Fordham’s Connections to School That It Sponsors Spark Concerns
For years, the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation has been a good friend to the Omega School of Excellence. Recently, though, it became the Dayton charter school’s authorizer. And some analysts worry that the foundation’s old supporting role may clash with its new supervisory one.
Through its philanthropic arm, the Washington-based think tank has given grants to Omega and other charter schools, and still does. It also helped create the nonprofit Keys to Improving Dayton Schools Inc., or KIDS, which offers back-office support to many small, independent charter schools. KIDS last spring became the operator of the Omega school.
Fordham officials say they favor strong accountability, but also want to help the charter schools for which they became the authorizer in July 2005. In fact, Ohio law requires authorizers...
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