The Elk City Daily News

School-choice
Dec moms tipped
07

2018
governor’s
Page race
0004 Jonathan Small
President,the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
Clip
resized Why did 100,000 African-American women in Florida vote
42% for Trump-backed Republican Ron DeSantis over Andrew
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American governor?
The answer was provided by William Mattox last week in
The Wall Street Journal.
“More than 100,000 low-income students in Florida par-
ticipate in the Step Up For Students program, which grants
tax-credit funded scholarships to attend private schools,” he
writes. “Even more students are currently enrolled in the
state’s 650 charter schools.”
“Most Step Up students are minorities whose mothers
are registered Democrats. Yet many of these ‘school-choice
moms’ vote for gubernatorial candidates committed to
protecting their ability to choose where their child goes to
school.”
DeSantis supports school choice. Gillum, backed by the
public education establishment, did not.
Gillum was a strong candidate and, again, would have
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And yet, “of the roughly 650,000 black women who voted in
Florida, 18percent chose Mr. DeSantis, according to CNN’s
exit poll of 3,108 voters,” Mattox writes. “This exceeded their
support for GOP U.S. Senate candidate Rick Scott (9percent),
Mr. DeSantis’s performance among black men (8percent), and
the GOP’s national average among black women (7percent).”
“In an election decided by fewer than 40,000 votes,” Mattox
observes, “these 100,000 black women proved decisive.”
From small rural communities to big cities, school choice
is mainstream in the Sunshine State. And good policy, as they
say, has proven to be good politics.
Step Up’s Patrick Gibbons, a former OCPA research assis-
tant, points out that nearly half of Florida’s students attend a
school based on choice, not just location.
Stunning but true: fully 46 percent of Florida students are
enrolled in district magnet and specialty programs, online
schools, public charter schools, private schools that accept
choice scholarships, home schools, or some other choice.
Interestingly, Oklahomans want those same choices. In
a statewide survey commissioned by OCPA and conducted
by Cor Strategies in May 2018, likely Oklahoma voters were
asked this simple question: “If you could select any type of
school in order to obtain the best education for your child,
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what type of school would you select.” The survey, which had
a margin of error of plus/minus 4.37 percent, found that just
under half of Oklahomans would choose a traditional public
school. Roughly half would make other choices (36 percent
private school, 8 percent charter school, and 8 percent home
school).
Clearly, the demand for educational options is strong.
Homeschooling is increasingly popular in Oklahoma. One of
the state’s virtual charter schools (Epic) has 21,000 students
enrolled. And private schools aren’t simply for the big cities:
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tiny Corn, Oklahoma). Indeed, 77 percent of Oklahomans live
within a 20-minute drive or less of at least one private school,
and fully 86 percent live within a 30-minute drive or less.
Two years ago, more than 10,000 private-school scholarship
recipients joined Martin Luther King III for a rally in support
of school choice at the Florida state capitol.
“Fairness demands that every child, not just the rich,
has access to an education that will help them achieve their
dreams,” Mr. King once told OCPA. He told Politico that
he believes his father would have supported private-school
choice for needy students.
Clearly, a lot of Florida moms do, too.
Jonathan Small serves as president of the Oklahoma Council
of Public Affairs (www.ocpathink.org).

Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
 Clip
Dec 2018 Page resized
08 B004 59%
Weatherford Daily News
Virtual charter school’s
founder ramps political contributions
Jennifeer Palmer
Oklahoma Watch
L
eaders of the state’s
largest virtual charter
school contributed at
least $145,000 total to the
campaigns of dozens of candidates
this year, records reveal, a show of
increasing political muscle as the
school is experiencing dramatic
growth.
The contributions by David
Chaney and Ben Harris, co-
founders of Epic Virtual Charter
School, as well as Chaney’s wife,
Kristin, were made legally and not
with school funds, they say. But the
amounts far exceed those given by
comparable school leaders.
Chaney’s and Harris’
donations include a combined
$23,800 for Joy Hofmeister,
state superintendent of public
instruction; more than $11,000
for Mike Hunter, state attorney
general; $5,000 total to John Paul
Jordan, a former legislator who
was running for a district judge
seat; and gubernatorial candidates
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
Mick Cornett, Gary Richardson
and Kevin Stitt. They also donated
to the campaigns of more than 50
legislative candidates.
The totals include all donations
except those less than $1,000 made
after Oct. 22.
Chaney and Harris, in a
joint statement provided by
spokeswoman Shelly Hickman,
said their donations were
customary.
“As thousands of other
Oklahomans routinely do,
individual members of our team
donated, from their own pockets,
to candidates who support public
education,” they said. “This is
not unlike other school leaders in
Oklahoma, as well as education
advocacy organizations and
their lobbyists who donate to
campaigns.”
A check of Oklahoma Ethics
Commission records, however,
found that none of the 10 highest
paid superintendents gave more
than $1,000 total to political
candidates and political action
committees, and some didn’t give
at all.
Epic’s two leaders also outspent
the political action committee
for the largest teachers union, the
Oklahoma Education Association,
which has 35,000 members across
the state. The association’s Fund
for Children and Public Education
contributed $117,000 to candidates
this election cycle, compared with
Chaney and Harris’s $145,000.
Further Growth Ahead?
Chaney and Harris declined to
elaborate on their political strategy.
But their giving may indicate an
impending push for laws allowing
the school to further expand, said
Eric Proctor, a state lawmaker and
former teacher who termed out of
office this year.
Already, the school is
experiencing substantial growth.
Epic has 21,000 students enrolled
so far in 2018-19 through its two
models – a fully virtual school
and a blended version offering
•Please see Contributions,
Page 6B
 Weatherford Daily News
Dec
08 PAGE 6B WEATHERFORD DAILY NEWS, WEEKENDER, DECEMBER 8, 2018
2018
Contributions
•Continued from Page 4B
online classes and
optional in-person
Page instruction, said Shelly
Hickman, a spokeswoman
B006 for the school.
That’s up from 13,000
Clip in 2017-18 — an increase
resized of 8,000 students, the size
33% of the entire Enid Public
Schools district. Epic’s
size will place it on par
From with the fourth or fifth
B004 largest school district in
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
Oklahoma when 2018-19
enrollment numbers are
released by the state. Epic
is statewide and enrolls
students living in every
county.
But the school’s
expansion may not
be what’s driving the
political spending.
The donations also
could indicate the school’s
leaders are trying to
soften criticism of student
academic performance,
said Todd Ziebarth,
senior vice president
for state advocacy at
the National Alliance
for Public Charter
Schools, a national pro
charter school group that
advocates for improving
the quality of virtual
schools.
“There are very
significant problems with
the performance of the
(virtual) schools,” he said.
“One of the strategies to
remaining open is making
donations.” He pointed to
virtual schools’ high rates
of churn, low graduation
rates and lagging student
proficiency and growth.
Oklahoma schools
haven’t received a grade
in two years, but the
state’s revamped school
performance report
cards are expected to be
released next month.
Ziebarth said virtual
charter schools currently
aren’t serving students caucus, a wave of current
or taxpayers well. The and former educators
growth in students running for office in
is driven in part by Oklahoma.
aggressive marketing. Notably, Epic leaders
Epic uses giveaways donated to the re-
of big-ticket items like election campaigns of
concert tickets to reward four lawmakers who
referrals, and recently voted against the tax
opened a heavily branded package, known as HB
children’s play area at 1010xx, that funded the
Penn Square Mall. teacher pay raise and
went into effect this fall.
Where the Money Went Other groups supporting
Of the 50 legislative public education did
candidates to whom the opposite, targeting
Chaney and Harris lawmakers who voted
donated, seven were part no and supporting their
of the so-called teacher opponents. A number of
those incumbents were
defeated.
The Oklahoma
Education Association
fund didn’t contribute
to any of those four
candidates. There were
about a dozen candidates
favored by Chaney and
Harris who also received
contributions from the
association fund.
For some donations,
Chaney and Harris’s
employer is listed as
Epic Youth Services, a
for-profit company that
manages the school; for
others, it’s Epic Charter
School. On others,
there are other business
entities listed. Chaney
is the superintendent of
Epic and owner of Epic
Youth Services; Harris’
title is co-founder but
he’s involved in the
school’s administration
and its 2016 expansion
to California.
K12 Inc., the country’s
largest virtual charter
school operator, based
in Virginia, didn’t
donate directly to any
Oklahoma candidates
in 2017 or 2018 despite
operating two virtual
schools in Oklahoma.
Records show one
donation of $15,000
in 2016 to Majority
Fund, an independent
expenditure group. K12
has spent millions of
dollars on lobbying and
campaign donations in
other states.
 Stillwater NewsPress

