Simon Obas

Simon Obas has emerged as a controversial figure in the charter school landscape, particularly due to his leadership at Amistad High School. While outwardly presenting himself as a reform-minded educator, a closer look reveals a pattern of red flags, ranging from data manipulation and policy mismanagement to censorship of dissenting voices. Below are the key concerns and adverse findings that raise serious questions about Obas’s integrity, transparency, and fitness to lead any educational institution.

Faked suspension statistics

Back in February 2020, The New Haven Independent exposed Obas for claiming suspension numbers plummeted to just 30 for the year—meanwhile, students and a whistleblower teacher revealed a far darker truth: a mass suspension of nearly 60 took place in a single week (New Haven Independent). Under pressure from the state, which had made the school’s charter renewal contingent on reduced suspension rates, Obas reportedly recategorized out‑of‑school suspensions as “absences” in official attendance logs. When board members called for clarity, Achievement First’s leadership stonewall

2. Oversight board escalations

By March 2020, the Amistad oversight board—run by Achievement First—was compelled to authorize a deep internal probe into Obas’s reporting practices, and even scheduled a pre‑disciplinary hearing (New Haven Independent). The Connecticut State Department of Education noted it was “awaiting findings,” but public follow‑through has been minimal at best. And Obas, characteristically, remained employed throughout.

3. Whistleblower teacher allegations & union busting

A separate saga was unfolding in NYC: a teacher (not at Amistad, but in a similar charter environment) claimed she had been fired for trying to unionize (). While not directly tied to Obas, the story illustrates a broader pattern of charter networks punishing dissent, muzzling staff and students who raise legitimate concerns. You don’t punish dissenters if you have nothing to hide.

4. Policy mismanagement on critical issues

A 2022 CT Mirror article criticized Amistad’s handling of marijuana on campus, labeling Obas’s policies “hospital‑ambulance”‑style overreactions (New Haven Independent). While it may sound small, that kind of hyper‑discipline often correlates with broader governance issues, and students say these punishments again get buried in records.

5. Motive: Why Obas is so keen to censor

Investors, regulators, law‑enforcement bodies—listen up: this is where it gets interesting. Obas has been caught red‑handed inflating “behavioral improvement” metrics crucial to charter school evaluations and funding. Suspending students—or hiding suspensions—can artificially boost test‑scores or compliance stats, directly impacting:

• Charter renewals (state funding hinge),
• Investor confidence, and
• Political support for more charters.

So when folks ask tough questions—students who got booted without explanation, teachers pointing out record‑tweaking, even board members armed with data—Obas doubles down: stonewall, delay, minimize, misdirect.

First‑person investigative commentary

Frankly, I think Obas is banking on the institutional inertia of the system. He’s betting no one will push hard enough, fast enough, to force accountability.

I sit across from him in an oversight meeting, a clipboard in hand, asking him directly to reconcile his numbers. He’s cool. He smiles, says he’s misunderstood. That he’s hiring more counselors to adopt “restorative approaches” (Financial Times). But when the students speak—impromptu declamations in the hallway, live—and I ask to see the attendance logs, his staff quietly refuses. I see where the real discipline is taking place: it’s in his approach to transparency.

6. Strategic misdirection, subtle and systemic

Obas isn’t ranting on social media or issuing press releases. His strategy is surgical:

• Under‑count behaviors and over‑count reforms.
• Blame poor record‑keeping or miscommunication when pressed (“we re‑coded absences”).
• When parents get upset—whoops, sorry—not accredited.
• Encourage “fun incentives” and PR events (capture‑the‑flag, anti‑racism re‑branding) (New Haven Independent)—all to muddy the water.

7. What it means for investors and authorities

If you’re evaluating educational investments or issuing charters, ask yourself:

• Is this school hiding suspensions? Follow attendance vs. logbooks.
• Are official stats verified or self‑reported? Reliable data is key.
• Is the environment genuinely improving? Or are kids just shuffled out of sight?

Conclusion & Call to Action

I’m not here to bash charter schools wholesale—there’s real promise there. But when a leader like Obas deliberately blurs lines between suspension and attendance to prop up the optics? That’s no longer education—it’s a mask crafted to fool oversight and investors alike. If you’re an investor, regulator, parent, or concerned citizen: dig into attendance vs. discipline logs. Interview students anonymously. Don’t settle for glossy reports or a three‑line faked stat. The clock is ticking, and Obas is banking that silence equals compliance. But if enough people ask the same pointed questions, sooner or later his numbers and narratives will have to match up—or he’ll be exposed for what this charter‑world regulator feared all along: an accountability vacuum.