Board of Education Action Meeting: April 25, 2024
by Lisa Haver
Without explanation or notice, the board suspended its speaker policy so that over fifteen unregistered and unidentified people could testify, untimed, in favor of passing one item on the agenda. Item One proposed naming school district headquarters at 440 North Broad Street after the late Constance Clayton, district superintendent in the 80s and 90s. The board then violated the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act by voting on Item One before public testimony was taken from the registered speakers. The ceremony, which was not listed on the agenda, took over an hour. People who came to testify on other matters had no idea when it would end.
Deborah Grill contributed to this report.
Censorship Against Teacher Escalates
For the third consecutive month, teachers and parents asked the board and Superintendent Tony Watlington Jr. to address the issue of censorship carried out by district administrators. In February, Northeast High teacher Keziah Ridgeway told the board that her students’ video showing how oppression is expressed in art (which she cleared with her principal) was pulled after one teacher claimed that it was anti-semitic because it mentioned the Palestinian conflict. In addition, 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. Several supporters stood behind Northeast High Parent Jethro Heiko during his testimony about this and other incidents of possible censorship at the school. One questioned why no action has been taken regarding the teacher who identified the student online, pointing out that she is still in the classroom. General Counsel Lynn Rauch responded that the situation is under investigation, thus the administration could not talk about it. That is questionable; Rauch didn’t say the district was pursuing any legal action. As one of the supporters pointed out, when any teacher is under investigation, they are removed from the classroom and sent to sit in a room at 440 until the matter is resolved.
City Council Bows to Charter Lobbyists
This action meeting was the last convened by board members appointed by former Mayor James Kenney. The May action meeting will be the first run by board members appointed by Mayor Cherelle Parker, including four incumbents. Earlier this month, Parker sent her slate of nine nominees to City Council, as the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter mandates Council confirmation. But Council, in an unexpected move, tabled the confirmation of Joyce Wilkerson before voting to confirm the other eight. Council President Kenyatta Johnson gave no explanation for the move. In fact, as of this publication, he has yet to explain, despite repeated questions from members of the press.
As outgoing board member Julia Danzy remarked at this meeting, it was shocking that the only thing Council members wanted to know during the hearing was whether nominees would give charters “whatever they wanted”. Council members used their time to question the incumbents about how the board has been “unfair” to charter operators, with Councilmember Isaiah Thomas berating them and raising his voice to President Streater.
Despite Council members’ refusal to explain their withdrawal of Wilkerson’s nomination, several news stories reported sustained lobbying by charter operators and lobbyists in the days preceding the hearing. A letter was circulated about Wilkerson and Streater that said “…their track record demonstrates a disregard for the educational welfare of Black children in our city”. The April 18 edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported: “The Council source said Dawn Chavous, the wife of Council President Kenyatta Johnson, was heavily involved in the effort to defeat Wilkerson and Streater’s nominations through her role with the African American Charter School Coalition.”
Johnson denies that he has anything to do with his wife’s lobbying, but that claim becomes less believable with Johnson’s steadfast refusal to give his own reason for holding Wilkerson’s confirmation. Unnamed sources have reported that Global Leadership Academy CEO Naomi Johnson-Booker, who testified at the hearing, was a driving force behind the vilification of Wilkerson. GLA submitted the same application for a new charter three times over the past two years; it was denied by majority vote every time. The board did offer GLA two opportunities to amend the application; they did not. Council members parroted charter operators’ claims that the board was wrong in denying new charter applications but omitted the fact that GLA had three times as many submissions as any other organization. In fact, the only application denied this year was submitted by GLA. Deborah Grill’s analysis for APPS outlines the deficiencies of the application, the obfuscation of the relationship between GLA and charter profiteers including Santilli and Thomson, and GLA’s failure to improve academics at its Renaissance charter, Huey Elementary in West Philadelphia.
Wilkerson has served on the board for six years as president. Before that, she served for two years as chair of the School Reform Commission. Never during her tenure did any member of Council raise concerns about Wilkerson’s performance or her ability to serve. Why now?
Girls High Community Still Seeking Answers
Last month, Deanda Wilson, head of the Girls High parent association, told the board about the dire situation at Girls High. The school has yet to appoint a principal, and members of the school community are still in the dark on what the district is doing to correct that and other issues, including the fact that the school had no librarian. This month, four Girls High students testified about the same problems. They reminded the board that with the lowered enrollment due to ongoing glitches in the revised application system, the school has lost a number of teachers and will likely lose more. Barbara Dowdall, APPS member and member of the school’s Alumnae Association, also asked Superintendent Tony Watlington what he and his administration intend to do about the situation with the end of the school year looming.
Board Approves Spending Over $200 Million in One Roll Call Vote
Board passed all 51 items on the agenda, totalling $212,797,692 in spending. BM Mallory Fix Lopez was not present. All items passed on the agenda passed. The consent agenda included Items 2 through 4, 6 through 36, and 38 through 50.
Items 2-7, 8, 12, 13, 18, 23, 26, 27, 34, 35 38-41, 45, and 47 all passed 7 to 1, with BM Thompson dissenting.
Item 49 passed 7-0-1; BM Salley abstained due to employment relationships with those involved.
Item 51 passed 6-2, with Salley and Thomson dissenting. Salley said that the Goals and Guardrails should also include an assessment of the conditions and supports that enable progress.
Next board Goals and Guardrails meeting: Thursday, May 9 at 4 pm.
Next board action meeting: Thursday, May 30 at 4 pm.
The meeting adjourned at 9:47 PM.
Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools 