Make Big Money Building Charter Schools: Joe Bruno Shows You How!

Over the past month I've been telling the story of the misogynist rapper Pitbull, his new charter school in Miami, and his speech before the 2013 National Charter Schools Convention. I pointed out that Kevin Chavous, board chair of the very reformy group Democrats For Education Reform, apparently both embraces the values espoused by Pitbull in his music and the business practices of Pitbull's partners:

This capture from Chavous's Facebook page features Fernando "Ferny" Zulueta, the man to Pitbull's right. According to a series of reports by the Miami Herald, Zulueta runs the "richest charter school management firm" in Florida, Academica, a for-profit company with annual revenues of $158 million. Zulueta also controls, along with his brother, Ignacio, more than $155 $115 million of South Florida real estate that is exempt from property taxes as "public" schools.

Pitbull's new charter, SLAM, will be managed by Academica.

The fourth fellow in this picture is S. Joe Bruno, a man who has become increasingly influential in the charter school industry. Originally an executive in the accounting and health care sectors, Bruno started his current organization, Building Hope, in 2004. Here's how the non-profit describes its mission:

Building Hope supports high quality public charter schools in Washington D.C., Florida and other U.S. cities and states by providing technical and financial assistance for educational facilities. A non-profit organization, Building Hope supports the expansion of academically successful schools with the capacity to grow their enrollments in order to catalyze change across their local public education systems. Building Hope promotes school-centered community revitalization, and believes that excellent charter school programs and facilities will help transform economically depressed neighborhoods into places where children will thrive. [emphasis mine]

All that may be true, but it's not the complete story. Because Building Hope is also using government grants and tax-exempt foundation funds to provide capital to the for-profit charter sector, allowing charter management organizations and charter school landowners, like the Zuluetas, to maximize their profits.

Thanks to Joe Bruno, Ferny Zulueta has been able to use capital, ultimately subsidized by taxpayers, to increase the capacity at his charter schools and collect more in both management fees and rent. Here's how this plan works:


Step 1: Bruno Gathers Up a Big Pile of Money

Like a bank, Building Hope lends out funds to charter schools to help finance construction and expansion. But Building Hope needs to gather up capital to loan out to its customers. Because they are a non-profit corporation, Building Hope has access to reserves normal lenders can't tap into. Building Hope's website lists several "Investment Partners":

• The Sallie Mae Fund, the charitable arm of the student loan giant whose mission is: "to increase college access for America's students — by supporting programs and initiatives that help open doors to higher education." The fund's website documents $28 million in giving to Building Hope.
• The Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, administered by the Department of Treasury: "The CDFI Fund's mission is to increase economic opportunity and promote community development investments for underserved populations and in distressed communities in the United States." Building Hope got over $2 million from the fund in 2011, and $750,000 in 2010.
• The US Department of Education, which awarded Building Hope nearly $5 million in 2001 under the Credit Enhancement For Charter School Facilities Program: "This program provides grants to eligible entities to permit them to enhance the credit of charter schools so that the charter schools can access private-sector and other non-Federal capital in order to acquire, construct, and renovate facilities at a reasonable cost."
• The Clavert Foundation: "'Impact Investing' connects caring investors with worthy causes, delivering a social and financial return. People invest in us, making it possible for us to invest in organizations around the world that empower people living in low-income communities." Building Hope claims they are receiving funds of up to $4 million from the foundation.
• The Walton Family Foundation: "The foundation invests to infuse competition into the nation’s K-12 education system by increasing the quantity and quality of school choices available to parents, especially in low-income communities, in order to inspire all schools to improve." Tax records, available through Guidestar, show Walton had two notes receivable from Building Hope, which had borrowed over $12 million.

That is a lot of money; some in grants, some in loans, but all bequeathed under the idea that charter school facilities construction is a public investment that should be subsidized - either through tax policy or direct giving - because it addresses a societal need. Keep that in mind as we continue.

Step 2: Bruno Repackages These Funds as Loans For Charter School Construction

Looking at Building Hope's tax records, it's clear their primary activity is granting loans to charter schools for facilities construction. In 2010, the group claimed it had financed over $72 million in direct loans, and another $9 million in credit enhancements, since its inception. A list of projects receiving financing includes charters in Washington, D.C. and 13 states.

Building Hope also gives grants, but many are listed as "imputed interest": the difference between the rate of the loan and the rate Building Hope ostensibly could have gotten on the market. Standard accounting practices allow the group to claim imputed interest as a grant distribution; however, a look at Building Hope's tax return from 2011 shows that there is significant variation in the rates they charge. One of the highest rates reported is a $3.2 million note issued to "Doral Academy I" in 2011; the rate is 7% in the first four years, and a whopping 12% in years five and six.

Building Hope also claimed income in 2011 of nearly $2 million for providing "professional services" to charters; they describe that work as "accounting and IT services."

Step 3: Charter Operators - Including FOR-PROFIT Operators - Build Facilities On Land They Own

This is the part of the plan that gets a little trickier to follow. The only reference to the Doral Academy loan I could find on Building Hope's website is this:

Doral Academy
Doral, FL
$3,200,000
Construction Loan
1,800 seats

That doesn't tell us much about Doral Academy, or how the loan was used. Let's take a closer look:

As the Miami Herald reported in their blockbuster series, Cashing In On Kids, Doral is one of four networks of charter schools in South Florida managed by Academica, a for-profit company led by the Zulueta brothers, Fernando and Ignacio. As the Herald reported, the Zuluetas don't just provide "management services" for their client charters:

But the Zuluetas’ greatest financial success is largely unseen: Through more than two dozen other companies, the Zuluetas control more than $115 million in South Florida real estate — all exempt from property taxes as public schools — and act as landlords for many of Academica’s signature schools, records show. 

These companies collected about $19 million in lease payments last year from charter schools — with nine schools paying rents exceeding 20 percent of their revenue, records show. [emphasis mine]

IRS records, filings with the Florida Department of State, and financial audits from the Florida Auditor General confirm Doral Academy schools do, in fact, rent facilities from School Development, LLC, a company also controlled by the Zuluetas. 2011 tax records show Doral Academy, Inc. paid nearly $3 million in rent to the Zuluetas; however, the schools also paid over $900,000 to Carlos Albizu University, home of Doral Academy Elementary.

So it's hard to say, based on public records, just how the loan from Building Hope may have been used to enhance the properties controlled by the Zuluetas. What is clear is that the schools have been expanding, and a big part of that expansion has been the construction of new facilities. The school's newspaper described a new building project in 2011 that would accommodate an additional 800 students. Clearly, Building Hope's financing helped make that new building - a building sitting on property owned by the Zuluetas - a reality.

Step 4: The Taxpayer Foots the Bill

As "public" schools, the charters in the Doral network receive taxpayer funds for each child they enroll. According to Doral Academy High School's 2012 audit, Academica receives a $450 yearly management fee for each student enrolled. That makes expansion a good deal for Academica: more students, more fees.

As the Herald also reported, South Florida charter schools are far less likely to serve students with special needs, which keeps costs low:

Fernando Zulueta, whose firm, Academica, manages more than 60 charter schools in South Florida, said any employee who denied access to a student with disabilities would be fired. He said special needs students rarely apply to Academica­ managed schools because they are better served at private schools that take McKay scholarships, state funding that helps children with disabilities attend private schools. 

“We want to serve them,” he said. “We haven’t gotten there yet.” [emphasis mine]

I'll be taking a look at the student populations of Miami's charter schools later this summer; for now, let's just say that Zulueta admits his student population does not include many special needs students, which would keep his costs down.


So that's how this system, set up by Bruno and the Zuluetas, works. To make it all a little easier to follow, here's a flowchart:

Taxpayers directly fund grants to Building Hope through the Departments of Treasury and Education, and indirectly through the tax code, which allows the Sallie Mae Fund and the Walton Family Foundation to donate as non-profit organizations. Keep in mind that the Walton Foundation will get back all the money it loans Building Hope, and list any imputed interest as a grant.

Building Hope then loans millions to Doral Academy, which pays back the loan using the funds it collects for each student, courtesy of Florida's taxpayers. As the student body grows, more fees go to Academica to manage the school. And rental fees flow to School Development, LLC. Both groups are controlled by the Zuluetas.

Let me stress something here (and keep in mind that I'm not a lawyer nor an accountant): as far as I can tell, every transaction here is perfectly legal.

Once again, from the Miami Herald:

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas On a sun­drenched weekend in September, a group of South Florida charter school principals jetted off to a leadership retreat at The Cove, an exclusive enclave of the Atlantis resort. A Friday morning meeting gave way to champagne flutes, a dip in the pool and a trip down a waterslide. The evening ended at the casino. 

Leading the toast by the pool: Fernando Zulueta, the CEO of Academica Corp., which manages the principals’ schools. 

Zulueta had reason to cheer. During the past 15 years, Zulueta and his brother, Ignacio, have built Academica into Florida’s largest and richest for­profit charter school management company, and one of the largest in the country. In Miami­Dade and Broward counties, Academica runs more than 60 schools with $158 million in total annual revenue and more than 20,000 students — more pupils than 38 Florida school districts, records show. [emphasis mine]

Let's be frank: the United States is full of examples of private companies growing fat off of the public trough. Academica is, in many ways, no different than Halliburton or General Electric. The real question is whether the nation, and Florida in particular, is getting enough value out of these transactions that they justify the large profits the Zuluetas enjoy.

