City Controller report blames District for lack of charter oversight
by Wendy Harris on Apr 08 2010
Philadelphia City Controller Alan Butkovitz held a press conference today to release a 94-page report of the findings from an in-depth investigation into 13 Philadelphia charter schools, while aiming much of his criticism at the School District for its failure to keep abuses of the charter law in check.
At the request of the U.S. Attorney, the investigation “redacted the appendices for three of the 13 schools investigated.” But findings from the following charters were made public: Community Academy of Philadelphia, Franklin Towne Charter High School, Harambee Institute of Science and Technology, Imani Education Circle, Khepera, Mathematics, Civics & Sciences, Multi-Cultural Academy,New Foundations, People for People, and Preparatory Charter School of Math, Science, Technology & Careers.
Butkovitz said the investigation singled out these charters because they are the ones that appear to have an overrepresentation of the problems that existed atPhiladelphia Academy Charter School, where the late CEO Brien Gardiner and Kevin O’Shea were at one point earning annually $224,500 and $206,137 respectively, and hiring relatives at six-figure salaries.
The investigation was launched more than a year ago after the U.S. Attorney discovered problems at Philadelphia Academy Charter School. Since then several charters have come under fire for wrongdoing, most recently the Harambee Institute of Science and Technology Charter School for its longstanding operation of a nightclub on the premises of the school. Superintendent Arlene Ackerman threatened to close the school if it did not cease operations. The nightclub has since been removed from the building.
Butkovitz’s review of the District's Charter School Office and all 63 charter school files came up with disturbing findings, including the fact that 51 of the 63 charter files were incomplete and missing charter agreements, articles of incorporation,