The School Reform Commission approved the match March 16 for what ultimately would be a five-year contract worth at least $50 million. John Q. Porter, chief of Mosaica's turnaround division, was jubilant.
That night in a closed-door meeting, Porter met with School Reform Commission Chairman Robert L. Archie Jr., Deputy Superintendent Leroy Nunery, and, for some reason, State Rep. Dwight Evans, even though the school is outside the legislative boundaries of the kingdom of Dwightland, and Evans holds no educational post.
The next day, Mosaica pulled out. The SRC announced that Foundations Inc., an educational services provider based in Moorestown with close ties to Evans, would run the school as a charter. This decision was made even though King's SAC had chosen Mosaica over Foundations, which has provided services to the school for seven years.
Archie had recused himself from the SRC's 3-0 vote, as he has several times during his two-year tenure to avoid potential conflicts. His law firm, Duane Morris, has represented Foundations.
Now, Foundations has also pulled out, sensing hostility at the school. The district will continue to operate King for at least another year, and Mayor Nutter has asked the city's chief integrity officer to investigate what precisely happened March 16.
How did Mosaica go from being the clear winner to leaving King overnight?
The history sounds complicated, but the issues are not. Politics and business were strongly at work. That was evident the next week when King's unhappy committee met with district officials, Archie, and Evans. Again, what was Evans doing there? Politics is "an integral part" of the education process, Archie said, according to an observer taking notes, education involves politics "and you can't ignore that."
