by David Safier
This morning I posted about Buzz Mills being shot down on his 1-to-1 teacher to administrator lie by the able and well-researched Brahm Resnik. (Why don't interviewers always come in with facts and information like that, based on what they know the interviewee is going to say?)
I mentioned as an afterthought that Mills cited a charter school, Benchmark Charter, that he said has about 600 students and only 3 people who aren't teachers on the staff.
Commenter Parent X tore Mills' assertions to pieces, using the school's 990 tax filings. I also did my own research on their state financial reports and called the school for more information.
Here are some facts behind Mills' "I think I'll just make stuff up" delivery.
- Benchmark Charter's average daily attendance report for 2010 says they have more like 400 students (I'm not counting their preschool students, since those aren't part of charter school funding). Mills was only 150% too high, not bad in relation to his administrators to teachers ratio for school districts, which was about 500% too high.
- Benchmark's 4 "charter directors" make a combined total salary of about $353,000. That's 4 directors — let's call them administrators, shall we? — for 400 students. Mills said they only have 3 people who aren't teachers.
- Benchmark has no cafeteria, so it has no need for food service workers or a kitchen administrator.
- Benchmark doesn't provide transportation for its students, which means it has no bus drivers or transportation administrator.
- Benchmark hires an outside custodial service instead of keeping maintenance people on the staff. I imagine — and I'm only guessing here — when something serious goes wrong with the school building, they hire a private business to take care of the problem.
Find me a traditional public school that doesn't offer food or transportation services, and I'll show you a bunch of parents storming the school with torches and pitchforks. But that school would have a lot fewer non-teaching employees. Find me a traditional school that hires out for custodial services, and I'll show you a school with still fewer employees.
So Mills is comparing a full service traditional school with a charter school that supplies educational services only.
I'm not disparaging Benchmark in any way. From its stats, it looks like a successful K-6 charter with a 82% white students who, I'm guessing from the stats, come from mainly affluent, educated families. Its academic numbers are quite high, and I'm sure its parents are reasonably satisfied with what they're getting.
It's Mills I'm after, who either lied or distorted the student numbers and the number of non-teachers connected with the school, pulling his facts out of his nether regions.
That makes Mills the rule, not the exception, with today's Republican politicians. Not a word that comes out of any of their mouths can be taken at face value. To paraphrase conservatives' Papa Reagan, when you see Republicans' lips move, "Don't trust, and be sure to verify."
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You caught me, Meanie. All those awful things I’ve said about Brewer’s policies, those seemingly heartfelt criticisms of what she stands for? Mere ruses to throw everyone off the scent.
I am the Brewer mole, burrowed deep in Blog for Arizona.
Bwa ha ha ha!
David Safier is a Brewer supporter? BforAZ has been infiltrated by the wingnut fifth column? That’s funny stuff.
I would like to talk to you one on one or even in front of the camera’s on this topic and several others for which you have posted. I can tell you as a professional working and certified through the state of Arizona I will not lie to anyone about what I know. I have taken an oath to the state of AZ to protect its people against all enemies foreign and domestic and to protect the rights and freedoms of the people of AZ.
I will tell you this much and I will quote and can prove on my own testimony. Buz MILLS is one of the most honest people I know within the state of AZ and he will literally give you the shirt off his back if you are in need. He reaches out to people and fixes problems.
MILLS will not go out of his way to great problems such as that of BREWER. Here is some food for thought for all of you wanting to bash MILLS and call him a liar. He is not perfect, and yes he may rely on other people for information he is provided. MILLS is honest and hard working.
MILLS is all for gun rights and all for helping this state get back in the right direction. There are several other subjects if you are going to bash his name you may want to consider. Ok, I will agree a few numbers here and there may not be perfect but big deal. Look at the grand scheme of things.
He has created more jobs and has helped citizens in AZ. MILLS will help lead this state where it needs to be. If you want to see what J. BREWER has done for this state I will quote an article which is public knowledge and should be read.
Its obvious by your words you are a BREWER supporter so think of this while you are bashing MILLS, I want you to know exactly who you are supporting and what you are willing to stand behind as you make your way to the polls.
BREWER has done nothing but take away from the children of this state and she has done nothing for those of us who stand by to protect it. I have lost hours, money, and health care for my children due to her selfishness.
Thanks to BREWER I know have to sit hear eating hot dogs waiting to save for three paychecks before I get enough money to go grocery shopping due to having to spend half my paycheck on healthcare for my children.
These are the types of things MILLS will not tolerate and will fight against. MILLS understands family values. He allows people who work for him the comfort and trust to take care of family first and worry about him second. MILLS knows and understands the value of a dollar.
Here is some interesting reading for you and these are true and certified and if you would like a copy of the actual legistation then look it up since you like to research so much as it is clearly there.
And I quote from the aricle published in the States New Service 2010, This is what BREWER has in store for the great state of AZ.
Gov. Jan Brewer have passed and signed some of the “craziest” legislation Arizonans have ever seen, they said.
This year, BREWER managed to pass:
The Birther Bill (SB 1024) – Makes Arizona the only state in the nation to require presidential candidates to prove their citizenship on Arizona’s ballot.
Elimination of KidsCare -Eradicates KidsCare and Medicaid, which makes Arizona the only state in the nation to completely wipe out health care for children.
Concealed Weapons (Senate Bill 1108) -Eliminates the CCW permit requirement, which makes it harder for police to do their job and makes Arizona the only state with a high crime rate to eliminate it. The only other states to do so are Vermont and Alaska, which are mostly rural with low crime rates.
Elimination of the Department of Tourism.
Elimination of the Department of Juvenile Corrections.
Automatic Weapons in Arizona (Senate Bill 1098) – Allows automatic weapons in the state, which are prohibited under federal law. The bill says that no federal regulations apply if guns are made in Arizona.
BREWER is also considering bills that would:
Not allow people on food stamps buy cell phones or drive cars worth more than $5,000.
Make it nearly impossible for single people to adopt children.
These bills are nothing more than a waste of taxpayers’ time when the legislature should be working to fix real issues like the elimination of KidsCare, which forfeits all federal health care dollars for kids and seniors in Arizona and the real problems along our border. BREWER’s ideologues continue to make Arizona the laughing stock of the nation during tough economic times. It’s embarrassing for Arizona.
For the past two years, middle-class families and their children have struggled to deal with an economic crisis, fewer police officers on the streets and exponentially growing classroom sizes.
What has BREWER been doing for the past two years? I think they make it pretty clear by wasting taxpayers’ time on wrong-track legislation instead of working on health care for kids and seniors, jobs, education and cracking down on violence along the border and in our neighborhoods.