At a West Philadelphia rally, leaders from more than 20 city charter schools, who at times have been at odds with the district, joined its campaign to obtain more state and city aid to cover a looming $304 million shortfall. Read More More »
PCPCS issued the following response to State Rep. James Roebuck’s report on charter and cyber charter schools that was clearly drafted in the interests of maintaining the status quo and destroying real choice for parents. Representative Roebuck acknowledges that the study focuses on only a very few charter schools and very specific situations. Furthermore, the report [...] More »
The Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools (PCPCS) is incredibly disappointed that the House of Representatives has chosen to bow to special interest groups over the well being of the children of this state. In failing to pass SB 1115, the House rejected three years of work by people who have been sincerely and passionately dedicated to crafting legislation that increases accountability for charter schools and provides better quality educational options for our children. More »
Now is the time to act on legislation which embodies national best practices designed to create and nurture high quality charter schools. The following tenants are encompassed in SB 1115 and need to be in the final legislation. More »
Harrisburg PA: Pennsylvania State Senator Jeffrey Piccola speaks to the Senate about the success and role of charter schools in serving the most at risk children in the state, specifically in the cities of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Watch the video below (approx. 14 min). More »
The Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools is profoundly disappointed that State Rep. Mike Fleck served as a mouthpiece for special interests seeking to destroy charter schools and eliminate parental choice. Rep. Fleck’s legislation is disingenuous and shows incredible disrespect for the intelligence of legislators and Pennsylvania taxpayers. It talks about reform but protects the [...] More »
On Tuesday March 27th, PCPCS Board President Lawrence Jones testified before the Philadelphia City Council Education Committee on behalf of Charter Schools and the ever expanding role they play in revolutionizing public education in Philadelphia. Specifically Mr. Jones testified about the historical friction between charters and the District that may be addressed through open discussions [...] More »
On February 15th 2012, PCPCS President, Lawrence Jones, testified before the PA Senate Education Committee against House Bill 1973, a bill that would severely defund Cyber Charter Schools in Pennsylvania. More »
The following is a published letter to the Pittsburgh Tribune from the PCPCS Executive Director, Bob Fayfich, on the common Misconceptions of Charter Schools in Pennsylvania. More »
After 14 years of operation and experience in Pennsylvania and from educators in 39 other states, we know what makes for high-performing charter schools – dedicated teachers, involved parents, individualized attention, exceptional curriculums, enlightened leadership, and strong authorizers. None of this is surprising, and with the exception of the strong authorizer, every one is identical [...] More »
The December 2 issue of the Morning Call contained an article on a “report” announced to have been released on November 25 in which 26 school superintendents from Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton and Pike counties blasted charter schools. We have read the original document, the press release, and the story and have found there are [...] More »
The Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools applauds Governor Tom Corbett for addressing the Commonwealth’s need for public education reform. The Governor has made it clear that providing Pennsylvania K-12 students with public school choice is one of his top priorities. The reforms supported by Governor Corbett, which reflect companion bills in the Pennsylvania Senate [...] More »
“I don’t see how the success of a program like this threatens a traditional K-12 district,” Tomalis said. “What you see in this building is what public education should really be about.” The education secretary was at [the Lincoln Elementary Charter School in York] shoulder-to-shoulder with Sen. Jeffrey Piccola, a Republican representing a portion of [...] More »