Also: while we can debate the relative merits of charter schools, one thing is quite certain: any notion that the charter industry is "all about the kids" needs to be dismissed, because there are adults who are clearly making a lot of money off of charter expansion. And it's not just people like the Zuluetas: Bruno himself, according to Building Hope's 2011 tax return, earned $388,709 in compensation and another $56,865 in benefits for a year's work. In contrast, the average Florida teacher salary is $45,723.

When Chicago's public school teachers went on strike, DFER's Kevin P. Chavous, the man who posted the picture above, wrote a piece where he questioned whether those teachers were putting the best interests of their students first:

In essence, teachers are striking over salary issues, work hours and teacher evaluations. I agree that many of our teachers are underpaid and I have always respected the collective bargaining process and the right to strike, but I have to agree with the Mayor Rahm Emmanuel on the need to upgrade or elevate the discussion on what collective bargaining for teachers means in 2012 as opposed to 1962. 

In nearly every aspect of education in America, strangely, the interests of children are always secondary to the interests of adults. All of the major education decision-makers instinctively weigh adult considerations before thinking about the impact on kids and their academic achievement. Just as the auto industry in Detroit refocused their priorities from their workers' interests to improving the quality of their cars, we must also shift the paradigm to achieve effective outputs and deliverables for kids. [emphasis mine]

Zulueta and Bruno, however, are wealthy men who have been made wealthier by the charter school "movement." It strikes me as more than a little hypocritical that Chavous is so quick to question the motives of public school teachers, but not the motives of men who are making piles of money from charter school construction, with financing subsidized by the American taxpayer.

Pitbull Speech at Ntl Charter Schools Convention - The Remix

The rapper Pitbull gave the opening speech at the 2013 National Charter Schools Convention this past week. He came to the podium to the strains of his hit, "Feel This Moment."

Given the background of Pitbull and his partners in his new charter school, SLAM, that just didn't feel right. In the tradition of hip-hop, I therefore present this remix. Sit back, ingest a dangerous amount of caffeine, and enjoy:

Remember: Pitbull is endorsed by Democrats For Education Reform!

Because our children need upright, decent role models who endorse choice in education...

Darcie has more on the speech, if you can take it:

Pitbull opened his speech with a joke to break the ice. 

"I know you guys might be thinking, 'What is Pitbull doing here today?' 

I'm thinking the same thing... 

But speaking of that, they told me that Bill Cosby has spoken here before, which I think is amazing. Somebody that I really relate to. I also love Jello.

Ha ha! I'm just getting started!

Bill Gates; phenomenal, incredible. I relate to Bill Gates.  We're both very... good looking. 

*wink at audience*

And Bill Clinton. You know, I really relate to Bill Clinton... (laughs from audience)  We're both musicians."

In that single joke, Pitbull equates himself with Bill Cosby's product endorsements, Bill Gate's money, and Bill Clinton's womanizing.

That really is what Pitbull is all about, isn't it?  Endorsements, money and women....

Juice Box

I want, I need, I like to get

Money, money, money, money

I want, I need, I like to get

Money, money, money, I like

Joel says: "I like the beat - I give it an 86!"

Does DFER Support Pitbull-Zulueta Values?

Kevin P. Chavous is the board chair of Democrats For Education Reform and a staunch reformy-type, proudly working with politicians on both sides of the aisle to bring "choice" to public schools. Chavous has written before about how concerned he is with women's rights:

Every day in this country, scores of children persevere against incredibly negative odds. Their struggles are virtually unnoticed: their accomplishments are unheralded. But they survive and many succeed. In my new book,Voices of Determination I share the stories of ten young people who endured and overcame significant challenges in order to obtain their education. Each story is heart wrenching and inspiring. And each kid exemplifies that innate human quality found in all of us: the will to do better and to be better.

Among the kids I feature is Zina, an amazing young woman from Afghanistan, who migrated to the states with her mother and siblings once the Taliban took over the country in the late nineties. The Taliban killed her father and grandfather and took away her mother's college professorship. In fact, the Taliban instantly changed Afghanistan from a country with progressive views toward women to a country in which women were relegated to sexist policies found hundreds of years ago. All of the women in the country had to wear full body burkas and none could go to school or work outside of the home. [emphasis mine]

Good on Chavous for bringing us this story of courage in the face of rampant sexism. I think we can all agree that women should not be treated as objects, right, Kevin?

Room Service
She like that freaky stuff
Two and the O, 1 in the eye,
that kinky stuff, you nasty,
but I like your type
and like T.I. its whatever you like.
Bring your girls,
its whatever tonight,
your man just left,
I'm the plumber tonight,
I check your pipes,
oh, you're the healthy type.
Well, here goes some egg whites.
Now gimme that sweet, that nasty gushy stuff,

The Anthem 

She told me that her mama's Latin, her dad Asian
Abuela está loca, abuelo Hatian
Y yo soy Cubano and I'm impatient
So do me a favor, let's skip conversation
I just wanna taste ya ASAP
Take ya ASAP, to the room ASAP
Zoom zoom ASAP, boom boom take that
Ooh, I like that when you fight back

According to Kevin P. Chavous, board chair of DFER, the man who performed these lyrics is "incomparable."

That's one way of putting it...

As I detailed earlier, Pitbull is opening a new, taxpayer-funded charter school in Miami in partnership with Academica, the company owned by another man in this picture, Fernando Zulueta. The Miami Herald ran a terrific series on Academica and Zulueta, Cashing In On Kids, detailing how he and his brother have made millions through rental and management fees paid by ostensibly "non-profit" charters, all while working a variety of political connections.

I have not been able to determine Pitbull's financial relationship to this charter, although "Mr. Worldwide" is well-known for marketing himself and endorsing a variety of products. He has worked in the past with Walmart; no surprise there, because the Walton family is one of the largest supporters of the charter "movement" in the country. In fact, DFER's sugar daddy, Whitney Tilson, admits John Walton was an "inspiration" for Chavous's organization.

Together, Pitbull and Walmart worked a big marketing campaign for Energy Sheets, a caffeine-laden product that health professionals warn is unsafe for children, even though it's sweet and resembles candy:

 Given all this, I'll ask Mr. Chavous:

- Do you think the values that Pitbull espouses in his lyrics are values appropriate for a taxpayer-funded school?

- Do you think the taxpayers of South Florida are well-served by Academica and the Zuluetas?

- In the interests of transparency, will you call for Pitbull, Academica, Mater Charter Academies, and all other involved parties to fully disclose their financial dealings and release copies of all contracts as relates to the SLAM Charter School?

DFER says they are all about "choice." Fine - but a good "choice" requires information, does it not? Shouldn't parents and students have a full accounting of the dealings behind charter schools before they make their "choices"?

ADDING: Looks like Twitter has already answered my question:

Well, OK then...

I want, I need, I like to get

Money, money, money, money

I want, I need, I like to get

Money, money, money, I like

"Juicebox" by Armando "Pitbull" Perez, rapper and charter school founder

Charter Schools, Pitbull, & Money, Money, Money

UPDATE: Mother Crusader has started a petition calling for Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to cancel his appearance at NAPCS.

I want, I need, I like to get

Money, money, money, money

I want, I need, I like to get

Money, money, money, I like

"Juicebox" by Armando "Pitbull" Perez, rapper and charter school founder

*****

Yesterday, I reported that this week's National Charter Schools Conference will feature an address by Miami-based rapper Pitbull, known for his misogynistic lyrics and dubious personal behavior. 

Mother Crusader dug further into the Pitbull's past to reveal a man who most likely would never be allowed to hold a job in public education. Perhaps Amplfy's Joel Klein and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will let us know if they think Pitbull's attitudes toward women belong in a taxpayer-funded school.

Because Pitbull, in spite of his past, will open a new charter this fall: SLAM, the Sports Leadership and Management Charter School. The school, built in the shadow of Marlins Stadium, claims it will prepare students for a career in professional sports:

“Featuring a one-of-a-kind curriculum and unmatched experiences, the school will serve as a catalyst for other sports leadership and management charter schools throughout the nation,” SLAM principal Alex Tamargo stated in a news release.    

That program will include internships with Marlins executives on game days and events, such as shadowing executives during pre- and post-game entertainment, parking and customer service.

Marlins executives have quite a track record to teach students about: building a stadium partially on the public dime, hiring a foul-mouthed manager, holding the least successful opening season in a new stadium in decades, and trading away star players.

The team recently said that its season ticket base has fallen to less than 5,000.

Maybe the SLAM students could teach the Marlins’ executives a thing or two. [emphasis mine]

The irony here is rich indeed. First: SLAM's founder, Pitbull, and the Marlins' staff share a predilection for salty language (please try to clean this up around the kids, folks). Second: both SLAM and the Marlins organization are textbook cases of private enterprises feeding at the public trough, raking in obscene amounts of money.

The story of Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria's rip-off of Miami's taxpayers has been well documented:

The ballpark financing agreement "sparked an SEC investigation and is considered so one-sided that almost no rhetoric sounds too extreme: The team will pay for $160 million of the $634 million facility, and compounded interest and balloon payments on one $91 million loan will end up costing the county $1.1 billion when it is paid off in 2048." 

Miami mayor Thomas Regaldo [sic] said the Marlins owners "insulted the taxpayers, and then they insulted the fans ... It was: We did it to you—and screw you." Regaldo has opposed the deal, which uses various taxes to fund the stadium, since the beginning.

