For Immediate Release
12/7/09

Charter School Reform Package Introduced by Senate Education Committee Chairmen

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania's 12-year old Charter School Law would undergo major revisions under legislation introduced today by the Senate Education Committee Chairmen, Senator Jeffrey Piccola (R-15/Majority Chair) and Senator Andrew Dinniman (D-19/Minority Chair). 

Senate Bill 1156 would incorporate a number of necessary and long-overdue reforms to facilitate the creation and continued operation of Pennsylvania's charter and cyber charter schools, according to Piccola and Dinniman.  Specifically, the legislation would allow institutions of higher education to approve the creation of a charter school and permit an intermediate unit or local board of school directors to create a cyber charter school.  The bill also would modify the application and appeals procedures for the state's charter schools by streamlining administrative processes.   

Under the legislative package, greater checks and balances would be established on Pennsylvania's charter schools as well.  Some of these provisions include mandating additional oversight and accountability on administrators, board members, and management companies.  Senate Bill 1156 also would create the Office of Charter and Cyber Charter Schools within the Pennsylvania Department of Education to be charged with oversight of charter and cyber charter school functions, such as the ability to investigate complaints of fraud, waste and mismanagement and make referrals to law enforcement. 

"Our legislation was introduced to not only provide a much needed update to the state's decade-old-law but to address a number of issues that have arisen in the last year as several charter schools particularly in the Philadelphia region have been the target of criminal investigations and financial scandals.  It's important that this public school choice option is protected and available to more families, but more controls must be put in place to prevent potential abuse," said Piccola.  "In the New Year, this Committee will hold public hearings on the bill to give others an opportunity to discuss its elements and then I am hopeful we can move the measure quickly through the legislative process."

"Charter schools offer a valuable and important public school option to both students and their families.  However, it is clear that additional accountability is needed in order to prevent the types of abuses we have seen in recent months," Dinniman said. "This legislation puts more checks in place to ensure that charter schools properly serve Pennsylvania students for years to come."

Other cosponsors to Senate Bill 1156 include: Senators Browne (R-16), Boscola (D-18), Earll (R-49), Folmer (R-48), Orie (R-40), Pippy (R-37), Smucker (R-13), Tartaglione (D-2), Vogel (R-47), Washington (D-4), and Waugh (R-28).

Contact:

Colleen Greer
(717) 787-6801
Adam Cirucci, (Dinniman's Office)
610-692-2112

Additional Information:
Education

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