Group seeks investigation of ex-chief of School Choice

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

A liberal policy group called Tuesday for a grand jury investigation into a former Ohio education official who resigned last summer after acknowledging he omitted failing grades from certain charter-school sponsor evaluations.

Six months have passed without a full-scale investigation of former School Choice Director David Hansen, ProgressOhio Executive Director Sandy Theis wrote. Hansen led the charter-school oversight office at the Ohio Department of Education.

Theis notes in the letter to Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien that his office successfully prosecuted several high-ranking employees of the Columbus City Schools who participated in a data-manipulation scam with similarities.

“Columbus employees falsified student records to improve their schools’ standing on state report cards,” she wrote. “An ODE official falsified state ratings to improve the standing of traditionally low-performing charter schools. In both instances, top-ranking officials were responsible for scandals that wasted tax dollars and hurt children.”

O’Brien said he’s awaiting findings of an ongoing investigation by State Auditor Dave Yost.

Yost said earlier that a special audit of the charter office would not include Hansen’s actions because no public money was ever disbursed to the affected charter-school sponsors. However, O’Brien said a regular audit of the Ohio Department of Education still was underway, from which referrals could be made. A message seeking comment was left with Yost.