"Miami has a history of bad deals, but I would rank this Number 1," Regaldo said. "The residents of Miami were raped. Completely." [emphasis mine]

As we'll see below, Mayor Regalado is a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to protecting South Florida's taxpayers. But before we get to that, let's first turn our attentions to SLAM, the charter school that will be imparting the values of both Pitbull and Loria to the youth of Miami.

SLAM is part of the Mater Academy family of charter schools, a prolific network that has expanded throughout South Florida. Mater's schools are ostensibly non-profit; however, all are run by the for-profit charter management organization, Academica:

Academica’s reach extends from Florida to Georgia, Texas, Nevada, Utah and California, where the company also manages charter schools. But Academica is best known for managing four prominent school networks in Miami-Dade and Broward counties: the Mater Academies, the Somerset Academies, the Doral Academies and the Pinecrest Academies.

In the 2010-11 school year, these four chains had 44 South Florida schools with about 19,000 students.

Each network of schools is run by a nonprofit corporation, which in turn is run by a volunteer governing board. These boards set policy for the schools, and also approve the management contracts and property leases — including the land deals with the Zulueta companies. While the teachers and principals work for the nonprofits, Academica routinely vets personnel and recommends principals from within its stable of schools.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/13/v-fullstory/2545377/academica-florida-richest-charter.html#storylink=cpy

That's from a blockbuster series of reports by the Miami Herald from back in 2011. The story starts with a description of corporate culture at Academica that sounds like it came straight from one of Pitbull's music videos:

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas On a sun-drenched weekend in September, a group of South Florida charter school principals jetted off to a leadership retreat at The Cove, an exclusive enclave of the Atlantis resort. A Friday morning meeting gave way to champagne flutes, a dip in the pool and a trip down a waterslide. The evening ended at the casino.

Leading the toast by the pool: Fernando Zulueta, the CEO of Academica Corp., which manages the principals’ schools.

Zulueta had reason to cheer. During the past 15 years, Zulueta and his brother, Ignacio, have built Academica into Florida’s largest and richest for-profit charter school management company, and one of the largest in the country. In Miami-Dade and Broward counties, Academica runs more than 60 schools with $158 million in total annual revenue and more than 20,000 students — more pupils than 38 Florida school districts, records show.

Academica’s schools consistently get high marks for academic achievement, with some schools earning national recognition. Mater Academy Charter High in Hialeah Gardens is considered among the nation’s best high schools by U.S. News & World Report, and recently won the College Board Inspiration Award.

And despite recent cuts in state funding for public and charter schools, Academica’s schools have prospered financially: One of its chains of nonprofit schools has assets of more than $36 million, the company says.

Academica’s achievements have been profitable. The South Miami company receives more than $9 million a year in management fees just from its South Florida charter schools — fees that ultimately come from public tax dollars.

But the Zuluetas’ greatest financial success is largely unseen: Through more than two dozen other companies, the Zuluetas control more than $115 million in South Florida real estate — all exempt from property taxes as public schools — and act as landlords for many of Academica’s signature schools, records show.

These companies collected about $19 million in lease payments last year from charter schools — with nine schools paying rents exceeding 20 percent of their revenue, records show. [emphasis mine]

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/13/v-fullstory/2545377/academica-florida-richest-charter.html#storylink=cpy

I have yet to confirm that SLAM is using the same real estate tactics as the rest of the Mater network; however, given the school's close ties to Zulueta and Academica, it's quite likely SLAM will follow this model. In any case, Academica will certainly reap big management fees from SLAM, just as they do from the other charters in their networks.

If you haven't read the Herald's complete series, Cashing In On Kids, you really should: even if you don't live in Miami-Dade, it's a terrific guide to the sleazy strategies used by the charter industry to manipulate politicians into shoveling buckets of money into their coffers. The Zuluetas, for example, are lucky enough to have a Fernando's brother-in-law, Erik Fresen, serve on the Education Committee in the Florida House:

In October, Fresen was cleared in an ethics investigation sparked by a complaint that his vote this spring on the high-performing charter schools legislation was a conflict that should have been disclosed. Fresen said he consulted with an attorney in the House of Representatives before making the vote, and he later disclosed his ties to Academica.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/14/2545708/company-cultivates-links-to-lawmakers.html#storylink=cpy

It's no surprise Fresen's fellow legislators let him off the hook: charter industry money flows like orange juice around Tallahassee. Thanks to intensive lobbying and targeted campaign contributions, the Florida charter lobby recently scored $91 million in construction costs, all coming from the Public Education Capital Outlay fund, which collects revenues from "the state's gross receipts tax on cable, electric and land-line telephone bills," a highly regressive form of taxation.

So Academica benefits from its political connections - but that's not the only key to its "success." As the Herald reports, South Florida charters, like Academica's, enroll very few poor or special needs students, which serves the dual function of bumping up tests scores while keeping costs low. Miami's charters also appear to engage in targeted marketing:

In 2009, a Miami-Dade school district study of middle-schoolers found that while black students and poor students were less likely to transfer to charter schools, those who were classified as gifted or had earned high marks on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Tests were more likely to choose charter schools.

The report also found that advanced students were nearly twice as likely to transfer to schools in the Mater and Doral networks of schools as to continue in their home schools.

“It is unlikely that the effects seen for these particular schools can be explained by direct marketing techniques, which are typically ineffective, given that these effects are not seen in other charter schools,” the report concluded. “This raises the possibility that specific students were targeted in some way.” [emphasis mine]

That's particularly interesting regarding SLAM, which has specifically billed itself as a sports-oriented school. The charter just signed up Rich Hofman, a renowned private school baseball coach, as its Athletic Director. I've reported before on the growing national trend of sports-oriented charters, many of which are engaging in unethical recruiting practices; I'd suggest that SLAM needs to be watched very carefully in this upcoming season.

In any case, Academica has developed a bit of a problem: while the schools continue to make gobs of money, they are attracting unwanted publicity - and that's keeping the Florida charter industry from getting everything they crave. The "parent trigger," a mechanism to expand charters, has gone down twice in the Florida Senate, and that $91 million in funds for charter construction isn't recurring, which is what the charter industry desperately wanted. For the Zuluetas and their compatriots to take even more taxpayer funds, they have to splash some perfume on the charter school pig.

Enter Pitbull. It's safe to say the rapper is one of the most image-conscious performers in hip-hop: he's carefully cultivated an persona that gives him "street cred" while remaining palatable to mainstream America:

I remember it well. It was eight years ago, nighttime, and I sat inside an empty banquet hall at the Radisson Hotel in Dallas. Rapper Pitbull sat in front of me. The room was dimly lit. A couple of things about him immediately struck me. His only piece of jewelry was a watch. A nice watch, but hardly anything fancy or shiny. I would learn during our conversation that his mother advised him to look like “old money,” meaning no gaudy bling blinding you from the sparkling glare. She told him that if he decked himself out in expensive clothes and ostentatious jewelry he would look like “new money,” and the sycophants would want to bleed him dry of cash.

Pitbull still heeds mama’s words. Today he has international fame and total assimilation into the Anglo world of hip-hop, which he’s parlayed into product endorsements, TV and film appearances and recorded featured spots on singles by Jennifer Lopez, Enrique Iglesias and Taio Cruz, among others. Pitbull’s image, however, remains all about simple yet elegantly tailored suits, sunglasses and that’s it. Still no obnoxious bling. [emphasis mine]

It speaks volumes about our culture that a man who writes the lyrics Pitbull does can remain in the mainstream of American culture. But he has, and it's paid off in a series of product endorsements:

He’s one of the most aggressive celebrity product and brand endorsers, having struck deals with Kodak, Dr. Pepper, Sheets energy strips, and several other brands. Guided by brand manager Daymond John, the founder of the FUBU clothing line and the star of the ABC Show “Shark Tank,” Pitbull actively searches out companies to align with, often with the goal of endorsing products in exchange for equity in the companies. He receives stock for some endorsements and gets upfront cash payments for others.

“It all depends on how you look at a deal and break it down. Different deals get struck differently,” Pitbull said. He said the equity deals tend to come about when a company is looking for the recording artist to help launch a relatively unknown product that needs a boost from a celebrity. In Pitbull’s case, his penetration into international markets has been an asset in the negotiations for new deals. [emphasis mine]

You can see why charter industry types like the Zuluetas would want to partner up with Pitbull, a shameless self-marketer who appeals to political conservatives (Pitbull is passionately anti-Castro) and is tied into South Florida's youth and Hispanic markets. And so Pitbull has been making the rounds and promoting the proliferation of charters in Miami-Dade. Here he is taping a television special at a Mater Academy school in Hialeah Gardens:

Here's Pitbull selling his story and SLAM to Katie Couric:



Here's "Mr. Worldwide" selling his brand and SLAM on the Today Show:

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

You'll notice that none of these media appearances mentions Academica, the Zuluetas, or the money the South Florida charter industry is scooping in at the expense of Miami's public schools. What we get instead is a prefabricated Horatio Alger story designed to tug at our heartstrings:

You might think the biggest moment in Pitbull’s life would be getting signed to a label or his first record hitting stores, but Pitbull said neither are his biggest moments. Getting the key to the city, said Pitbull, was the biggest moment of his life.

“It is always a big day for a Cuban to get a key and I got the key to the city,” Pitbull joked.

