State closes Imani charter
The state board voted Thursday to permanently revoke the charter of Imani Institute, the first charter school in Guilford County.
The board's first vote in July was appealed by Imani officials. Parents sent letters supporting the school and more than 100 of the 130 students committed to starting the 2006-07 year at Imani, said Ronald Smith, the school's board chairman.
Despite those efforts, school officials found themselves sending out letters Thursday afternoon informing parents that Imani would not be opening its doors again. Students now must find a place at other schools. Imani will help families with the transition, Smith said.
Charters are privately operated public schools. They're meant to give families more options in schooling and provide more flexibility than traditional public schools. Charters, for example, don't have to follow the state curriculum. However, they still must give their students the state tests, which are based on the curriculum.
Imani's troubles with the state were financial, not academic. They had not filed audits for the past four years, which school and state officials attributed to Imani's former accountant who admitted he had embezzled money from the school.
How much leeway should the state give charter schools?
Comments (9)
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I realize its not an "apples & apples" comparison, but I would turn your question around and say......
"how much leeway should the stateway give public schools and the effective leadership found in Guilford County?"
Posted on August 4, 2006 8:28 AM
Buck, your question should be: How much leeway should the voters give our Board of Education and their Administrator, Dr. Grier? Apparently a lot, since only one BOE seat is being contested in Nov 2006.
Posted on August 4, 2006 4:45 PM
I wish the children and thier families had been considered top priority when this decision was made by the Charter Advisory Board and the State Board. Since the accountant obviously knew he was embezzeling public funds, what steps did the state take after the accountant delayed the first audit? I'm a parent, not a teacher or a principal, but I would think after 3 years, the board would have advised a school what action to take after an auditor and accountant delayed the completion of an audit.
Posted on August 6, 2006 12:42 AM
Bubba,
I guess we'll just have to rely on the power of prayer to take Grier to a better place where he'll be appreciated for all of his great qualities.
Lord, hear out prayers, get Grier Outta Here.
Posted on August 7, 2006 9:36 AM
Stormy,
For some reason, you feel that the NHP misgivings toward Dr. Grier are also representative of the rest of Guilford County, and you're wrong.
Apparently, the majority of Guilfordians with kids in school, as I'm certain you have kids in school since you blog so much on the CB, realize the difficulties of diversity that our system faces and that implementing change will take years and not show immediate results.
Lord Hear Our Prayers.
Posted on August 7, 2006 11:04 AM
"Will not show immediate results???"
What does that mean and what do you propose to do with the children in school now?
Well you know what we did with our child.
Dr. Grier fancies himself to be the CEO of a large company, well for the salary he commands for himself and his handpicked underlings I believe results should happen now.
Posted on August 7, 2006 8:51 PM
Buck,
I meant to say, "..not show significant immediate results."
I'm aware of your decision to take your child out of the public school system. However, your activist voice as a parent with a child in the school system is what was needed to foster and bring about change, and when you made that decision to leave it, your ability to promote that change was discounted enormously.
Lord Hear Our Prayers.
Posted on August 8, 2006 9:31 AM
As far as we know Buckmtn still pays property taxes in Guilford County and funds the public school system. His ability to promote change is certainly NOT to be discounted.
Posted on August 8, 2006 11:41 AM
Bubba, when things "appeared" to be going great there was no need to be an activist. My error was in believing things were OK and entrusting my child's education to an incompetant School Board.
Now it looks like after 2 years the School Board has Southwest swirling in the bowl just like several other schools within the Guilford County system.
Sorry to say that at this point I just look to fix my little piece of the world.
I totally disagree with Hillary, IT DOES NOT TAKE A VILLAGE.
Posted on August 8, 2006 3:40 PM