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 Seminole Producer
Critic of virtual schools has degree from online university
Ray Carter
Center for Independent
Sep Journalism
11 A state senator who has
been a prominent critic of
Oklahoma’s virtual charter
2019 schools for K-12 students,
particularly Epic Charter
Page Schools, holds a doctor-
ate from a for-profit online
0007 university that was subse-
quently closed amid claims it
Clip
was a diploma mill.
resized
Sen. Ron Sharp said the
43% two situations are not iden-
tical.
“There’s a little bit dif-
ference here,” said Sharp,
R-Shawnee. “I paid for that. I
got permission prior to it. And
then of course here (with
Epic), this is state money
here that is paying for this.
And you’re also dealing with
an adult versus a child, and
to think that a pre-K to an
18-year old is going to sit in
front of a computer without
mom or daddy sitting here
over their shoulder is not
going to happen.”
When Sharp first ran for
office in 2012, his announce-
ment stated that he had a
“doctorate in education with
an emphasis in political sci-
ence, from Kensington Uni-
versity.” Sharp obtained the
doctorate in 1989.
In recent years, Sharp has
been a vocal critic of Oklaho-
ma’s virtual charter schools,
saying “millions of taxpayer
dollars” are being spent on
online schools “with little to
no accountability of expen-
ditures, attendance or stu-
dent performance.” In par-
ticular, Sharp has criticized
Epic Charter Schools, which
has been the target of fraud
allegations. Officials with
the school have denied the
allegations and no charges
have been filed.
In a recent column, Sharp
wrote that “the quality of edu-
cation is not at this time the
question, but the unethical
and, possibly illegal, enroll-
ment practices and misuse
of state funds” by Epic. He
said he had been “working
to address the questionable
practices and lack of over-
sight and accountability for
three years now.”
While Sharp wrote that
he does not question the
quality of education pro-
vided through Epic, that
hasn’t been the case when
regulators reviewed the dis-
tance-learning degree pro-
grams offered by Kensing-
ton University. Regulators
raised numerous concerns
about quality, oversight, and
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
accountability.
Kensington was founded
in California in 1976. But the
California Council for Private
Postsecondary and Voca-
tional Education found defi-
ciencies in a 1994 review
and the school was ordered
closed by state officials in
1996. It subsequently moved
to Hawaii and resumed busi-
ness in 1996 but was again
closed by a 2003 court order.
When the Los Angeles
Times reported on Kensing-
ton University in April 1996,
the paper found the “the
entire campus” was “housed
in a small Glendale office
building” and reported that
California state regulators
said the school’s advanced
degrees “may have little, if
any academic value.”
The Times reported that
a 1994 state review found
Kensington had “awarded a
doctoral candidate in psy-
chology credit for reading
magazine articles and doing
about a dozen short reac-
tion papers.” Also, “one edu-
cation program graduate’s
master’s thesis was replete
with factual errors, regula-
tors found.”
A January 1996 Los Ange-
les Times article on Kensing-
ton University reported that
the California Council for
Private Postsecondary and
Vocational Education had
concluded that “little or no
rigor or credible academic
standards are necessary
in order to be awarded an
advanced degree at Kens-
ington University.” Among
the council’s findings, the
group concluded that Kens-
ington awarded degrees for
substandard work and with-
out completion of required
courses, and that faculty
members were sometimes
not qualified to teach the
courses they led.
California Council for Pri-
vate Postsecondary and
Vocational Education Vice
Chair Elana Ackel, an attor-
ney, told the Times, “The vio-
lations are substantial and
they go to the quality of the
education. When you have
violation after violation after
violation, you have to ask,
‘When is enough?’”
Martin S. Roden, an asso-
ciate dean of engineering at
California State University
at Los Angeles, was among
those who received a degree
from Kensington University.
In a 2004 interview with the
Chronicle of Higher Edu-
cation, he was blunt in his
assessment of the school,
calling it “a second-rate,
unrecognized place that that the school may be dou-
basically is doing portfolio ble-counting students and
analysis.” that instructional quality may
In his book, “How to Sweet be lacking.
Talk a Shark,” former U.S. “I have no problem what-
Ambassador to the United soever with a virtual degree,”
Nations Bill Richardson Sharp said. “None. If you
writes that the trophy room have a parent who is willing
of North Korean dictator Kim to put forth the effort to make
il-Sung was filled with gifts sure that student is doing
bequeathed by “a cavalcade their work, then go for it.”
of failed states” and con-
tained only a “sole gift from
the United States—an hon-
orary degree from Kensing-
ton University.”
“Good thing Kim il-Sung
never made it to Texas; it is
illegal to use a degree from
Kensington University in the
Lone Star State,” Richard-
son wrote. “Seriously.”
When questioned about
the degree during his 2012
campaign, Sharp provided
letters from state officials
in Oklahoma and California
that declared Kensington
University was a recognized
academic program at that
time.
In an interview, Sharp
repeated those arguments.
At that time, he said a Uni-
versity of Oklahoma official
encouraged him to get an
online degree. Sharp said
he then contacted a higher
education official in Califor-
nia who assured him of a
Kensington degree’s valid-
ity. Sharp said he also con-
tacted officials at the Okla-
homa Department of Educa- 11278 OK-99, S
tion who told him the degree
would be legal in Oklahoma.
Sharp, who spent his
career as a coach and
teacher prior to being elected
Come Help Us
to the Senate, said the virtual
model fit his schedule better
in the 1980s than attending Join Us Thi
courses at OU.
“For me to get in OU, I had
to do a year’s residency,” Monday - Open Face
Sharp said. “And then of
course I also had a problem: Tuesday - Chicken Fr
The last class started at 4
(p.m.). So I could not make Smoked Brisket (after
it from school out here at
Shawnee.”
In Oklahoma, the min-
Wednesday - Pepper
imum salary for teachers Grilled Jalapeño Pork
rises with degree attain-
ment. When Kensington
closed in 1996, it reportedly Thursday - Jalapeño
cost about $4,500 to com- Steak Fingers (after 5:
plete a doctoral program at
the school.
“I got permission from Friday - Taco Burger (
everyone before I ever &DW¿VK'LQQHUDIWHU
entered into it,” Sharp said.
“I got permission after I got
it that it was a legitimate Saturday - Steak Sirlo
degree. And I worked myself
to death. So I have no
regrets about doing it.” Sunday - (lunch) Indiv
Sharp said his criticism of Fried Chicken, or Che
Epic has to do with concerns
 Clip
Sep 2019 Page resized
12 A004 67%
Mustang News
Competition works to improve education
By JONATHAN SMALL
Oklahoma Council of
Public Affairs
Here’s a statement
few people will dispute:
Competition works. Yet
when it comes to educa-
tion, some policymak-
ers and most public
school employees act as
though the way to
improve the quality of
service to families and
their children is to
limit their taxpay-
er-funded choices to
just one local option.
Proof to the contrary
can be seen in the rash
of schools now offering
100 percent online edu-
cation.
For several years
now, a handful of
online charter schools
have offered students
an online education.
The biggest and most
well-known of those
providers has been
Epic Charter Schools.
Parents have been
choosing online learn-
ing, even though the
per-pupil spending at
online charter schools
is significant-
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
ly less than the per-
pupil spending at a tra-
ditional brick-and-mor-
tar public school.
The number of peo-
ple pursuing K-12
learning online in
Oklahoma is astound-
ing. Epic alone reports
roughly 24,000 students
statewide this year.
Those families have
chosen online learning
for many different rea-
sons, but some of the
most commonly cited
are the greater range
of course offerings, the
special needs of chil-
dren and bullying prob-
lems at local schools.
Chances are you
know a family with
children who have
benefitted from online
schooling. Because
state funding follows
students, the exodus to
online charter schools
has had financial con-
sequences for tradition-
al districts. Now those
schools have been
forced to step up their
game.
At Sapulpa, the local
school is offering a vir-
tual academy that pro-
vides students “full or
partial online delivery
of instruction with an
element of student con-
trol over the time,
place, path, and/or pace
of learning.”
Sound familiar?
Noble Public Schools’
virtual academy pro-
vides a 100 percent
online education but
still lets online students
participate in extracur-
ricular activities such
as sports, band, and
chorus.
Norman Public
Schools now offers stu-
dents “the flexibility to
complete all of their
coursework outside the
traditional school
building” through
online learning.
Union Public Schools
has launched Union
Virtual for students in
grades 6-12. Sand
Springs offers online
learning. Broken
Arrow offers a full-time
online program. So
does Lawton. So does
Ponca City. And so do
others. The list goes on
and on.
This is a huge change
occurring across
Oklahoma to the bene-
fit of students and their
families. And the rapid
pace of this change is
being driven by compe-
tition from just a hand-
ful of online charter
schools.
Policymakers should
not simply celebrate
this success, but build
on it by expanding
school-choice opportu-
nities. If the modest
level of competition
produced by a small
group of online provid-
ers can create this kind
of change, imagine
what would happen if
Oklahoma had a truly
robust education mar-
ket competing for all
students.
Then the boom in
online learning would
be only a hint of better
things to come.
Jonathan Small
serves as president of
the Oklahoma Council
of Public Affairs (www.
ocpathink.org).
 The Piedmont-Surrey Gazette

