Category: Eyes and Ears on the SRC (archive)

Ears on the SRC: April 19, 2018

SRC #3

by Diane Payne
April 24, 2018

 Present 

This was the first meeting of the hodgepodge SRC Commission.  The SRC is limping to extinction with a new chairwoman; Estelle Richman was appointed chair by Governor Wolf. Due to the resignation of Joyce Wilkerson and Chris McGinley, Mayor Kenney has appointed two commissioners, Fran Burns (who resigned as SDP Chief Operating Officer in June of 2017) and Marge Neff (who resigned as SRC Commissioner in October of 2016).  McGinley and Wilkerson have been selected by Kenney to join the new School Board beginning in July.  The SRC is working with only four commissioners because Governor Tom Wolf declined to appoint a new commissioner to replace Farah Jimenez when she abruptly resigned this past February. The SRC is poised to vote on countless resolutions, spending millions of dollars with a hodgepodge of four commissioners as opposed to the required five.  Taxpayers beware….98 resolutions will be dipping into the public’s pocket at the upcoming April 26th SRC meeting. To read APPS analysis of these resolutions please read Eyes on the SRC: April 26.

All four of the SRC Commissioners were present.  Six members of APPS testified on behalf of public education. Fourteen of the fifteen speakers argued against SRC policies that attack public education.

Strawberry Mansion  

Dr. Hite has not publicly identified any schools for closure this year.  But, don’t let that fool you into thinking no public schools are closing!  Instead, the district employs the “double speak” tactic. Strawberry Mansion High School (S.M.H.S.) is being “phased out.” There will be no 9th grade class at Strawberry Mansion in 2018 and the neighborhood’s high school will eventually disappear. There has been no community input for this. School District spokesman Lee Whack said, “…anytime a school and community go through change, things can be difficult.” Yes Mr. Whack!!  It is difficult when you’re conned, disrespected, and disenfranchised.

Nine of the 15 speakers at the SRC meeting addressed the “con” being perpetrated at S.M.H.S.  Members of the community eloquently slammed the SDP for failing to invest in S.M.H.S. and stripping them of resources, making the area a public school desert dotted with charter schools, then decrying the reduction of student population from a high of 1,600 students to just 292 students today. As Ken Derstine said in his testimony, “All of this chaos is to drive students from Strawberry Mansion in order to bring in outside contractors to provide these programs and transform Strawberry Mansion from a public school responsible to the community into a school contracted to corporate profit making interests for whom education is secondary.”

This district continues its quest to take neighborhood institutions that are anchors in their communities and toss them aside like so much refuse. The community is fighting back.  APPS supports the community’s efforts and will continue to post information on this ongoing fight.  If the district succeeds, Strawberry Mansion will be one more school buried in the graveyard of dead schools.

Budget Presentation

There were no resolutions at this meeting.  It was a meeting for the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Uri Munson and Dr. Hite to continue budget presentations.  The district will put the power point presentations for this SRC meeting on their website but this power point was not available as of the writing of this edition of Ears.

Because of some adjustments in figures that the city has provided to Munson, there was a slight change in the budget picture. However, the 5-year positive fund balance and the debt service below 10% are still intact.  Munson did say that due to declining state revenues by FY20 the state/local percentages are expected to be 50/50.  In the past, the state has always provided more than 50% of the district’s revenue.

Next SRC Meeting

The next SRC meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 26th at 4:30 p.m.  There are 98 resolutions and a lot of money at stake on this agenda.  In addition, a denied charter application for Franklin Towne Charter Middle School has been re-submitted and is scheduled for a vote. It should not be forgotten that this charter school is overwhelmingly white, and has a CEO of 2 (yes that is two) schools who is making $260,000 per year.  This CEO has never been an educator. The school has been in the news for circular real estate dealings and a whistleblower lawsuit. Read APPS analysis of the FTCS applicaton.

This lame duck, short staffed, hodgepodge SRC is making decisions that will affect the SDP for years to come.

