Reply to So this is where all the money is going at DC Charters?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I don't work at a Charter but know many who do. Can't talk about elementary but at middle and high, teachers are paid very low salary and that is why there is a constant churn and many of the new charters are in trouble, part of the problem they can't keep their staff. I just cannot believe the salary that some of the admin are raking in, and these schools are not the highly regarded ones we read about on DCUM. Principals at DCPS who work in some of the hardest to staff schools East of River are making peanuts in comparison and working in very difficult, and dangerous environments. These data is shocking to me, then of course there are the consultants who are connected to the PCSB, the lack of transparency at that organization needs to be investigated now. Children's education should not be profit driven..

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/city-desk/article/21045319/dc-charter-administrators-have-some-of-the-highest-school-salaries-in-town-their-teachers-some-of-the-lowest[/quote]

I've been a teacher at two charter schools for the past 10 years.  I know what I signed up for when I left a 20+ year career in the private sector to be a middle-school math teacher.  My annual salary is a fraction of what I made.  But, doing something meaningful for underserved students mattered more to me that the 24/7, higher-paying job. The lawyer in the article who was "shocked" by her pay is either horribly naive or wants it both ways - teacher job with lawyer pay.  No one forced her to take a job she didn't want.  She made a choice.  We all do.  It's not like there was a bait and switch, starting at one salary and then getting downgraded to a lower one.

This article highlights outliers not "data".  There are some 100 charter schools in the District.  Most are well run and staffed by hard-working, honest, ethical people.  Every year, a few rotten apples are outed.  Remember the mess from Community Academy PCS four or so years ago?  Each time there's a story on an outlier, everyone piles on to say the whole system is corrupt and broken.

Some facts:
1. Charter schools are independent non-profits that file 990 tax returns with the IRS annually.  They're accessible easily and for free from many sources (PCSB, the school --- some, or Guidestar).  There's a ton more financial data anyone can pour through about a charter school than any individual public school.
2. Charter schools are on their own for 100% of the cost running a school -- staffing, salaries, benefits, space (rent, buy, financing), maintenance, furniture, computers, utilities, grounds care, supplies, books, security, accounting, student data, etc. etc. etc.  That's way beyond what a DCPS principal manages.
3. Charter schools are funded on an annual basis, period; and it's based upon student enrollment.  My fellow teachers and I work our butts off because we care about the students and want our school to succeed.  Why?  Students = funding = staffing+resources+facilities+supplies+ . . . .

Please, please . . . focus on data and facts, not outliers and grumpy people who made a choice they don't like.  The teachers at my school and the majority I interact with will be grateful.
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They exacerbate the problem, but THEY I mean the DC Charter School board and the lack of accountability shouldn't have to file a FOIA to find out information on teacher salary, they are using public money. They are not private schools. The relationship between TenSquare and Real Estate developers. You can't have it both ways either. These schools could operate as private schools but they don't want to, they want to take public money then they need to allow PUBLIC scrutiny. No one forced the Charters to open, operate in DC, or take public money either...and there is nothing noble about having a majority just out of college "teachers operate in a school with 100% of children from another culture or community. Which I have seen in my time, .a shocking lack of diversity among teacher staff at some schools except for the aides and custodians!!!!!!!!

You chose to operate in a Charter so just like public schools you have to be open to the scruitiny. Charter schools want it both ways, you take the money but want to be able to do what you want with it. Sorry, doesn't work like that...

Are all DC charters the same, no but ... lots of questions deserve to be asked and answered.

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50% of public school students are enrolled in charter schools so they must be doing something right as a whole.  Bad ones out there?  For sure.  Same can be said for public schools (just read a posting about Hardy and bullying -- pretty unnerving).[/quote]

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