Competition works
By Jonathan Small
Here’s a statement few people will dispute: Com-
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2019 funded choices to just one local option.
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though the per-pupil spending at online charter
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of children, and bullying problems at local schools.
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funding follows students, the exodus to online charter
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districts. Now those schools have been forced to step
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academy that provides students “full or partial on-
line delivery of instruction with an element of stu-
dent control over the time, place, path, and/or pace of
learning.”
Sound familiar?
Noble Public Schools’ virtual academy provides a
SHUFHQWRQOLQHHGXFDWLRQEXWVWLOOOHWVRQOLQHVWX-
dents participate in extracurricular activities such as
sports, band, and chorus.
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the traditional school building” through online learn-
ing.
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program. So does Lawton. So does Ponca City. And
so do others. The list goes on and on.
7KLVLVDKXJHFKDQJHRFFXUULQJDFURVV2NODKRPD
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rapid pace of this change is being driven by competi-
tion from just a handful of online charter schools.
3ROLF\PDNHUVVKRXOGQRWVLPSO\FHOHEUDWHWKLVVXF-
cess, but build on it by expanding school-choice op-
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duced by a small group of online providers can create
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peting for all students. Then the boom in online learn-
ing would be only a hint of better things to come.
Jonathan Small serves as president of the Okla-
KRPD&RXQFLORI3XEOLF$ৼDLUVwww.ocpathink.org).

