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ECOT-sponsored Statehouse rally brings lobbyists, CEOs, paid staff, students, teachers, grizzly bear

The embattled online charter school, ECOT, had hoped that today’s statehouse rally would be well attended. It wasn’t.

Photo from ECOT-sponsored rally at Ohio Statehouse on 5/9/17.

ECOT also hoped the rally would prompt a return to the olden days, when the lavish campaign contributions of the school’s top dogs appeared to mean more than its chronically failing academic performance. There are no signs that will occur either.

As recently as last night, ecotPALS – part of the ECOT empire — predicted via twitter that “thousands’’ would attend the rally:

Instead, a few hundred showed up, including New Jersey resident Bob Bowden who runs Choice Media TV, a non-profit financed by charter school supporters that promotes charter schools – even ones like ECOT with the nation’s worst four-year graduation rate.

Bob Bowden, a New Jersey-based charter school advocate, pictured working the ECOT rally on 5/9/17.

Last month, ECOT Superintendent Rick Teeters was featured in a 37-minute video in which he’s interviewed by Bowden. The bulk of the interview is spent trying to discredit mainstream media reports that are critical of both ECOT’s shoddy academic performance and the $60 million in overpayments that officials are trying to force ECOT to repay to the state.

At the rally, Bowden refused to say who paid him for the video or if he’s being paid to attend today’s event.

“Because ECOT is getting bad press, ECOT is paying people like Mr. Bowden to create fake news,’’ said ProgressOhio Executive Director Sandy Theis. “Because ECOT is a public charter school, the taxpayers of Ohio are not only paying for its employees to attend political rallies, they are also paying for ECOT propaganda, such as those produced by Choice Media TV.’’

Other rally attendees included a rare appearance by ECOT CEO and founder Bill Lager, who gave a strong defense of the school, ECOT lobbyist Neil Clark, and a lively protester dressed like a grizzly bear.

ECOT founder Bill Lager at Statehouse rally on 5/9/17. Lager owns both the management and curriculum services companies contracted by ECOT.

 

ECOT lobbyist Neil Clark (facing away) attends rally on 5/9/17.

 

Protesting bear and ECOT mascot face-off at Statehouse rally on 5/9/17.

Holding a sign, “Be AFRAID of Betsy DeVos and ECOT,’’ the bear briefly stood on the Statehouse steps, but ECOT security escorted him off of the steps, saying, “We paid for this space.’’

A peaceful protestor dressed as a grizzly bear was booted by ECOT personnel.

Not exactly true. ECOT did secure a permit, but the First Amendment gives the bear the right to peacefully protest, too.

“It is unconstitutional to decide who can freely assemble based on the content of the sign they carry,’’ Theis said. “If people with pro-ECOT signs are allowed to participate in a Statehouse the rally, so is a bear with an anti-ECOT sign.’’

 

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