Click on the individual’s name to read a transcript of his or her testimony.
Patricia Brown on Toxic Schools
Karel Kliminik on the contract with KIPP
Barbara McDowdell Dowdall on Germatown Dreams
Tag: Facilities
Ears on the Board of Education: September 19, 2019
By Diane Payne
Seven Mastery Charter Schools and KIPP West Philadelphia Preparatory Charter School were voted on for renewal. Three of these schools were from the 2015/16 school year. All Charter School negotiations are conducted out of the public view. Unspecified conditions were originally attached to the school’s renewal by the Charter School Office (CSO) but all conditions were dropped for the renewals on this agenda. The public has no way of knowing what those conditions were or why those unknown conditions were dropped.
Many staff, parents, and administrators spoke on the toxic conditions found in many of our school buildings advocating for a systemic fix.
Present
President Joyce Wilkerson, Vice-president Wayne Walker, Julia Danzy, Mallory Fix Lopez, Lee Huang, Maria McColgan, Angela McIver, and Chris McGinley were present. Board member Leticia Egea-Hinton was absent. Nine members of APPS were present; five members spoke in defense of public education and one member submitted written testimony.
Video of the entire Board meeting is posted on the District website and can be found by going to the District website, clicking on Board of Education, scrolling down to “watch previous Board meetings.”
Defenders of Public Education Speak Before the BOE, September 19, 2019
Click on the individual’s name to read a transcript of his or her testimony.
Aileen Callaghan on the BOE Report Card
Barbara Dowdall on an Ideal School District
Karel Kilimnik on CSPR, Charter Renewals and Board Transparency
Dr. Cheri Micheau on Policy 138 and the Education of English Language Learners
Dr. Josh Myer on Toxic Schools
Jessica Tilli on Toxic Schools
Deborah Grill on Newsela, School Libraries and Charter Renewals
Zoe Rooney on Newsela Digital Library and Spending Priorities
Lynda Rubin on Charter Renewals
Letter Presented to the Board on Student Voter Education and Engagement
Finance and Facilities Committee: September 12, 2019
by Lisa Haver
Two positive developments: the acoustics were much better and the Committee members were very responsive to the public speakers.
Present: when the meeting convened at 10 AM, Co-chairs Leticia Egea-Hinton and Lee Huang. Joyce Wilkerson arrived at 10:13; Wayne Walker attended via phone. Angela McIver, Chris McGinley and Julia Danzy arrived later and sat at the head table. The attendance of other Board members is appreciated, but the Co-chairs should specify who actually serves on the Committee.
The Agenda listed 22 Action Items for possible discussion before the September 19 Action Meeting. No content was included, not even the amount of the contract or grant. The Committee did address the need to have Items on the Committee agenda at least one week before the Action Meetings. (I reminded the Committee before my testimony that the District, in its legal settlement with APPS on Sunshine Act violations, agreed to post all Action Items at least 2 weeks prior to the Action Meeting.)
Minutes of the June 13 2019 Committee meeting were approved by the Co-chairs.
Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools 