An inside call to fire 6 school managers

Safety also was cited as a major issue in all the schools run by the six groups. Only one-quarter of the teachers surveyed said they believed that schools offered a safe enough environment for learning. Suspensions were far greater at those schools: 67 per 100 students, compared with 34 per 100 students at district-managed schools. Absenteeism among teachers and students also was more of a problem at the outside-managed schools, the report said.

Parents surveyed expressed concerns, saying that "fights frequently occur" and that there is "a general lack of discipline in the schools," according to the report.

But nearly half the parents said they thought the privately managed schools were better off than before the takeover.

Teachers at Victory Schools Inc. and Edison schools complained about a lack of resources, such as books and paper.

"Schools are still waiting for math books," the report said.

Of the 14 schools recommended for keeping in private hands, seven are run by Edison: Alcorn, Barratt, Hartranft, Kelley, McMichael, Sulzberger and Waring. Two schools, Fulton and Kinsey, are run by Foundations Inc., and two more, Pratt and Wright, are operated by for-profit Victory Schools. Temple University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Universal Cos. each operate one: Meade, Wilson and E.M. Stanton, respectively.

The task-force analysis included a survey of 33 principals and 884 teachers at the schools. It also included a sampling from district schools as a comparison. Nearly 200 parents largely chosen at random were surveyed by phone, while others offered comment at community meetings. Members of the teachers' union, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, were also consulted.