Last week, nine members of City Council called on the city and School District to take immediate action to dissolve their contracts with Wordsworth Philadelphia in the wake of reports of horrific abuse at the facility that led to the death of one child and the sexual assault of at least 49 others. City Council members have also urged the adoption of measures to establish greater accountability and transparency for all residential placements.

Education Law Center joins in this much-needed call to action and specifically urges an in-depth assessment and monitoring of “on-grounds schools,” which are typically licensed as private academic schools and thus often escape any public scrutiny.