Staff Editorial: A much needed delay

The already protracted battle over the future of Philadelphia's public school system just got a little longer.

On Friday, the very day that the state of Pennsylvania had been scheduled to assume control over the city's schools, Gov. Mark Schweiker and Mayor John Street announced that the takeover would be postponed for three weeks to allow the parties more time to work out their many differences.

Schweiker's willingness to be flexible in trying to resolve this difficult issue is heartening. It is equally reassuring to see that Street has dropped his combative stance and refusal to even discuss the school situation with the governor in favor of his current, more conciliatory attitude.

And if the progress made over the last two weeks is any indication, this three-week extension is a welcome move, one that we hope will result in a deal that will satisfy all sides.

The recent protests staged by Philadelphia's teachers and the walkout by local high school students indicate that a hostile state takeover will be met with a great deal of opposition and bitterness. Street needs to assuage the fears of all the concerned parties, especially the teachers union. The mayor must do everything he can to ensure that its concerns are taken into account, and that he has its support for any final plan.

Philadelphia's schools are failing and Philadelphia's children are being robbed of the education that they deserve. Whether or not privatization is the solution to this monumental problem, radical action needs to be taken. And although important compromises have been made, most notably the agreement not to privatize the district's central administration, a great deal of work remains. It is almost certain that a for-profit company, likely Edison Schools Inc., will play some role in running the city's worst-performing schools, but the extent of that involvement continures to be unclear.

Still, the recent steps toward an agreement are good reason to be hopeful that finally, Philadelphia's public schools will undergo reform and that Philadelphia's children will no longer be shortchanged.

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