Connections, Savvy Give Some Community Groups a Head Start On School Contracts

By Karla Scoon Reid

When Gov. Mark S. Schweiker unveiled his proposal to overhaul this city's schools, he tapped six local nonprofit organizations as "potential community partners" in the state's landmark takeover effort.

While the newly formed School Reform Commission has yet to select the community groups that will work with for-profit education-management companies to run clusters of low- performing schools, the governor's nod to those six groups could give them an edge on their competition.

The community partners are potentially key players in the Philadelphia takeover drama, which will turn both district services and many of the city's 264 public schools...