Mastery Charter Schools, a network that includes four city charters, is among six nonprofit education organizations identified as potential managers of 10 low-performing D.C. high schools, the Washington Post reported yesterday.

D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee is set to embark on a reform plan similar to one the School District of Philadelphia launched in 2002: placing failing schools under the wings of educational-management organizations.

Though Rhee will not hire any managers for several weeks - after a request for proposal (RFP) is issued and parents have a chance to comment - a D.C.- schools spokeswoman said that Mastery was seen as having a track record of turning schools around.

"There's nothing final," Mafara Hobson, the spokeswoman, said. "We're in talks. In the coming weeks we'll be issuing an RFP to find organizations that can help turn these schools around, because some are in pretty bad shape."

Besides Mastery, the paper reported the other organizations that could be tapped to help Washington are: Bedford Academy High School of New York; Friendship Public Charter School of Washington, D.C.; Institute for Student Achievement in Lake Success, N.Y.; St. HOPE Public Schools of Sacramento; and Talent Development High Schools of Baltimore.

Attempts yesterday to reach Scott Gordon, Mastery's chief executive officer, for comment were not successful.

Mastery's first school, the Lenfest campus at 35 South 4th Street in Center City, opened in September 2001. Following the success of that high school, the school district asked Mastery to convert three other low-performing city schools into charters: Thomas campus is in South Philadelphia; Shoemaker campus is in West Philadelphia, and Pickett campus is in Germantown.

The schools have been noted for improving students' behavior and performance on the state's standardized math and reading exams.

Charter schools are publicly funded schools that are run independent of the school district. *