Phila. schools' charter official asks for conditions on one school's agreement

INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS

The Philadelphia School District's top charter official yesterday recommended granting new operating charters to all 10 schools up for renewal, but he called for placing a dozen conditions on the agreement with the New Media Technology Charter School.

Benjamin W. Rayer, associate superintendent for charter, partnership, and new schools, reported his staff's recommendations to the Philadelphia School Reform Commission yesterday. He said the recommendations were based on district staff's review of the charter schools' records and academic performance and had visits.

The commission is scheduled to vote Wednesday.

As The Inquirer reported yesterday, the district's inspector general is investigating the finances of New Media, which has 484 fifth- through 12th-grade students on its campuses in Stenton and Germantown. The school has had financial problems, forcing it to borrow to make payroll, and many parents have complained about lack of textbooks and a shortage of qualified teachers, saying security guards have filled in as instructors.

Several of those parents yesterday urged the comission to close the school.

"They have not shown any commitment to our children's learning," said Irene Harris Bowie, whose grandson is a fifth grader at the school. "They are endangering our children - in terms of education and in terms of physical health and safety."

The conditions Rayer recommended placing on New Media's new, five-year operating charter include requiring the board to adopt a conflicts-of-interest policy, a code of ethics, and financial controls.

In addition, Rayer called on New Media's board to adopt a resolution that said any employee or board member convicted of fraud would be fired immediately. The condition was applied only to New Media.

After the meeting, Rayer said the issues the parents had spoken about were not new.

"We get that this is not a perfect school," he said. "We recognize that there are issues, and we put serious conditions in the renewal."

Superintendent Arlene Ackerman said the parents' concerns "saddened" her.

"Some of that was tough to hear," she said.

She said the charter's renewal was not assured.

"It's not a done deal until it's a done deal," Ackerman said. "I have questions. If I have them, I'm sure the SRC has more."

Rayer recommended placing some conditions on eight of the other charters up for renewal: Ad Prima Charter School, Franklin Towne Charter High School, Global Leadership Academy Charter School, Khepera Charter School, Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School, New Foundations Charter School, Nueva Esperanza Academy Charter High School, and Philadelphia Montessori Charter School. All except Montessori would have five-year charters.

Rayer called for a one-year charter to give Montessori more time to improve academic performance.

The Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School was operating so smoothly, Rayer said, it merited a new five-year charter without conditions.