Teaching Profession

Pa. Cyber Charter School Fires Most Top Managers

By The Associated Press — October 15, 2012 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School board has axed its director, finance director, personnel director, compliance officer, and a longtime lawyer, in a near-sweep of its top management that education experts are characterizing as highly unusual and potentially damaging in the long term.

It’s unclear whether the firings, approved by the school’s board in September, have anything to do with the search of the school in July by FBI and IRS agents. A federal grand jury is probing current or former executives of the Midland-based school. School officials confirmed the moves, but said they had nothing to do with the federal investigation.

Andrew Oberg, the school’s fired director, said he believes the school will continue to thrive. “I have so much confidence in the folks that work here, and I told them at a meeting that it needs to continue,” he says.

The removal of so much of the top management, though, could have ripple effects, says Ralph “Jerry” Longo, an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s school of education and former superintendent of the Quaker Valley school district. “I think when you remove that number of people who are in charge of an organization, obviously there’s an impact through the ranks,” he says. “Everyone becomes nervous with his or her situation.”

Along with Oberg, 43, the board terminated finance director Scott Antoline, personnel director Nancy Yanyanin, and compliance officer Judy Shopp. Also dismissed is law firm Barry & Worner of Green Tree, Pa., one of whose attorneys, W. Timothy Barry, has long served the state-chartered online school.

The purge leaves in place school Chief Executive Officer Michael Conti and just one of the four directors who used to report to him. It eliminates one of the two law firms the school leaned on for its legal work. Pennsylvania Cyber is a public school that does most of its teaching online and is open to students from throughout the state. When a student enrolls with the school, his or her home school is compelled to pay tuition based roughly on its average per-pupil cost.

The school has grown from around 500 students in 2000 to a total of 10,284 students, with around 900 more in the application process.

A version of this article appeared in the October 17, 2012 edition of Digital Directions as Pa. Cyber Charter School Fires Most Top Managers

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Inside PLCs: Proven Strategies from K-12 Leaders
Join an expert panel to explore strategies for building collaborative PLCs, overcoming common challenges, and using data effectively.
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Making Science Stick: The Engaging Power of Hands-On Learning
How can you make science class the highlight of your students’ day while
achieving learning outcomes? Find out in this session.
Content provided by LEGO Education
Teaching Profession Key Insights to Elevate and Inspire Today’s Teachers
Join this free half day virtual event to energize your teaching and cultivate a positive learning experience for students.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Teaching Profession The National Teacher of the Year Finalists Spotlight Literacy's Power
The four 2025 Teacher of the Year finalists highlight literacy’s power to engage students and shape lifelong readers.
7 min read
The 2025 National Teacher of the Year Finalists, from left: Ashlie Crosson, Janet Damon, and Jazzmyne Townsend. Mikaela Saelua, of American Samoa, is the fourth finalist.
The 2025 National Teacher of the Year Finalists, from left: Ashlie Crosson, Janet Damon, and Jazzmyne Townsend. Mikaela Saelua, of American Samoa, is the fourth finalist.
Courtesy photos
Teaching Profession How Can Schools Get More Men to Be Teachers? Look to Nursing for What Works
More men are becoming nurses—offering some lessons for K-12 education.
6 min read
Male teacher figures winding their way down a career path to the entrance of a school.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + iStock/Getty Images
Teaching Profession Three Tips to Help Mentors Work Better With Teachers
A great mentor can help novice teachers progress in their first year and prevent burnout. Here's how to boost their relationships.
3 min read
Illustration of a diverse group of 7 professionals helping one another climb a succession of large bars with some using a ladder.
iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession Opinion The One Quality That Every Great Teacher Shares
A lot has changed during my two decades as a teacher, but one thing is just as true as it was on my first day.
Eduardo Barreto
3 min read
A man carrying a big stone. Concept art of problem solution and hardness. surreal painting. conceptual artwork. 3d illustration
Jorm Sangsorn/iStock