Ronnie Polaneczky: Memo to Tony Danza: Go teach for real

ONE OF THE discussion items on the School Reform Commission's meeting agenda tomorrow is whether to allow Tony Danza to shoot a reality-TV series in which he'll co-teach at a Philadelphia public high school.

Or - to be more candid - whether to pimp our kids' education to an unemployed sit-com actor who wants to kick-start his stalled career on the backs of students who'll be distracted by cameras and microphones.

So I guess you know my opinion on this.

After tomorrow's discussion, the SRC will vote on Danza's proposal at its Aug. 19 meeting.

Obviously, I'm hoping the SRC will tell Danza what school administrators in New York and Massachusetts had the smarts to tell the former "Who's the Boss?" star when he unsuccessfully solicited their kids for academic exploitation:

We're the boss, Tony. Take it elsewhere.

But I'm not holding my breath. This is boneheaded Philly, where we already allow the A&E network- which would air Danza's show - to broadcast the escapades of the Philadelphia Parking Authority.

Each week on "Parking Wars," viewers see heavily edited footage of the PPA at work.

So we're treated to 30 compressed minutes of Philadelphians sobbing, exploding and cursing out PPA workers who gleefully ticket, boot and tow their rides.

Because that's what makes for juicy reality TV - folks behaving badly.

Not surprisingly, the skewed presentation has given our city a national black eye.

"This show is an assault on our city," Meryl Levitz told the Inquirer in June, saying "Parking Wars" had scared tourists away from Philly.

Levitz, head of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism & Marketing Corp., said potential visitors had sent her office about 200 letters and e-mails, vowing never to set foot in our rude, crude and godawful town.

Gee, just imagine what sensitive and thoughtful A&E might do with a big, urban high school, chock full of many children with big, urban challenges.

Neither the school district nor A&E would elaborate on how negotiations are going between the SRC and Danza, 58.

But last week, the former "Taxi" star, without TV crew, attended the district's New Teacher Induction Institute for Improving Teacher Quality. Around the same time, Danza, looking pooped, told viewers of his Daily Danza webcast that he was at a secret location, preparing for a secret project he hoped to announce soon.