APPS News: May 2017

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by Karel Kilimnik
May 10, 2017

Spring is showering SRC meetings upon us: there are two meetings each month from March until June. We continue to inform supporters of public education in several ways: an overview of Resolutions to be voted on in our Eyes on the SRC, a report of these meetings in Ears on the SRC, video of testimonies from members and supporters, and a new section of Calendar Events. We appreciate any and all feedback on our writings. Please feel free to share additional information and resources or to ask questions. The next two SRC meetings for May are listed in the Calendar section.  We are happy to advise those who want to testify but have never done so. We urge all who want to fight for public schools to attend and bring a sign if possible.

New SRC Policy Committee Meets—When Those Affected by Policies Cannot Attend
In March the SRC passed a resolution creating “ a policy committee that will review policies that affect students and staff”.  They scheduled these meetings for 9 AM, when a when students, staff,  and working parents are unable to attend.  Thus, those who are responsible for implementing the policies, and those affected by them, are excluded. The first meeting of the SRC Policy Committee, Chaired by Commissioner McGinley and attended by SRC Chair Joyce Wilkerson and Superintendent-designee Naomi Wyatt, met on April 6 in a small conference room at 440. About 80% of those present were district staff.  Four APPS members attended, along with Councilwoman Helen Gym and her chief of staff. Prior to this initial meeting over 75 pages of district policies were posted Friday afternoon March 31 for public perusal. Read the APPS Ears on this Meeting for a more detailed account.  If the intent was to enable the public, in particular those directly affected by these policies, to have some input, then these meetings need to be scheduled at a more convenient time.

Action Meeting Morphs into Budget Meeting

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Ears on the SRC Special Meeting – May 1, 2017

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by Diane Payne
May 9, 2017

This special meeting of the School Reform Commission was announced in a press release sent out Monday April 24. The school district’s official notice was not published in the newspaper until Wednesday April 26. Those who wished to speak had to sign up by Friday. The sole purpose of the meeting was to vote on charter renewals and amendments for 26 schools. The day after giving notice of this meeting, an article appeared in the Notebook giving the public some information on the schools up for renewal. Because of that article, the public did have some information on the performance of these schools.

For the past year, the district has violated the PA Sunshine Act by failing to post or distribute the full resolutions on charter applications, renewals and amendments. The SRC has given no explanation for this change in practice except to designate these actions “quasi-judicial”. APPS has asked for an official explanation of this legal term and why it now applies to all charter matters. The district has not provided this, despite their many promises to be transparent. District Chief Financial Officer Uri Monson has stated at every budget hearing that charters are the single biggest driver of increased district costs. The SRC has a legal obligation to inform the public of all matters, especially those that are diverting so much from funding public schools.

APPS continues to monitor the district’s adherence to the PA Sunshine Act, which was enacted in order to ensure that the public can know what its government is doing and have an opportunity to speak about it. The SRC violates not only the Sunshine Act, but the court-ordered settlement between the SRC and APPS. We are challenging their practice of only announcing the topic before the vote, then publishing a full resolution in a revised Resolution Summary after the meeting. No governmental body is permitted to report false information about its public proceedings.

SRC Position Remains Unfilled
Present for this meeting were Chair Joyce Wilkerson and Commissioners Farah Jimenez, Bill Green and Chris McGinley. The State Senate still has not confirmed Governor Wolf appointee Estelle Richman. State legislators, most recently House Speaker Michael Turzai, are quick to meddle in the school district’s business, making false statements about legal conditions which charters must follow, yet they fail to do their own job of holding a senate confirmation hearing—as well as a failing to fully and fairly fund our district and others across the state.

Green Disappears–Again

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Ears on the SRC: April 27, 2017

SRC pic with missing commishers

by Diane Payne
May 5, 2017

Present for this regular action meeting were Chair Joyce Wilkerson and Commissioners Farah Jimenez and Bill Green. Commissioner Chris McGinley was absent.

The PA Senate continues to shirk its responsibility to fill the fifth seat by holding a confirmation hearing for Wolf nominee Estelle Richman. Unbelievably, that doesn’t stop House Speaker Michael Turzai, a Republican from western Pennsylvania, from telling the SRC what they should be doing on the issue of Charter Schools.

After the tenth public speaker, Commissioner Green left the meeting without explanation. Just as the last registered speaker—#58—was called up, Chair Wilkerson announced that Commissioner Green had joined the meeting by phone.

The fact that the SRC conducted most of its business on April 27th without a quorum calls into question the validity of all official actions taken. His absence for most of the public testimony only strengthens the appearance of a commissioner who does not value the voice of the public on matters of public concern.

Six members of APPS testified in defense of public education at this meeting..

