Calling for the City Council Committee on Education to hold hearings investigating third party funding going to independent and other charter providers and their relationship with the School District Charter Office, specifically concerning Independent Charter Schools operated by minorities.

WHEREAS, Many charter schools require third party funding and a healthy partnership with the Charter Office in order to succeed financially and academically as a school. This is especially true of independent charter school providers who generally have a weaker economic foundation that Multi-School Operators; and

WHEREAS, Although there are significant third party education funds available in Philadelphia, minority operators have found it difficult to access those funds limiting their ability to provide essential leadership training for teachers and principals that would keep them competitive in today’s education market; and

WHEREAS, The Charter Office renewal process should be transparent, and the all standards by which the office renews Charter Contracts and how those standards are applied need to be publically stated, equally applied, and objectively measured; and

WHEREAS, Standards for measuring operator performance and support services provided to operators should be known during contract performance instead of operators being blindsided by renewal recommendations at the end of the contract; and

WHEREAS, Third party funding should be fairly distributed to all Charter School Providers, and third party funders should give their funding parameters and level of support for all Charter Schools including those operated by minority providers; and

WHEREAS, Governor Wolf recently created a new Division of Charter Schools in an effort to improve the quality and accountability of Charter Schools in Pennsylvania with the purpose to “

maximize our resources to not only ensure charters are being properly supported, but that they are being held accountable to taxpayers”;

now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the City Council Committee on Education to hold hearings investigating third party funding going to independent and other charter providers and their relationship with the School District Charter Office, specifically concerning Independent Charter Schools operated by minorities.

End