VIDEO: Charter Schools Threatened by Punitive Rules

With a waiting list 30,000 students long, you’d think Philadelphia would be working to expand the reach of charter schools. Sadly, Philadelphia’s School Reform Commission is seeking just the opposite, despite the city’s dismal academic achievement scores.

As reported by Maura Pennington of the Pennsylvania Independent, the School Reform Comission recently issued an ultimatum to several area charter schools. A bevy of new rules and regulations, called SRC-1, were to be signed by December 15, but many charters have refused to comply.

These new rules would restrict charter growth via enrollment caps—even for high-performing charters—and enable the School District of Philadelphia to withhold their funding, according to Sarah Leitner at MediaTrackers PA.

What’s behind this power grab by the education establishment and how can charters fight to maintain choice for urban students?

We talked to Maura Pennington and Sarah Leitner in our latest Google Hangout:

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