Eagle Academy Board votes to close school

[Anonymous]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2024/08/20/eagle-academy-takeover-denied-dc-charter-board/

I'm really surprised that the takeover was denied.

[Anonymous]

Not me. I think it’s best for the kids. Let them enroll in a financing stable school where teacher will be paid on time and the lights still on.

[Anonymous]

What happens to the students?

[Anonymous]

There's going to be some kind of event where schools can recruit them, and MyschoolDC helps to identify schools in the area that have space. Plus they all have an IB school of course, and any other waitlists they might be on.

[Anonymous]

It really makes me think the PCSB was asleep at the wheel when they gave Eagle its last 5 year review. How did they miss such dire problems?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It really makes me think the PCSB was asleep at the wheel when they gave Eagle its last 5 year review. How did they miss such dire problems?

I personally think PCSB approved way too many charters in the past and let schools stay open for much longer than they should have. I find them to be a bit negligent in their duties.

[Anonymous]

PP again and there was a school a little over a decade ago that just ran out of money in the spring of a school year. Stopped pay teachers, bills, etc. That should never happen given there is an oversight board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It really makes me think the PCSB was asleep at the wheel when they gave Eagle its last 5 year review. How did they miss such dire problems?

I personally think PCSB approved way too many charters in the past and let schools stay open for much longer than they should have. I find them to be a bit negligent in their duties.

Yes, it was pretty clear from the meeting recording that they know they have way too many seats and need to rein it in. It's all fun and games to open schools, but when you hand millions of dollars to people who don't have any real estate expertise, bad leases and mortgages tend to happen. Remember Washington Math and Science high school, out by the Arboretum? They got upside down on a mortgage and had to close. It was a sad thing to see a school with a history of adequate performance suddenly fail, and the PCSB was asleep at the wheel and let it happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It really makes me think the PCSB was asleep at the wheel when they gave Eagle its last 5 year review. How did they miss such dire problems?

I personally think PCSB approved way too many charters in the past and let schools stay open for much longer than they should have. I find them to be a bit negligent in their duties.

Yes, it was pretty clear from the meeting recording that they know they have way too many seats and need to rein it in. It's all fun and games to open schools, but when you hand millions of dollars to people who don't have any real estate expertise, bad leases and mortgages tend to happen. Remember Washington Math and Science high school, out by the Arboretum? They got upside down on a mortgage and had to close. It was a sad thing to see a school with a history of adequate performance suddenly fail, and the PCSB was asleep at the wheel and let it happen.

+1


That is one thing that makes me hesitant about charters that aren’t a part of a network. Having worked at a charter myself I saw how little my leadership knew about the business side of running a charter school. And the business manager did embezzle funds (not in Dc).

[Anonymous]

The students do not all have an IB due to prek3/prek4. But there is likely space at Appletree SW locations.

[Anonymous]

https://www.washingtoninformer.com/public-charter-school-board-strikes-down-friendship-eagle-academy-deal/

This is a long article covering the story over the past few years. It seems like this was a train wreck in slow motion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtoninformer.com/public-charter-school-board-strikes-down-friendship-eagle-academy-deal/

This is a long article covering the story over the past few years. It seems like this was a train wreck in slow motion.

That was a good article. The CEO was also the CFO for several years? What the hell is wrong with the board renewing their charter without addressing these issues?

[Anonymous]

Letter here: https://dcpcsb.egnyte.com/dl/yWlJqD15T1

PCSB page here: https://dcpcsb.org/eagle-academy-pcs-updates

[Anonymous]

Very sad. Eagle should have faced consequences much earlier to give families time to plan and make alternate arrangements. As it stands, the families have 48 hours to find a new school. Some are reporting that they've called many schools and none have space for their children.

Parents on twitter - https://x.com/NickMinock/status/1826299238893912315?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

WJLA story - https://wjla.com/news/local/charter-school-dc-scrambling-eagle-academy-public-board-rejected-plan-merge-friendship-congress-heights-campuses-southeast-capitol-riverfront-southwest-parents-children-reachtions-schools-rush-academic-year-crisis#

[Anonymous]

The Eagle has landed.

RIP.