It’s back to school season, so in the latest episode of “Last Week Tonight,” host John Oliver set his sights on the political phenomenon that is charter schools.

These publicly funded schools are privately run and receive money based on how many students they have enrolled. They’ve become increasingly popular among politicians (from both political parties), and many are run by celebrities–even Pitbull has one! Yet, despite their popularity, there have been countless examples of charter schools being run in horribly unprofessional ways.

Principals have been found guilty of embezzlement, and in the case of Philadelphia’s Harambee Institute (yes, just like the name of the slain gorilla, but spelled differently), the school’s cafeteria was turned into an illegal, unlicensed nightclub after school hours.

Oliver quipped, “A nightclub in an elementary school is a recipe for disaster, because those are the two most vomit-prone populations in the world. They must have had to Febreeze the sh*t out of that place!”

Fact is, in Philadelphia alone, at least ten executives or top administrators at charter schools have pleaded guilty in the last decade to charges like fraud, obstruction of justice and misusing funds. In reference to Pennsylvania’s charter laws Oliver says,

It is not like having the worst ‘something’ is new for Pennsylvania. Remember, this is the state that has the worst football fans, the worst bell, and the worst regional delicacy. Yes. If I wanted Cheez Whiz on my steak sandwich, I’d eat at Kiddie Cafeteria, the restaurant run by six-year-olds.

But Ohio doesn’t have a great track record either when it comes to charter schools. Oliver critiqued Gov. John Kasich 2009 comparing the need for choice in schooling options to the need for a competitive market for “pizza shops,” saying “That doesn’t work on any level.”

Oliver concluded,

The problem with letting the free market decide when it comes to kids is that kids change faster than the market,” Oliver said. “And, by the time it’s obvious a school is failing, futures may have been ruined. So, if we are going to treat charter schools like pizza shops, we should monitor them at least as well as we do pizzerias. It’s like the old saying: ‘Give a kid a sh—y pizza, you f— up their day. Treat a kid like a sh—y pizza, you could f— up their entire life.’

Watch the full clip below

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.

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As students we’re quickly taught that getting caught cheating will get you in serious trouble, whether that be in the form of detention, suspension, or even expulsion. However, an Atlanta judge decided yesterday that when teachers, principals, and administrators decide to cheat their punishment could be much harsher–jail time.

In a courtroom Tuesday, Judge Jerry Baxter of Fulton County Superior Court sentenced ten former Atlanta Public School educators convicted of conspiring to falsify state standardized tests to collect bonuses in a cheating scandal. According to Judge Baxter’s rulings, all but one will be serving time in jail, according to USA Today.

Atlanta educators were guaranteed bonuses by inflating scores: Ringleader got $500K http://t.co/oquKMYLMqw pic.twitter.com/9QoMm6icoL

— slone (@slone) April 14, 2015

According to the Washington Post, three high-level school system administrators were told they would serve seven years in prison and 13 years on probation plus 2,000 hours of community service and a $25,000 fine, which was much harsher sentencing than prosecutors had requested.

Five others were sentenced to either a year in prison and four years on probation or two years in prison and three on probation; they must also pay fines and complete community service time.

Two of the defendants negotiated lighter sentences in exchange for admitting guilt and apologizing in court for their actions, as well as waiving their rights to appeal. While both face community service and fines, this allowed for one of them to serve his time in the county jail for only six months on weekends, while the other avoided jail time altogether but was sentenced to one year of nightly home confinement.

Judge Baxter’s sentencing severity came as a surprise to many, since cases of academic fraud usually end with little more than a slap on the wrist for offenders. In defense of his sentencing, he was quick to remind the courtroom that these educators cheated some of the city’s most vulnerable children by deluding them into believing that they were learning reading and math skills. Judge Baxter said:

That’s what gets lost. Everyone starts crying about these educators. . . .There were thousands of children that were harmed in this thing.This is not a victimless crime that occurred in this city.

However some are actually calling the educators themselves victims of a “corrupt educational system.” Rev. Bernice King, daughter of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., initially called for leniency and no jail time for the Atlanta educators after they were convicted this month, saying in a statement:

Teachers are under tremendous pressure to meet standards and ensure that students pass tests, even to the extent that their jobs, their livelihoods may be threatened.

The sentencing doled out yesterday in many ways does seem harsh, but even if there was pressure for these teachers to help their underachieving students pass, moral ethics should have trumped cheating hypocrisy. Judge Baxter is sending a strong message that when it comes to protecting the education of our children and ensuring that they have bright futures, cheating won’t be tolerated.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

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