by David Safier I write a lot about the potential dangers of the profit motive in K-12 schools, because my teaching experience allows me to understand how pre-college schools operate. I avoid too much discussion of higher ed because I don't know how it works from the inside. But a few recent articles make the … Read more
by David Safier The IRS has concerns about for profit Charter Management Organizations (CMOs or EMOs) running non profit charter schools. The important term here is "running." While it's perfectly OK for a non profit charter to contract out parts of its curriculum and operation to CMOs, it's a violation of tax regulations for the … Read more
by David Safier The above-the-fold photo on the front of today's NY Times' SundayStyles section shows 4 students from Rincon High under the headline, Can a Boy Wear a Skirt to School? None of the students, male or female, appear to be wearing skirts, but the caption says that Rincon High is a place … Read more
by David Safier On Imagine School's website, you can read a list of the corporation's Six Measures of Excellence. Most of them are the usual stuff — values, achievement, character development — but one, as the old Sesame Street song says, is not like the others. The final sign of excellence is the development of … Read more
by David Safier Education scandal rags Education Week is abuzz with vaguely interested in the shocking not-terribly-exciting news that Washington D.C. Superintendent Michelle Rhee is engaged to former basketball star, former charter school operator and current Sacramento mayor, Kevin Johnson. They've been carrying on a bi-coastal romance for some time. Johnson says it will be … Read more