And who gave Pitbull the key to Miami? Why, none other than Mayor Tomas Regalado: you remember, the same fellow who now complains Pitbull's partners in SLAM, the Miami Marlins, "raped" the taxpayers. Regalado has himself been a promoter of Miami's charters, especially the Mater Academy schools.

Public money for the wealthy to build sports stadiums and get even richer? Outrageous! Public money for the wealthy to build charter schools and get even richer? Meh...

Let me hasten to add this: in all my research, I couldn't find any indication that Pitbull himself is making a dime off of SLAM. He may well be doing this out of the goodness of his heart (although it certainly isn't hurting his image, which is how he makes his money). There has also been scant little reporting about the financial structure of SLAM - we simply don't know how Academica, the Zuluetas, Mater Academies, the Marlins, and Pitbull have structured their deal.

Which is precisely the problem. This entire enterprise is using taxpayer money to fund a school affiliated with people who have already made piles of money from the Florida charter industry. And yet - save for the outstanding work of the Miami Herald - a sycophantic press has not given us any insight into the finances of SLAM.

What does it say about Joel Klein and Arne Duncan that they will share the stage this week with Pitbull and push the gospel of charter school salvation, even as the deals that fund these charters don't meet the simplest standards of transparency?

What does it say about our press that they are so taken with celebrity journalism that they refuse to do their jobs and look into the backgrounds of schools like SLAM - schools that are enriching operators like the Zuluetas to the tune of millions?

And what does it say about our culture that we hold up a beer salesman like Pitbull as an exemplar of our education system?

For a moment there, I considered calling for Pitbull to step down as a speaker at the National Charter Schools Conference. But it's clear to me now he is the best possible spokesman for the charter "movement." Pitbull is, indeed, the very personification of everything charter schools seem to stand for.

Let him stand on that stage and represent the charter industry; I really can't think of anyone who would do a better job.

I want, I need, I like to get

Money, money, money, money

I want, I need, I like to get

Money, money, money, I like

SLAM founder Pitbull.

National Charter Schools Conference Features Sexist Lyricist Pitbull

UPDATE: I take a look at the finances behind Pitbull, SLAM, and the charter's management company, Academica. It ain't pretty.

UPDATE: Mother Crusader has more on the background of Pitbull. Darcie, by the way, is the mother of two adorable daughters. I wonder how other mothers might feel about sending their daughters to SLAM after reading what she found.


This year's National Charter Schools Conference will feature failed NYC Chancellor and current snake oil salesman Joel Klein; the incoherent and failed SecEd, Arne Duncan; and easily confused education writer and meme producer for the reformy, Amanda Ripley.

But, as exciting as it will be to hear from these reformy luminaries, they aren't even the main attraction:

Armando Christian Pérez

International Music Superstar Pitbull, SLAM Public Charter School

Miami-native Armando Pérez (Pitbull)—also known as "Mr. Worldwide" and "Mr. 305"—is a globally successful musician, performer, business entrepreneur, fashion icon and actor whose career sales exceed 5 million albums and 40 million singles worldwide. Pitbull has had #1 hits in more than 15 countries and his videos have been viewed more than 3 billion times. His world tour sold out concerts in Latin America, Canada and Europe, before bringing the party to the United States, Japan and Australia.

Mr. Pérez’s commercial success has solidified his influence in his hometown community. He is making the most of his position as a civic leader in Miami by opening the Sports Leadership and Management (SLAM) charter school for youth of the city. SLAM seeks to provide an in-depth educational and career-preparation program through “3 R’s”: rigor, relevance, and relationships. The school’s first cohort of students will begin classes this fall.

Let's leave aside any discussion, for the moment, as to why anyone would think Pitbull is in any way qualified to receive taxpayer funds to run a school. Let's instead take a short tour of Mr. Perez's music, and hopefully gain an insight into the values he hopes to impart to his young charges at SLAM.

Courtesy of the website MetroLyrics, here are some prime examples of Pitbull's "art" [all emphases mine]:


International Love

I've been to countries and cities I can't pronounce

And the places on the globe I didn't know existed

In Romania, she pulled me to the side and told me

"Pit, you can have me and my sister"

In Lebanon, yeah, the women are bomb [Yes, he really did say that. - JJ]*

And in Greece, you've guessed it, the women are sweet

Spinned all around the world but I ain't gon' lie

There's nothing like Miami's heat

En Colombia women got everything on

Some of the most beautiful women I've ever seen

In Brazil, is freaky big o' booty

And they bounce, blue, yellow and green

The Anthem

She told me that her mama's Latin, her dad Asian

Abuela está loca, abuelo Hatian

Y yo soy Cubano and I'm impatient

So do me a favor, let's skip conversation

I just wanna taste ya ASAP

Take ya ASAP, to the room ASAP

Zoom zoom ASAP, boom boom take that

Ooh, I like that when you fight back [Is there any way to interpret this other than as a rape fantasy? - JJ]

Room Service

She like that freaky stuff

Two and the O, 1 in the eye,

that kinky stuff, you nasty,

but I like your type

and like T.I. its whatever you like.

