Daroff council: Promise Academy model 'lacks promise'
by Benjamin Herold on May 05 2010 Posted in Latest news
Daroff School Advisory Council (SAC)unanimously rejected on Monday the District’s invitation to submit a revised application to become a Promise Academy, opting instead to focus on its deliberations to select an outside turnaround team to assume management of the troubled K-8 school as part of the District’sRenaissance Schools initiative.
Daroff was one of 10 Renaissance Eligible schools that submitted an applicationthis winter to become a Promise Academy under the direct supervision of Superintendent Arlene Ackerman, but was not one of the five schools originally selected.
That application was developed by the school leadership team without input from the just-formed SAC, however.
Citing concerns about equitable opportunities for parent and community involvement in the Promise Academy application process, the District last Thursday invited Daroff, Bluford, and Harrity to re-apply with input from their SACs and broader school communities if they are unable to find a suitable provider match. Ackerman had previously invited Potter-Thomas to be reconsidered as a Promise Academy.
The opening for additional schools to become Promise Academies also could be intended to address complaints from the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers that most of the 14 Renaissance schools are on a track to be converted to non-union charter schools.
On Monday evening, Daroff’s active and organized SAC met to consider the
