Philadelphia public school update

With an estimated $629 million shortfall, the School District of Philadelphia warns of dramatic cuts in administrative and teaching staff, the elimination of full-day kindergarten, and reductions in art, music, gifted education and summer programs, as well as counseling and transportation services.  In the meantime, the district is in the throes of implementing its Renaissance Schools initiative, which allots extra funds to turn around poor performing schools.  And questions surrounding the activities of School Reform Commission Chairman Robert Archie and state Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Phila.) regarding the selection of charter school operators have resulted in a probe by the Nutter administration.  We’ll hear from MICHAEL MASCH, chief financial officer of the School District of Philadelphia; The Public School Notebook/NewsWorks reporter BENJAMIN HEROLD; and HELEN GYM, founder of Parents United for Public Education.

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[audio: 050511_100630.mp3]