Phila. Lines Up Outside Groups To Run Schools

By Catherine Gewertz

With one of urban education's heavy hitters at the helm, the Philadelphia school district is getting down to the nuts and bolts of the biggest school privatization experiment in the country. But with only a month to go before schools open, the path to improvement is anything but smooth.

Paul G. Vallas, the straight-talking budget whiz who ran Chicago's schools for six years, took over as the Philadelphia schools' chief executive officer on July 17. He made good on his vow to "get in the middle of everything," meeting with parents and visiting classrooms even before his suitcases were unpacked.

Mr. Vallas assembled a transition team to help him evaluate the district's $1.7 billion budget and draft educational and financial plans. He said he intends a "radical reprioritization" in district finances, shifting money from administration to programs he believes raise student performance, such as summer school, universal preschool, and...