Auditors, too, cited lack of cooperation and are still attempting to get some information through a court order. The report cited Epic’s lack of transparency, intentional avoidance of disclosure by its for-profit management company and a lack of cooperation as a difficulty in completing the investigation. The grand jury will resume its investigation of Epic when it meets June 1-3. They were critical of the lack of oversight from the state Department of Education, the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board (which authorizes Epic One-on-One), Rose State College (which authorizes Epic Blended), Community Strategies (Epic’s nonprofit school board), and the Legislature. In the report, the grand jury says the public expects more from the entities responsible for overseeing Epic. We will continue to fully cooperate in sharing any information we have with the grand jury,” she wrote. The school itself has fully cooperated in providing public records. “Epic’s Board of Education has since October 2020 made significant corrective actions, including Epic Youth Services no longer operationally or financially managing or controlling the school. Shelly Hickman, assistant superintendent for Epic, reiterated that in an emailed statement sent Thursday. Please reload the page and try again.Įpic has implemented a number of changes based on the auditor’s findings and recently reached a settlement with the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board by agreeing to additional concessions. Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. We will closely examine the most appropriate steps moving forward in consultation with the State Auditor and other state officials.Grand Jury: Epic Charter School 'system ripe for fraud' - Oklahoma Watch Close These changes are rapidly transforming the education landscape and it is critical that laws, policies and infrastructure keep pace to ensure transparency and accountability. “As the coronavirus pandemic has made clear, there is no question that virtual instruction and innovative models are important options for many students and families. It is one thing for a public school to utilize the services of a private vendor, which is common practice, but when that private vendor operates the school in question and can manipulate that structure to obfuscate or mislead, there is something systematically wrong.
“In an education environment where every dollar is being stretched to the limit, these findings are deeply disturbing. “I am committed to working with Superintendent Hofmeister and the Legislature to ensure our public education funding provides the maximum benefit for our students and teachers.” – Governor Kevin Stitt We expect every Oklahoma student to have access to high quality options that are transparent about their performance and accountable to taxpayers. We know parents want educational options, especially in light of how education has shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I am grateful for Auditor Byrd’s extensive work on this report and agree that her findings are not representative of all public charter schools or alternative forms of education. Our state has recently invested in public education at the highest levels in our state’s history, and Oklahomans deserve accountability and transparency on how their hard-earned tax dollars are being spent.
“While we are still reviewing the entire contents of the audit, the initial findings are concerning. OKLAHOMA CITY (October 1, 2020) – Governor Kevin Stitt and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister issued the following statements today regarding the investigative audit of Epic Charter Schools released by Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd:
0 kommentar(er)
