Philadelphia Academy Charter School CEO Larry Sperling. Photo/Steven Mitchell

Updated April 26, 2013 The School District of Philadelphia has announced it will “not recommend any expansions of charter schools to the School Reform Commission (SRC) for the 2013-14 school year in light of a $304 budget shortfall, and the necessity for shared sacrifice among all participants in public education.”   

Some charter schools in Philadelphia are up for renewal this year and Philadelphia Academy Charter School in Somerton is one of them. Since charter schools operate independently, they must go through a long process every five years to stay open.

Charter schools like Philadelphia Academy are publicly funded. They are just like public schools, but get to pick their own board members and administrative staff. The monthly board meetings are open to the public for anyone to attend. Brick and mortar charter schools in Philadelphia are watched over the Philadelphia School District while cyber chart schools are monitored by the state Department of Education.

While the school district wasn’t able to comment on the charter renewal process, Philadelphia Academy CEO Larry Sperling explained the “massive” documentation needed to get renewed. A charter school must submit the documents by hardcopy, as well as electronically.

“Gigantic,” Sperling said. “We’re in the middle of renewal right now. We did all of our work over the summer and into the fall and submitted our renewal application. Now we’re waiting to hear the decision of the school district.”

Sperling said that decision should come sometime this month. continue reading »

Here’s a summary of the week’s Northeast news we didn’t cover. See others here.

Tacony is getting a new park. Work will start in the summer or fall on Lardner’s Point Park adjacent to the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge. As PlanPhilly reports, the fishing pier will be updated and tables, benches, restrooms, solar lighting and more will be added to the 4.5-acre space. continue reading »

Here’s a summary of the week’s Northeast news we didn’t cover. See others here.

On Tuesday, the Philadelphia City Council held a hearing to learn more information on the death of 63-year-old Joaquin Rivera, who died last November in the E.R. waiting room of Aria Health-Frankford. Rivera, having been told to wait, sat and died over an hour later. A few minutes after, camera caught three men robbing him. In turn, the hospital is defending its handling of the situation.

Continue reading for an update on a 2007 murder/robbery, news on Chile students at Holy Family, and more. continue reading »

Here’s a summary of the week’s Northeast news we didn’t cover. See others here.

Escaped convict Oscar Alvarado has been captured as of Monday.

Kamilah Alvarado, 22, Dean Ortiz, 33, and Crysta Otto, 27, of Barnett Street near Erdrick, in Mayfair, face charges for holding up the apprehension of the escaped convict by hiding him inside a Motor Inn in Trevose. Alvarado is accused of murdering a woman in October 2008.

Keep reading for break-ins at Franklin Mills Mall, a sentence for an ex Northeast charter school board president, and more. continue reading »

By Shannon McDonald

Kevin O’Shea, a former adminstrator at Philadelphia Academy Charter School, has pleaded guilty to defrauding the school for six years.

O’Shea, 50, admitted to and apologized for taking kickbacks from contractors, using the school’s money to pay for home improvements and pocketing money from its vending machines – actions that add up to $500,000. O’Shea waived his right a jury and admitted to misuing up to $1 million of the charter school’s money.

He will be sentenced October 2, and faces up to 33 years in prison.

By Shannon McDonald

Here’s a summary of the week’s Northeast news we didn’t cover. See others here.

The 25-year-old man who died in a Frankford shooting last month is believed to be the agressor. Police initially thought Dallas Custalow was an innocent bystander when he was shot in the stomach inside the Irish Kitchen bar at Pratt and Oakland streets. But it is now believed Custalow, of the 1300-block of Anchor Street, pulled his gun first during an argument at the bar, hitting a 29-year-old man in the leg.

continue reading »

Courtesy of the Philadelphia Inquirer

By Shannon McDonald

Brien Gardiner, CEO of Philadelphia Academy Charter School, was found dead Wednesday after an apparent suicide.

Gardiner, who founded the school in 1999 and Northwood Academy Charter in 2005, was under investigation for his management of the first school. The 64-year-old was found dead around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in the parking lot of Bethayres Train Station, following a single gunshot wound that police said was self-inflicted.

The investigation into Gardiners alleged mismanagment of the school will continue. Today, the Inquirer ran commentary by Pat McNally, NEastPhilly.com’s regular columnist who writes The Parent Trap.