Coalition of Idaho Charter School Families President Responds to Hiring of NACSA CEO and its Impact on Transparency and Integrity of Tax Dollars
/Tom Leclaire, President, Coalition of Idaho Charter School Families today released the following statement in response to deep concern over the hiring of former NACSA CEO at BLUUM
“I am deeply disturbed by the recent hire of former NACSA CEO Greg Richmond at BLUUM. Every tax payer in Idaho should be concerned with his track record of disrespect of charter school parents, and disregard for Idaho ethics and charter school laws.”
“How can BLUUM promise integrity and transparency as the administrator of millions of dollars in federal grants for schools with this Greg Richmond’s well-known and disturbing track record? Our coalition of parents is very concerned to have Greg involved in the fiscal support of schools as his track record of hiding tax dollars, skirting the law, and disrespecting parents should be an alarm for all of us.”
Here is the backup documentation which clearly lays out our concern for BLUUM's hire of Greg Richmond. As BLUUM is the administrator of a massive tax payer funded federal grant, Greg's track record of complete disregard for ethics and the law, are disturbing. NACSA is the National Association of Charter School Authorizers.
Greg Richmond was the CEO of NACSA, a vendor to Idaho. NACSA has provided various consulting services to the PCSC and is a vendor to multiple other states where their philosophy is to limit public school options. They have not only provided consulting to the PSCS and sold services elsewhere, but NACSA has a specific policy agenda they seek to influence state public officials to adopt. Click here to see their list of services they provide. It is worth noting that one policy that NACSA attempted to influence the PSCS to adopt would have resulted in closing charter schools in direct violation of Idaho law. See the document here.
Here's CEO Greg Richmond offering a PCSC in Delaware 'Creative invoicing' to hide tax payer dollars spent on his conferences. Click Here.
The Director of the Idaho Public Charter school Commission was offered $5,000 to become a NACSA coach, while employed by the State of Idaho. Click here to read the offer she received from the vendor (NACSA) that appears to be in direct violation of Idaho law, but that she did not report, and then continued to work closely with them as the director of the PCSC both in Idaho and outside of Idaho.
While employed by the state of Idaho, the (now former) Executive Director of the Public Charter School Commission accepted travel paid by NACSA for out of state conferences. Click here to see the receipt for travel and here for the activity agenda.
The (now former) Executive Director of the Idaho Public Charter School Commission became a NACSA leader, while employed by the State of Idaho, and worked to implement the agenda of NACSA, a vendor. Click here to see the training presentation she received where she learned how to divide and conquer legislators and commissioners. Political Mapping presentation. And the presentation she gave about Idaho is here.
Here’s an email where NACSA talks to the Idaho Public Charter School Commission Executive Director about creating a framework to get around the commissioners and lawmakers. (Page 70-71)