SRC denies 87 percent of charter school applications

ABOVE PHOTO:  Boys Latin Charter School

Center for Education Reform

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  The Center for Education Reform condemns the decision of the Philadelphia School Reform Commission (SRC) to approve just five new charter schools out of 39 total applications at today’s meeting.

“It’s completely inexcusable that politics get in the way of doing what’s best for students and their success,” said Kara Kerwin, president of The Center for Education Reform.

“Particularly in Philadelphia, where district-wide proficiency rates for reading and math are 42 and 45 percent respectively, and nearly 30,000 children are already on charter school wait lists, hoping for a better opportunity than their assigned school provides them,” Kerwin continued.

“These numbers alone should point to an urgency for alternatives. But sadly, too many adults involved in the education of our children are too hung up on politics and maintaining the status quo, when the focus absolutely needs to be on enabling student success,” Kerwin said.

“How else do you explain the denial of schools like Girls’ Latin Charter School, an all-girls counterpart to one of the most successful schools in Philadelphia, Boys’ Latin, which has produced 99 percent college acceptance rates among graduating seniors in the last two years,” Kerwin noted.

“It’s a shame that more Philadelphia parents will be forced to wait for a better opportunity for their child,” Kerwin said.

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Below is a list of charter schools approved and denied, along with vote counts:

Approved:

Independence Charter School West —

1 Vote No, 3 Votes Yes, 1 Abstention

KIPP Dubois Charter School —

1 Vote No, 3 Votes Yes, 1 Abstention

MaST Community Charter School

Roosevelt — 1 Vote No, 4 Votes Yes

Mastery Charter School Gillespie —

1 Vote No, 3 Votes Yes, 1 Abstention

TECH Freire Charter School — 2 Votes

No, 3 Votes Yes

Denied:

ACES Business Entrepreneur Academy

— 5 No Votes, 0 Yes Votes

American Paradigm Oxford Charter

School — 5 No, 0 Yes

American Paradigm Port Richmond — 4

No Votes, 1 Yes Vote

ASPIRA Ramon E. Betances Charter

School — 5 No Votes, 0 Yes Votes

Belmont Charter School High School — 3

No Votes, 2 Yes Votes

Congreso Academy Charter High

School — 3 Votes No, 2 Votes Yes

Esperanza Elementary Charter School –

– 4 Votes No, 1 Vote Yes

Franklin Towne Charter Middle School —

5 Votes No, 0 Votes Yes

Friendship Public Charter School — 5

Votes No, 0 Votes Yes

Germantown Community Charter

School — 4 Votes No, 1 Vote Yes

Girls’ Latin Charter School — 4 Votes No,

1 Abstention

Global Leadership Academy Internation

al — 3 Votes No, 2 Abstentions

Green Woods Overbrook Farms — 4

Votes No, 1 Vote Yes

Independence Charter High School — 4

Votes No, 1 Abstention

Innovative Dimensions STEAM Charter

School — 4 Votes No, 1 Vote Yes

Keystone Preparatory Charter School —

5 Votes No, 0 Votes Yes

KIPP North Philadelphia — 4 Votes No, 1

Abstention

KIPP West Philadelphia — 4 Votes No, 1

Abstention

Leon Sullivan Opportunities Charter

School — 5 Votes No, 0 Votes Yes

Liguori Academy Charter School — 5

Votes No, 0 Votes Yes

Mastery North Philadelphia — 4 Votes

No, 1 Abstention

New Foundations Charter School — 5

Votes No, 0 Votes Yes

PHASE 4 America Charter School — 5

Votes No, 0 Votes Yes

Philadelphia Career & Technical Acade

my Charter School — 5 Votes No, 0 Votes

Yes

Philadelphia Music & Dance Charter

School — 5 Votes No, 0 Votes Yes

PHMC Preparatory Charter School — 3

Votes No, 1 Vote Yes, 1 Abstention

String Theory East Falls — 4 Votes No, 1

Abstention

String Theory Grays Ferry — 4 Votes No,

1 Abstention

String Theory Port Richmond — 4 Votes

No, 1 Abstention

String Theory Southeast — 4 Votes No, 1

Abstention

Sustainable Roots Academy Charter

School — 5 Votes No, 0 Votes Yes

MaST Partnership for Science & Innova

tion — 4 Votes No, 1 Vote Yes

Pavilion Charter School for Exceptional

Students — 5 Votes No, 0 Votes Yes

Urban STEM Academy Charter School –

– 5 Votes No, 0 Votes Yes