Board Outsources Extended Year Programs

Board of Education Action Meeting: June 27, 2024

by Lisa Haver

APPS members have asked the Board of Education many times, most recently at its June 13 “community hearing” at Rush middle school earlier this month, why they set up so few chairs for the public at their monthly meeting. In an auditorium that holds 240 people, there have been only 140 chairs. At this meeting, the board set up only 102 chairs. Why? The board raised the issue during the meeting of how they can improve public engagement, yet they have no explanation why room for the public shrinks with every meeting.

Board Outsources Extended Year Programs 
The board also raised the issue of public engagement when they discussed the pilot program for an extended school at 20 district schools. The district sent out emails to staff at the 20 designated schools on June 24–almost two weeks after schools closed for the summer. Many teachers found out when the email, sent by Deputy Superintendent Germaine Dawson, was reported in news stories and posted on social media. In addition, the Watlington administration has not sent emails to parents at the designated schools. On Thursday, hours before the board meeting, Mayor Cherelle Parker held a news conference to launch the pilot program for year-round school, a signature plank in her campaign platform. She was adamant, however, that reporters not refer to it as “year-round school”, saying that it was limited, at this time, to more extended day and extended year services. Parker expressed frustration that the story was “leaked”, but the fact is that her administration failed to communicate with those who would be involved, including the PFT, whose spokesperson told the Inquirer that they were “still awaiting direct communication” from the administration” about the program. The lack of coordination between the Watlington and Parker administration, and the failure of both to communicate with affected parties before the announcement, raised concerns about the success of the year-round initiative.

The Board of Education voted unanimously to approve a $20 million item for one-year contracts with sixteen vendors for “Out of School Time Programs for Expanded Learning Opportunities”. The board’s deliberations on the item avoided the fact that for at least the first year, the extended services have all been outsourced. 

Board Again Rejects GLA Application
For the fourth time in fourteen months, the board of education, with five new members, voted to reject Global Leadership Academy Charter’s application for a new high school, Global Leadership Academy International Charter High School (GLAICHS). BM Chou Wing Lam was absent; BM Whitney Young abstained. The board cited poor academic performance at both GLA and Huey, GLA’s Renaissance charter. In APPS’ February analysis, Deborah Grill addressed GLA CEO Naomi Johnson Booker’s contention, repeated in this latest resubmission, that the proposed high school was not affiliated with the existing GLA entities:  ”That might be true if one doesn’t count the name, the academic model, the relationship with business consultants Charter Choices, and her position as CEO of GLACS.”  Board Member Joyce Wilkerson asked Interim Charter Schools Office Director Mariel Ziegler about GLA’s failure to make  bond payments, which Ziegler confirmed but gave no explanation for. Failure to make a payment of this type is a red flag for any institution, but especially a charter school, which can close suddenly when it runs out of money, as Walter D. Palmer schools did in 2014. Grill wrote in the APPS report: “The CSO evaluation also notes that the agreement between GLAICHS and Global Academies includes a bond payment clause which names GLAICHS as the payor and Global Academies as the payee. The CSO questions ‘how the proposed Charter School has a bond when the school does not exist.’  Does that mean that Global Academies intends to purchase the former Cristo Rey High School building at 5210-18 N. Broad Street thus becoming, like many CMO’s, the school’s landlord?”

None of the board members raised the issue of the exorbitant salary and compensation packages paid to GLA CEO Naomi Johnson Booker and GLA Huey CEO Tameka Evans, both of whom are paid more than district superintendent Tony Watlington. APPS’ Lisa Haver reminded the board that the GLA board is already paying its CEOs more than $750,000 combined; one more GLA administrator could put the cost to the district over $1 million annually.  Haver reminded the board that over half of the district’s charters are under-enrolled, thus there is no need for any new charter in any part of the city. APPS’ Lynda Rubin, in her testimony, asked why the board posts charter items on the agenda only after the window to sign up to speak opens; most times, she said, the list is full before people know that the charter application will be voted on. 

Speakers Demand an End to Censorship on Controversial Issues 
Teacher and Racial Justice Organizing Committee member Kristin Luebbert decried the board’s security forces actions in keeping members of the public out of the May action meeting. As APPS  reported last month, several people were detained in the auditorium even though there was plenty of room in the auditorium. Luebbert told the board members that as one who has attended board and SRC meetings for years, she has never seen any violence or threat of violence, even when people are angry and frustrated. Several speakers including parents, students and educators, some returning for the fourth time, protested the silencing of teachers and students at Northeast High and other schools and venues. They asked why the meeting with Palestinian students, promised by Watlington last month, was canceled and not rescheduled. Rabbi Mordechai Lieberliing, whose family members were killed in the Holocaust, told the board that it is the district’s obligation to provide a safe space for students to discuss issues that affect them and their families, no matter how controversial.  

Board Votes to Renew Substandard Charters
The board voted unanimously, and without deliberation, to renew four charter schools for five years with conditions. The board did not provide any projected costs for the renewals, as they do with all other agenda items, nor did they post the contents of the renewal agreements. Ad Prima Charter rated a “Does Not Meet” in Organization; the CSO cited several “egregious incidents” regarding lack of services to English Language Learners, failure to provide due process for students in disciplinary matters, and personnel files without legally mandated child abuse and criminal background checks. Mariana Bracetti Charter failed to meet standards in all categories and was cited for failure to provide due process to a student in an expulsion process. Laboratory Charter, which is currently 50% below authorized enrollment, met standards only in the financial category; the school was cited by the CSO for lack of certification for ELL teachers. Maritime Academy Charter failed to meet standards in all three categories. No mention was made of the fourteen other charters in the 2023-24 cohort. Their renewals were not on the agenda because they have not accepted the conditions proposed by the CSO. Many district charters are operating under expired agreements. APPS continues to call on the board to hold public renewal hearings so that the people who fund charters are fully informed about the failure to meet standards, precarious financial situations, and exorbitant salaries paid to charter administrators. 

The board passed all remaining items in one roll-call vote with no deliberation. The board approved over $122 million in spending at this meeting, not including the cost of the four 5-year charter renewals. 

The meeting adjourned at 8:15 PM. 

The board will meet on August 1 to review its Goals and Guardrails. The next action meeting will be held on August 22.

Published June 30, 20242024