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

h. will be “Barefoot in the

ipt
me
nd
ns
fe,
ĊēĆęĊĊěĎĊĜ
ver
ed State Sen. Ron Sharp
his This week, I’ll continue discussing Epic’s
s a problematic enrollment reporting issues and other
o,” problems.

Sep Last week, I noted that Epic has stated that

k s they’re following the law by reporting all their
s e Oklahoma and Tulsa County One on One
12 ed students as Blended Learning Center (BLC)
by enrollees whether they access the buildings or
ed not. Therefore, all grades not accommodated in
ors those two counties that didn’t have a BLC were
2019 ore still counted as BLC attendees. Students in all the
ry, other counties were listed under Epic One on One.
gh Last month, Oklahoma Statewide Virtual
er, Charter School Board (OSVCSB) Executive
Page an 'LUHFWRU'U5HEHFFD:LONLQVRQYHULÀHGWKDWWKLV
type of enrollment practice “would create an
A05 to illegal dual enrollment situation in two public
med schools.”
id. In further discussion with Dr. Wilkinson, she
Clip ave stated it was discovered that 1,552 Tulsa and
resized ell Oklahoma County students are enrolled in Epic
d I One on One Virtual Charter School. However,
28% to according to OSDE enrollment records for both
FY 2017-18 and FY 2018-19, there were 3,052
0th students enrolled in Epic Virtual Charter School
ree after its July 11th response regarding how they
ul, report enrollment at their BLCs.
he 'U:LONLQVRQYHULÀHGWKDW(SLF%OHQGHG&KDUWHU
will School is not sponsored by the OSVCSB but rather
o f by Rose State College. Therefore, it must comply
by with 70 OS 3-136 requirements. Paragraph 11 of
hur 70 OS 3-136 requires a brick and mortar charter
on school to comply with the 70 OS 1-109 school
ov. calendar requirements, which are the same as a
ute traditional public school:180 days of instruction
on, or 1,080 instructional hours.
yst Within 70 OS 1-109 is the compliance requirement
, ” of 70 OS 1-111, the minimum six-hour school day.
B U There are some exemptions within 70 OS 1-111
in- for athletic events and emergency situations
by that can shorten the six-hour day compliance

a with approval by the local school district or the

Oklahoma State Board of Education.
Brick and mortar charter schools are also
HG" statutorily required under 70 OS 3-140 (E): “...
ew to ensure that the student enrollment does not
tu- exceed the capacity of its facility or site”.
kes I believe Epic has attempted through its BLCs
or- to provide childcare for parents. David Chaney,
Bill co-founder and former superintendent of Epic
ent Charter School as well as co-owner of Epic
XFK Youth Services LLC (EYS), discussed this in the
ily Oklahoman on July 12, 2017 - “These centers
provide families who need ‘day care’ during the
all day a level of customization...”
the The problem, however, was unless the BLCs also
of used the same virtual attendance policy provided
ent to the virtual charter schools sponsored by the
FH OSVCSB, they could not expand their intended
hat purpose of ‘day care’ to increase its virtual charter
ra-
school’s enrollment.
iti- Finally, after two years and millions of taxpayer
e is GROODUV ODWHU 'U :LONLQVRQ DIÀUPHG WKDW (SLF
on Blended Charter School was not sponsored by the
All OSVCSB and, therefore, hasn’t been compliant to
e is the attendance policy under which it is statutorily
required. By arbitrarily transferring its virtual
ry- students to its brick and mortar charter school,
to a dual-enrollment problem has been created for
y is both types of schools Epic manages.
QHG Chaney submitted the electronic transmission
OO\ of the enrollment numbers for both schools in
nd FY 2017-18 and FY 2018-19, according to OSDE
records. This has complicated matters when both
nd charter schools’ funding has been comingled with
ec- WKHIRUSURÀW(<6:KHWKHUWKHVHVWXGHQWVH[LVWHG
ons is now suspect under Epic’s dual-enrollment and
al- attendance policies.
es, There are also questions as to which sponsor
ers. has oversight over the students in Epic One and
WHQ One and the BLCs since Epic commingled its
hat enrollment. Which sponsor collected the sponsor
fee allowed for each charter school? Those are our
nd
tax dollars and we deserve to know.
ext
les The OSDE provided Epic Virtual Charter School
ach with $70 million in FY 2018-19. Comingling funds
ity is a direct violation of Epic’s contract with the
een OSVCSB.
Another problem for Epic is its Learning Fund
the internal policy, which states that the “Learning
on Fund” is only available to students enrolled in
iti- its Virtual Charter School. Epic’s website informs
pt. parents: “Enrolling into the Learning Centers will
are take the full amount of the student’s Learning
tu- Fund.”
the Unfortunately, because of lack of proper
oversight by the legislature, State Board of
ed Education and Oklahoma Statewide Virtual
h to Charter School Board, Epic may have not
nd been compliant with Oklahoma statutes and
Administrative Rules.
rts Oklahoma statute requires the repayment
ma of all funds for the false reporting of student
My- HQUROOPHQWSOXVDÀQH)RUHDFKFRXQWWKHUH
or is a year imprisonment.
To contact me at the Capitol, please write to
kla-
Senator Ron Sharp, State Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln
He
ma Blvd. Room 412, Oklahoma City, OK, 73105 or call
(405) 521-5539.

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