David Safier

More about Allsport Academy Charter School

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by David Safier

Tucson's Allsport Academy Charter School's charter should be revoked due to failing academic grades, according to Judge Thomas Shedden. The Star story gives all the necessary information but little background on the school. Here's more information based on a web search.

The school began in 2004 as a for profit corporation, Allsport Enterprises, Inc., and was granted nonprofit status by the Arizona Charter School Board in 2009, changing its name to Allsport Academy. The odd thing is, I can find no record of it filing any tax returns since it's been a nonprofit. All nonprofit tax returns should be on the NCCS website. I've never had trouble locating the forms of any nonprofit school before. It makes me wonder whether Allsport has failed to file tax returns since 2009.

Allsport has fewer than 60 students — about 55% white, 29% Hispanic and the rest listed as "unknown." According to its records, 90% of the students are on free or reduced lunch.

The school is run by Moses Montoya, listed on the school website as its Administrator and Board Chairman. Raquel Montoya is the Manager and Board Secretary Treasurer. I'm reasonably certain Raquel is Moses' wife, since, according to records I found, they are similar ages and live in the same Foothills home. Aaron Montoya, 33, used to teach at the school until he was arrested in 2010 for having an inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old student. I'm reasonably certain Aaron is Moses and Raquel's son. [I qualify the relationships by noting I'm "reasonably certain" because I don't have completely verifiable information.] This "All in the Family" situation is all too typical in charter schools, which are often family businesses — usually to the detriment of the students.

A poignant, touching story. But there’s more.

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by David Safier The Star has a lovely, feel-good story this morning about an uninsured woman, Rosie Armenta, who needed treatment for cancer. The community stepped up and helped her, donating $17,600 in six weeks. My heart goes out to the woman, and I'm impressed by the generosity of friends and strangers who helped her … Read more

ENDA the filibuster

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by David Safier Here's an interesting side note to the passage of the Employee Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) in the Senate, 64-32. A number of stories have noted that the closest the bill came to passing before this was 17 years ago when it failed by one vote. Using my "Everything-I-know-I-learned-on-Wikipedia" googling skills, I looked up that … Read more

Wow. I thought only athletes got this kind of recognition

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by David Safier Great story out of Palo Verde High. A school assembly was held, but the reason wasn't clear. When the students were assembled, out came 40 people from UA, "including cheerleaders, members of the pom squad and Wilma, one of the beloved U of A mascots." All to give UA letters of acceptance … Read more

Unverifiable touchscreen voting machines rear their ugly heads in Virginia

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by David Safier

VirginiaVotingSystemsMap_2012_legendAs I write this, the Virginia race for Attorney General is too close to call, with the Democratic and Republican candidates separated by a few hundred ballots. Once a winner is determined, the loser will have the right to ask for a recount if the margin is less than one percent, which it probably will be. The problem is, a recount will mean little more than looking at the numbers spit out by the state's touchscreen computers.

Most Virginia voters use ATM-like computers to cast their ballots, with no paper trail. If a state uses paper ballots, then has them scanned by machines, the results can be checked by counting the paper votes one by one. But if it's all done by a touchscreen machine, all you have is the machine's word for it. If the computer overcounted or undercounted, if it switched some voters' choices from one candidate to another — either because of a computer glitch or purposeful tampering with the software — no one will ever know.