Member-only story
Parents Against Accountability
If charters perform as well as their supporters allege, then why do they resist any attempt to hold a magnifying glass to their operations?
- Johnathan Williams, The Accelerated Schools
Like the “America, love it or leave it” crowd in national politics, charter supporters will venomously attack anyone who dares to criticize the operations of these schools. This was exemplified by Los Angeles County School Board President Alex Johnson who defended the academic failures of one of the Magnolia Charter Schools by accusing me of being “against high-quality education for black and brown students”. The same false claims of racism were also used against former LAUSD Board Member Bennett Kayser, along with attacks based on his medical condition. A parent who is a frequent critic of the Accelerated Charter Schools was told that she should start “looking at the glass, the kids, the School as half full, and appreciating the asset and building on it”. Instead of complaining, she should “see the light and begin to operate with in [sic] it.” Life is much easier if you join the cult.
Charter administrators are not the only ones guilty of creating climates where anyone who questions a school’s operations are ostracized, harassed or threatened. Ignoring the welfare of their own children, there are parents who are willing to ignore any evidence of wrongdoing at these publicly funded private schools in order to worship at the altar of “school choice”. This was probably best exemplified when news broke last year that David Fehte, the Executive Director of El Camino Real Charter High School, had used his publicly financed school credit card to charge “$15,500 at Monty’s” Prime Steaks & Seafood, “first-class airfare and luxury hotel…
