On Monday in the Capitol Rotunda students, teachers, charter school supporters, and legislators joined to celebrate 20 years of Pennsylvania's charter schools.

At a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Rep. McCarter (D-Montgomery) and Rep. Sturla (D-Lancaster) discussed the need for a fair, reasonable and accountable cyber charter school reimbursement plan.

A report released by the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee took a deep-dive into the financial impact charter and cyber charter schools have on traditional public school districts and recommended potential reform measures to help save costs and improve district-charter relations.

The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Thursday issued an opinion that continued the judiciary’s line of increasing deference to charter and cyber charter schools who contract out the bulk of their services with for-profit companies.

 

The case—Insight Charter School v. Department of Education—stemmed from the denial of a charter application to Insight after the department and, later, the Charter Appeal Board denied Insight’s charter application.

By a 48-0 vote Wednesday afternoon, the Senate unanimously confirmed Estelle Richman for a spot on the School Reform Commission, the state-created oversight body for the School District of Philadelphia.

 

Richman was nominated by Gov. Tom Wolf in October 2016 after two commissioners from the five-member board stepped down.