Charter Schools USA Under Scrutiny in North Carolina
Cardinal Charter Academy, a K-8 public charter school in North Carolina, managed by Charter Schools USA (a Florida-based for-profit organization), is under state scrutiny for mismanaging special education services for 76 students.
A complaint filed with the State Department of Public Instruction states that Cardinal Charter Academy did not have a certified or licensed teacher for students requiring individual education services during the first month of school.
Federal and state policies heavily prioritize Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), ensuring that students with disabilities receive specialized instruction and services. For example, the North Caroline state policy (NC 1503-4.1) states, "At the beginning of each school year, each LEA (Local Education Authority) must have in effect, for each child with a disability within its jurisdiction, an IEP."
Terri Schmitz, a veteran math educator and parent of one of the 76 students requiring IEPs, also filed a labor lawsuit against Cardinal regarding renewing her contract and shared, "It's a numbers game. They don't care about following federal regulations or the law. It's more about numbers and how many kids they can fit into that building."
Schmitz believes that her contract was not renewed because of her suit against the school. She added, "I'm continuing to pursue this so that other families can also pursue their child's rights to any accommodation their child receives from the school."
Cardinal Charter Academy is one of the nine schools in North Carolina that a national for-profit firm, Charter Schools USA, manages. The management and senior officials of Charter Schools USA have also declined to say anything on this issue.
State investigators found out that Cardinal Charter Academy had violated five out of six issues that were examined based on Schmitz's complaint, especially the policies related to teacher qualifications and proper implementation of a child's education IEP. The investigators found that 76 students couldn't receive appropriate services because of the lack of qualified teachers.
Cardinal’s legal woes are not new. Former principal Brian Bauer sued the school last year, alleging that he was fired because he tried to mandate masks at school and faced criticism from the board of directors when hiring eight black teachers.
The state is mandating that Cardinal offer compensatory education to all 76 children who were denied special education services required by federal and state law.
- S. Karn