Education is on the front burner of Philly’s mayoral election, so get to know where your candidates stand. Do they favor charter schools or public schools? Where do or did their own kids go to school? How do they see the view the education crisis?

Not all of their platforms have been solidified yet, especially when it comes to how the city will fund a full recovery of the school system. But we’ll continue to aggregate the details here in an easy-to-read way as they emerge.

Doug Oliver

Where his kids attend:

• Oliver currently sends his son Doug Jr. to The Philmont Christian Academy, a Christian private school, in order to receive a Christian education.

Public vs. charter?

• “It’s the wrong debate...At the end of the day, our sole focus needs to be on creating school environments – public and charter – that foster positive educational outcomes for all students.”

The education debate:

• Oliver wants to implement reform and intervention policies for underperforming schools, both public and charter.

• Advocates an annual checks and balances system that will correct management at such underperforming schools.

• Believes that we may need to “shutter” some of the city’s poorly functioning schools and replace them with new ones.

• Wants to reform School Reform Commission (SRC) to represent more communication and accountability between state and city. In his vision, the mayor should appoint three board members, and the governor two.

• Believes the SRC should function as “regulator rather than as an operator,” whose main goal is to monitor the quality performance of public and charter schools.

• Regarding funding, Oliver only says that “Philadelphia may need to make tough funding decisions to educate our children.” Currently, Pennsylvania taxpayers resent their money going towards a failing system. Of the $12,500 annual education cost per student, only $6000 is being used. The delta is being put towards the city’s non-educational funding issues.

Anthony Williams

Where his kids attended:

• Charter High School for Architecture and Design, Philadelphia High School for Girls, and Bishop McDevitt, a parochial school in Harrisburg.

Public vs. charter?

• Williams' platform is to secure state funding for public schools and to simultaneously secure charter reimbursement funding to “end the tension between neighborhood schools and public charters.”

The education debate:

• Although Williams has been a leading advocate for charter schools, his education platform was recently changed on his website. It now says he is “a voice for Philadelphia’s public school kids.”

• Supporters of Philadelphia School Partnership (PSP), a non-profit eager to expand charter schools in Philadelphia, have started a SuperPAC to financially support Williams’ campaign.

• Williams was the only mayoral candidate in favor of the PSP’s recent $35 million charter school expansion offer.

• His new platform on his website says that academic success must be demanded “through longer school days, a longer school year, and by implementing evidence-based practices that improve educational experiences and outcomes for our students.”

• He recently came out in support of universal access to Pre-K via a state and federal partnership.

Jim Kenney

Where his kids attended:

• Parochial schools.

Public vs. charter?

• “Charter schools have a role in our city but they are not the solution to the challenges facing our public education system.”

The education debate:

• The state should fully reimburse new charter schools.

• Believes new charters should not open in neighborhoods with high-performing public schools.

• Believes new charters should not be given to private management companies with “history of operating failing or mismanaged schools.”

• Believes we should increase funding for public schools and simultaneously support existing charters with good performance records.

• Kenney condemned Sen. Williams’ support of the PSP establishing new charter schools and said that, if elected, he “...will stand up to special interests and put our students and parents first.”

Nelson Diaz

Where his kids attended:

• Two of them graduated from Bodine High School for International Affairs, and one from Carver High School of Engineering and Science, both magnet public schools in North Philadelphia.

Public vs. charter?

• Charter schools, by their very legislation in 1997, were meant to be incubators, “small, supplemental test-beds for experimentation, not as a wholesale replacement for traditional public schools.”

The education debate:

• Diaz called the PSP’s $35 million offer to the Philadelphia School District “a loaded, ‘take it or leave it’ ultimatum with too many strings attached.”

• Believes private money from special-interest groups would be better spent on summer literacy programs, after school programs, arts funding, community sports leagues, and a handful of long absent and underfunded initiatives.

• Wants to fully fund all public schools.

• Would like to get rid of the SRC entirely. In its place, Diaz said he would would begin assembling another group in order to “restore local control.” The group would include Governor Tom Wolf, PFT President Jerry Jordan, City Council President Darrell Clarke, and a new board led by the parents which would be appointed by Philadelphia’s mayor and Governor Wolf. Diaz has already spoken with Gov. Wolf about this plan.

• Would like to bring the per capita education cost in the city ($6300 per student) and make it compete with schools across the county line ($23,000 per student in Lower Merion, for example).

Lynne Abraham

Where her kids attended:

• Lynne Abraham does not have children.

Public vs. charter?

• “Our kids should not be pawns of people who want to make millions in the charter school industry.”

The education debate:

• Abraham stated that no decision should be made on the 39 new charter school applications until a new mayor is elected.

• Believes the SRC’s proposal of this many new charter schools will “irreparably harm our children.”

• “The rapid growth of charter schools has imperiled our children by removing huge amounts of money from the public school system,” she said.

• Believes we needs to address how to fund public schools and bring respect back to teachers before implementing any new charter schools.

• “All Philadelphia students must be assured a seat at a great public school with dedicated teachers, a strong curriculum, and a safe environment,” she said.

Milton Street

• The details of Milton Street’s education platform have not been made public. We reached out to his campaign team and did not receive a response.