Our coverage of the Renaissance Schools plan
Charter-school operators take their pitches directly to Pastorius Elementary
Submitted by thenotebook on Tue, 04/09/2013 - 15:07 Posted in Latest news | Permalink
by Aaron Moselle for NewsWorks
In a week, Pastorius Elementary's School Advisory Council will make an important recommendation: which charter school operator it would prefer to turn around the struggling East Germantown school next year.
In advance of that decision, the three organizations selected by the School District of Philadelphia as Renaissance School finalists — Universal Companies, Scholar Academies and Mastery Charter Schools — each made pitches at the East Chelten Avenue school Monday night as they vie to be chosen.
District promises to get tough with new Renaissance charter operators
Submitted by thenotebook on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 18:24 Posted in Latest news | Permalink
by Benjamin Herold for NewsWorks, a Notebook news partner
The Philadelphia School District is vowing to take a hard line on two issues that have caused confusion when charter operators take over traditional public schools: special education and facilities costs.
Even as the District tries to convert three more of its schools into charters, officials and parents alike are wading through confusion over “exceptions” that past administrations granted to outside managers in previous years of the District’s Renaissance school turnaround initiative.
Head of District's Charter Schools Office resigns
Submitted by thenotebook on Mon, 04/01/2013 - 12:02 Posted in Latest news | Permalink
by Benjamin Herold for NewsWorks, a Notebook news partner
For the second time in less than a year, the head of the Philadelphia School District's Charter Schools Office is stepping down.
Doresah Ford-Bey, the District's executive director of charter schools, will resign effective this Friday. In an email to colleagues, Ford-Bey wrote that she has taken a position with Chicago Public Schools.
Nonprofit gives $3.4 million to expand two Philadelphia charters
Submitted by thenotebook on Wed, 03/13/2013 - 23:44 Posted in Latest news | Permalink
by Benjamin Herold for NewsWorks, a Notebook news partner
Updated 3 p.m. with quotes from Mark Gleason (PSP), Marc Mannella (KIPP Philadelphia), and Helen Gym (Parents United for Public Education)
The Philadelphia School Partnership (PSP) announced Thursday that it will give $3.4 million to charter school operators KIPP Philadelphia and Scholar Academies so they can expand by a combined 1,500 students.
The moves could mean as much as $10 million a year in unplanned expenses for the struggling Philadelphia School District.
The push to grow KIPP also comes just eight months after the School Reform Commission, citing concerns about academics and cost, mostly denied requests made by KIPP to expand its existing schools in North and West Philadelphia.
9 schools to undergo Renaissance overhaul
Submitted by David Limm on Fri, 02/22/2013 - 16:28 Posted in Latest news | Permalink
Nine struggling schools in Philadelphia will be remodeled as Renaissance Schools this year, the District has announced, with three of them facing conversion to charter status.
Two high schools and seven elementary schools will be transformed under the now three-year-old initiative, a signature program of former Superintendent Arlene Ackerman that seeks to turn around the District's worst-performing schools.
Renaissance schools program enters its fourth year
Submitted by thenotebook on Fri, 02/01/2013 - 14:44 Posted in Latest news | Permalink
The District announced that it will continue its fourth year of the Renaissance schools initiative, the turnaround process in which management of struggling schools is outsourced to outside charter school operators. The District has invited applicants to submit proposals in response to its RFP by March 5. The announcement of which schools are set to become Renaissance schools will be made on Feb. 11.
Renaissance charters meet neighborhood enrollment targets except for Universal
Submitted by thenotebook on Mon, 01/28/2013 - 19:19 Posted in Latest news | Permalink
by Benjamin Herold for NewsWorks, a Notebook news partner
Philadelphia's independent Renaissance school operators are bringing families back to struggling neighborhood public schools that they have "turned around" -- with one notable exception.
Where charters run the neighborhood schools
by Benjamin Herold for NewsWorks, a Notebook news partner Posted in October 2012 Edition | Permalink
As part of its Renaissance Schools turnaround initiative, the School District of Philadelphia has outsourced management of 17 struggling public schools over the past three years.
The result is a transformed educational landscape in which a patchwork of seven independent charter school management organizations has replaced the traditional school system in large sections of the city, as shown in this graphic by NewsWorks, the Notebook, and geospace analysis firm Azavea.
A new blend of public and private
by Connie Langland Posted in October 2012 Edition | Permalink
School closings. Private providers running public schools. Downsizing the central office while giving principals the reins to hire, budget, and set curriculum. Rapid expansion of charters.
Not too many years ago these might have been radical ideas. Now, they are commonplace, with two dozen urban districts – including New York City, Washington, New Orleans, and Los Angeles – embracing what is called the portfolio model.
Un portafolio de diferentes escuelas
por Connie Langland Posted in Octubre 2012 Edition | Permalink
Cierres de escuelas. Proveedores privados a cargo de las escuelas públicas. Recortes de personal en la oficina central mientras a los principales se les da control sobre la contratación, el presupuesto y los planes de estudio. Expansión rápida de escuelas chárter.
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