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PHILADELPHIA – Jonathan Cetel, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Campaign for Achievement Now (PennCAN), issued the following statement on tonight’s vote by the School Reform Commission (SRC) on the fate of 12 new charter applications:
“We are pleased that the SRC approved the opening of three new charter schools, which will provide high-quality school options to more than 2,000 students and their families. After years of committing authorizer malpractice, by refusing to even open an application process, we are cautiously optimistic that today’s vote signals the start of the School District of Philadelphia becoming a professional authorizer that focuses on quality.
We are hopeful that high-performing charters that were denied tonight, like FACTs, will take the feedback provided to them, resubmit, and ultimately get approved because Philadelphia families are desperate for quality educational options. There are still 22,000 Philadelphia students on charter school wait lists, who are fleeing 88 traditional public schools identified as in ‘need of intervention.’ Philadelphia desperately needs the SRC to continue opening new schools.”
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PennCAN: Launched in May 2012, PennCAN: The Pennsylvania Campaign for Achievement Now, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit education reform advocacy organization building a movement of Pennsylvanians with the political will to enact smart public policies so that every Pennsylvania child has access to a great public school.