SRC Prefers An Obstructed View of Their Actions
The SRC continues to stifle community engagement and give lie to their claims of “transparency” by forcing the APPS videographer to film in a busy and noisy part of the auditorium. Rather than allow him to stand against the wall, out of the way, on the left side, where he had been for years, they have actually moved chairs out of public seating areas so that he is blocking the view of those sitting behind him. The audio and video quality of our reports have been compromised.

Staff Presentations

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APPS wants to know: Why does Commissioner Green keep leaving SRC meetings during speaker testimony?

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Click here to read the letter sent by APPS to Commissioner Bill Green about his leaving SRC meetings during speaker testimonies.

This article was published in the Philadelphia School Notebook
by Dale Mezzacappa – May 4, 2017

Activist group asks: Why did Bill Green leave SRC Meetings?

The Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools is asking why Bill Green left for large portions of the last two School Reform Commission meetings, suggesting that the behavior “calls into question” his ability to serve on that body and saying that he should consider resigning.

At both the April 27 and May 1 meetings, Green, who reportedly has back problems, left during the public speaking portion, then rejoined the meeting by telephone in time to vote on resolutions. Both meetings were marathon sessions lasting several hours.

Lisa Haver, APPS co-founder, said that Green’s absence clearly violates the SRC’s own policies and that APPS is not ruling out legal action to question the validity of the votes taken at the two meetings.

“Does the SRC make rules and say they don’t have to follow them?” Haver asked. “Those are their bylaws, that is their speakers’ policy. Mr. Green wasn’t there for the whole meeting, it’s spelled out what the requirement is.”

The policy in question is 006.1, which says that the someone joining by electronic communication “shall be considered present only if the Commissioner can hear everything said at the meeting and all those attending the meeting can hear everything said by that Commissioner. ”

The School District issued a statement saying that “all business transacted at both meetings was valid and in accordance with the applicable law.” Reached by telephone, Green took no questions and offered no explanation for his actions. The statement is “all that we’re going to say on the matter,” he said.

The statement, attributed to Miles Shore of the General Counsel’s office, said: “At the regular action meeting of the School Reform Commission on April 27, 2017 and at the special meeting on May 1, 2017, a quorum of Commissioners (a majority of appointed Commissioners) was present when the meetings were called to order.  All business transacted at both meetings was valid and in accordance with the applicable law.  The SRC did not not transact business or take any formal action at the regular meeting on April 27, 2017 or at the special meeting on May 1, 2017 in the absence of a quorum.”

But the relevant policy says that when a commissioner joins the meeting remotely, “a majority of Commissioners shall be physically present.” At the April 27 meeting, Commissioner Christopher McGinley was not present, leaving only two commissioners in the room, Farah Jimenez and chair Joyce Wilkerson.

The five-member body has only four members now because the state senate has yet to confirm Gov. Wolf’s nomination of Estelle Richman to fill the seat vacated by Feather Houstoun. Richman has been attending the meetings as an observer.

Haver said that in leaving without explanation, Green disrespected the people and the process. “Mr Green owes an explanation to the people why he didn’t listen to all the information on what he voted on,” she said.

At that meeting, the SRC voted on nearly 50 resolutions, including amendments to some charter agreements and a several contracts, including one allocating $149 million to operate alternative schools for the next five years.

At the May 1 meeting, the SRC voted to approve eight charter renewals, started the nonrenewal process for one charter, and delayed a voting on a second nonrenewal recommendation. It also voted on two charter amendments.

The April 27 meeting had 58 registered speakers, and the May 1 meeting had more than 30. At both meetings, Green left during the earlier part of the speaker segments and called back just before the vote on resolutions was about to start.

“At the April 27 meeting, you missed the testimony of 50 parents, students, district employees and community members, in addition to questions and comments by other commissioners,” the APPS’ letter states. “At the May 1 meeting, you missed two of the Charter Applicant Speaker Representatives and 23 or the 24 public speakers. You were not present to hear any part of the presentation by Charter School Office Executive Director DawnLynne Kacer and CSO Program Manager Regan Reamer on the 23 charter renewals and two charter amendments.

“Your apparently planned absences are disrespectful to the parents, students, employees and community members who took the time to research and write testimony…More importantly, your failure to be present for these meetings reflects a disregard for the responsibility that an SRC commissioner has to the stakeholders of the district.”

The letter, signed by Haver and APPS legislative liaison Lynda Rubin, says that Green’s actions warrant his leaving the commission. “We ask that you consider resigning your post,” the letter reads.

Haver, a retired District teacher, and her organization have tangled with the SRC before, winning legal concessions around Sunshine Act violations and over their right to carry protest signs into the meeting space.

“I think if the SRC makes rules, they have to follow them, and if they don’t follow them, there has to be some form of ramifications,” Haver said. “If Mr. Green has some reason why he can’t serve, he should resign.  But he owes everybody an explanation why he couldn’t be there for the whole meeting.”