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blame game

February 25, 2010

Queens charter fight flares as parents, teachers turn on board

by , at 8:30 pm

A teacher contract fight at Merrick Academy Charter School has expanded into a dispute over the school’s financial and physical conditions.

Emails sent to GothamSchools offer a window into a school where parents, teachers, and board members are locked in a bitter fight, trading accusations about mismanagement, ceiling leaks, and an alleged lack of textbooks. Problems began late last year when teachers and union officials accused the charter school’s board of spending millions of dollars on a for-profit management organization, Victory Schools.

Now, teachers and parents are blaming the board for shortchanging students on classroom supplies and not making needed repairs. In response, the board is accusing teachers of fabricating the problems. Meanwhile, the school’s founding principal has left suddenly, citing personal reasons.

In 2007, an overwhelming majority of teachers at Merrick Academy voted to make the United Federation of Teachers their exclusive bargaining agent, but since then the UFT and school’s board have yet to reach a contract agreement. Last December, UFT officials held a news conference in front of the school to protest its contract with Victory Schools.

Kenneth Eriabadour, who has two children in the K-6 school, said he’s concerned about financial mismanagement.

“The school has no adequate heat, all the roofs are leaking,” he said. “There are no books, there are no materials for these children to study with. I used to go to Wal-Mart and get papers and pencils to send to school every week. Where is all the money going?”

Parents have been lodging their complaints with SUNY Charter Institute, which authorized the school and is tasked with its oversight.

Executive director of the institute, Jonas Chartock, said the institute forwarded parents’ complaints to the school’s board.

“The Institute was satisfied that the school had taken appropriate measures to address relatively common issues for school buildings — the temporary use of supplemental heaters when the furnace was being repaired and for classrooms where the existing heating system is now insufficient were installed and the school is working through appropriate channels to have the leak issues addressed,” he wrote in an email.

Interim principal Carolyn Thomas directed calls about the school to board president Gerald Karikari, who did not return calls for comment.

Opened in 2000, Merrick Academy’s founding board included Congressman Gregory Meeks and State Senate President Malcolm Smith, both of whom have left the board. Smith’s former business partner, Darryl Greene, still sits on Merrick’s board. In 1999, Greene was convicted of stealing half a million dollars from city agencies and, earlier this month, he backed out of business ties he had with the company selected to run a video slot machine parlor at Aqueduct Raceway.

The Department of Education’s charter school office has little contact with Merrick leaders, as the school is authorized by SUNY and leases its own building.

Here’s the email Jonas Chartock, executive director of SUNY Charter Schools Institute, sent to me:

The Institute was informed in writing yesterday that Merrick’s principal was taking an indefinite leave of absence for personal reasons. Long time assistant principal Carolyn Thomas has been named interim principal.

In the past two months, the Institute has received several complaints funneled through a small group of individuals in the school community. The Institute also received a letter of complaint from UFT President Michael Mulgrew. Prior to this period, the Institute had received few if any complaints about the school.

Per our policy, we referred all complaints to the school and its board of Trustees, with the exception of those involving the health and safety of students. An issue was brought to our attention regarding a heating problem and a leaking roof. The Institute’s Vice President and General Counsel spoke with the school’s board chair, a member of the board, the head of the parent teacher association, and the school’s principal. The Institute was satisfied that the school had taken appropriate measures to address relatively common issues for school buildings — the temporary use of supplemental heaters when the furnace was being repaired and for classrooms where the existing heating system is now insufficient were installed and the school is working through appropriate channels to have the leak issues addressed.

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  • http://www.nycsa.org/blog/ Peter Murphy

    What should not be overlooked in this dispute at Merrick is that the state-imposed charter funding freeze–urged by the teachers unions (UFT & NYSUT)–resulted in a loss to Merrick of approximately $500,000, which would have been plenty of money to provide pay raises (more than 10k per Merrick employee). Whatever factors affected the faculty’s decision to join UFT, it is the UFT that went against their interests by urging the legislature to impose this charter funding freeze. Absent this funding freeze, which Gov. Paterson has proposed to continue into next year (costing another half million dollars), this contract dispute could have long been amicably settled. It’s easy to attack a management company, but it’s the UFT that is responsible for costing the school $1 million over two years if the funding freeze remains for next year. http://www.nycsa.org/blog/2009/12/uft-caused-500000-budget-cut-from.html.

