For-Profit Charter School Seeks Volunteer Labor???

Failing charter schools in Ohio aren’t a new story. Especially for-profit ones.

But this story from The Vindicator reveals a whole new level of mismanagement and neglect on the part of a for-profit charter school operator.

According to the article, the school is looking for VOLUNTEER “electricians, painters, carpenters” to help refurbish their gymnasium.

Let me repeat: this is a FOR-PROFIT charter school- which means they are a private company that is given tons of taxpayer cash (usually in the millions) by the state and federal government to educate our children.

And this PRIVATE COMPANY – that runs on TAXPAYER DOLLARS – is looking for VOLUNTEERS to help them finish the school gym.

Is it just me or is something is seriously wrong here?

The school is run by Mosaica Education Inc- a company founded in 1997 by financier Gene Eidelman.

According to their website:

Mosaica Education, Inc. is one of the nation’s leading private operators of K-12 public schools bringing the benefits of competition and private sector efficiency to the public school system. Mosaica-managed schools have yielded superior academic and financial results to date by utilizing a unique school design, which combines a proprietary curriculum called Paragon®, with state-of-the-art technology and sound fiscal practices.

Ah yes. I see now.

“Sound fiscal practices” and “private sector efficiency” mean coercing free labor from local volunteers while keeping all of the money for yourself.

I’m sure the stockholders are very pleased by your methods, Mr. Eidelman.

Unfortunately, your methods are basically screwing your students and ripping off Ohio’s taxpayers.

Sure it bothers me that Mr. Eidelman is a huge Republican donor who is especially generous when local opposition to his for-profit schools arises (like in PA in 2000).

But I really wouldn’t care if his schools could provide a quality education to our kids while ensuring our tax dollars didn’t go the waste.

But if those schools have to resort to volunteer labor to fix up their gym, then obviously these schools have only one purpose: to make money.

And that is just not acceptable.