by Lisa Haver and Deborah Grill
The privatization of public schools over the past 25 years has had more to do with real estate and investments than educating children. By any standard, the privatization of public schools has been a failure. Data collected over the years, in Philadelphia and in districts nationwide, shows that neighborhood public schools consistently out-perform charter schools. Charter schools are not public schools; they do not accept all children in their neighborhood, and many have been cited for lack of service to students with special needs and English Language Learners. Charter expansion in Philadelphia has not improved education for the city’s children. It has, however, resulted in an entrenched financial and political patronage system.
Both applications submitted to the district this year also promise educational superiority. Years of data show that the majority of charter schools in the district have failed to perform at even a satisfactory level, let alone out-perform the district’s public schools. The district’s evaluation system, in effect, equates an “approaches standard”rating with a “meets”. Thus, a charter needs only to rate above 45% in Academics to be approved by the board for a 5-year renewal. One of the most common violations cited in charter renewal reports is lack of due process for students in expulsion or other disciplinary cases, along with barriers to enrollment. In recent years, the board of education has routinely renewed charter schools without the legally mandated child abuse clearances and criminal background checks.
When a charter school fails to fulfill the promises it made in its application, a common occurrence, the school should admit failure and voluntarily close its doors. But most charter administrators take their case to the state-appointed Charter Appeal Board which has the power to overrule the locally elected or appointed board. If CAB votes against them, they take their case to the state courts. All of this paid for by taxpayers.
The district does not need, nor can it afford, any new charter schools. In addition to the substandard academic performance, over half the city’s charter schools are presently under-enrolled.
The Board of Education must deny these applications.
Lynda Rubin contributed to this report.
Clink on the links below to read our reports on the new charter school applications:
Early College Charter School of Philadelphia
Pan American Academy Charter School-Pathways High School
Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools 