Communication from Concerned Citizen King Freeman Regarding Failure at the Former KIPP Academy:
Even Though
Charter Schools are Typically Even Worse Than the Public Schools, Many Parents
Desperately Seek Options to the Minneapolis Public Schools
On the evening of Wednesday, 25 June 2025, I
received the following communication via email from concerned citizen King
Freeman regarding academic and administrative failure at KIPP Academy in
Minneapolis. King’s concerns resonated with me because of students
who came to me desperately seeking help after having attended KIPP Academy.
KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) was founded
in 1994 in Houston, Texas (with a school based on the model soon established in
Brooklyn, New York) by former Teach for America instructors, Dave Levin and
Mike Feinberg. The KIPP model garnered national attention, including
a prominent report aired on the venerable CBS television show, 60
Minutes. At present, there are 270 KIPP charter schools in
twenty (20) states, with a total enrollment of 160,000 PreK-12
students. The KIPP national organization continues to claim great
success in imparting college preparatory instruction to underserved
populations.
But the Minneapolis KIPP Academy has struggled
throughout the school’s establishment in Minneapolis during the 2008-2009
academic year, never remotely living up to the national reputation.
The national organization has now dropped the
KIPP Academy in Minneapolis from the national network of approved KIPP
schools.
A spring 2025 communication from the school’s
administration provided an upbeat account of the
revocation; rebranding is now underway.
Below I reprint Freeman’s initial
communication and another that he sent to me the same evening whereby he sought
redress for the problems at KIPP from VOA (Volunteers of America), this charter
school’s authorizer.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
|
||||
|
||||
Dear Dr. Davison,
I’m reaching out because your words at MPS
board meetings and your decades of unwavering advocacy for students have always
carried truth where others hesitate. I’ve admired your clarity, your courage,
and your refusal to compromise on what public education should be.
Now I’m asking for your help.
---
What’s Happening at KIPP MN Can’t Be
Ignored
Over the past few months, I’ve contacted every
major news outlet, every KIPP board member, VOA (the charter authorizer), and
local papers. The only response I received was a hollow one from VOA. No press
coverage. No investigation. No accountability.
Here’s what’s happening:
Unlicensed teachers in classrooms easily
verifiable through PELSB.
Over 23 staff resigned or were terminated,
many after reporting retaliation, harassment, or misconduct.
The CEO, Shana Ford, awarded herself a raise
to over $201,000/year—while enrollment dropped below 200 students and student
proficiency fell to 3.7% in math and 10.4% in reading.
Federal racial discrimination claims have been
validated by the courts and allowed to proceed (Williams v. KIPP MN).
The Chief Academic Officer Isreal was publicly
named in a fraud case.
And perhaps most damning: The national KIPP
Foundation has now pulled its name from this organization. Starting 26-27
This is not an education nonprofit. It is an
unregulated, failing institution operating on public dollars and actively
harming the students it claims to serve.
---
Why I’m Asking You
Your life’s work has modeled what true
advocacy looks like. You’ve never shied away from calling out dysfunction, even
when it’s uncomfortable or politically inconvenient.
Our children cannot afford more silence. I’ve
attached the original email I’ve been sending (below) so you can see the facts
for yourself.
Thank you for your time and for continuing to
speak up when it counts most.
In solidarity,
King Freeman
Concerned Citizen
Sent with Proton Mail secure email.
------- Forwarded Message -------
From: King Freeman <Kingfreeman56@proton.me>
Date: On Friday, March 21st, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Subject: Concern
To:
To Whom It May Concern,
As a concerned citizen, I am reaching out
because I can no longer ignore what’s happening at KIPP Minnesota. Through
simple online searches using only public tools like the Minnesota Report Card,
PELSB license lookup, ProPublica’s 990 archive, and public court documents I’ve
found enough evidence to raise serious concerns about KIPP MN’s leadership,
hiring practices, academic integrity, and its charter
authorizer, Volunteers of America (VOA).
If I can find this, so can you. The difference
is I’m calling it out.
1) Unlicensed Teachers in
Classrooms
- The PELSB
public license lookup confirms that some individuals assigned to
teach at KIPP MN are not licensed in the subject areas they are
teaching.
- This is a
basic requirement under Minnesota law. If I can verify this, there is no
excuse for the board or VOA to miss it.