To speak before the SRC call the Office of Family and Community Engagement at 215-400-4180 by 4:30 on the day preceding the meeting.

 

Eyes on the SRC: April 26, 2018

SRC logo

by Karel Kilimnik
April 22, 2018

The continued adherence to outsourcing has been a mainstay of this administration. Many of these Resolutions either continue contracts or establish new ones instead of returning positions to the District.  The Philadelphia School District has hosted Broad-affiliated superintendents since 2008 when then-Superintendent Arlene Ackerman served on the board of the Broad Foundation. Dr. Hite, is a 2005 graduate of the uncertified Broad Superintendents Academy.  He avidly pursues many of the toxic notions promoted by both the Broad Foundation and Superintendent’s Academy. “They target urban school districts with the highest poverty by having graduates from their Broad Superintendents Academy appointed who are prepared to starve public schools in order to make charter schools appealing to parents. The hemorrhaging of students from public schools to charters has led to urban school districts closing public schools all over the country due to “under enrollment”.  Part of their strategy is implementing a market place approach to education ensuring that vendors help themselves to lucrative contracts thereby also eroding union membership. In the last days of the SRC we witness a plethora of contracts waiting their approval for moving funds into the private sector and away from public accountability.

Out of 98 Resolutions on the April 26 Agenda six (A-6,A-7,A-8, A-31, IU-4,IU5) extend contracts focusing on Special Needs Students. Resolution A-26 forks over money to a company for bus maintenance. Altogether there is $24 million going into the pockets of vendors to provide services formerly done by district employees. The district has become a cash cow for vendors selling their products and services.  We sincerely hope that the incoming Local Board does not pursue this outsourcing as ardently as their predecessors.

The SRC just posted Resolution SRC-4 to reconsider the Revised Charter Franklin Towne Charter Middle School Application. This Application was denied on February 22.  Commissioner Green suggested they submit a Revised Application and they are the first of six rejected applicants to do so. Closely following in their steps are Philadelphia Hebrew Charter and APM Community Charter. We will alert you when the last two come up for another vote. Please consider attending this SRC meetingon April 26 to urge the Commissioners to deny any charters. The District cannot afford to spend money on charters that should be going into classroom needs in District schools. They are also considering the Nonrenewal of Eastern Academy Charter School (SRC-3).

Once again the issue of artwork (A-13) removed in 2004 from schools in the middle of the night surfaces as it’s time to renew the storage contract. Many of these valuable pieces were donated to specific schools where they survived for decades without any damage.  Science Leadership Academy Middle School (SLAMS)(A-37) provides a strong education for its students but once again the District plans on renting space for this program instead of either locating it in a district building or getting Drexel to cover the rent. SLAMS received $1.8 million from PSP in its initial stages two years ago Why are some schools more equal than others?

What if?

The  $24 million slated for vendors could restore Certified School Librarians into all district schools. Students could experience a professional librarian housed in their own school sharing resources, books and online materials, along with a hearty dose of lifelong learning.

The next SRC meeting is Thursday May 17 at 4:30. Call 215 400 4180 before 4:30 to register to speak.

Click here to see discussion of Resolutions of Note out of the 98 proposed resolutions.

Also see:
Who is Eli Broad and why is he trying to destroy public education? | Defend Public Education
More on Broad in Philadelphia  |Defend Public Education

Eyes on the SRC: April 19, 2018

src

by Karel Kilimnik
April 16, 2018

The SRC appears determined to maintain its legacy of non-transparency in its final months. Almost every month, the SRC fails to post resolutions on time. APPS sent several emails to the Commissioners, reminding them that they agreed to post resolutions at least two weeks before every Action Meeting as part of the court-ordered settlement to our 2016 Sunshine Act violation suit. Finally, the Resolution Summary and Description for the April 19 meeting appeared on Thursday April 12, a mere eight days before the scheduled meeting.

