Plan for Pa. charter overhaul Proposed legislation calling for stricter oversight was prompted by Inquirer articles outlining fiscal abuses.

Aiming to end abuses recently uncovered in Philadelphia-area charter schools, a bipartisan legislative committee yesterday unveiled a sweeping overhaul of the state's 12-year-old charter law.

The proposal takes a carrot-and-stick approach, pushing changes that would enable charters to grow in size and number, but holding them to far stricter standards of accountability and oversight.

The changes "were developed in response to several stories written by The Philadelphia Inquirer on the fiscal abuses of some Philadelphia-based charter schools over the last several months," said a statement accompanying the legislation proposed by Sen. Jeffrey E. Piccola (R., Dauphin), the majority chair, and Sen. Andrew E. Dinniman (D., West Chester), minority chair of the Education Committee.

The Inquirer has detailed allegations of fiscal mismanagement and fraud that have resulted in an ongoing criminal probe of at least six charters by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The federal criminal investigation of area charter schools was launched in the spring of 2008 after The Inquirer reported allegations of fiscal mismanagement and nepotism at Philadelphia Academy.

"If some good has come out of the difficult situation in Philadelphia, it's the realization that you just can't assume - you have to protect public money and make sure it's spent in the most effective way for students," Dinniman said.

The legislation proposes:

Increasing financial oversight of charters. The proposed Office of Charter and Cyber Charter Schools in the Department of Education would have the authority to investigate complaints of fraud and financial mismanagement such as those raised by parents at the Agora Cyber Charter School in Devon.

Limiting the hiring of relatives, such as occurred at Philadelphia Academy in the Northeast and Community Academy in Kensington.

Allowing 25 parents to ask the court to remove charter school board members who fail to follow the law. Parents who voiced questions at Agora and Philadelphia Academy were told they could withdraw their children. Agora founder Dorothy June Brown sued several parents who questioned Agora's contract with a management company she owned.