Voices of West Virginia Academy

Formal Complaints to the Charter School Board

Published

May 7, 2024

Formal Complaints to the Charter School Board

Note: This email was sent to all WVA parents by Lori Behe. These instructions can also be found at https://wvcharters.org/faq under “How do I submit a formal complaint with the PCSB?”

From: Lori Behe <lori_behe4@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, May 7, 2024 at 12:53 AM
Subject: Formal Complaint Process

Dear WVA Parents and Families:

Many of you have been frustrated or simply confused when you have tried to get questions answered by the WVA administration. Asking any questions may result in you being ignored, belittled, receiving an accusatory response, or in some cases receiving a threat. This has been an all too common occurrence experienced by many WVA families.

As many of you know, the problem lies with the administration. Specifically, when you make an inquiry/complaint, it can only be handled by John Treu, Heidi Treu, or Holly Honeycutt. This trio

is molded into a single entity with a single minded thought process. As a result, there is no other place or person to go to and get a satisfactory resolution to any legitimate inquiry.

Fortunately, you do have another pathway to pursue and that is to file a formal complaint with the Professional Charter School Board, which has oversight authority over all Charter schools in West Virginia. The complaint process is relatively simple and straightforward. The following paragraph, excerpted directly from the PCSB bylaws, describes the process:

“2(c). The board shall investigate official complaints submitted to it that allege serious impairments in the quality of education in a public charter school it has authorized pursuant to Article 18-5G of the code, or that allege such schools are in violation of the policies or laws

applicable to them. Formal complaints should be emailed to the board’s executive director and must include the complainant’s full name, contact information, a statement of facts on which the

allegation of noncompliance is based, and supporting evidence. The board also may at its own discretion conduct or cause to be conducted audits of the education and operation of public

charter schools it has authorized that it determines necessary to achieve its mission of authorizing high-quality public charter schools. Upon a determination that serious impairments or violations exist, the board shall follow §18-5G-15(k), §§18-5G-6(f) and (g), and the board’s policies and regulations.”

Also, attached is the entirety of Section 2 of the PCSB bylaws so that you can see how the complaint process will be handled. Also, it is very important to note that your identity will remain strictly confidential and will not be shared with WVA or anyone else.

The contact information for the PCSB Executive Director is:

James Paul

James.paul@wvpcsb.org

304.989.8376

I encourage anyone who has experienced problems in getting issues resolved by the WVA administration to submit a formal complaint to the PCSB. This is the most effective tool remaining to force any accountability on the WVA administration.

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Welcome to our platform, a space dedicated to fostering transparency, excellence, and accountability at West Virginia’s pioneering charter school, West Virginia Academy. As a collective of current and former parents and staff, we wholeheartedly support the principle of school choice. We believe in the transformative power of education and the unique opportunities that charter schools can offer, and we hope that West Virginia Academy can eventually realize this potential.

However, we find ourselves at a crossroads due to the poor leadership of the school’s current administration: John Treu, Heidi Treu, and Holly Honeycutt. This blog serves as a critical lens, scrutinizing decisions and policies that, in our view, deviate from the school’s core mission of providing exceptional education to our children. We firmly believe that both current and prospective families deserve a candid account of the issues that exist at the school, so they can make informed decisions about their children.

That said, our goal is not merely to criticize, but to advocate for meaningful reform, and to support the school in making the changes that are so desperately needed. Through constructive feedback and open dialogue, we hope to help the school develop an administrative framework that embodies transparency, competence, and a profound commitment to the health and welfare of its students.

Our critique is driven by a firm belief in what West Virginia Academy could and should be. We are dedicated to ensuring that the foundation upon which our state’s first charter school is built is as strong and forward-looking as possible. We invite all stakeholders—administrators, teachers, parents, and the wider community—to join us in this vital conversation. Together, we can envision and work toward a future where the school embodies the ideals of transparency, excellence, and respect for all its members.

Let’s collaborate to create an educational environment that our children deserve. Your insights, experiences, and voices are crucial to this journey. Thank you for joining us in making West Virginia Academy the best it can be.