2) 23 Staff Resignations or Firings
And a Culture of Retaliation
- At
least 23 staff have either resigned or been terminated, some after
reporting serious workplace concerns.
- Reports
include allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation for
speaking up.
- Former
employees have described a pattern of silencing, gaslighting, and a
hostile working environment.
- Ask those
who left you’ll likely hear story after story of what this leadership has
enabled.
3) Shana Ford’s Hiring of Abdul
Wright Raises Serious Ethical Questions
- In the 2021–2022
KIPP MN VOA Annual Report, Abdul
Wright is listed as a staff member at KIPP Legacy (page 20).
- Shana Ford,
the current CEO of KIPP Minnesota, previously
worked with Wright at Best Academy.
- Knowing that
Wright had a history of serious allegations, Shana Ford made the
decision to bring him into KIPP MN.
- While KIPP
is not directly named in Hennepin County Case No. 27-CV-25-4686, this
lawsuit includes disturbing allegations involving Abdul Wright.
- The issue
here is not that KIPP is being accused in this case, but that its leader,
with full professional knowledge of Wright’s past, still chose to
bring him into a school setting with children. That is a serious lapse in
ethical leadership.
4) Federal Court Finds Racial
Discrimination Claims at
KIPP MN Are Valid
- In Williams
v. KIPP Minn., Civil 23-2200, a U.S. District Court judge ruled
that race discrimination and defamation claims could proceed.
- The
plaintiff, a Black paraprofessional, was terminated after a student
allegation, with no investigation and no opportunity to respond.
- A white
staff member accused of physical misconduct was not disciplined or
even investigated.
- The judge
found it plausible that race was the “but-for” cause of
Williams’ termination.
- This isn't
an opinion this is a federal ruling that validates a pattern of
discriminatory practice.
5. Academic Collapse and Enrollment
Decline While CEO Pay Increases
Minnesota Report Card data shows:
- Math
proficiency dropped from 4.8% (2021) to 3.7% (2024)
- Reading
proficiency dropped from 13.4% (2022) to 10.4% (2024)
Enrollment numbers:
- 635 in 2020
- 443 in 2022
- 271 in 2024
- 231
projected for 2025
Meanwhile, IRS 990 filings show:
- Shana Ford
earned $189,030 in 2022 and $201,832 in 2023
- That’s
a $12,800 raise during a time of declining performance and
negative net assets (-2.4 million)
The national nonprofit average raise is
3–6%. Hers was over 8%, during organizational failure.
6. Chief Academic Officer Named in a Public Fraud Case
- Isreal
Moses, KIPP MN’s current CAO, was publicly named in a Hennepin County case
involving fraudulent emergency housing payouts totaling over
$160,000.
- He was one
of the landlords accused of accepting emergency assistance funds for
properties that didn’t exist or weren’t under their ownership.
- Yet he is
now responsible for academic oversight at KIPP.
7. VOA’s Failure as an Authorizer
- Volunteers
of America (VOA) is responsible for ensuring accountability and compliance
in the schools it authorizes.
- So where is
the accountability?
- Why are
unlicensed teachers in classrooms?
- Why are
leaders with fraud-related histories and connections to misconduct hired
into senior roles?
- Why are
discrimination and retaliation claims piling up, but no external
investigations are launched?
- Why is a
school with plummeting test scores and enrollment still allowed
to operate without intervention?
8. Board Responsibility and a Pattern of
Negligence
As a board, you are expected to act in the best interests of students,
families, and the public. And yet, I’ve noticed a common thread
through this decline: Nicole Danielson. As a board member
Leader, her continued presence and influence raise serious
questions. Accountability should apply to everyone especially
those who have held power during this downward spiral. This isn’t a
conspiracy theory or hidden information. These are facts, easily found in
public reports, court rulings, and government databases. I’m a
citizen, not a paid auditor and if I can find this, so can you.
The board and VOA have no excuse. You are
either turning a blind eye, or you are complicit.
Sincerely,
King
Concerned Citizen
………………………………………………………………………….
How sad, and how terribly indicative of the
disregard for the Minneapolis Public Schools felt by many community members, that
parents desperately seek options in abysmal schools such as the KIPP Academy of
Minneapolis.
No comments:
Post a Comment