More public schools to be given to charters
More Philadelphia public schools will be given to charter organizations in September, the district's fourth go-round in its "Renaissance Schools" process.
More public schools to be given to charters
Kristen Graham
More Philadelphia public schools will be given to charter organizations in September, the district's fourth go-round in its "Renaissance Schools" process.
The district on Friday released a request for proposals for 2013-14 charter operators, no big surprise since officials have been saying for months that while they won't be authorizing any new standalone charters for next year, they like the Renaissance charter model and will continue to use it as a way to improve failing schools.
Officials said they would release the details of this year's crop of Renaissance schools on Feb. 11. A spokeswoman declined to say how many schools will be given to charters this year.
Since 2010, 17 struggling district schools have been handed to charters to run. The district has been pleased with the schools' progress, officials say, citing improvements in academics, attendance, violence and percentage of neighborhood students enrolling.
Schools are deemed "Renaissance eligible" on the basis of academics, school climate and neighborhood attendance rate. Only firms with a track record of turning around low-performing schools will be considered, officials said. Winning bidders will be awarded a five-year charter to run the schools.
Teachers in the affected schools will be considered force transfers who are eligible for jobs in other district schools.
Raven Hill, the spokeswoman, said that she could not speak to whether Promise Academies - district-run Renaissance Schools - will be designated.
The Renaissance timeline is tight - charter operators have until Feb. 8 to submit a letter of intent to submit RFP responses, which are due March 5. Meanwhile, community meetings for the designated schools will be held in February, and the School Advisory Councils that will make recommendations about which charter operators to pick will be recruited by early March. Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. will make his recommendations about charter-school matches by April 19, with a School Reform Commission vote on the matches to be held by early May.
Copies of the Renaissance RFP are available on the district's website.
The district's use of Renaissance schools has led to continued enrollment drops in the city's traditional public schools. This year, there are about 146,000 students in the system.
- And when do you think the politicians and teachers' union will get on board with that?
— Don_M - You're fighting to fatten your own wallet. Period. You could care less about the children. — b,ill at,kins
- Teaching conditions are learning conditions, you fool. Teachers are the only ones in this equation who actually do care about the children. You thin that under qualified part time teachers would be better? Of course you do. You haven't got a clue.
- @dee: It would be so much easier if we could just exclude the hard to education and expel the behavior problems.
We are creating educational apartheid in Philly. One set of rules for one type of public school, another set of rules for another.— nikki1231 - So true Nikki, so true. — F. Harry Stowe
- I thought the report showed that charters did no better than the Philly district sshools. Yet the charters cost more per pupil tax dollars and are for profit schools. Am I missing somehting???? I don`t see tha plus or the allur of the charters. To me they are just an opportunity for graft and greed.
Why isn`t there a ground swell of parents protesting this type of school. The neighborhood public shchool should be the glue to the community. I think the biggest problem is the parents. Many just don`t care! That is what sets the suburbs apart from city schools. Involved parents. But, I imagine that assumption is politically incorrect. As the city parents chant-keep our kids in public schools . Who are you to say our kids should succeed. We didn`t-why should they???— patty b - The next great scam in America is going to be 'privatizing' public education and charter schools in urban cities.— PhillyGuy77
- The greatest scam has been the cycle of failure that city public schools has set in motion and the despair that families have, realizing this is their only option. Why do lots of families put their kids on waiting lists for the opportunity to escape cycle of failure that exists in public schools? Go watch "Waiting for Superman" to see where the real scam in public education exists. — camtheman
- That movie is a pathetic piece of right wing propaganda. Give public schools the resources they sorrowfully need and no charter can compete.
- "Pay me pay me pay me pay me." Talk about pathetic. — b,ill at,kins
- Good point camtheman! Director Guggenheim did 'An Inconvenient Truth'...'right wing'?! Funny.... — MGuyW
- Hooray! Shake it up. My students were arguing w/ me today saying, "This is public school, what do you expect but bad behavior?" I was trying to get them to see that they have as much of a responsibility to get/ receive an education as I have a responsibility to guide & share in the delivery of their education. 8th graders on 5th grade reading levels and even lower writing levels, about 20% of the class. The other 80% is and has been at their mercy for most of their school years. There is no place for trouble makers to go, so everyone suffers. If Hite is keen, he'll discover a niche for serious alternative education to free the majority from a handful of troublers. The troublers will be saved as well, or at least have a chance of becoming something more than nothing, not to mention helping society as a whole.— ptahan
- Are you f'ing kidding?! Charter Schools don't work. There is more than a little research that shows this. Why do they keep doing this? Follow the money!— fire fighter
- Why are parents in every city where charters exist, entering their kids into a lottery system for the chance to go to a charter then? They must be doing something right, over the traditional public schools. And if you want to follow where the real money is, look at how much teachers unions spend each in year in lobbying and fighting educational reforms that would actually benefit students. — camtheman
During the school year, you’ll frequently find her hosting live chats about the district on Philly.com. Please do pass along the scoop about what’s going on at your Philadelphia public school; Kristen welcomes tips, story ideas and witty banter at kgraham@phillynews.com or 215-854-5146.
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