  • Long Time Parent

    What is so sad is that it would seem teachers aren’t doing any research. They are being lead blind by an organization that is promising something that may be unattainable due to the funding freezes. At first I was right behind the teachers. I believe they should get raises. And then I learned that they have been refusing them. Last summer the Board mailed to parents their proposed salary raises. They were the same for the first several years as the NYDOE scale and then a little less afterwards. Given the fact that that their funding isn’t guaranteed from year to year I thought it looked like a fair proposal. If they had accepted, teachers would have already received two raises. It’s a shame. Merrick has some really good teachers and they will probably leave because they haven’t received their raise. They need to take a good look at what is being offered and stop allowing someone who doesn’t have their best interests at heart speak for them. They are being led to slaughter.

  • Another Long Time Parent

    I agree with Long Time Parent, these teachers are being lead to slaughter. I can not believe that these teachers who are educated are not doing thier research for themselves and allowing someone else to lead them to the slaughtering field!. I have spoken to administration regarding some of the complaints regarding the heat, leaking ceilings and lack of school supplies and I feeling very comfortable that they are doing everything to remedy these problems. As far as Mr. Eriabadour having to go to Walmart to purchase school supplies for the school, I don’t know why. When the school has adequate school supplies and books. I have gone to the school and went into various classrooms to investigate for myself to see if in fact the students had their required books and the answer was yes they did! As far as paper there is paper in the school, so if Mr. Eribadour had to buy paper, pencil and other supplies that was on his on accord or by the urging of the UFT!! Teachers WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE!!!! You are being manipulated.

  • Very Concerned Charter Parent

    Do you think that Mr. Eriabadour or any other parent would want to spend additional monies for supplies that the school has failed to supply? Or complain about the much needed repairs to a building that houses their children? Apparently there is a problem! Let’s not astray from that fact that there is a huge financial mismanagement crisis going on at Merrick. If the founders and board of trustees of schools are not concerned for neither parent or teachers there. Their only concern is the dollar amount value that are attached to our children. They wouldn’t even have the nerve to send their son/daughter, niece/nephew, granddaughter/grandson to this school ! The only loss of monies that has happened to Merrick comes from the greed of it’s founders and board because they decided to place money in their pockets rather than educate the children at Merrick! I commend Mr. Eriabadour and any other parents that voices their concerns publicly.

  • Charter Profiteers conversation

    Charter Billionaires: We have a crisis. Charter parents are starting to ask questions about how we’re managing charter schools. They asking for transparency and accountability. They even asking that we educate special ed and ELL students. We need to put a stop to this immediately.

    Charter school leaders: Yes, this is a crisis. Well, we were successful at pitting district parents and charter parents against each other. We have them fighting one another. We can’t allow these parents to interfere with our charter school businesses. We’re gaining market share. There’s too much money to be made from all the black and hispanic children.

    Charter Billionaires: Well, since it’s NYCPA educating and fighting for parents and students rights. Why not use the same strategy we used pitting charter parents against district parents but instead let’s use charter parents to undermine NYCPA.

    Charter school leaders: That’s brilliant. We’ll start having charter parents we can control disparage NYCPA. We can’t do it directly so let’s use them.

    Charter Billionaires: Yes, that’s the way to go. After all, how dare these black and hispanic parents charter parents ask us any questions.

  • Charter Profiteers conversation

    FYI – New Covenant Charter in Albany to be closed. This school is managed by For-Profit company, Victory Schools Inc. The same company that manages Merrick!!!

    They’ve had high student and teacher turnover and the financials are UNSOUND.
    So, Victory got paid but now these children and families will suffer and have to find new schools.

    Now, the families of Merrick are suffering. Wake up parents, with Victory’s 1.3million dollars they making each year all they doing mismanaging the school. You have convicted felons, convicted for stealing money on your board.

    “SUNY’s Charter Schools Institute has twice recommended New Covenant’s closure, citing the school’s bleak financial picture and lagging academic performance. More than $15 million is owed on the building and the school’s expenses exceed its revenues by $1,700 per student, according to the institute. The school has a high teacher attrition rate and loses two-thirds of its students every few years, the institute found.”

    Third time and now all chances are over. SUNY is closing them down and Victory is rich with the money.

    Merrick like New Covenant is going to close eventually because you allowing Victory Schools to rob you blind. Wake up and stand up for your kids education.

    That 1.3million should be spent on your kids!

