Members Named for Reform Commission Taskforce
Posted on: Friday, 9 May 2008, 03:00 CDT
By Martha Woodall, The Philadelphia Inquirer
May 9--The Philadelphia School Reform Commission yesterday announced members of a task force that will make recommendations on how to improve school-district oversight and communications with city charter schools.
The task force, which will hold two public meetings next week to gather comments, is expected to issue a written report by the end of the month.
The School Reform Commission authorized creating the task force in December during the same meeting it adopted a new policy providing more scrutiny of the district's 61 charter schools.
"We need to find ways to encourage and support the innovation and creativity of the public charter schools under our oversight, and to better support the efforts of the school district's own charter office as it works to ensure high standards, compliance with the law and the celebration of best practices," said commission member James P. Gallagher, who led the effort to create the task force.
Helen Cunningham, executive director of the Samuel S. Fels Fund, and Carol Fixman, executive director of the Philadelphia Education Fund, will cochair the task force.
Other members are Yancy Bright, CEO, Leadership and Learning Partners Charter School; the Rev. Danny Cortes, board president, Nueva Esperanza Academy; Lawrence Jones, CEO, Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School and board president of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Charter Schools; Jacquelyn Y. Kelley, CEO, Discovery Charter School; Monika Kreidie, parent, Independence Charter School; Karen D. Lash, parent, MaST Community Charter School and founding member of Parents United for Charter Schools; Donna Piekarski, Office of Early Childhood Education, school district; and Lori Shorr, chief education officer, Philadelphia.
The task force will meet from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Both meetings, which will be open to the public, will be held in the Franklin Learning Room on the first floor of the School District's headquarters at 440 N. Broad St.
Contact staff writer Martha Woodall at 215-954-2789 or mwoodall@phillynews.com.
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Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer
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