Now that the information has been released, it is hard to understand the delay. The heading on the Description simply states:  This meeting of the School Reform Commission is a Budget Hearing for the purpose of hearing public comment on the FY19 Budgets. There are no action items. The School Reform Commission is scheduled to vote on the FY19 Budget at its Action Meeting on May 24, 2018.

Why the secrecy? The April 19th meeting is not listed on their schedule as a Budget Hearing but as an SRC Action Meeting.

We expect the new School Board to make a commitment to keep the public informed, and in a timely manner, when it takes power on July 1.

The SRC will most likely consider the revised application of the Franklin Towne Charter Middle School (FTCMS) at its April 26 meeting. Thus far, it is the only new charter applicant to reapply after being denied by vote of the SRC at its February 22 meeting, obviously taking to heart the encouragement expressed by Commissioner Bill Green just after that vote. One of the members of the FTCMS board is the chief of staff for State Representative John Sabatina, who supported Green in his recent failed Congressional campaign.

 Green must recuse himself on this vote.

This soon-to-be-dissolved body has the ability to approve a deeply flawed charter application that would become a financial burden for the District—indefinitely. In fact, there are few substantial changes in their revised application. In her February report, APPS member Diane Payne  listed several reasons for denial, including:

• Franklin Towne operates a K-8 elementary school—why the need for a separate 450-student Middle School?
• Student enrollment is 83% white
• Circular financial and real estate dealings (cited by former City Controller Alan Butkovitz in his 2010 report)
• FTC CEO oversees two schools and draws a salary of $260,000

Their revised application provides no remedies for any of these issues. The SRC must vote again to deny.

Defenders of Public Education Needed to Testify at this April 19 Meeting

Please consider attending the April 19th meeting at 440 N. Broad to express your concerns about this proposal.  CFO Uri Monson has repeatedly testified that charter schools represent the largest item in the district’s budget. We cannot afford any more. As Dr Hite implements the district’s plan to close Strawberry Mansion as a comprehensive neighborhood public high school we ask: how can the SRC consider taking more money out of district classrooms and putting it into the hands of a charter operator with this kind of record? When do the needs of students in District schools become a priority?

To speak at any SRC meeting, call the Office of Family and Community Engagement at 215-400-4180 by 4:30 p.m. on the day before the meeting at which you wish to speak. You have 3 minutes to speak and timing your remarks is important because they will turn your mic off at the end of 3 minutes.

APPS will be posting the April 26 edition of Eyes on the SRC for that meeting in the coming days.

Also see:
Who is Eli Broad and why is he trying to destroy public education? | Defend Public Education
More on Broad in Philadelphia  |Defend Public Education

 

Ears on the SRC – March 22, 2018


Click the picture to view the video.

Supporters of public education speak before the March 22nd SRC

APPS member Ilene Poses at 0:00
(Click here to read the transcript of Ilene’s testimony)
APPS member Diane Payne at 3:16
(Click here to read the transcript of Diane’s testimony)
APPS member Lisa Haver at 6:15
SRC vote on Resolutions at 8:02

Ears on the SRC: March 22, 2018

by Diane Payne
April 2, 2018

 Present

Three of the remaining four commissioners were present for this special budget meeting of the SRC: Chair Wilkerson and Commissioners Richman and McGinley.  Farah Jimenez departed the position abruptly and without explanation in January leaving four commissioners; Governor Wolf said he will not appoint a replacement.  Commissioner Bill Green has assumed a laissez-faire attendance record since April 2017.  It is not uncommon for Green to be absent, come in late in time to vote on resolutions (often totaling millions of dollars), miss staff presentations and public speakers, or leave early and call in to vote.  This is now the seventh time he has been absent since April 2017.  In the waning months of this lame duck SRC, Green continues to exhibit a pattern of behavior that would not be acceptable in the students whose welfare he has been charged to oversee.

 Six members of APPS were present for this meeting; three spoke in defense of public education.  To see their testimony see the video at top of this page.

 Budget: Resolution SRC-1

Click here to read the rest of the post.