By going all-in with
@SBAgov
and federal PPP funds, Nashville’s charter sector has admitted that they are definitely not public schools — they are small businesses or, in some cases, very large businesses. That may be the most important lasting effect of all this. 7a/7a
2
16
91
Replies
Q: Now that charters in Tennessee (and elsewhere) have officially acknowledged that they consider themselves to be small businesses, will
@BillLeeTN
and the legislature stop calling them public schools? Answer: Don’t hold your breath. 10/ cc:
@TheTNHoller
@startleseasily
2
57
219
Another Q: Why does it take a former
@tennessean
reporter (me) to flag the groundbreaking investigative journalism of a sister newspaper for the purpose of localizing this information for us taxpayers here in Nashville? Answer:
@tennessean
is the charter sector’s house organ. 11/
1
31
130
Finally: Is it overdue time for Nashville and Tennessee to tighten up accountability and oversight of small businesses known as charter schools? Answer: Absolutely. But it’ll take a village. 12/12 cc:
@VoteGloriaJ
@JRClemmons
@Campbell4TN
@TheAndySpears
@MNEA_
@memangrum
1
30
115
Very important addendum: Turns out,
@tnnaterau
(now
@axios
and formerly
@TNLookout
) was way ahead of this story back at the height of the pandemic. Maybe one day other local media will catch up.
2
54
140
More addendums forthcoming, thanks to a flood of DMs: After reading last year’s comments by KIPP Nashville executive director Randy Dowell to
@TNLookout
, another former journalist dove deeper and found the following … 1a/ cc:
@TheTNHoller
@TNEdReport
1
13
66
Despite Dowell’s false claim that KIPP was struggling to avoid layoffs, federal tax records show that, in the fiscal year ending 6/30/20 — nine days before Dowell’s comments — KIPP was flush with net assets (aka cash) of $17.7 million, or 56% of operating revenues. More … 2a/
1
16
62
Perspective: In a good year,
@MetroSchools
maintains a fund balance equal to 5% of revenues. Still worse: In the middle of the pandemic, KIPP’s Dowell gave himself a big fat pay raise. Keep reading. It gets worse … 3a/ cc:
@TheAndySpears
@TEA_teachers
@MNEA_
1
11
63
KIPP’s Dowell finished the 2020 school year making $251,806 (including $45k from “related organizations”) — thanks to a whopping 16% pay hike as the economy cratered. That rich pay package running just a handful of charters is almost as much as
@MetroSchools
’ director makes. 4a/
3
12
60
To be clear: There’s no way
@TNLookout
could’ve known all this at the time because KIPP didn’t file tax returns containing this data until a year later. But this is further proof that KIPP and the charter sector are morally (but certainly not financially ;) bankrupt. 5a/
2
14
73
Additionally, a longtime Metro government watcher flagged this excellent Feb. 2021 report by
@NC5_BenHall
on local charter schools abusing PPP. Apologies to any other local journalists whose previous work I overlooked. A major takeaway from all this … 6a/
1
12
63
1
0
1
@WillPinkston
@SBAgov
Wow… Very good work, very interesting, helpful, illuminating.. I was concerned about Tennesseeans involvement; thus not providing accurate info on serious public school issue.
0
0
2