Apparently there is a new vacancy in the education non-profit Potemkin Village.
The ‘education non-profit’, NC New Schools is shutting down according to the News and Observer.
Financial problems are forcing the closure of NC New Schools/Breakthrough Learning, a champion of specialty and early-college high schools, the nonprofit announced Thursday.
The organization had expanded rapidly, said Jeffrey Corbett, president of its board of directors, and the expansion outpaced its funding.
“We ran into cash flow problems that were directly related to growth and the speed of growth,” Corbett said. “It was very, very unfortunate.”
The North Carolina New Schools Project started 13 years ago with a five-year, $11 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to restructure secondary education by creating smaller high schools. The Gates Foundation funding for restructured high schools ended, but New Schools continued its work with funds from a variety of sources, including federal and private foundation grants and some state money.
NC New Schools received far more from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation than just that whopping $11 million, by the way:
| GRANTEE | YEAR | ISSUE | PROGRAM | AMOUNT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina New Schools Project, Inc. | 2009 and earlier | College-Ready | US Program | $1,612,877 |
| North Carolina New Schools Project, Inc. | 2009 and earlier | College-Ready | US Program | $385,801 |
| North Carolina New Schools Project, Inc. | 2009 and earlier | College-Ready | US Program | $1,463,346 |
| North Carolina New Schools Project, Inc. | 2009 and earlier | College-Ready | US Program | $14,518,052 |
In 2013, they reported over $7.3 million in net revenue. Part of that 2013 revenue was $81,400 from the biggest funder of far Left leaning BlueprintNC — The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.
In 2012, their filings show revenues over $9.2 million. In the 2013 filing, Habit was paid $176,481 in total compensation. View their filings at ProPublica.
This news was not a total surprise to me, as a citizen reached out to me on Twitter asking about odd financial information regarding NC New Schools:
@LadyLiberty1885 What’s the scoop on NC New Schools? Mismanagement or someone pocketing “easy” money?
— Alan Belch (@SunSloth) April 29, 2016
@LadyLiberty1885 2014 990 shows $1.4M to Bridgewater Ed. Services Mt. Airy. Address is same as M. G. Vernon Construction Co. Scam???
— Alan Belch (@SunSloth) April 29, 2016
Those involved in the fight against Common Core know that NC New Schools, under the direction Habit, was a leading Common Core proponent in the state.
Sometimes between 2013 and 2014, NC New Schools hired former DPI Employee, Dr. Angela Quick. Dr. Quick was instrumental in NC’s roll out of Common Core for the Department of Public Instruction.
Fun fact: Just this past December, The News and Observer’s “Tarheel of the Week” was none other than NC New Schools President, Tony Habit.
LL1885 