Bring your girls,

its whatever tonight,

your man just left,

I'm the plumber tonight,

I check your pipes,

oh, you're the healthy type.

Well, here goes some egg whites.

Now gimme that sweet, that nasty gushy stuff,


Move, Shake, Drop

I got 1's, 5's, 10's, 20's

I got them 50's

Got them 100's baby

I got plenty, I wanna see ya work (work) that pole

'till 'till 'till you get sweaty

I wanna hit it from from the back

I promise you'll like it if you let me

Fuego

You think you gangsta'

Cause you did time

Well, listen here, gangsta

Don't cross the line

Mr. Collipark

If you think it's a game, you play with it right

Ain't nothin' safe when them guns start

Bojangles

Pequeño JuanBoy, you killed this one dog

If you don't know her name it's cool call her this
Jigga jigga, call that girl Bojangles

Jigga jigga, call that girl Bojangles

Jigga jigga, call that girl Bojangles

The following is not a test, DJ!

I see the way you move and I picture you nude

Baby keep movin' that thing, baby keep movin' that thing

I wanna take you to the boom boom room

So we can do it like boom, boom, boom, boom

Pleasure, yes, God bless

I love my women rated triple-X

Let me show you how we do it 'round here

Man the women they don't fake it they get naked down here
It's da bottom, no bras no drawers

Da bottom, where they holla "Take it off!"

Da bottom, where we turn out daughters

Just to plan a lick on the father, we got 'em
Licky licky, licky licky, I like to

Licky licky, licky licky, we like to

Licky licky, licky licky, they like to

Licky licky, licky licky, DJ!

Juice Box

I want, I need, I like to get

Money, money, money, money

I want, I need, I like to get

Money, money, money, I like

Her right there and her friend over there, I like

Her right there and her friend over there, I like

Her right there and her friend over there, I like

Her right there and her friend over there, I like

That juice box wet, she keep that juice box juicy, I like

That juice box wet, she keep that juice box juicy, I like

That juice box wet, she keep that juice box juicy, I like

That juice box wet, she keep that juice box juicy, I like

My life, Vincent Van Gogh couldn't paint it

And I love that you hate it

I fuck 'em, you date 'em, I'm hotter than Satan

Look partner just save it

Folks, I'm not a prude, but seriously: yuck. Hey, Joel, are you down with all this?

"I party hard."

ADDING: Everyone deserves a second chance.

Rapper Pitbull has been arrested for DUI - twice - and has admitted to once being a drug dealer in Miami, but that's not stopping Commissioner Tomas Regalado from giving him the keys to the city.

The 28-year-old rapper, born Armando Perez, will be presented with the keys by Regalado during a ceremony Wednesday morning at City Hall.

Pitbull was busted in December 2007 for driving under the influence after his Mercedes was clocked going 93 mph on the Palmetto Expressway. The arrest report noted that Pitbull had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath, his eyes were bloodshot and watery and his speech was slurred. He also failed all field sobriety tests, according to the report.

He reportedly tried to brush off the incident, telling the arresting officers, "This is a big waste of time your time, papo."

He later refused a Breathalyzer test. The case was finally closed just last month, and Pitbull was found not guilty in the incident.

The rapper had previously pleaded no contest in another DUI case in March 2001 and only paid a fine.

Pitbull, also known as "Mr. 305," has talked about his rough past in several interviews, claiming his father dealt drugs in the '80s. He said he began to follow in his father's footsteps, but music set him straight.

Aside from the DUIs, Pit has mostly stayed out of trouble and does a lot of charity work around the city.

Good for him. So why not stick with that and leave running public schools to professional educators? I mean, you don't see me running around telling strippers to "work that pole," do you?

Let's each do the jobs we are best prepared to do.

* ADDING MORE: International Love, Pitbull's collaboration with admitted woman-beater Chris Brown, contains this lyric:

In Lebanon, yeah, the women are bomb

According to Wikipedia, the song was released in May of 2011. It's worth noting that the Israel-Lebanon border clash took place in August of 2010. This was followed by the collapse of the Lebanese government in January, 2011. In other words: at the time Pitbull must have been producing this song, Lebanon was very much in the news.

I'm not going to get into the politics of the Mid-East here; my knowledge of Lebanese history is extremely limited, and I know the various sides in the conflicts around Lebanon have very strong views as to who is to blame. I will, however, point out that this country has a sad, bloody history of conflict in which many people - including children - have died. The conflicts that have dogged Lebanon continue to this very day.

I wonder if Pitbull ever thought about all of this as he was making his little song and his little joke.