Authorizing the Council Committee on Education to hold hearings to investigate the present state of Charter schools in Philadelphia, and to examine the oversight relationship between Charter schools, the Philadelphia School District, and the School Reform Commission.

WHEREAS

, Act 22, passed by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1997, allowed for the creation of publicly funded Charter schools; and

WHEREAS

, Over 30,000 students attend Charter Schools in the City of Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS

, Charter schools are now an integral part of Philadelphia's public education system; and

WHEREAS

, Under Act 22, the issuing and oversight of Charters in Philadelphia is the domain of the School Reform Commission; and

WHEREAS,

It was the clear intention of ACT 22 for Charter schools to be free from the management and bureaucracy of the local School District; and

WHEREAS

, it is unclear to many Charter schools what role, if any, the School District's Office of Charter Schools has in the oversight of Charters; and

WHEREAS

, It is unclear to many Charter schools what standards and benchmarks are being used to evaluate the performance of Philadelphia's Charter schools; and

WHEREAS

, A clear and transparent process for the issuing, oversight and evaluation of Charters is the best way to ensure that the children of Philadelphia are getting the best public education possible; now therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA

, That the Committee on Education is authorized to hold hearings to investigate the relationship between Charter schools, the Philadelphia School District, and the School Reform Commission, and to examine process for issuing oversight and evaluation of Charters.

End