  • http://www.sinksalive.blogspot.com KitchenSink

    CPC – last time I checked, Victory Schools was founded to remove the “administrative burden” off of schools so they could focus on instruction. They charge money for their service, much like any vendor that works with the DOE would. The $1.3 million fee – or whatever number you can find because I haven’t bothered looking, but I’m sure it’s publicly available since charters are public schools with authorizer oversight and higher accountability than district schools – is certainly paid in exchange for services. Schools can “unaffiliate” with a for-profit provider much more easily than other groups can drop an affiliation (say, teachers un-unionizing, to give a controversial example) since the management service is just a contract.

    CPC, when you have facts instead of nonsense please respond.

  • http://www.sinksalive.blogspot.com KitchenSink

    Reading the article more closely, it sounds like there are a lot of inconsistent perspectives on how money is being spent. If contract talks are at an impasse perhaps an arbitrator would be helpful.

  • A true stake holder

    KS – Does your charter school that you run really focus on instruction? Maybe the management group your affiliated with has eased your adminstrative/finanicial duties so much so that it has caused an influx that reaches your salary/pocket before it actual reaches the needs of students. But what do i know? I’m just a charter school parent that actually cares about the quailty education that ALL children receive, I have no finanicial stake, unlike you a prinicipal that PAYS organizations such as CPAN to keep parents abreast from what is truly going on. Believe me charter parents are becoming aware what the TRUE facts are. Hope you are dotting your I’s and crossing your T’s! It would be such a shame for you to get exposed!

  • http://www.sinksalive.blogspot.com KitchenSink

    TST, I’m sorry for your pain, whatever is causing it. If your child attends a corrupt or bad charter school and you’ve tried to get some answers from its board then it’s time to leave…and drop a concise but comprehensive letter to the appropriate authorizer.

    In response to your questions, yes (to quality instruction) and no (no management group). We don’t pay any organization to keep any information from any parent. In fact, we have an open door policy.

    As for this very interesting CPAN-vs-NYCPA debate happening on another Gotham Schools strand, I used to think it was bad for all these different charter parent groups to be starting up and splintered. I mean, a united voice is best, right? But after reading the comments, I see there is a place for a thousand flowers to bloom. Badly behaved charters (that is, those that break the letter or spirit of the law – which, by the way, will be found out thanks to greater oversight, unlike the DOE principals that break the law, which is rarely uncovered) are very bad for the charter movement. If some parent organizations are focused on advocating externally for the equal public resources that charters deserve, and others are focused on keeping the charter movement honest, hey, that’s great.

    You wouldn’t know it from reading the haters on this site, but there are those of us in the charter movement, and my experience tells me it’s the overwhelming majority, who are in it for increased educational opportunities for kids and families, not to prove a political point.

  • Pissed off parent

    KS, why should the parent (s) leave? Where is the accountability in charters that you speak of? Why are these charters allowed to violate ed law, charter law and their by-laws? Why is the answer from people like you to parents is always “take your child out”?

    Charters are public schools funded by public money so it’s time for more public oversight to stop the corrupt and incompetent boards some charters have.

  • http://www.sinksalive.blogspot.com KitchenSink

    Take your child out if you don’t like the school – and go to another charter. That’s my advice, since you asked! Part of the accountability of the charter movement is that parents will vote with their feet. If the school sucks – or if it’s corrupt – parents need to leave. There is no chance for a charter school to survive if no parents choose to attend it.

    As for charters being allowed to violate ed law or other laws, they are not “allowed.” If they/their boards ARE cheating, they are sneaking! And it’s the authorizer’s job to find them out and stop them! That’s the purpose of the annual reviews and every five years re-authorization or closure.

    Unfortunately, it’s no one’s job in the DOE to stop DOE principals and others from cheating…I think Patrick Sullivan tries, but I’m not sure if he knows where to sniff…

  • Underminding Progression

    It is not the parents or children that are corrupt KS, its individuals such as yourself, and CPAN/CENTER. The upcoming charter school hearings will bring the charter dirt to light.

  • http://nyceducator.com NYC Educator

    “Unfortunately, it’s no one’s job in the DOE to stop DOE principals and others from cheating”

    That’s absolutely true. There was not enough oversight with the old Board of Ed, but a lot more than there is now–pretty much none at all. Sol Stern and Andy Wolf wrote a great essay on this topic.

  • Queens parent

    Interesting that Merrick was founded by the charters and mayoral controls biggest advocate in Albany, Malcolm Smith.

    Smith received a $10,000 campaign contribution from Klinsky, the head of Victory Schools. While Victory is being paid $1.3million a year to manage Merrick that Smith founded. What an incestuous relationship.

    But, yet they want to say the teachers are being greedy asking for a raise.

  • Underminding Progression

    KS -Take your child out if you don’t like the school – and go to another charter. That’s my advice, since you asked!

