Board of Education Action Meeting: January 25, 2023
by Deborah Grill, Lynda Rubin, Lisa Haver
Board Caves on Charter Renewal
At this action meeting, the Board of Education sent a clear message to all charter operators in the district: no matter how inadequate the education you provide to your students, no matter how many barriers to enrollment you use to exclude children, no matter how precarious your finances–we will let you carry on. The Board disregarded the law and its own procedures and policies when it caved to obvious political pressure and voted unanimously to reverse its previous decision and renew Southwest Leadership Academy Charter School. Dawn Chavous, charter lobbyist and now co-chair of Mayor Cherelle Parker’s Education Sub-Committee, testified in favor of renewing the charter. Board members offered a variety of rationalizations but never explained how this one charter managed to be reconsidered for renewal after two votes not to renew. As Lisa Haver pointed out in her testimony, the Board voted last year for non-renewal after an extensive legal process in which data and evidence were reviewed, public testimony was heard, and the charter administrators had time to explain their failure to meet standards. The Board was now reversing itself without presenting any new evidence or explanation, she said. The Board’s round-robin of questions before the vote amounted to a charade in which they acted as if this was just another renewal consideration, not an unprecedented reversal that ignored all data and evidence entered into the record. Only one Board member asked what would happen if SWLA failed to carry out the conditions listed in the agreement. Charter Schools Office Director Peng Chao responded that they could note that in the next renewal evaluation in 2027. In other words, there will be no enforcement of the conditions in the agreement, which has set academic conditions even lower than those that Southwest had failed to meet in its last evaluation. Chao also stated that his office remained open to collaborating with the school to ensure they meet the conditions. No board member pointed out that the CSO can only do that by manipulating the current standards and conditions and that only the school’s administration and staff could make sure that their students received an adequate education. One board member, apparently unaware of charter schools’ enrollment limits, suggested that the school needed to get more students to boost finances. More funding for Southwest Leadership Academy would of course mean less funding for District schools. This 5-year renewal will cost the district a minimum of $10 million. When Board leadership claims, repeatedly, to be “child-centered”, it seems that doesn’t apply to children at substandard charter schools.
Board Debase Itself By Accepting Gifts from Subordinates In a mortifying display of subservience to the administration they oversee, board members publicly accepted large bags of gifts from Superintendent Tony Watlington and members of his staff as part of “School Board Appreciation Month”. Neither Board President Reginald Streater nor Vice-President Mallory Fix Lopez revealed the contents of the baskets or declared their monetary value. Board Policy 007, Code of Ethics, opens with these “Overarching Principles”: A) Board Members shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety and shall strictly adhere to standards and conduct that promote public confidence in the Board’s governance of the District; B) Board Members shall uphold the integrity and independence of the Board and perform the duties of their office impartially and diligently; C) Board Members shall carry out the obligations of their position in a fair, impartial, and objective manner; D) Board Members shall not knowingly act in any way that creates an appearance of improper influence or potential conflict of interest that would violate the public’s trust.
Government officials know, or should know, that they must avoid not just actual corruption but the appearance of corruption. The Board hires and fires the superintendent. Most items voted on by the Board at monthly action meetings begin with: “The administration recommends that the Board of Education authorize the School District, through the Superintendent or his designee to execute and perform a contract…”
Board members should return the gift baskets, apologize to the public they have taken an oath to serve, and attend classes in ethical standards for government officials.
Students Raise Issues About H S Special-Admit Process
The changes that the district made to the admission process to magnet and special-admit high schools continue to create problems for both applicants and schools. Masterman HS students have come to the Board several times to testify on this issue, saying that the district administration has been making changes without understanding the unintended consequences. They say that the District has made many of the changes without talking with students, staff and parents in these schools before enacting them. At this meeting, students and parents again complained about not being consulted on the effects that the changes would have on the schools, saying that those changes are linked to eliminating some foreign language choices at Masterman such as French no longer being offered. Students from other schools testified about applicants’ lack of timely access to counselors for consultation on applications; admission notices were sent out late on a Friday afternoon leaving students no access to school staff for guidance for several days. They said that this was stressful for students and provided little time and support to make the best decisions. Dr. Watlington did refer to a meeting with Masterman parents and school’s SAC the night before about possible changes to the admission procedure. Dr. Watlington also said that the District can have greater diversity in these schools and that he’s not trying to lower the rigor of any school.
Board Allows Charter CEO to Close School
President Streater announced in his opening remarks that the Board is working with charter leaders to find placement for the students at Math Science Civics charter who are being forced to relocate because of CEO Veronica Joyner’s decision to close the school in June. He alluded to behind-the-scenes negotiations with Joyner who remains steadfast in her decision. When the Board initiates non-renewal process for a charter that fails to meet standards, charter operators accuse the Board and district staff of bias and of not caring about students and families. But none of those charter operators have taken a public stand against one person shutting down this school despite the disruption to the families and the cruelty to the students who will be separated from their teachers and their friends.
Board Approve Items Totaling Over $48 Million in Two Roll Call Votes
At every meeting, the board conducts voting on agenda items in a way that the public can barely follow and which allows little opportunity for deliberation. The 25-item agenda was split into only two votes: the first on Item 25, renewal of Southwest Leadership Academy Charter, and the second on the remaining twenty-four items. (Item 7 was withdrawn by staff prior to the meeting.)
Item 25: Passed unanimously.
Items 1, 2, 4-6, 8, 13-15, 17- 22, 24: Passed unanimously.
Item 3 : Passed 8-0-1; BM Cecelia Thompson (who attended virtually) abstained citing family connections.
Item 9: Passed 7-2 , with BM Thompson and Lisa Salley dissenting.
Item 11: Passed 6-2-1, with Lam and Salley dissenting and Thompson abstaining due to family connections.
Board members Lam, Salley, Egea-Hinton, and Thompson questioned the cost of the benefits consultant services and the IT consultant services in items 9 and 11. Salley summed it up by asking: “How much should the cost become before you decide to find roles for these services within the district itself?”
Item 12: Passed 8-1 with Salley dissenting.
Item 16: Passed 8-1 with Thompson dissenting.
Board Member Julia Danzy asked whether the expenses for the cameras indicated in item 20 represented the total sum for all of the security cameras needed by the district. Dr. Watlington replied that it was not, that the district needs to purchase more.
Item 23: Passed 8-1, with Thompson dissenting.
The meeting adjourned at 8:20 pm. Next action meeting: Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 4 pm.
Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools 