Board Rejects New Charter Application

Board of Education Action Meeting: February 29, 2024

by Lisa Haver

In a 6-3 vote, the Board of Education voted to deny Global Leadership Academy’s application for a charter high school. Board members cited numerous reasons for their votes, including the substandard proposed curriculum and the questionable affiliations with charter management organizations and legal firms. Two board members cited plummeting academic scores at GLA’s Renaissance charter, Huey Elementary. President Reginald Streater cited GLA’s failure to remedy an issue that the board cited in its previous denial–the organization’s claims that it was GLA but not really part of GLA.  As APPS’ Deb Grill said in her report about GLA CEO Naomi Johnson-Booker’s claim of non-affiliation: “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.”  Grill, in her testimony, reminded the board that over half of the city’s charter schools are under-enrolled, thus there is no need for any new charter school. 

The consideration of even one application for a new charter costs the district dearly in time and money. Two hearings preceded this decision. The Charter School Office must conduct an in-depth evaluation of the application and review hundreds of pages of attachments. CSO Director Peng Chao gives presentations to the board at several points in the 6-month process. At this meeting, Chao gave another extensive presentation on the GLA application, followed by a lengthy question-and -answer session from the board. In addition, the board’s deliberations just before the vote took over half an hour, and fourteen of the thirty approved speakers addressed this one topic. Three elected officials spoke in support of the GLA application.

Board members who voted to deny GLA may find that it costs them their seats on the board (Salley, Thompson, and Danzy voted in favor of GLA). Mayor Cherelle Parker has made clear her support of charter operators and investors, and she may choose to replace them with more charter–friendly appointees. Because Parker has her Nominating Panel meeting in secret, and the public has been denied an opportunity to testify, we will only know that after she decides. 

PFT Members Call for An End to Punitive Sick Days Policy 
Members of the Caucus of Working Educators (WE) of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers held a rally to bring attention to the arbitrary and punitive district practice of persecuting teachers and support staff who take their contractually granted sick days. The practice, known as the 3-5-7-9 rule, allows principals to formally discipline staff beginning with their third absence “incident”. Several union members testified about dealing with chronic illnesses, postpartum complications, mental health issues (many brought on by work-related stress), and having to deal with family health emergencies–all while worrying whether taking care of themselves and their family would result in being written up, suspended, or even terminated.  One board member asked an incisive question of Watlington about the practice but did not follow up when Watlington gave a vacuous response. Watlington claimed to be ignorant of the practice, although it has been in effect for decades. He said that no teacher should come to school sick but didn’t say he would put an end to the practice that punished them for having to do that. The 3-5-7-9 rule is not part of the PFT contract. No board vote would be required to stop it. Watlington could do that tomorrow. 

Northeast High Students Censored by District 
Last month, Northeast High School teacher Keziah Ridgeway assigned students in her African-American history class a project on the use of art in resistance. Two students collaborated on a podcast comparing African American spirituals to Palestinian murals. Ridgeway gave the students an “A”,  and after clearing the video with her principal, had them present their work in an assembly earlier this week. After the assembly, one teacher complained, calling the video “anti-semitic”. The district immediately pulled the video. Ridgeway related these facts to the board in her testimony, along with the fact that members of NEHS staff had published the name of at least one of the students on social media, a violation of Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations. Ridgeway, a Lindback award-winning teacher, told the board that the teachers leveled their claim of anti-semitism for one reason: that the students said the name “Palestine”. One NEHS student testified: “The school district highlights diversity and creativity. And when that’s done in a respectful manner, it gets banned and shut down.”  Watlington said that he would “look into it”.  Board meeting materials included 23 separate copies of an unsigned statement about the incident. When BM Lisa Salley began to read it, Lisa Haver stood up and said that the board’s own policies mandate that those submitting written testimony must identify themselves. President Reginald Streater should have stopped the anonymous statements from being entered into the record. He did  not.

Board Approves $230 million in Contracts
The board voted on the GLA application first after over half an hour of deliberation.  Lisa Haver came to the mic to state APP’s objection to the board’s taking what amounts to a secret vote on the charter application as the item had no content and no projected cost. The board then took three minutes to vote on 30 items approving over $230 million in spending, much of that on no-bid contracts. 

Items 6 and 14 were withdrawn from the agenda by the staff prior to the meeting.
Items 1 through 5, 7 to13, and 15 to 30 were placed in a consent agenda by President Streater and voted on as follows:
Items 1-5 passed 8-0; Board Member Egea-Hinton recused herself.
Items 7 to 10 passed unanimously.
Item 11 passed 7-2 with Salley and Thompson dissenting.
Items 12, 13, 15-17  passed unanimously.
Item 18 passed 7-2 with Salley and Thompson dissenting..

The meeting adjourned at 9:01 pm.

The March action meeting will be held on March 28 at 4 pm. Why is the board holding a monthly meeting during Spring break when many parents, students and educators have planned to be out of town on vacation or visiting relatives for the religious holiday? 

Deborah Grill contributed to this report.

Published March 3, 2024