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    Gloucester Daily Times... IG Report Clouds School Charter

    Uploaded by

    troy_wall3196

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    of 3
    IG report clouds school charter Page | of 3 IG report clouds school charter By Richard Gaines Staff Writer January 04,2010 05:35 am The state inspector general has found reason to dispute the legal standing ofthe Gloucester Community Arts Charter Schoo! giving its opponents — including the city’s mayor and legislative delegation — new ‘ammunition in their argument thatthe charter should be pulled and tat the schools existence wil further Aunding inequities. Ina 12-page leter to Gov. Deval Patric, Inspector General Gregory Sullivan reported said he found that the Siste Board of Elementary and Secondary Education improperly approved the Gloucester charter school application, and had no authority todo 0. ‘He asserted that the state Charter School Office's rejection ofthe Gloucester charter barred the sate Education ‘Commissioner Mitchell Chester from recommending its approval and the board thus had no business spproving it "twas beyond te legal authority” ofthe Board fo approve the charter, Sullivan wrote. "The process used in approving the (Gloucester charter application) was procedurally defective, andthe inspector general concludes that the board's granting ofthe charter was without authority of law. For these reasons, the inspector general concludes that the charter should be deemed void.” Bu the letter to be followed by an official report, has no legal impact. In implicit acknowledgement, Sullivan ‘wrote that Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester, who overrode the Charter School Office to recommend ‘the charter forthe Gloucester school andthe beard which approved his recommendation on a 6-5 vote, either take action to change regulations and procedures" or follow the ones that apply now Sullivan's intervention was requested by state Sen. Bruce Tar, R-Gloucester and Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante, D-Gloucester, who have questioned the process by which the higher slate bureaucratic aice ‘oantervened the finding ofthe lower office, and have opposed the creation ofthe public charter school with itsarts based curriculum, Ferrante told the Times she has a meeting scheduled for today wit Sullivan and state Rep. Marty Walz of Boston, who is co-chair ofthe legislature's Joint Education Committe, to examine options for ation. "Sen. Tarr and I have maintained since the beginning ofthe process that procedures putin place by the Legislature and the Department of Education have been followed," Ferrante sai. "Ths report by an independent, non-partisan office reaffirms that [tis very important that procedures are followed and mean something.” “Tax said itwas “incumbent onthe governor fo get his administration under contol on this issue — they are ‘disregarding his orders and the law. He (governr) demanded ection and action was ot forthcoming hntp:iwww gloucestertimes.com/punews/local_story_003224225.htmlesonves_printstory 1/4/9010 1G report clouds sctool charter Page 2 of 3 ‘Tar sai the “boards unwilling to examine i governor tobe the ial arbiter of justice here, ‘own mistakes and take corrective action. It isthe role ofthe {na prepared statement sent tothe Times, the office of Gov. Deval Pattck sid that, hil the govemor has confidence in Chest’ and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Patric "his bees concen and clear that review ofthe Gloucester charter required more transparency and has twice asked te bosed > Festa its process anc reconsider its decision." "His view has not changed,” said gubernatorial spokeswoman Kimberly Habeelin, ‘The Gloucester charter school, which has is charter in hand and is scheduled to open in September, isin the process of organizing its staff and finalizing a site. Responding othe inspector generals report, Mayor Carolyn Kirk prodded the governor todo more than "weak" the process. “iVhat the governor shouldbe doing is working wth Gloucester to improve education without harming every other child inthe disc,” Kirk said “We have the opportinity to fold the tent onthe Gloucester Charter Arts School and come to together as a community to tackle education reform in Gloucester o close the achievement gap tha exis in out spe, ‘the mayor said ‘She sai the creation of th charter schoo! will mea Up in 7 percent ofthe students, which i outrageous, third of Gloucester's state ide would have ended ‘But Kisk also sid, "We need to move past the financial arguments to how to close the achievement gap between middleclass and lower income students" She sl her opposition tothe charter school for Gloucester "does not mean we are defending the satus quo Weave to have a beter solution in place,” Kirk added. ‘Amy Ballin, chairwoman ofthe board ofthe Gloucester Community Arts School, said yestrday she had not seen th lente ffom Sulvan and deferred questions abou the Inspector General's repor ta Cala ick he schoo!’ attorney, Ina telephone interview with the Times Ist night Zick sald the inspector general's finding seemed "pre- ‘ordained and “not a good piece of work, but in any event would have no substantive impact onthe

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