Rick Karlin is reporting at Capitol Confidential a pair of activist groups, the Alliance for Quality Education and Center for Popular Democracy, have released a report containing suggestions for better policing and monitoring of public charter school finances. Approximately 90,000 students are enrolled in charters statewide, most in New York City. The report asserts that since charters are not subject to all the reporting requirements required of public schools, there has been waste and abuse. It contends the state could lose $54 million to fraud at charter schools this year, based on an accounting system used by fraud examiners. The two groups that released the report are not charter-friendly: the Alliance is funded in part by the state teachers union; the Center is aligned with the national teachers union, among other groups. Both organizations are calling for a moratorium on charter expansion. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.