From today's Dispatch. H/t PFAW Right Wing Watch:
- About 500 students attend Harvest Preparatory Academy. Thirty-six teachers and two aides educate them.
But only eight are licensed, the Ohio Department of Education says. And more than one-third of staff members hadn't had a background check more than midway through the school year.
The private Christian school must meet state requirements or face serious consequences: It could be kicked out of the statewide voucher program or, worse, lose its state accreditation. That would mean students couldn't earn a state-certified diploma and might struggle to get into college.
- “Harvest Prep has a problem, and we knew about it,” said a state department of education spokesman, although apparently only now is the department conducting rudimentary inspections of voucher-funded private schools, and beginning to uncover basic certification problems.
3 comments:
yeah, they take students of all creeds. in addition, the dispatch article was pretty bad. harvest prep is actually in compliance w/ state requirements re: private schools.
One of the problems with the voucher program is that there is no check on discrimination by the schools participating.
"08" schools are private, religious schools; the state has little basis for regulating them. Perhaps they ought not be voucher eligible. Here's the rule for "oh-eight" schools:
3301-35-08 Non-chartered, non-tax supported school
A school, which is not chartered or seeking a charter from the state board of education because of truly held religious beliefs, shall annually certify in a report to the parents of its pupils that the school meets Ohio minimum standards for non-chartered, non-tax supported schools cited in paragraphs (A) to (H) of this rule.
...
(D) Teacher and administrator qualifications. Teachers and administrators shall have received a bachelor's degree or the equivalent thereof from a recognized college or university.
The nondiscrimination requirement in rule 3301-35-05 (Faculty and staff focus) has an exemption to permit consideration of religious affiliation in 3301-35-12 (Chartered nonpublic schools). So chartered Catholic, Jewish, and Lutheran schools are barred from employment discrimination, with the exception of their employees' religious affiliation. 3301-35-04 (Student and other stakeholder focus) applies to public and chartered private schools: "Establish and communicate clear, high expectations for academic performance, attendance and conduct for all students regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, English proficiency or disability;"
08 schools are also exempt from the requirements to promote the principles of democracy and ethics.
Providing first hand knowledge, Harvest Prep has a problem, the leaders of Harvest prep have a serious problem regarding the direciton of the school, and, most of all, the children are the ones who stand to lose the most. I could go on to say many things regarding specific problems. However, in the wake of such events as the Juanita Bynum reports and Paula and Randy White reports, I feel it more necessary to say to pray for Harvest Prep, World Harvest, and their leaders. It is indeed a tragedy when the love of money takes hold of men.
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