KIPP Charter School Sends Teachers To Caribbean Using Public Funds?
A New York City affiliate of the non-profit charter school chain Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) is under fire for taking teachers on fully paid 5 day “professional development retreat” in the Carribean nations of the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic, and may have used public money to do so.
Spending nearly $70,000 for the two trips, school officials originally insisted that private funds were used to pay for the trip, but now have backed away from that claim as a recent state audit showed “documentation lacking to support those claims“. KIPP paid for all aspects of the teachers’ trips, including lodging, meals and alcohol.
From the NY Post Article:
KIPP founder Dave Levin, who as superintendent of the academy attended the Bahamas retreat, called the trips essential to motivating teachers to work the extra Saturdays and extended hours demanded by the school.
“So it feels like work even though people are walking around in swim trunks,” Levin said. “Everyone comes out feeling motivated and pumped up, whereas at the end of the school year you’re just burned out.”
KIPP is slated to open two charter schools in Columbus for the 2008-2009 school year. Currently, no information is available where professional development sessions for their staff will be held.
Big solidarity hat-tip to PREA Prez for this one.
Alexander Russo doesn’t see the big deal.
NYC Educator has issues.