How to Research a Private School

CRAWFORD. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. FLORIDA HAS SEEN A RISE IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS. THE DATA IS SHOWING AN AVERAGE OF 100 NEW PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS OPENING UP ANNUALLY IN THE STATE. THE LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE REPORTS ALMOST HALF A MILLION FLORIDA STUDENTS. THAT AND MORE THAN 2600 PRIVATE SCHOOLS. THAT IS ABOUT 13% OF ALL STUDENTS ENROLLED IN FLORIDA SCHOOLS. THE FLORIDA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION SAYS PRIVATE SCHOOLS RECEIVE UPWARDS OF 4 BILLION DOLLARS EVERY YEAR FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA, DIVERTING EDUCATION AND MONEY FROM THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. A NEW INVESTIGATION FROM THE NONPROFIT NEWSROOM, PRO PUBLICA REVEALED SOME PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN FLORIDA ARE RECEIVING STATE MONEY DESPITE PREVIOUS ILLICIT ACTIVITIES FROM HIS LEADERS. FOR MORE ON THE RISE OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND THEIR ACCEPTANCE OF SCHOOL VOUCHERS. I AM JOINED BY MOLLY SIMON. SHE IS A RESEARCHER AND A JOURNALIST WITH PRO PUBLICA. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY. >> YEAH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST NORTH. WE'RE GETTING CHEETAH. >> NOW FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT BE UNFAMILIAR, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE VOUCHER SYSTEM AND HOW PARENTS ARE USING THESE VOUCHERS TO OFFSET THE COSTS OF THEIR CHILDREN ATTENDING PRIVATE SCHOOLS. >> YEAH, IT REALLY VARIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WHAT EXACTLY THESE LOOK LIKE. SO THE YOU KNOW, THE SPECIFIC NATURE OF THE PROGRAM, IT DEPENDS ON THE STATE THAT YEAR AND BUT IN GENERAL AND THE LAST 2 YEARS WE SEE AND, YOU KNOW, REALLY EXPLOSIVE GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF STATES THAT ARE PROVIDING FORMS OF PUBLIC DOLLARS FOR INDIVIDUALS TO ATTEND AT PRIVATE SCHOOLS. AND SOMETIMES THAT'S THROUGH TAX CREDIT. THAT COACH IS SORT OF INTERMEDIARY ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELP THAT AND PROVIDE FUNDING FOR TUITION. SOMETIMES IT'S DIRECTLY THROUGH VOUCHERS THAT CO 2 FAMILIES, INCOMES, THAT'S HERE, EDUCATION SAVINGS ACCOUNTS AS SO. IT DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU'RE AT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE EXACTLY. AND WHAT AMOUNT OF THINGS LIKE TUITION ARE COVERED. >> SO ONE SITUATION IN FLORIDA WAS A WOMAN CHARGED WITH ABUSE OF A MINOR AND SHE OPENED A SCHOOL AND IT SEEMS SHE WAS ONLY FOUND OUT BECAUSE SOMEONE POSTED HER MUGSHOT ON FACEBOOK HAVE YOU SEEN ISSUES WITH THE STATE'S HANDLING OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE LIKE THIS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SCHOOL VOUCHER PROGRAM. >> YEAH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, STEPPING BACK ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE WE'VE SEEN OF THAT IN THAT CASE IN FLORIDA, THEY THEY DID. YOU NEVER SEND HER ABILITY TO AT PARTICIPATE IN THE END, THE STEP UP FOR STUDENTS PROGRAM. BUT IT CAME AFTER THE FACT AFTER SHE HAD RD, YOU KNOW, ESTABLISH THE SCHOOL UNDER UNDER USING AM YOU KNOW, SOMEONE ELSE'S. AL SAYS DOCUMENTS AS HAS BEEN REPORTED IN FLORIDA. SO IT'S IT TOOK THE COMMUNITY STEPPING IN TO BE PAYING ATTENTION TO WHO IS CREATING THE SCHOOL FOR THAT TO COME TO LIGHT. AND SO I THINK EVEN AND SOME STATES ARE REDUCE E. REGULATORY CHECK BOXES. THAT'S WHEN DO THEY COME INTO PLAY? AND ARE THEY HAPPENING BEFORE? INDIVIDUALS DECIDE, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY WANT TO SEND THEIR KIDS AND IT'S NOT THAT THAT CHECK IS HAPPENING. ALWAYS ON THE FRONT END AND THAT IT TOOK, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY AT BRINGING THAT CASE TO LIGHT FOR IT TO COME TO THE ATTENTION OF. THE STATE GOVERNOR OF