L.A. Unified drops two charter schools
Los Angeles school officials Tuesday voted not to renew the operating agreements of two charter schools involved in a cheating scandal last year. The decision could lead to a shutdown of all six schools run by the Crescendo organization.
The Board of Education’s vote was based on information that a principal implicated in the scandal had been hired by the Celerity charter organization, which was brought in to manage the Crescendo schools. L.A. Unified officials had explicitly directed that no former Crescendo principals could work for Crescendo or for Celerity.
“This was beyond not following the agreement we had,” said L.A. schools Supt. John Deasy.
Celerity Chief Executive Vielka McFarlane said she hired the principal, Sheryl Lee, before Celerity was invited to manage Crescendo schools. “We cannot … terminate an employee over an issue we were not aware of,” McFarlane said.
Countered Deasy: “If Celerity was unaware, they would be the only human beings in L.A. County unaware.”
Officials began the revocation process against Crescendo in March after allegations that principals and teachers were ordered to use actual test questions to prepare students for state standardized tests. A few weeks ago, Deasy indicated he would support keeping the schools open, based on reforms. Instead, the two charters were not renewed and the other four schools face revocation.
An attorney and a Crescendo board member said later that Crescendo’s board would probably reimburse Celerity if it would break its contract with Lee.
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