The "innovation" most in evidence at the Philadelphia Academy Charter School in Northeast Philadelphia, as The Inquirer has reported, has led to allegations of nepotism, conflicts of interest and financial mismanagement, all now under investigation by federal authorities.
Philadelphia Academy Charter is hardly alone.
While many charter schools are hailed in their communities as educational beacons, the state auditor general has found financial and ethical problems at charters across the state.
In Philadelphia, the federal criminal probe has spread to at least three other city charters, including Germantown Settlement, where charter money allegedly was used to prop up related agencies.
State Education Secretary Gerald L. Zahorchak, meanwhile, is demanding a full accounting of administrative and instructional costs at Chester Community Charter School. That school, however, is not under criminal investigation.
Zahorchak also has complained that "cyber" charters, which offer online instruction to students at home, have amassed $28 million in cash reserves.
A growing chorus of legislators and others say the law that launched the educational experiment needs an overhaul.
An Inquirer examination reveals:
The law allows little scrutiny of charters. Districts approve charters but have limited power to shut them down. The state exercises scant oversight on charter spending, which totals more than $633 million this year.
The law dictates a crazy-quilt pattern of funding for charters. Each district pays a different amount even when the students attend the same charter. For example, Philadelphia pays $8,088 per student; Jenkintown, $15,174. Cybers get the same payments as other charters even though students receive online instruction at home.
