by Diane Payne
When we organize and fight, we win. The students, parents, teachers, principals and community members told the Board on July 23 that Dr. Hite’s hybrid reopening plan would put children and adults in harm’s way. Hite and his staff presented an all-virtual plan to the Board one week later.
The Board reconvened the Action Meeting that they had recessed, after eight hours, on July 23. All eight Board members were present. [This meeting can be viewed on the Board website. Visit the APPS website to read our summary. Meeting materials can be viewed here]
Wilkerson Reiterates Plea for Fair Funding
Board President Joyce Wilkerson opened the meeting with another plea for funding advocacy. Wilkerson noted that the state’s inequitable formula results in Philadelphia receiving the lowest per-pupil funding. The District webpage displays detailed information about how the public can engage their elected officials in demanding full and fair funding.
Wilkerson then asked Superintendent Hite to present his revised reopening plan. She noted that there were working committees that assisted in this plan’s development, but she expressed no objection to the fact that the committees included administrators, principals, and parents–but no teachers.
