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Pittsburgh Public Schools Rejects Charter School Company

Mark Roosevelt's remark about Imagine School is especially interesting. It isn't as though he's against outside agencies. In 2007 he negotiated the contract with the notorious Community Education Partners of Nashville--to handle "disruptive students." A year earlier he paid upwards of $8.4 million to Kaplan K12 to ship in a standardized curriculum for grades six through twelve. But this year Pittsburgh introduced its Empowering Effective Teachers Plan, which, though funded by the Gates Foundation, looks to be developed locally.

Imagine has had some problems with starting new schools recently. Only one Imagine school "officially" opened this year in California. Another school in St Louis took over some vacant space from a shuttered former Imagine School.

Clearly Imagine's brand name is tarnished.

by Team 4

PITTSBURGH -- A controversial out-of-state charter school company that stands to collect millions in Pittsburgh tax dollars has appealed a rejection by Pittsburgh Public Schools to charter a school in Hazelwood.
Team 4's Jim Parsons reported that the group that applied for the charter is local, but has a partnership with Imagine Schools, a commercial charter school company from Virginia that has drawn criticism from educators.

Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Mark Roosevelt said Imagine Schools is a for-profit company more interested in making money than educating students.

For that reason, Roosevelt said the school board chose not to have Imagine manage a charter school at the former Burgwin Elementary in Hazelwood.

"What Imagine does through their real estate arm is they kind of sucker people into a relationship that they don't understand the extent of," said Roosevelt.

The appeal for a charter school at Burgwin Elementary includes a budget that would pay Imagine more than $7 million over five years in rent and management fees.

Imagine spokeswoman Sarah Martin is leading a local group appealing the charter denial.
Parsons asked her what the money to Imagine Schools is for.

"That's something to be discussed after we get the charter," Martin told Parsons.

Parsons continued, "But don't taxpayers need to get that answer before you get the charter?"

"I think a better comment for that will be after we get the charter," Martin said.
Parsons said media reports showed a mixed report card for schools partnering with Imagine.

In Las Vegas, a school was cited for not having enough licensed teachers and running an illegal deficit.

In St. Petersburg, Fla., a school with an "F" rating from the state was on the verge of financial collapse.

But, in Pittsburgh, an existing Imagine school's reading scores are 20 percent higher than the district average and math scores are 10 percent higher.

Roosevelt said his biggest concern is Imagine's control over the local boards it partners with.

A 2008 internal memo from Imagine's CEO stated:
"Before selecting board members, we need to go over ... our expectations that they will go along with Imagine ... We expect them to vote for our proposal. It is our school, our money and our risk, not theirs."

Martin, of Community Service and Leadership Development, said the leaked memo was unfortunate and that it does not reflect Imagine's policies.

She said Pittsburgh people will control the charter school.

The state's charter school advisory board said it plan to announce its decision about the appeal on Tuesday.



— Team 4
The Pittsburgh Channel
2010-09-27
http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/r/25183464/detail.html

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