SRC Weighs Plan To Eliminate 50k Seats At Low-Performing Schools
By Mike DeNardo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A plan to give every Philadelphia child the option to attend a high-quality school was the focus of the School Reform Commission last night.
The district in November approved the so-called "Great Schools Compact" -- a five-year plan to eliminate 50,000 seats in failing schools and replace them with high-performing options. Does that mean more charter schools?
The mayor's chief education officer Lori Shorr says maybe, but not necessarily. "We're committing to work together to make a more efficient system of great schools, whether they're charter or district. We already had one-in-four kids in charter, when the compact came out."
Retired teacher Lisa Haver said it felt like the public was shut out of the compact decision. "It sounds to me like this whole charter thing is a done deal. And all we can talk about is, do we like charters are not?"
At issue is how to keep score. SRC member Joe Dworetzky, who chaired the meeting, said there were low-performing charter schools just as there are low-performing district schools.
