May Newsflash
At the SRC . . .
At its April meeting, the School Reform Commission approved the following resolutions:
-An initiative aimed at assuring equity across regions, establishing a timetable for implementation of academic, enrichment and support programs.
The resolution on educational equity, introduced by Commissioner Sandra Dungee Glenn, was adopted in the wake of the SRC decision in February establishing a "regional choice" transfer policy, which gave families in Center City first dibs on transfer slots at schools anywhere in that region. The April resolution enumerates a dozen specific goals for 2006-07 aimed at ensuring that educational offerings are equitable across regions: for example, it promises an arts program in every school, an algebra class in every eighth grade, and an "Emerging Scholars" program at one or more schools in each region.
-A $4.2 million contract with Princeton Review to provide curriculum materials, assessments, and professional development in support of a District summer program for 26,000 students in grades 1-8.
Last year's summer program involved District contracts with several different vendors, whereas this year, Princeton Review will package all the materials for schools' summer reading and math instructional program and will also collect and store the materials at the end of the summer. Last year, Princeton Review's District contract for summer programs was $2.6 million.
-$3.9 million to purchase additional core curriculum materials, primarily textbooks for twelfth-graders.
With this resolution, the District will complete its major purchases of new, standardized core curriculum materials for all grades.
-$79 million in capital project awards to a variety of bidders.
Over $51 million was awarded to contractors for work on the replacement building for Audenried High School in South Philadelphia, with Daniel J. Keating Company as the general contractor. The resolutions also covered contracts totaling $6.7 million awarded for major renovations at Baldi Middle School in Northeast Philadelphia and a number of smaller renovation projects.
Also, the SRC allowed its $3 million contract for elementary school science materials with K12 Inc. to expire when it declined to act to renew the contract by May 1. Controversy about the K12 contract arose last fall after broadcast remarks by company founder and major shareholder William Bennett that were widely seen as racist. K12 still maintains a contract to play a management role at the Hunter School.