Philadelphia Schools And Privatization Is It A Mistake
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Philadelphia Schools and Privatization: Is It a Mistake?
Overview
For the past four years, Philadelphia schools have been outsourcing services to for-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations, a trend known as privatization. Now entering their fifth year, this initiative continues to spark debate.
Privatization Approach
Daniel Whelan, a member of the School Reform Commission, supports privatizing any operational or educational services that meet the district's criteria, according to the Philadelphia Public Schools Notebook. Commission Chair James Nevels believes that outsourcing non-academic services allows educators to concentrate on teaching. This effort is part of a mandate to improve the city's struggling schools.
Evaluating Success
The success of these contracts is still under review. Nationwide, privatization efforts have shown mixed results. Nevels emphasizes the need for vigilant oversight and regular evaluation to determine if privatization is effective for Philadelphia schools. Achieving effective oversight, however, can be challenging.
Oversight Challenges
Jeff Henig, a professor at Columbia University, notes that strong oversight requires robust resources, which underfunded school districts often lack. This limitation may force them to rely on contractor-generated data. Although increased competition among providers can lead to better prices and quality, Henig warns that large providers might dominate the market by acquiring smaller ones. He suggests limiting privatization to short-term projects where expertise is well-established, such as technology upgrades, to maintain control. Henig also cautions against becoming too dependent on external providers.
Differing Opinions
Charlene Haar of the Education Policy Institute argues that competitive markets can benefit districts like Philadelphia by focusing on cost-effectiveness and quality, ensuring that poor performance leads to losing contracts.
Carol Ascher, a researcher at the Annenberg Institute, raises broader concerns in her book, Hard Lessons: Public Schools and Privatization. Ascher claims that outsourcing can harm public schools, noting that cheaper solutions aren't always better. She points out that privatized schools often hire young and transient teachers, lacking experience and tenure. Operational outsourcing can also exclude local businesses, removing jobs from the community.
Conclusion
Many educators believe that Philadelphia schools should reflect and serve their communities. While higher test scores are a goal, they may not be best achieved through external providers. The debate over privatization in Philadelphia schools continues, with stakeholders considering its long-term impact on education quality and community involvement.
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