Philadelphia is overrun with charter schools, the public schools have been sacked and depleted of resources, but another nine charters have applied to the School Reform Commission for approval.The SRC is in control until June 30, 2018, then control shifts to a board appointed by the Mayor. The people of Philadelphia deserve democratic control of their schools.
Here is the sponsor of two of the proposed charters:
ASPIRA wants to open two new charter schools, despite evidence that it has been unable to operate its existing charter schools without running deficits. The Charter Schools Office has found, among other irregularities, that ASPIRA uses money meant for the education of students at Stetson Middle and Olney High —both of which are former District-run schools— to guarantee loans that the organization took out to purchase other buildings offering different services. The SRC voted 4-1 on Thursday not to renew those charters, and it is making plans to return the schools to District control.
The company’s finances were further hurt by payouts from sexual harassment lawsuits against CEO Alfredo Calderon.
“The SRC continued to fund these Aspira schools despite serious allegations of fraud, ghost contractors for painting Olney high school, admitted misuse of taxpayer dollars, failure to make PSERS payments, and other serious financial transgressions,” Lisa Haver said during her public comment at the hearing. Haver is the co-founder of the Alliance for Public Schools (APPS), an activist group that considers itself a watchdog of the SRC and charter expansion. “After following the Aspira financial and academic scandals for over two years, it’s hard to believe that they believe they are in line to open more schools.”
Here is another applicant:
Franklin Towne, which currently runs a national blue-ribbon charter high school, is proposing to open its own middle school at 5301 Tacony St. in Frankford — in the same building as its high school. It would link Franklin Towne’s elementary school to its high school, acting as a feeder. The school would serve grades 6-8 and open in the 2019-20 school year at its maximum enrollment of 450 students.
“If granted, we would be able, capable, willing and anxious to open a middle school to better serve the students in the 19137 area,” said Patrick Field, chief academic officer of Franklin Towne.
Franklin Towne has a solid academic record at both its elementary school and its high school.
However, the company is also known for running schools where the vast majority of the student body is white — 71 percent at its high school and 86 percent at its elementary school.
When will Philadelphia commit to rebuilding and reviving its public schools, where most students are enrolled and where facilities have been stripped bare to support charters?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Frankford, the area in which Franklin Towne is located, is mostly a white working class area. It does not suffer from the same devastating poverty that North and some parts of South or West Philadelphia do. Frankford has many parents with an intact nuclear family unlike many parts of the city with poor African Americans. Recently, Frankford has also become a destination for Russian immigrants. Depending of the age of the students, they may have already studied some English, and they may even be stronger than our students in math. I can see how they have created a Blue Ribbon School, if they cherry pick the better and brightest. I taught in a public school that took all types of students, and we became a Blue Ribbon School without being selective. If Franklin’s students attended a comprehensive public high school, they would most likely raise the school’s average scores on standardized tests as well, and the absence of these students probably has lowered the average scores for Frankford High School, the area’s public school, which used to be racially mixed had a good reputation. One of my cousins attended Frankford, which now is school of last resort with a 90% minority enrollment from the establishment of charters and deliberate segregative tactics. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/pennsylvania/districts/school-district-of-philadelphia/frankford-high-school-17233
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One concerning trend in all the proposed charters is that they represent ethnic and racial isolation, and they will use public tax dollars to promote isolation and de facto segregation. One of the most healthy and democratizing aspects of public education is that it aspires to equitable treatment and presents the opportunity for young people to meet and work with diverse students. With these new charters, Philadelphia will have mostly white, Hispanic and Jewish charter schools where children can grow up in isolation. This self inflicted segregation may have far reaching social implications to the future of the city.
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What kind of water are the people of Philadelphia drinking anyway? Good GRIEF.
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