Connect. Convene. Catalyze.
M I S S I O N
Philadelphia Charters for Excellence connects, convenes, and catalyzes collective action to ensure families have equitable access to high-quality public charter schools in Philadelphia.
PCE releases 2026 Annual Report
PCE made significant progress advocating for Philadelphia's public charter school community. Click the link below to read the annual report.
Read Annual Report
PCE responds to recommendations for recent renewal cohort
The Board is scheduled to vote on draft non-renewal notices at its May 28 meeting. PCE has called on the District to pause nonrenewal decisions until its revised charter evaluation framework is complete.
View Statement
PCE calls for a halt to charter renewals.
Charter renewal decisions are happening now, under a framework the Board has already admitted is flawed. The Board cannot fix a broken system and keep using it.
Read our full statement to learn what PCE is calling on the Board to do.
View Release
Resources
Independent Authorization: the Change We All Need
New to independent authorization? Start here. This infographic walks you through what it is, how it works, and why it's better for students and families. Ready to take it further? Download our free printable posters and bring the message with you.
Philadelphia Charters for Excellence (PCE) is the city’s principal advocacy association for public brick-and-mortar charter schools; advancing equitable opportunity, rigorous accountability, and systemic impact for charter communities across Philadelphia.
Who We Are
Founded in 2011 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, PCE unites charter school leaders, families, and partners in strategic advocacy and collective action to strengthen high-impact public charter schooling in every Philadelphia neighborhood.
Our Role in the Movement
As the central advocacy organization for Philadelphia’s charter sector, PCE:
Champions fact-based policy reform and legislative engagement
Elevates a unified voice for charter leaders and families before policymakers
Catalyzes cross-sector collaboration to expand opportunity and ensure processes for public accountability
Amplifies outcomes and data that matter most to families and communities
Featured Video
PCE Principal Power Recap
Check out our video from the latest PCE Principal Power leadership session with Dr. Nadia Bennett , founder of When Brown Girls Lead. Special thanks to Keystone Academy Charter School for hosting our January session.
SHARE NOW
Get Involved
Make Your Voice Heard
By providing your phone number and selecting Yes, you agree to receive text messages from Philadelphia Charters for Excellence. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Reply STOP to unsubscribe at any time.
NEWSROOM
Latest News
May 2026 | School Board Testimony: Dr. Cassandra St. Vil
(05/2026)ORAL TESTIMONYPresident Streater and Members of the Board of Education,My name is Dr. Cassandra St. Vil, Chief Executive Officer of Philadelphia Charters for Excellence, here on behalf of nearly 65,000 public charter school students.I am here tonight to again call for an immediate morato...
PCE Responds to CSO Recommendations
(5/15/2026)Organization supports rigorous, consistent accountability for all public charter schools PHILADELPHIA, PA. May 15, 2026 — Philadelphia Charters for Excellence (PCE), representing 70 member charter schools and approximately 65,000 students across Philadelphia, today issued the following...
PCE Files Lawsuit Against The School District of Philadelphia
(5/11/2026)SDP has spent years conditioning charter renewals on schools accepting terms Pennsylvania law forbids and punishing those that refuse to accept such violations.PHILADELPHIA, PA, May 14, 2026 -- Philadelphia Charters for Excellence (PCE), the nonprofit advocacy organization representing...
PCE Calls for a Halt on Public Charter School Renewals Until RiSe is Fixed
(5/11/2026)The Board Cannot Fix a Broken System and Keep Using It at the Same Time.Philadelphia, PA (May 11th) — Philadelphia Charters for Excellence (PCE), representing 70 public charter schools serving approximately 65,000 students across Philadelphia, today calls on the Philadelphia Board of E...
D.C. Solved This…Philadelphia Can Too.
by Cassandra St Vil, CEO, PCETo the families of Philadelphia, Imagine you’re playing a game, and halfway through, you discover the referee is also playing for the other team. Every call they make, every penalty they issue, every decision about who wins and who loses, it all happens while they hav...
Nearly 65,000 Philadelphia Families Made a Choice. The System Overseeing That Choice Has a Structural Flaw.
William Hayes, Board Chair, Philadelphia Charters for ExcellenceThe Center on Reinventing Public Education, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, and the Brookings Institution do not agree on everything. But they agree on this: when a school dist...
Philadelphia Has a Structural Problem in Its Charter Authorization System. It Is Time to Name It.
by Dr Cassandra St Vil, CEO, PCEThis is not an accusation. It is an organizational design problem, confirmed in writing. In 2023, an independent law firm was retained to examine Philadelphia's charter school authorization system. Their finding was clear: a structural conflict of interest exists.T...
The Number That Changed How I Think About Philadelphia Public Education
by Malik Boyd, Director of Advocacy Communications, PCEBefore I joined PCE, I thought I understood Philly's education landscape. I didn't.I've spent most of my professional life telling the stories about the city I love, Philadelphia: its neighborhoods, its institutions, its culture, its politics...
Philadelphia Charter School Organization Launches New Advocacy Platform
(2/10/2026)PCE launches a refreshed, modern, action-oriented platform, designed to increase public engagement, and strengthen its online public education advocacy across Philadelphia.Philadelphia, PA (Feb 10th) — Philadelphia Charters for Excellence (PCE) today announced the launch of its newly r...
get involved
Upcoming Events
Latest Tweets
Advocacy isn't a moment. It's a practice.
- 54 legislative meetings
- 39 schools visited
- 7 public statements to the School Board of Education.
Philly's 65,000 public charter school students deserve a relentless advocate in every room.
#PhillyCharters #CharterReform https://t.co/SjvW4zClCs
14 days ago
Our mission this year was simple...
We set out to "Elevate the E."
Here's what that looked like.
PCE's 2025-2026 Annual Report is live: https://t.co/SBKwXoUmL7
#PhillyCharters #CharterReform #Philly #MakingAnImpact https://t.co/s17qemoAoe
15 days ago
Attributing School District of Phila's $300M operating deficit primarily to charter schools, while ignoring state funding inequities and the district's own costs, is incomplete accounting.
PCE CEO @drcass09 pushes back in today's @PhillyInquirer.
https://t.co/yjcYdIWnG8
21 days ago
RT @Chalkbeat: Philadelphia Charters for Excellence alleges the district has coerced charter schools into signing charter agreements with u…
27 days ago
This Sunday on @WDASFM, PCE CEO Dr. Cassandra St. Vil and @BoysLatinPhilly CEO @SpeakHayes talk with Frankie Darcell about what the future of education in Philadelphia looks like and who is building it.
Nearly 65,000 Philadelphia students.
One fight for fairness. #Philly https://t.co/tS36QPvfuq
27 days ago
The School District of Phila has been forcing charter schools to sign illegal contracts or risk closure. Nearly 65,000 kids deserve better. Today, we did something about it.
We took them to court.
https://t.co/fEOLjhSfnx
#PhillyCharters #CharterReform
about 1 month ago