A grass-roots organization of parents, community members, and school staff, fighting to defend public education. We work together to provide analysis and demand accountability from the School District of Philadelphia to provide students with a high-quality education.
Philadelphians who happened to be watching the Joy Reid show, which was aired nationally on MSNBC on Saturday, July 23, were surprised to see SRC Commissioner Farah Jimenez on a panel of “everyday voters” who said they were still undecided on the presidential election. Two of those viewers were APPS members Lynda Rubin and Lisa Haver. They sent the following letter to Commissioner Jimenez earlier this week:
Click here to read the letter to SRC Commissioner Farah Jimenez
By Lynda Rubin
July 11, 2016
This Philadelphia School Reform Commission meeting, which had been posted for months for June 30 at 5:30pm, was changed just a couple of weeks before to Friday, July 1 at 10:00 am. Chairwoman Marjorie Neff introduced attendees to a “special meeting” of the SRC, but it was actually the Action Meeting for July. Moving a meeting to the Friday morning of the July 4th week-end continues the SRC’s pattern of changing meetings to days and times more difficult for parents and public to attend. (Last month, the SRC voted to change its 5:30 meeting time to 4:30; no reason was given.) Feather Houston was absent but participated by phone.
On July 1, 2016 the Philadelphia School Reform Commission held its monthly meeting.
This is the testimony of members of the Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools at this meeting.
Each of the two videos can be viewed here.
Click on the pictures below to view the individual video.
Video of APPS member Karel Kilimnik testifying at the Philadelphia School Reform Commission meeting – July 1, 2016.
The transcript of Karel’s testimony.
Video of APPS member Ilene Poses singing at the Philadelphia School Reform Commission meeting – July 1, 2016.
The transcript of Ilene’s song.
By Lisa Haver
At its June 16 meeting, SRC Chair Marge Neff announced that the June 30 meeting, posted for months on the district’s website, would be moved to July 1 at 10:00 AM—on the cusp of the July 4th holiday weekend. The last time the SRC held a morning meeting, it cancelled the PFT contract, so our antennae are up.
Responding to pressure from APPS, Ms. Neff promised last year to post resolutions at least two weeks before the meeting. But a promise is not a law, so it can be broken anytime—without any penalty—as it has for the last two meetings. In addition to the 130+ resolutions originally posted, the SRC added a significant number of resolutions in the days before the June 16 meeting. That makes it even more difficult to see how much corporate funding is influencing district priorities and how little is actually making it to classrooms. If a resolution is added the day before, there is no way to speak on it until the next meeting—after the resolution has been passed. As of this writing Tuesday, no resolutions have been posted for the Friday meeting.
Given the SRC’s recent action, or lack of action, on the Renaissance renewals, we believe that it is crucial for people to attend this meeting. The SRC has, in effect, rejected the reports presented by its own Charter School Office on the Aspira and Universal schools. The CSO recommended in April that the SRC vote not to renew charters for Aspira Olney High School, Aspira Stetson Middle School, Universal Vare and Universal Audenried. The CSO gave numerous reasons—academic, financial, managerial—why these schools should not be renewed. Rather than accept the CSO’s report, the SRC has entered into private negotiations with Aspira. The Universal renewals have not appeared on the list of the last two meetings, and the SRC has not said when it will vote on them.
We teach our children about democracy, but the SRC, once again, does not feel the need to practice it.
Note: Lisa’s commentary on the subject of the SRC and its failure to observe the rules of democracy is published in Tuesday’s Philadelphia Daily News:
Commentary: SRC is acting as if it’s above the law | Philadelphia Daily News – June 28, 2016
Resolutions were posted by the SRC on Wednesday, June 29, 2016. No mention of the Aspira and Universal charter reauthorization.
Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools 