Board of Education Action Meeting: December 5, 2024
by Lisa Haver
Do Not Obey in Advance.
Timothy Snyder, On Tyranny
Which side are you on?
Pete Seeger
Several APPS members, in their testimony, asked the members of the Board of Education, in essence: Which side are you on? They pointed out that the board sided with billionaire developers in October when they voted to extend their Keystone Opportunity Zone (KOZ) tax abatements and again in November when they approved tax breaks for developers that paved the way for building an arena on Chinatown’s doorstep. Almost every month the board sides with charter investors and their highly paid CEOs when, in secret voting, and with no public hearing, they vote for 5-year extensions for substandard charter schools. Many Philadelpians are expressing real fears that under the next president, they and their loved ones may be deported, unfairly prosecuted, or targeted and profiled–some possibly removed from public schools by law enforcement and ICE. They have already asked Mayor Cherelle Parker to strengthen Philadelphia’s sanctuary city status. The next action will be held in the first month of the next Trump administration. What will the Board of Education do to protect students, families and educators?
The board gave its answer: they called in police to threaten silent protesters with arrest.
Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools 