Latest news with #MelissaAllen
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill seeks to oversee charter schools, but education centers say it's detrimental
(FOX 5/KUSI) — There's growing concern from California charter schools that a new bill in the state legislature would cut funding, if approved. The Assembly members behind AB 84, titled the School Accountability Bill, said the bill is intended to create more oversight for charter schools, but the schools disagree and say the consequences of the bill may be detrimental. 'I'm doing animals, robotics and I'm also doing crochet,' kindergartener and soon-to-be first grader Vienna said she's taking those courses through the Homeschool Enrichment Centers. Woodworking, violin, sign language, skateboarding, French, Kung Fu, are just some of the courses offered through the Homeschool Enrichment Centers, which offer academic or extracurricular classes for homeschooled students or as independent study programs through charters. 'I started it actually for my daughter, who just didn't fit that mold of being able to sit still in a regular classroom for 7 hours a day,' Leslie Kitchen, the founder and owner of Homeschool Enrichment Centers, said. 'And now I just have a passion for alternative education for our students.' Through the centers, 16-year-old Ehmi Leonard just graduated from high school, as a junior in college as well. Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi brought the bill forward, and said it's aimed to be an oversight and accountability bill, sparked by the A3 Charter School Scandal, when several people defrauded the state out of more than $50 million in public funds by opening 19 charter schools in San Diego and elsewhere. Those behind the scandal were formally charged in 2019. 'Charter schools, they are privately run but receive public taxpayer dollars, these are education dollars that are meant for our kids, and unfortunately there are some bad actors that have recognized this as a money making opportunity to abuse the system and so that's what this bill is trying to crack down, we're not going after the good charter schools, we're trying to crack down on the bad actors,' Assemblymember Muratsuchi said. But Kitchen said it would have other detrimental consequences if it goes through, and says the charter school funding would be cut by 30 percent, forcing her to reduce classes by about 75 percent and spend millions of dollars on new audits, which she said some are already being done. 'We already have laws in place, we already have audits in place, it seems a little one-sided,' Melissa Allen, parent and educator at the center, said. 'Will we have to close? That's a good question,' Kitchen said. 'That would mean having to cut the people who can't afford the classes, and that grips my heart.' The bill would also no longer allow classes to be taught by people who don't have a California teaching credential, even if they are credentialed in other states, or have years of professional experience in the field they are teaching young students. Local archaeologist Melissa Allen said this bill would hurt her twofold, as a teacher and as a mom. 'Ninety percent of what I make comes from partnering with independent and charter schools, it would also be detrimental to me as a mother because I have my children in this program,' said. 'As a lifelong educator, who's taught in both charter and non-charter public schools, I understand the importance of flexible options to enhance educational experience and outcomes for our students,' Assemblymember Robert Garcia, a backer of the bill, said. 'The heavily documented reports of fraud committed by non-classroom-based charters clearly reveal a concerning lack of oversight and accountability on the use of public funds.' 'AB 84 is not an anti-charter school bill- it is a comprehensive, school accountability bill implementing a number of recommendations made by unbiased and nonpartisan organizations such as the Legislative Analyst's Office and FCMAT, to ensure greater transparency for all schools – district and charter alike. We owe it to our kids to ensure they are receiving the best education and resources that they deserve,' Garcia said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Forbes
20-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Reclaiming Bronzeville: Melissa Nicole Allen Leads $100M Charge To Revitalize Milwaukee's Historic Black Neighborhood
Melissa Nicole Allen founder and president of Maures development group In the heart of Milwaukee, a historic Black neighborhood called Bronzeville is stepping into a new renaissance rooted not in loss but in legacy. And this month, Bronzeville Estates has officially opened its doors! Leading this reclamation is Melissa Nicole Allen, the powerhouse founder of Maures Development Group and one of Wisconsin's first minority and woman-owned real estate development firm. Since founding Maures Development Group in 2006, Melissa has been consistent in her mission to reshape the Bronzeville Community into a thriving cultural and economic hub for the city of Milwaukee. Maures Development Group's portfolio includes landmark projects like the Good Hope Branch of Milwaukee Public Library, the Historic Garfield Apartments, and the America's Black Holocaust Museum. She has invested over $100M and is developing over 400 housing units in the Historic Milwaukee community. For Melissa, this huge investment in Bronzeville isn't just business, it's ancestral. As a Milwaukee native, she has witnessed firsthand the underfunding and decline of this community and is taking the charge to make lasting change personally. Her pathway to revitalize the Brownsville Community includes a multi-site development spanning 16 parcels that includes 30 units across 17 buildings anchored in the Bronzeville Arts and Cultural District. This development represents a 12.2 million investment with nearly $30 million in construction contracts awarded to diverse contractors. "My philosophy is leveraging bricks and mortar to bring pride and hope to people," says Melissa Throughout the Reconstruction and Jim Crow eras, Bronzeville was a thriving economic hub for Black Milwaukeeans. That was until the late 1960s when the construction of Interstate 43 tragically displaced over 8,000 residents. This led to the destruction and closing of hundreds of Black owned businesses and tore apart the fabric of this vibrant community. Black Americans are no strangers to systematic takedowns of our thriving communities. For instance,, the burning of Towns like the Greenwood district in Tulsa (Black Wall Street) and Rosewood, Florida. Like Bronzeville, these were more than neighborhoods but beacons of Black American innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic independence. Bronzeville Estates is truly a Phoenix rising from the ashes. Melissa and developments through Maures are a constant reminder that despite recent efforts to downplay Black American contributions, Black legacy and history cannot be erased. It must and will be resurrected. Allen's leadership through Maures Development Group is part of a growing wave of Black developers who are not only reclaiming physical spaces but rewriting the rules of urban revitalization. Their work resists gentrification's silent displacement and instead champions intentional design, historical reverence, and generational empowerment.
