‘Abuse, Waste and Fraud’ May Have Happened at Hawaii’s Largest Charter School

Hawaii Technology Academy’s recently fired principal, Jeff Piontek, and his vice principal, Ana Matsumoto are under investigation for possibly misusing $100,000 in state funds.

Hawaii News Now broke the news of the investigation today. It’s a story well worth reading.

K12, Inc., the private, for-profit company that owns the academy, was the subject of a recent New York Times investigation that indicated its virtual schools all over the country aren’t effective. (See our post about how HTA students perform.)

Is it just me, or does the number of charter school controversies in Hawaii seem to be reaching a fever pitch? Let’s review:

• This latest Hawaii Technology Academy investigation
• Principal John Colson’s abrupt departure from Waimea Middle School earlier this month
• The sudden resignation of three Charter School Review Panel members after the Board of Education overturned their decision to delay the conversion of Laupahoehoe School into a charter
• A host of ethics charges filed against Connections New Century Public Charter School
• Nepotism charges at Myron B. Thompson Academy
• The forced ouster of former Charter School Administrative Office director Maunalei Love
• And capping it off, a state audit that blasted the entire charter school system for misinterpreting state law and failing to comply accountability with public accountability requirements

The Legislature’s proposed overhaul of the charter school system probably couldn’t have come at a more critical time.