everyone re: An opinion on Ohio's charter schools & their supporting state reps

Sent: March 26, 2007
Subject: Re: a study of the White Hat

Subject: Re: An opinion on Ohio's charter schools & their supporting state reps

The OEA needs to hire a very good private detective agency to work with their lawyers in identifying any illegal deals that may have come down concerning certain state representatives. Those are the politicians want to make educators accountable and public education unaffordable. They are those who have been most vocal and active in supporting this movement that has been so destructive to traditional public school students K-16, their active and retired teachers.

Ohio businesses, and the public, have been severely impacted economically due to this "experiment in failure" that has burdened the property owners, particularly those of us that are retired, and the land-owning farmers. And Ohio is known as a farming state! And, even further, college students have been hurt too. Many students have had to work for substandard wages to pay for their inflated tuition and book prices, have had their higher education made unaffordable.

In conclusion, they will be identified public and will be held accountable and responsible by the voters. But, any wrongdoing that may have occurred during this "rip-off" of public funds needs retribution. They should be held responsible by the public court system so that they can never run for office again. The public does not need these "grandstanders" who, while in office, have been so active in burdening local school districts with their political arrogance. They have not gotten the message that the public sent in the last election. Perhaps, rightly so, the courts will send them the message: Quit hurting the public's youngsters, their active and retired educators.

Name withheld, A now proud OEA-R member & an always proud CORE member

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From John Curry, March 25, 2007

Subject: a study of the White Hat

Below is a link to a report (26 pages/Adobe Acrobat Reader) which was compiled by Policy Matters Ohio -- a research organization. This study, funded in part by the OEA, really makes me understand why Ted Strickland wants to ban operation of charter schools by a for-profit company! I know, some people will say this study has a slant because it is funded by an organization that dislikes for-profit operation of charters (me too), but it is kinda' hard to fudge budget items that are listed as ZERO when they don't have to be reported to the State of Ohio - unlike public schools' line items. This paper contains some excellent full-color graphs and, the part I find most interesting, is the page after page of Zeros in the White Hat Management budget report to the State of Ohio. I would suggest that you read this report on an empty stomach as otherwise you may have to make a rush trip to the porcelain bowl! It's a long read, but it's worth the effort. John

http://www.policymattersohio.org/pdf/limited_accountability_2006.pdf