AND AND THE TIMELINE. >> WE ALSO HAD AN ARTICLE ON HOW PARENTS CAN DO THEIR OWN RESEARCH. HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS TO ENSURE THAT THE INSTITUTION THEY ARE CHOOSING TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO IS LEGIT. WHAT TIPS DO YOU HAVE FOR PARENTS OUT THERE WHO ARE LOOKING INTO AND IT'S A PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS. >> YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK THE YOU KNOW, THE FIRST THING TO THINK ABOUT IS THERE. THERE ARE DOCUMENTS OUT THERE THAT CAN CAN PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT IT. SCHOOLS. IT'S NOT UNFORTUNATELY AS STRAIGHTFORWARD AS WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT A PUBLIC SCHOOL. AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO DO. YOU KNOW, BACKGROUND IN WORKING TO THINK ABOUT FOR SENDING YOUR CHILD TO PUBLIC SCHOOL AS WELL. OF COURSE. BUT WITH A PRIVATE SCHOOL, IT TAKES A LOT MORE PIECING TOGETHER OF INFORMATION TO UNDERSTAND SORT OF THE CONTEXT OF A SCHOOL. SO I THINK SOME OF THE GENERAL TIPS, YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT WHO IS IN THE CLASSROOM WITH YOUR STUDENT. THINK ABOUT WHAT DOCUMENTS YOU MIGHT FIND ABOUT THEM, BUT ALSO TO TAKE THE TIME TO AT THE MOST BASIC LEVEL, DO SOME GOOD PLAYING AND SEE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU ONE'S NAME AND DOING THAT IN CONJUNCTION WITH WHATEVER PIECE OF INFORMATION YOU HAVE ABOUT THEIR NAME. BACK TO KIRAN, AS YOU CATER BILL OCCASION THAT YOU'RE IN AND SEE WHAT COMES UP. AND I THINK IN THE CASE OF THE WOMAN THAT WE WERE, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING ABOUT WHO I SHOULD KNOW TO NOT TO NOT RESPOND TO REQUEST FOR COMMENT FROM YOU KNOW, IN THAT SCENARIO, HAD YOU LOOKED AT HER SCHOOL AND HAD YOU GOOGLED HER NAME, YOU WOULD HAVE FOUND THAT PAST HISTORY OF WHAT AT WHAT SHE HAD PREVIOUSLY LOST HER EDUCATOR'S LICENSE OR SO I THINK DOING SOME BASIC. SOME BASIC SEARCHING A MAN'S AS A REALLY IMPORTANT FIRST STEP. SOMETHING ELSE THAT IT SUGGESTS TO SENIOR FINANCIAL STABILITY IS REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN IT COMES TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY WILL LAST THROUGH. MASTER LOSS TO THE SCHOOL YEAR. SO ANOTHER SUGGESTION THAT WE'VE MADE FOR VOTES IS A LOT OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO OPERATE AS NONPROFITS. PROPUBLICA MAINTAIN SOMETHING CALLED THE NONPROFIT EXPLORE WHERE WE GATHER 9.90, FILE AND SOMETHING THAT NONPROFITS DEPENDING ON THEIR SIZE, DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH MONEY THEY DEAL WITH YOU FILE IT. THE IRS EACH YEAR AND SO WE HAVE A DATABASE OF THOSE OF THEIR PUBLISHED AND THAT'S A GREAT PLACE TO LOOK AND SEE IF YOUR SCHOOL IS ON THERE. YOU KNOW, IT IS. IS THE SCHOOL BRINGING IN AT A BASIC LEVEL MORE MONEY AND ITS SPENDING AND SORT OF THAT THAT BASIC LIKE IT, IS IT STAYING AFLOAT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS? SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S MORE TIPS WITH LOVE FREE TO, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THE FULL LIST THAT WE HAVE ONLINE. BUT I THINK THAT'S THE BASIC SOME BASIC STARTING PLACES. THIS THINK ABOUT THE CLASSROOM. ALSO CHECK FOR EDUCATORS WHO TO FORGET WHERE YOU ARE. THIS CAN BE AN IMPORTANT INDICATOR AS THEY WERE AND ARE PUTTING IN FLORIDA TO SEE WHAT SOMEONE'S HISTORY AND THEY MAY INCLUDE IF THEY'VE HAD ANY DISCIPLINE AS A AND EDUCATOR IN THE PUBLIC SYSTEM. BUT THEN ALSO TO SEEING WHAT AT WHAT OTHER FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS YOU MAY BE UP TO FIND ABOUT A SCHOOL TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, IS OPERATING IN A WAY TO ALLOW IT TO STAY AFLOAT. >> SIMON, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. EXCELLENT INFORMATION TODAY. >> YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO TALK MENTORSHIP. >> YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT