By Gabriel Mangano
One month after their scheduled graduation ceremony, 80 of 155 Kennedy High School seniors will not be able to graduate until they make up state requirements. This is the latest scandal from New Beginnings Charter Network (NBCN). Other charter schools are failing, with sudden closings and outrageously excessive punishments and financial corruption. The toll on our children in this failed experiment will continue to grow until we demand the return of our schools as public schools operated by an elected community school board.
In March, New Beginnings administrator Dr. Runell King alerted New Beginnings CEO Michelle Blouin-Williams to 17 illegal, manually changed final grades in Algebra III from F to D. These changes were made to increase the school’s graduation rate and allow it to retain its charter, even though it received an F on standardized performance. Blouin-Williams was forced to resign over these grade irregularities, as well as forging board minutes to approve a busing contract. However, for Kennedy seniors, the horror has just begun.
King’s exposure of grade change irregularities led to the state and New Beginnings to investigate all graduating seniors and other student records. New Beginnings hired a consulting firm TenSquare, LLC at $90,000 to manage the Charter, and the firm’s research found nine distinct problems. End of Course (EOC) tests were not given, were failed or results were not recorded; incorrect class coding and failure to record final grades were frequent; transfer students had incomplete transcripts; and some students were over the state absence limit. Most outrageous was that the leadership had failed to correct the problem that allowed staff to be able to change grades. After the report, five Kennedy administrators resigned.
As a result, 80 of 155 seniors have still not been cleared to receive a diploma. New Beginnings says it will develop individual plans for credits and skills for those students who are not eligible to receive a diploma. For these students the lack of a diploma is forcing many to wonder if they will be able to attend college or trade programs or even get jobs until this mess is resolved.
So far, the pro-Charter Orleans Parish School Board has only “considered” revoking NBCN’s contract over improper grade changes and financial malfeasance (stealing). It’s clear that NBCN and the entire charter experiment has failed our children. It’s time for parents, teachers, and students to demand high quality public schools run for the education of our children instead of large paychecks for profit -making company executives who are doing a worse job than the OPSB.
Join the Erase the Board Coalition, which is fighting for our children and their right to a quality public education.