Bids to convert three Philadelphia public schools, including Samuel B. Huey Elementary in West Philadelphia, into charters have received support from the District’s Charter Schools Office (CSO). The CSO has recommended the School Reform Commission to approve with conditions all three charter school applications. The SRC will vote on the applications on Thursday, which will determine whether Global Leadership Academy would take over Huey in the 2016-17 school year.

Samuel B. Huey Elementary School (Google Street View image).

Huey parents gathered outside the school at 52nd and Pine last week to protest its proposed conversion into a charter, saying that the school instead needs more resources, according to a report by The Notebook. They also said that they are not getting enough input on the school’s future.

Global Leadership Academy currently operates a K-8 school at 4600 West Girard Ave. The CSO found that the application for Huey, a low-performing school, from Global Leadership Academy is “rooted in culturally competent, progressive education that improves academic performance but also increases attendance and family engagement while decreasing student violence and suspension rates.”

Read the full report about the recommendations by the Charter Schools Office on The Notebook.

The Charter Schools Office recently released its first Annual Charter Evaluation (ACE) for all Philadelphia charter schools as part of its Authorizing Quality Initiative. The ACE includes school-specific performance evaluations based on academic success, organizational viability and compliance, and fiscal health and sustainability. The ACE can be viewed on the School District’s website.