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Thursday, August 20, 2015

BACK-TO-SCHOOL...FOR SCANDAL

It has been said that the true test of a man's character is what he does when no one is watching.

But what if everyone was watching? What would you call that test? And who would pass...or fail?

Back on April 29, 2015, the Bay City Academy's Board of Directors announced the selection of newly-minted Mitten Educational Management as its new educational service provider. Replacing Steven Ingersoll's Smart Schools Management, Inc., Mitten is headed by fortunate son-in-law, Brian Lynch.

The press release also proclaimed the selection of Pat Cleland as the Bay City Academy's new Superintendent:

Pat Cleland is scheduled to take on the Interim-Superintendent position for the remaining two months of the school year. Mr. Cleland has 23 years of experience serving students in education as a teacher, state championship football coach, and as an administrator. He will be splitting roles as Superintendent for the Bay City Academy District along with maintaining his responsibilities as Principal at North Central Academy in Mancelona, Michigan. Pat Cleland has been Principal at NCA for the past three years. Under his leadership the school has increased their academic performance, expanded their athletics and extracurricular programs, along with growing it's enrollment. The official decision to name Pat Cleland as Superintendent is pending official approval at the May 14, 2015 Bay City Academy Board of Director's meeting.

As Miss Fortune exclusively revealed on June 24, Grand Traverse County court records revealed Cleland plead guilty on March 4, 2013 to one count of retail fraud-3rd degree and opted to serve three days of community service in lieu of a six day jail sentence. 

Leelanau County court records revealed an area woman sought and received a personal protection order against Cleland, formerly the principal of Mancelona's North Central Academy.

The personal protection order was granted on May 26, and Cleland was served on June 8.
 


But while it's unclear if Cleland was formally named the Bay City Academy's Superintendent back in May, he's scheduled to appear August 26th at the Academy's Cook Out & Open House.

And here's a shocker: although the press release called out Cleland's
experience as a teacher, official Michigan Department of Education records show that Cleland hasn't really been a "teacher" since his certification expired on June 30, 2007.

In addition, the database reveals Cleland lacks any administrator certification.


So can someone explain how this "unteacher" with a criminal record, lacking any legitimate administrator certification, can become the Superintendent of the Bay City Academy

Ah, yes...it's Charterworld!


18 comments:

  1. Maybe Mitten Bay Managment's owner Brian Lynch and BCA's Superintendent/Administrator Patrick Cleland can both catch up
    to their educational requirements and even earn a doctorate from the
    "Noss/Ingersoll" IVL University?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds like he'll fit in perfectly over there!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. A former BCA staffer was told when the "allegations" came out last school year that he would just lay low for a while until it blew over. Sure enough, he's back! Something to note: there had been MASSIVE turnover. Some were let go but most quit. Tired of the BS. Same at the Farragut building. Those that are left are either newly hired or hadn't found something new yet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just to be clear, is the "he" you're talking about the "unteacher" with a criminal record?

      Delete
    2. Yes, I was referring to Pat. He was always going to remain superintendent.

      Delete
  4. Pat Cleland, no certification, arrested and convicted, what is going on. STATE OF MICHIGAN WAKE UP!
    Someone in the education department clearly needs to do something about this. Are you going to let this blatant travesty continue? I am disgusted with the people in office not doing anything. Meanwhile, this charter school keeps pilfering money into their personal accounts while public schools struggle financially because they have to be fiscally responsible. If we don't get charter schools abiding by the same rules as regular public school this mess will never be fixed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As a correction, although Cleland was arrested, he did not stand trial. After hiring an attorney and initially pleading "not guilty", Cleland later accepted a plea deal and opted to serve 3 days of community service instead of the 6 day jail sentence he faced if he'd been convicted.

      In addition, although Cleland has in the past been a certified Michigan teacher, official state records reveal his most recent certification expired in 2007.

      The official 86th District Court case proceedings record follows:

      02/08/2013 ARRN DATE SET 2/19/13 @ 9:45 AM
      02/12/2013 DEFENDANT CALLED RE: FINE/COST
      02/12/2013 VERIFIED CONTACT INFORMATION
      02/19/2013 NOTICE OF PRE-TRIAL 03/14/2013
      02/19/2013 FINGERPRINT ORDER
      02/19/2013 COURT RECORDER- SHEILA HALE
      02/19/2013 ARRAIGNMENT HELD; PLEA NOT GUILTY; WILL HIRE ATTY;
      02/19/2013 BOND CONT; FILE TO DATE SET
      02/19/2013 ARRAIGNMENT HELD
      03/06/2013 APPEARANCE FILED-ATTY.
      03/13/2013 PRE TRIAL ORDER
      03/13/2013 ACTION IN COURT
      03/13/2013 SENTENCING DISPOSITION
      03/14/2013 PRETRIAL HELD; OFFER RETAIL FRAUD 3 W/DELAYED SENT
      03/14/2013 COURT RECORDER- ANGEL KALEY WOLF
      03/14/2013 PLEA HELD; APPEAR W/ATTY CLASSENS; PLEA GUILTY TO
      03/14/2013 CT 1 W/DELAYED; WAIVES RIGHTS; CRT ACCPTS PLEA;
      03/14/2013 SENTENCED
      03/14/2013 CASE IS ON PROBATION 09/10/2013
      03/14/2013 JUDGMENT ENTERED
      03/14/2013 CASE IS ON TIME PAYMENTS 03/14/2013
      03/14/2013 PLEA HELD
      03/14/2013 CASE ON HOLD 09/10/2013
      03/18/2013 PAID IN FULL
      03/20/2013 ELECTRONIC JUDGMENT SUBMITTED - EJUD COUNT: 1
      04/05/2013 COMP 3 DAYS OF CSW IN LIEU OF 6 DAYS JAIL
      09/04/2013 MOTION FOR NOLLE PROS- DEF COMPLIED WITH TERMS
      09/04/2013 AND CONDITIONS OF DELAYED SENTENCE
      09/04/2013 FILE WITH JUDGE PHILLIPS
      09/04/2013 CASE DISMISSED
      09/04/2013 ORDER SIGNED
      09/04/2013 JUDGMENT ENTERED
      09/04/2013 DISCHARGED FROM PROBATION SUCCESSFULLY
      09/04/2013 CASE IS CLOSED
      10/17/2013 ELECTRONIC JUDGMENT SUBMITTED - MJUD COUNT: 1

      Delete
    2. This problem will never be fixed until there are no more for-profit charter schools in Michigan, or the nation.

      Also, high staff turnover at a school is a very very BAD sign that something is wrong. Would love to interview former staff and ask why they left.

      Delete
    3. Ask away...there are plenty who would love to answer. A lot of really good teachers left. We avidly followed this blog bc this was the only place we got information. Either we were told lies or nothing at all. It made us look stupid in front of parents. Personally, I left because I was getting ran into the ground. I was expected to reach a curriculum that was unproven, yelled at when I questioned it. We were told that we were all replaceable and we could leave if we were "not on board." Other things we were expected to teach changed every few weeks, which made planning impossible. There were absolutely no materials so everything was paid for by us, and we didnt get paid a lot, at all. Staff was getting sick bc of the mold in the madison building. Mice in the farragut. Heat problems at the old y so bad that school wws closed a few days due to cold. It got too much. I found a new job that is outside of teaching. I hope to find a teaching job again, but worry with the name of the school on my resume that I will not. I feel really bad for those that are left. They are trapped there, and its harder to find a new job in the middle of the year because you feel like you are abandoning the kids.

      Delete
    4. The curriculum is specifically what I am interested in. I write the blog Up North Progressive and my coverage of Ingersoll has mostly focused on this curriculum called IVL. Would love to see examples of it, if anyone has them, and also, what was the teacher's experience with using it? The two teachers I've briefly exchanged email with both insist it's junk.

      And now, I will stop stepping all over Miss Fortune's toes.

      Delete
  5. Hope you can reach some of the former staff... it's a sure bet from the horror stories of many of the staff that they would speak volumes of the manipulation, tactics of the (now former) owner/manager and deception that has been the way things were done at the BCA.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Just to offer some clarification... Pat Cleland was enrolled in an Educational Leadership program in order to earn his Admin certificate. However, in his 3 years as building principal at NCA, he failed to complete this program. Furthermore, the state of MI does not require any type of certification for superintendents. Therefore, in the eyes of MDE he can hold this position.
    Miss Fortune - did you find evidence of Cleland's so called DUI this past spring? Do some digging!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I never found any evidence of an alleged Cleland DUI; what county?

      Delete
    2. Even if he can be a superintendent of the BCA, does he still need some certification for being a building principal (or principal for two campuses)?
      Just wondering... Thanks for any info you can find.

      Delete
    3. None is required, but most real public school districts would not hire a principal or superintendant without a Masters in School Leadership.

      Delete
    4. Equally shocking to all of the above, the grammatical error in the press release at top of today's blog.

      Clearly "along with growing it's enrollment" has one too many apostrophes. It should be " along with growing its enrollment"

      This school board of directors should hire a 5th grader to check grammar before publishing.

      Delete
    5. Those 5th graders were likely too busy mopping the halls to review grammar.

      Here's a link to the release, if anyone else is interested:
      http://www.baycityacademy.com/latest-news/351-bay-city-academy-welcomes-mitten-educational-management

      Delete
    6. Miss Fortune, you are correct. All of us, including students, were so busy cleaning the school or dealing with management problems due to lack of proper leadership that we barely got through our curriculum. Such a waste when these are easy fixes upper management could have made.

      Delete