Philadelphia School Reform Commission Denies 87 Percent of Charter School Applications
Ignores Demand for More Education Options as 30,000 Sit on City Wait Lists
Press Release
Washington, D.C.
February 19, 2015
The Center for Education Reform condemns the decision of the Philadelphia School Reform Commission (SRC) to approve just 5 new charter schools out of 39 total applications at today’s meeting.
“It’s completely inexcusable that politics get in the way of doing what’s best for students and their success,” said Kara Kerwin, president of The Center for Education Reform.
“Particularly in Philadelphia, where district-wide proficiency rates for reading and math are 42 and 45 percent respectively, and nearly 30,000 children are already on charter school wait lists, hoping for a better opportunity than their assigned school provides them,” Kerwin continued.
“These numbers alone should point to an urgency for alternatives. But sadly, too many adults involved in the education of our children are too hung up on politics and maintaining the status quo, when the focus absolutely needs to be on enabling student success,” Kerwin said.
“How else do you explain the denial of schools like Girls’ Latin Charter School, an all-girls counterpart to one of the most successful schools in Philadelphia, Boys’ Latin, which has produced 99 percent college acceptance rates among graduating seniors in the last two years,” Kerwin noted.
“It’s a shame that more Philadelphia parents will be forced to wait for a better opportunity for their child,” Kerwin said.
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Below is a list of charter schools approved and denied, along with vote counts:
Approved:
Independence Charter School West — 1 Vote No, 3 Votes Yes, 1 Abstention
KIPP Dubois Charter School — 1 Vote No, 3 Votes Yes, 1 Abstention
MaST Community Charter School Roosevelt — 1 Vote No, 4 Votes Yes
Mastery Charter School Gillespie — 1 Vote No, 3 Votes Yes, 1 Abstention
TECH Freire Charter School — 2 Votes No, 3 Votes Yes
Denied:
ACES Business Entrepreneur Academy — 5 No Votes, 0 Yes Votes
American Paradigm Oxford Charter School — 5 No, 0 Yes
American Paradigm Port Richmond — 4 No Votes, 1 Yes Vote
ASPIRA Ramon E. Betances Charter School — 5 No Votes, 0 Yes Votes
Belmont Charter School High School — 3 No Votes, 2 Yes Votes
Congreso Academy Charter High School — 3 Votes No, 2 Votes Yes
Esperanza Elementary Charter School — 4 Votes No, 1 Vote Yes
Franklin Towne Charter Middle School — 5 Votes No, 0 Votes Yes
Friendship Public Charter School — 5 Votes No, 0 Votes Yes
Germantown Community Charter School — 4 Votes No, 1 Vote Yes
Girls’ Latin Charter School — 4 Votes No, 1 Abstention
Global Leadership Academy International — 3 Votes No, 2 Abstentions
Green Woods Overbrook Farms — 4 Votes No, 1 Vote Yes
Independence Charter High School — 4 Votes No, 1 Abstention
Innovative Dimensions STEAM Charter School — 4 Votes No, 1 Vote Yes
Keystone Preparatory Charter School — 5 Votes No, 0 Votes Yes
KIPP North Philadelphia — 4 Votes No, 1 Abstention
KIPP West Philadelphia — 4 Votes No, 1 Abstention
Leon Sullivan Opportunities Charter School — 5 Votes No, 0 Votes Yes
Liguori Academy Charter School — 5 Votes No, 0 Votes Yes
Mastery North Philadelphia — 4 Votes No, 1 Abstention
New Foundations Charter School — 5 Votes No, 0 Votes Yes
PHASE 4 America Charter School — 5 Votes No, 0 Votes Yes
Philadelphia Career & Technical Academy Charter School — 5 Votes No, 0 Votes Yes
Philadelphia Music & Dance Charter School — 5 Votes No, 0 Votes Yes
PHMC Preparatory Charter School — 3 Votes No, 1 Vote Yes, 1 Abstention
String Theory East Falls — 4 Votes No, 1 Abstention
String Theory Grays Ferry — 4 Votes No, 1 Abstention
String Theory Port Richmond — 4 Votes No, 1 Abstention
String Theory Southeast — 4 Votes No, 1 Abstention
Sustainable Roots Academy Charter School — 5 Votes No, 0 Votes Yes
MaST Partnership for Science & Innovation — 4 Votes No, 1 Vote Yes
Pavilion Charter School for Exceptional Students — 5 Votes No, 0 Votes Yes
Urban STEM Academy Charter School — 5 Votes No, 0 Votes Yes
