(Community Matters) More parents’ comments coming in concerned about Southwest Key’s stewardship of East Austin College Prep.
And, this has stoked my interest in knowing the results of two friends’, Austin business and political leaders investigations into the matters I raised. One friend was a board member and contacted me after my original posting. Rather than chastising me for raising concerns, I suggested he exercise his fiduciary responsibilities as a board member of SW Key and investigate whether my concerns were valid. He promised to do so. I never heard back but noticed he resigned from the board. The other friend was a paid consultant tasked with raising money. He asked me to stand down and I asked him to protect his reputation by investigating his employer before asking our friends for money. I never heard back but I do know he wasn’t working for SW Key a few months thereafter. A revered Hispanic community leader wrote me questioning my connection with Hispanics in this community – suggesting I only speak out against Hispanic initiatives. Well, that would be wrong, though I appreciated her candid feedback and directness.
There is obviously significant interest in this story – my page hits are high for these postings.
I have not investigated any of these complaints nor spoken with members of the school or SW Key. Many years ago, I toured SW Key’s programs in Houston and Dallas and was impressed with their methodology and reported efficacy. I am not impressed by the lack of transparency of SW Key community organizing. They seem stuck in the practice of paying for friends and advocates.
received an email from Itsonekey@gmail.com correcting me:
“For the love of all that is holy, IT’S KEY! Southwest KEY! One KEY!”
subsequent to this posting, a friend writes: “Thank you for taking the time to write about SW Key, I only worked there for a short time but I had sooo many signs/things that seemed wrong over and over again. It is time for someone to say something and I’m glad you are doing so, I’m also glad to see the parents asking questions, I think they hope no one will ever know/ask/wonder.”
Earlier posts:
https://communitymatters.biz/2013/05/06/east-austin-college-prep-southwest-keys/
https://communitymatters.biz/2009/01/06/southwest-key-programs/
https://communitymatters.biz/2009/01/06/southwest-keys-a-new-east-austin-charter-school/
https://communitymatters.biz/2013/05/10/more-again-east-austin-college-prep-sw-key/
https://communitymatters.biz/2011/12/20/eastside-memorial-idea-charter-schools/
https://communitymatters.biz/2011/02/24/johnson-hs-eastside-memorial-hs-2/
Community Matters 
When I enrolled my child, I was many times about the class sizes and about programs to be offered. I was disappointed too many times and I feel let down by an organization who says to represent my community (I am an Eastside parent). All of my child’s classes had over thirty students in them. The last straw came over the Christmas break when they fired 4 or 5 teachers (other parents have told me that they fire teachers every christmas). When I spoke to administraters about this issue they told me that southwest keys president Juan Sanchez has ordered budget cuts. Apparently the sanchez is president of the eacp school board as well as being president of southwest key. I do not see how the president of the organization that charges eacp rent and management fees can be president of the school board of a school he is directly profiting from?? Also I too have seen eacp grant members wearing southwest key shirts and working out of southwest key offices.
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