Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Editorial: School Reform Commission

More than 'a fresh look'

Now that the Philadelphia School Reform Commission has a new leadership team, it is time to pick up the pace of reforming the troubled school system.

Gov. Rendell and Mayor Nutter tapped two lawyers and an educator to join the five-member commission, ending months of speculation about their appointments.

While the appointees are well-regarded with strong resumes, it was disappointing that no parent active in a school-reform group was selected to bring that point of view.

The appointments mark a change of the guard for the commission, which was established in 2001 after the state takeover of the 167,000-student district. Nutter named Robert L. Archie Jr., a partner at the Duane Morris law firm, and Johnny Irizarry, director of the Center for Hispanic Excellence at the University of Pennsylvania, to four-year terms.

Rendell nominated Joseph Dworetzky, an attorney at Hangley Aronchick Segal & Pudlin and city solicitor from 1993 to '96, when Rendell was mayor.

The governor, who appoints the SRC chairman, selected Archie, a West Philadelphia High graduate and a former math teacher. He also reappointed Heidi Ramirez, director of the Urban Education Collaboration at Temple University.

To keep political peace in Philadelphia, Rendell nominated former SRC chairwoman Sandra Dungee Glenn to the state Board of Education. Dungee Glenn and fellow commissioner Martin G. Bednarek, who also was not reappointed, should be commended for their service.

In bypassing the incumbents, Rendell and Nutter said it was time "for a fresh look." But the change should also bring more progress and not just a round of musical chairs for political allies.

The district has made academic gains since 2002, doubling the number of students meeting test benchmarks, from 24 percent to 45 percent in reading and from 20 percent to 49 percent in math. Despite that progress, there are still too many low-performing schools and failing students. The city's abysmal 50 percent dropout rate ranks among the worst in the country.

With the district set to possibly receive an additional $361 million next school year in federal stimulus education money, the SRC must play a crucial role in setting policy and making sure those dollars are spent wisely.

After a slow start, Superintendent Arlene Ackerman recently unveiled an ambitious $50 million five-year strategic plan that requires SRC approval. The plan includes smaller classes, more guidance counseling, and expanded enrichment activities, among other things.

In the coming months, the district must negotiate a new contract with the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers union. That won't be easy, since Ackerman rightly wants to tie performance to pay, and the union traditionally has balked at such a merit system.

Nutter and Rendell believe they have assembled the right team to support the superintendent and tackle the problems ahead. For the sake of the city's 167,000 students, let's hope so.