District, Mastery reach agreement on serving disabled students at Clymer Elementary

Submitted by Benjamin Herold on Tue, 06/12/2012 - 21:52 Posted in Latest news | Permalink

Updated, 7:55 p.m.

by Benjamin Herold
for the Notebook and WHYY/NewsWorks
 

The School District of Philadelphia and its largest charter school turnaround operator have agreed on the outlines of a deal that will prevent the relocation of 12 severely disabled children from one of the city’s Renaissance charters.

The deal avoids a potentially traumatic move for students in two Multiple Disabilities Support (MDS) classrooms at Mastery Charter Clymer Elementary in North Philadelphia. It also allays, at least for now, the concerns of disabilities rights advocates that the District had established a precedent for exempting charters from their responsibility to educate some of the city’s most vulnerable – and expensive to serve – students.

“I think we came up with a really positive solution,” said Courtney Collins-Shapiro, deputy chief innovation officer at Mastery Charter Schools. 

“I think this is a good sign of the District and charters partnering.”

Listen to Benjamin Herold's report for NewsWorks Tonight

Esta vez no se está buscando un redentor

por Paul Jablow Posted in Diciembre 2011 Edition | Permalink

El Distrito Escolar de Filadelfia no debe esperar ni por Supermán ni por una Supermujer, sino buscar un nuevo líder que pueda – de acuerdo con las palabras de un experto en educación interno – "tocar tierra aprendiendo".

La ciudad debe considerar su reciente experiencia con tres personas externas de renombre como una advertencia y considerar para la superintendencia a alguien que conozca a Filadelfia y tenga una predisposición para construir sobre lo que ya existe en vez de comenzar de nuevo.

Ten years in, assessing how the SRC has done

by Dale Mezzacappa Posted in December 2011 Edition | Permalink

Ten years after the School Reform Commission was established to pull the School District out of a financial tailspin and accelerate academic progress, the current panel is trying to rebuild credibility with new personnel and a new commitment to transparency.

The five-member volunteer body replaced the local nine-member Board of Education as part of a state takeover of the perennially beleaguered district. It presides over a $3 billion budget and is the third largest public entity in Pennsylvania, after the state and Philadelphia governments.

Leadership in lean times: A conversation with Leroy Nunery

Interview by Bill Hangley, Jr. Posted in December 2011 Edition | Permalink

Acting Superintendent Leroy Nunery says the challenge for today’s school leaders is to manage the District’s many mandates while harnessing the power of its communities – and do it all on a shoestring budget. To Nunery, growing competition and rising expectations mean that school leaders, like business leaders, need to set clear priorities and rely on flexibility, creativity, team-building, and constant communication.

Nunery became acting superintendent in August after spending 16 months at the District, most of it as Arlene Ackerman’s second-in-command. He has expressed interest in getting the permanent appointment. Here are the highlights of an hour-long interview in which Nunery shared his views on leadership.