PHILADELPHIA, PA --  A nationwide education study prepared for the Black Alliance for Educational Options shows that Philadelphia’s student perform better than many of their urban counterparts in high school graduation rates.  These findings by the Manhattan Institute come only weeks after a $2.7 million report by Edison Schools, Inc., stated that Philadelphia does worse than other cities and therefore needs to be taken over by Edison.

In their report, Edison refers to three districts as better than the Philadelphia School District.  “...It is important to note that other urban school districts of similar size – namely Houston, Clark County (Las Vegas), and Broward County (Ft.Lauderdale) – have historically outperformed the Philadelphia School District academically while spending less money,” said the Edison Report.  No other school district gets a reference.

However, the Manhattan Institute finds evidence to the contrary.  The Manhattan Study reports that Philadelphia high school graduation rates are 70%, while the Houston, Texas, Clarke County, Nevada, and  Broward County, Florida graduation rates are 52%, 54%, and 60%, respectively.  This information is even more startling considering that Philadelphia's poverty rate is almost 80%.  The rates in the three school districts cited by Edison are 59%, 14%, and 31%, respectively.  

The Manhattan Institute Report was prepared for the Black Alliance for Educational Options, whose Board of Directors includes Edison President Floyd Flake and State Representative Dwight Evans. 

On October 24, Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA) sent a letter to Pennsylvania Governor Mark Schweiker emphasizing that the problems facing Philadelphia’s schools were not unique among urban school districts and detailed seven principles for school reform.   Congressman Fattah stated that Philadelphia’s students must have access to qualified teachers, smaller class sizes, rigorous academic standards, educational technology, up-to-date school libraries and textbooks, and school counselors.  Unfortunately, Edison did not include any of these basics in their reform plan.  

Congressman Fattah announced yesterday that the Philadelphia congressional delegation was strongly opposed to the State’s plan to takeover the Philadelphia School District.