    Wow! I can see that you are surely one of the many charter school leaders that either expel, push, or “counsel out” your students. You of all people should know that if a parent is not happy with their charter school that they can not simply enroll their child in another charter school mid-way through the school year . That’s is what lotteries are for right? But here is the catch, after October 31 once you have allocated monies for a student for the academic year, if they decided to leave or are forced to, the charter school keeps the money. SNEAKY, SNEAKY! This money does not follow the student once they enroll in another school. And yes it’s the authorizer’s to find out iF a school is cheating but depending on the authorizer it could be very relaxed process, especially if the DOE is the authorizer.

  • http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/C57FF135-742C-4532-B2BD-9A7BF72E47FC/28637/CharterSchoolsFundingOverviewDocument20072009.doc Tell the Truth

    >But here is the catch, after October 31 once you have allocated monies for a student for the academic year, if they decided to leave or are forced to, the charter school keeps the money. SNEAKY, SNEAKY!

    This is incorrect. Charter schools receive per-pupil funding on an FTE basis (full time equivalency). If a student is enrolled for a full year, they are considered 1.0 FTE. If it is for 1 day, it is 1/180, or approximately .00556 FTE (or about $70 total per day per student).

    BEDS day counts are not connected to foundation aid/per pupil aid, as they are for traditional public schools. A charter school that had a student leave after BEDS day would receive the exact funding for the proportion of the student’s year spend being served by that school. There is a reconciliation at the year which calculates exactly how many days each student was enrolled and the state reimburses the charter school for underpayment or takes back money for overpayment. Click my name for an explanation of how charter schools receive funding for students.

    Next conspiracy theory please, keep ‘em coming.

  • http://www.sinksalive.blogspot.com KitchenSink

    Undermining, I will make one final, two-part suggestion that you (a) stop playing the powerless victim (which is much easier to do) and (b) take advantage of the considerable opportunity you have as a parent to exercise choice.

    We encourage families to apply to multiple charter schools before the lottery. We encourage families to visit if they can, talk to their friends and family and make an informed choice before enrolling. At our school, our positive reputation has increased with time.

    You should do what’s best for your child, so if there’s no viable option mid-year then of course you should transfer in the fall. But along the way, by being specific and compelling and wide-spread, you can do a lot of good for the district and charter schools by exposing whatever practices need to be exposed by telling YOUR friends, family and neighbors about your experience. The most damning thing you could say would be, “I tried to get answers and no one gave me information. I followed the complaint policy and no one got back to me.”

    Of course, if you didn’t try to get answers and you are just venting (and spreading incorrect and damaging rumors like the per-pupil funding inaccuracy), then see (a) above.

    And finally, to all the commentors who have asked why I use a pseudonym, Undermining is Exhibit A. If my real name and school affiliation were listed, his or her slanderous accusations and assumptions would inevitably and incorrectly be associated with us. I enjoy the freedom to speak my mind – and I don’t care what anyone says personally about me – but I have a precious school community to protect, and I won’t have anyone lying about it in a public forum!

  • Ellen

    “I think Patrick Sullivan tries, but I’m not sure if he knows where to sniff…”
    KS: do you have a suggestion for the sniffees?

  • Teacher

    IN RESPONSE TO THE PARENT WHO SAID THAT WE ARE BEING LED BLIND. MERRICK TEACHERS VOTED ON ACCEPTING THE PROPOSAL THAT WAS GIVEN OVER THE SUMMER. WE SAID, “OK WE’LL TAKE IT.” BUT GUESS WHAT? THE BOARD TOOK BACK THEIR OFFER!

    AFTER MAILING THOSE LETTERS OVER THE SUMMER THEY DECIDED, “WE DON’T HAVE MONEY FOR THAT OFFER. FORGET IT.”

    SO PLEASE DON’T SAY THAT WE HAVE NOT ACCEPTED THE BOARD’S OFFERS.

  • Education Advocate Susan

    I too went to Merrick and spoke with parents and teachers. In fact there were buckets collecting rainwater on a rainy day in one classroom and spaceheaters (which are unsafe) in others to help regulate heat. One parent who volunteers at the school told me that many classrooms did not have enough textbooks for all the kids and teachers said that the reason that they originally wanted to unionize was because they were not treated with respect. The teaching assistants don’t have sick days or health coverage and the school hired a union busting law firm to represent them(Jackson Lewis) and froze teachers salaries for two years. Sounded to me like some of the Victory money could go back into the school. What do you think?

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