Editorial: Phila. Schools

Philadelphia public schools for years have been a poster child for bold experiments, but too many children are still failing.

Now, new schools CEO Arlene Ackerman has announced a sweeping, $50 million, five-year strategic plan that will shut down poorly performing schools, reduce class sizes, and overhaul teacher hiring. The first major policy push by Ackerman since she became CEO in June is welcome. But promising reform plans have been announced before; it's the follow-through that's hard.

The plan would starkly change how the 167,000-student district has operated for years. Whimsically called "Imagine 2014," the plan is an ambitious laundry list that should wake up every stakeholder in the education of Philadelphia's children.

Yes, we can imagine the possibilities if students get smaller class sizes from kindergarten through third grade, guidance counseling they need, and the opportunity to participate in expanded enrichment activities.

Ackerman's plan also calls for a weighted student-funding formula that would give more money to the schools that educate the city's neediest students. In a district with limited funding, that's a system that could generate better academic results.

"It's what every child deserves, and they're not getting it," Ackerman said yesterday in detailing the steps needed to implement the plan.

Critics say Ackerman's plan is too far-reaching and sets goals that she is unlikely to meet during her tenure. Those are valid concerns. Ackerman's predecessor, Paul Vallas, left much of his agenda undone.

But Vallas was given the opportunity to implement his ideas, which included bringing in educational management organizations to run some schools. Ackerman must be given a chance with her vision.

But to ensure a greater likelihood of success, she will need to identify her core priorities within the expansive master plan to reduce the city's abysmal 50 percent dropout rate and improve test scores.

"We will do it one step at a time," said Ackerman. That's the right approach, along with regular, thorough evaluations of every change. The district can't be wedded to ideas that prove unproductive early on.

Ackerman wants to close up to 35 of the worst-performing schools and possibly turn them into district-run charter schools, or put them under new management. Only organizations with a proven track record could manage the new schools.

Opponents of outside management say the district is just trying to wash its hands of problem schools. But drastic action is clearly warranted. These schools have been producing failing students for years.

Of course, the district must provide better oversight of all of its charter schools. Several have been investigated in recent months for mismanagement and misspending.

And it's unfortunate that Ackerman has presented her plan to a School Reform Commission that is itself expected to undergo dramatic change. The terms of four of the five SRC members have expired.

Mayor Nutter and Gov. Rendell must move more quickly to fill the posts. Ackerman has announced her reform proposals; the schools don't need to have one SRC take action on these ideas only to be replaced within weeks by a different SRC.