SRC orders new leadership for New Media

The Philadelphia School Reform Commission today voted to give New Media Technology Charter School a new five year charter but only if the school replaces its board and chief executive.

In an unanimous vote, the commission also imposed 21 other conditions on the school.

After the upcming school year, New Media may not continue operating its middle school unless it submits additional information to the district.

The charter school, which opened in 2005, had 484 fifth through twelfth graders on its two campuses in the city's Stenton and Germantown sections in the last academic year.

Ten days ago, reports circulated in the city's charter school community that the district staff was considering requiring the resignations of Ina Walker, New Media's chief executive officer; board chairman Hugh C. Clark and the rest of the school's board members as a condition of obtaining a new operating charter.

It's the same strategy the SRC followed in June 2008 with Philadelphia Academy Charter School after allegations of fiscal wrongdoing surfaced there.

The district has been investigating New Media for more than six months after receiving allegations that charter officials misspent taxpayer money and were involved in several conflicts of interest that were harming the school.

The commission had twice delayed voting on a new charter for New Media to allow its inspector general to complete an investigation of allegations of financial mismanagement and conflicts of interest.

As part of a widening criminal probe of area charter schools, federal investigators recently turned their attention to the New Media Technology Charter School to examine allegations that school money had been used to pay some expenses of a private school, a restaurant, and a health-food store, according to sources with knowledge of the inquiry. All have ties to New Media 's leadership.

It's the same strategy the SRC followed in June 2008 with Philadelphia Academy Charter School after allegations of fiscal wrongdoing surfaced there.

The district has been investigating New Media for more than six months after receiving allegations that charter officials misspent taxpayer money and were involved in several conflicts of interest that were harming the school.