September Newsflash
At the SRC . . .
In August, the School Reform Commission approved the following:
· $160,000
supplement and amendment to University
of Pennsylvania partnership,
phasing out services at Bryant.
Penn will manage Lea and Wilson through
June 2007, but phase out services at Bryant,
for which it will receive no pay for 2005-2006.
The supplementary $160,000 will pay for
two teachers to help prepare Lea students
for the proposed Penn high school.
· $525,000 from categorical/grant
fund to New
Teacher Project
Will provide consulting services for teacher
placement fairs; recruit, select, and
train highly qualified teachers to fill
mid-year vacancies for 2005-06 and opening
vacancies in 2006.
· $28 million from
categorical/grant fund to various SES
providers.
The budgeted amount, which will go to
hundreds of providers, compares with $17
million allocated for 04-05.
· $325,000 from categorical/grant
fund to Communities
in Schools, Philadelphia for Parent-Child
Home Program.
To recruit, hire, pay and provide oversight
to Parent-Child Home Program’s home
visitors and lead home visitors.
· $500,000 grant acceptance
from U.S. Army Cadet Command for Army
Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps
Would defray some cost of establishing
Army JROTC units at Philadelphia Military
Academy-Leeds, Philadelphia Military Academy-Elverson,
Overbrook HS, Bok AVTS, and University
City High..
· $400,000 from general
fund to Resources for Change for Student
Success Centers
To provide staffing for Student Success
Centers at 10 high schools: Bartram, University
City, West Philadelphia, Frankford, Gratz,
Overbrook, Kensington, Edison, William
Penn and Franklin.
· $1.5 million from
categorical/ grant fund to Philadelphia
Education Fund for CORE
Philly Scholarship Program.
For the CORE Philly Scholarship program
for 2005 graduates.
· $1.67 million from
Empowerment Grant/$1.48 million to SMART
program
For operation of Saturday Morning Alternative
Reach and Teach (SMART), an alternative
educational, social and behavioral community
service program for chronically disruptive
students. Will operate in 14 regional
program sites. District will contract
with eight community organizations.
· $500,000 from operating
budget to Community
Education Partners for alternative
high school program
Will allow for 12th and Allegheny site
to accommodate discipline school program
and drop-out prevention program for over-aged
students, thereby establishing two schools.
To be adjusted each year after the first
year, through June 30, 2010.
· $3.2 million from
operating budget to Camelot
Schools to manage Shallcross School
Moves the last of the District-managed
discipline schools, with 300 students,
to private management. To to be adjusted
each year through June 2010.
· $1.1 million from
categorical/grant fund to Catapult
Learning for extended day services.
Formerly Sylvan Educational Solutions
(sister company of the tutoring Sylvan
Learning Center), Catapult will administer
the reading program primarily to sixth-grade
students (144 per site) in 10 middle or
K-8 schools.
The following SRC resolutions
were tabled or withdrawn:
· $100,000 from the
operating budget to Egan
Bloom & Associates
Encouraged by Commissioner Martin Bednarek,
the commission postponed decision on this
contract, for Egan Bloom to assist the
District in negotiating and implementing
a Project Labor Agreement with the Philadelphia
Building Trades Council, counsel the District
on its capital plan, and help advocate
with the community on renovation, location
and construction of schools.
· Authorization for
sale of Thomas Durham School property
The school property at 16th & Lombard
Streets, closed in June 2003 after the
District cited extensive repair costs,
has received many expressions of interest,
including from Independence Charter School.
A public speaker complained that the District
had prepared Requests for Proposals without
community input.
· $200,000 from operating
budget to Philadelphia Area Consortium
for Education (PACE)
Would support consortium of college and
university partners in hiring of executive
director, as well as with meetings and
fundraising efforts. Commissioners called
for the existence of a 501(c)3, director
and board for PACE before voting on the
resolution.
·
$1.79 million in categorical/grant funds
to community-based service provider for
Attendance and Truancy Intervention and
Prevention Support Programs.
Tabling was prompted by concerns from
Commissioner Dan Whelan about a lack of
“refined data” in truancy
prevention efforts. Grant would cover
efforts by 14 providers and organizations
serving the District’s Attendance
and Truancy Intervention and Prevention
Support Program.