Philadelphia school leaders make Tony Danza their newest 10th-grade English teacher

10th-graders of Philadelphia, meet Mr. Tony Danza

PHILADELPHIA — Just call him Mr. Danza.

Tony Danza will face an audience of Philadelphia 10th-graders beginning this fall for a yet-to-be-titled reality show on teaching.

School commissioners approved the plan Wednesday. The vote allows at least 13 episodes to be shot and broadcast on the cable channel A&E.

The 58-year-old Danza is a former talk show host and star of the sitcoms “Taxi” and “Who’s the Boss?” He will co-teach an English class at Northeast High School, the same school where the 1968 documentary “High School” was filmed.

The program had the working title of “Teach” and is tentatively scheduled to premiere in spring 2010.

Critics say the show will disrupt education. But Mayor Michael Nutter says it will spotlight the joys and challenges of urban education.