Author Archives: Editor

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Key senator sides with charter school against Phila. enrollment limits

State Sen. Jeffrey E. Piccola, the powerful Republican chairman of the Senate Education Committee, filed documents Tuesday in Commonwealth Court siding with Walter D. Palmer Leadership Learning Partners Charter School in its lawsuit against the district and the state Department of Education.

9/29/2010, Philadelphia Inquirer, Pennsylvania  http://www.philly.com/inquirer/education/20100929_Key_senator_sides_with_charter_school_against_Phila__enrollment_limits.html

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Foe slams Perkins on charters

The upstart challenger running against state Sen. Bill Perkins last night blasted the Harlem Democrat during a televised debate for his opposition to charter schools, calling him a “polarizing figure” whose knee-jerk support of public schools over charters left the community in tatters.

9/3/2010, New York Post, New York  http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/foe_slams_perkins_on_charters_IHb1dY7mwsbKxQvPPBMiXK

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Mastery Charter Schools’ big test in Philadelphia

In just over three months, Mastery not only doubled its schools to six, it hired and trained teachers. And in under a month, it refurbished three buildings.  Mastery is one of four charter operators converting seven low-performing district schools into Renaissance schools this school season as part of Superintendent Arlene Ackerman’s Imagine 2014 initiative.

9/3/2010, Philadelphia Inquirer, Pennsylvania  http://www.philly.com/inquirer/education/20100902_Mastery_Charter_Schools__big_test_in_Philadelphia.html

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U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan credits NY’s ‘breathtaking courage’ in Race to the Top effort

Duncan praised government, school and union leaders for working together to create a plan with several reforms, including beefed-up teacher evaluations and more charter schools.

8/31/2010, New York Daily News, New York  http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2010/08/31/2010-08-31_ed_czar_gives_new_york_a_for_race_to_top_effort.html

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Race to the Top: Hopefully, state learns lesson from latest defeat

In large part, Pennsylvania’s failure to win the grant was our own fault.  A school district needs buy-in from everyone – administrators, teachers, parents and even students – if reforms are to work.   But just because we were honest doesn’t mean we were right.

8/30/2010, pennlive.com, Pennsylvania  http://www.pennlive.com/editorials/index.ssf/2010/08/race_to_the_top_hopefully_stat.html