Commonwealth Charter Academy Calls Out Education Voters of Pennsylvania’s Ignorance of the State’s Charter School Law and for Deliberately Misleading the Public
Commonwealth Charter Academy Calls Out Education Voters of Pennsylvania’s Ignorance of the State’s Charter School Law and for Deliberately Misleading the Public HARRISBURG – Commonwealth Charter Academy (CCA) President and CEO Thomas D. Longenecker today issued the following statement about Education Voters of Pennsylvania’s recent attempt to malign and falsely accuse CCA of misusing taxpayer […]
05/24/2022
Commonwealth Charter Academy Calls Out Education Voters of Pennsylvania’s Ignorance of the State’s Charter School Law and for Deliberately Misleading the Public
HARRISBURG – Commonwealth Charter Academy (CCA) President and CEO Thomas D. Longenecker today issued the following statement about Education Voters of Pennsylvania’s recent attempt to malign and falsely accuse CCA of misusing taxpayer dollars:
“Education Voters of Pennsylvania, led by Susan Spicka, a former Shippensburg Area School District school board member who lost re-election in 2019, has been on a years-long crusade of criticizing and attacking CCA for the programs and services offered to students and families. It is becoming clearer that Ms. Spicka is ignorant about Pennsylvania’s Charter School Law, specifically as it relates to public cyber charter schools.
“Section 1743-A of the Charter School Law requires public cyber charter schools to provide to each student and family ‘a description of the lessons and activities to be offered both online and offline’; a list of ‘all services that will be provided to the student by the cyber charter school’; ‘all instructional materials’; ‘all equipment, including, but not limited to, a computer, computer monitor and printer’; and ‘provide or reimburse for all technology and services necessary for the on-line delivery of the curriculum and instruction.’
“Furthermore, cyber charter schools are expected to provide comprehensive learning experiences for students, including cooperative educational opportunities and social and educational field trips.
“CCA’s Instructional Technology Subsidy, Community Class Reimbursement, and Student Loyalty field trip programs fall squarely within what is required by law, and has been standard operating procedure at CCA for more than 15 years. Unfortunately, Ms. Spicka is misleading and purposefully deceiving the public with the information she recently shared.
“CCA is audited on an annual basis by an independent auditor who reviews all revenues, expenditures, and fiduciary protocols of the school. All CCA programs and services are above board and are authorized by law.
“More than 50 percent of students enrolled in CCA are from low-income families and, as a public school, we have a responsibility to ensure that all programs, services, and activities are accessible to ALL students; this is not only required by law, but it is the right thing to do.
“In any school year, and especially during the pandemic, it is important for students to stay engaged and connected as part of their social development. CCA continues to seek out opportunities for students to explore the world around them.
“Ms. Spicka’s unfounded accusations and trumped-up statements are nothing more than an attempt to influence state budget negotiations and misinform CCA families.”
Media contact: Tim Eller, [email protected], 717-710-3335
