Pennsylvania lawmakers say a court mandate to overhaul public school funding has opened avenues for compromise on charter school reform.
A Pennsylvania regulatory board on Monday approved Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposal to subject charter schools to stronger ethics and accounting standards
State proposes a charter school accountability plan to save estimated $400 million
By Merideth Bucher/WITF He’s poised to spend millions of dollars influencing upcoming elections — all while trying to keep his name away from the political spotlight.
The advocacy comes as the financial pressure on districts has increased due to a significant boost in charter school enrollment during the pandemic.
The Pennsylvania Charter Appeals Board exists as a place where charter schools can challenge decisions made by their local school boards. But right now, it’s unclear who would hear the appeals.
School districts must use at least 20% of the money to address learning loss from the pandemic as well as support the “social, emotional, and academic needs of underrepresented students.”
From 2014 to 2019, nine of 14 Philadelphia charter schools that have closed or agreed to close if they didn’t meet certain requirements were run by school leaders of color, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Black students make up the plurality of charter school students in Pennsylvania.