Virtual charter C
school’s founders r
ramp up political a
Dec contributions
By Jennifer Palmer
O

09 Oklahoma Watch
U
Leaders of the state’s H
largest virtual charter r
school contributed at
2018 least $145,000 total to
the campaigns of doz-
f
f
e
ens of candidates this i
year, records reveal, f
Page a show of increasing
political muscle as the
w
i
school is experiencing m
A008 dramatic growth.
The contributions c
by David Chaney and and optional in-person a
Clip Ben Harris, co-founders instruction, said Shelly c
of Epic Virtual Char- Hickman, a spokes- C
resized ter School, as well as woman for the school. c
Chaney’s wife, Kristin,
25% were made legally
That’s up from
13,000 in 2017-18 –
O
E
and not with school an increase of 8,000 o
funds, they say. But students, the size of l
the amounts far exceed the entire Enid Public t
those given by compara- Schools district. Epic’s c
ble school leaders. size will place it on par t
Chaney’s and Harris’ with the fourth or fifth p
donations include a largest school district in r
combined $23,800 for Oklahoma when 2018- s
Joy Hofmeister, state 19 enrollment numbers
superintendent of pub- are released by the c
lic instruction; more state. Epic is statewide m
than $11,000 for Mike and enrolls students c
Hunter, state attorney living in every county. r
general; $5,000 total But the school’s ex- d
to John Paul Jordan, a pansion may not be c
former legislator who what’s driving the polit- d
was running for a dis- ical spending. s
trict judge seat; and gu- The donations also t
bernatorial candidates could indicate the h
Mick Cornett, Gary school’s leaders are t
Richardson and Kevin trying to soften crit- T
Stitt. They also donat- icism of student aca-
ed to the campaigns of demic performance,
more than 50 legislative said Todd Ziebarth,
candidates. senior vice president for
The totals include all state advocacy at the
donations except those National Alliance for G

W
less than $1,000 made Public Charter Schools,
after Oct. 22. a national pro charter
Chaney and Harris, school group that ad-
in a joint statement vocates for improving
provided by spokes- the quality of virtual
woman Shelly Hick- schools.
man, said their dona- “There are very sig-
tions were customary. nificant problems with
“As thousands of the performance of the
other Oklahomans rou- (virtual) schools,” he
tinely do, individual said. “One of the strate-
members of our team gies to remaining open
donated, from their is making donations.”
own pockets, to can- He pointed to virtual
didates who support schools’ high rates of
public education,” they churn, low graduation
said. “This is not unlike rates and lagging stu-
other school leaders dent proficiency and
in Oklahoma, as well growth.
as education advocacy Oklahoma schools ha-
organizations and their ven’t received a grade
lobbyists who donate to in two years, but the
campaigns.”
A check of Oklahoma
state’s revamped school
performance report
st
Ethics Commission re-
cords, however, found
cards are expected to be
released next month. d
that none of the 10 Ziebarth said virtual
highest paid superin-
tendents gave more
charter schools current-
ly aren’t serving stu-
m
than $1,000 total to
political candidates and
dents or taxpayers well.
The growth in students v
political action commit- is driven in part by
tees, and some didn’t
give at all.
aggressive marketing.
Epic uses giveaways
v
Epic’s two leaders
also outspent the polit-
ical action committee
of big-ticket items like
concert tickets to re- p
ward referrals, and re-
for the largest teachers cently opened a heavily
union, the Oklahoma branded children’s play
Education Association, area at Penn Square
which has 35,000 mem- Mall.
bers across the state.
The association’s Fund
for Children and Public
Education contributed
$117,000 to candidates
this election cycle, com-
pared with Chaney and
Harris’s $145,000.

Further growth
ahead?
Chaney and Harris
declined to elaborate on
their political strategy.
But their giving may
indicate an impending Finding treasure is easy when you’re a
push for laws allowing
And I’ve found a simple way to incre
the school to further
nearly a million Oklahomans!
expand, said Eric Proc-
tor, a state lawmaker There’s over $585 million of unclaim
and former teacher who waiting to be claimed.
termed out of office this
year. So take a few minutes next week to
Already, the school is name is on our list in the newspaper
experiencing substan- online at OKTreasure.com.
tial growth. Epic has Sincerely,
21,000 students en-
rolled so far in 2018-19 Sirius Lee Scissortail
through its two models
– a fully virtual school
and a blended version
offering online classes

Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.