from WP: DC Misses Payment to Charter Schools

[Anonymous]

From the Washington Post this afternoon:

The District missed a $103 million payment due to its 60 charter schools this morning, triggering serious cash flow problems for many of the publicly funded, independently operated schools and raising new questions about D.C. government's ability to meet its commitments as revenue declines. The delay means that some schools will not be able to meet their payroll.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/15/AR2009071502301.html

How frustrating for schools, teachers, and parents that they can't rely on DC to make payments.

[Anonymous]

This is outrageous. Please call your Council member and at large council members today!

[jsteele]

This is absolutely ridiculous. Fenty is supposed to be the "education mayor'. If this is how he administers his top priority, I can imagine how things look lower down on his list. Of course, I'm sure the bills were paid for his heated swimming pool.

[Anonymous]

I guess we know his kids are not heading to charter schools this fall; he is trying to make sure none of ours are either?!

[Anonymous]

http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/contactuscouncil

Here is the website to contact your Council Members. Unacceptable.

[Anonymous]

At least DC is not "pulling a California" by sending out IOU's! If anyone did contact their rep, was there a reason for the late payment? How many days late is it?

I guess this another way to "starve out" the charters!

[Anonymous]

I called my Councilmembers; I only spoke to receptionists but they tallied my concern (as they would yours. Councilmembers keep careful track of all calls; especially noting your Ward. At-large members should be called by all Wards to have an impact).

From day one Fenty's admin has been anti-charter: from freezing charters out of released empty school facilities, to recent drastic charter funding slashing proposals in the city budget, to this completely unacceptable funding freeze. For charter schools not to pay their teachers on time due to DC govt. handling of their funding stream... it just boggles the mind. Then when the charters fail to thrive, Fenty is the first to pounce as 'proof' that they are a failed 'experiment'. Don't get me wrong, I think charters and DCPS schools should be held (rationally) accountable. But not unfairly knee-capped (charters) and expected to perform regardless.

Luckily the Councilmembers don't seem to be his biggest fans and are more open to supervising and encouraging both charters and DCPS capacity improvement --so please call them and tell them this is an unacceptable!

[Anonymous]

Any update on this egregious act?

[Anonymous]

this caused less outrage than it should have...

[Anonymous]

Seriously. This is a ridiculous pattern. No vote for Fenty!

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:this caused less outrage than it should have...

I agree. Maybe the schools themselves are not making much of a deal about it. If the schools are out now, they may not even have good methods of communicating with parents.

[Anonymous]

According to the schools, the issue has been resolved--but the ongoing issue of charter schools with begging bowl in hand to the Fenty admin remains...

[Anonymous]

this really scares me. we are starting in DCPS but loved many of the charters that we saw and almost went with one. i must be naive, but this seems almost unthinkable to me. my faith in fenty/rhee, in DCPCS and DCPS is seriously shaken.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for giving charters consideration, and for continuing to support school choice in DC (private, public, public/charter). Let Fenty and Rhee know that DC parents want political support for both options and excellence.

[Anonymous]

What else was not paid on time this past month; as it could not be a direct assault on Charters but a general problem with city cash flow.