Click the picture and go to timestamp 20:54 to view Ilene Poses’ testimony (and hear her song) before the SRC.
In the 1995 movie “Clueless” the main character Cher, gives her report card to her father who notes that her grades went from C+ to A-. He asks, “Did you do extra credit?” No “Take your mid-terms over?” “No,” she states, “I argued my way from C+ to A- by my powers of persuasion. Are you happy?” Dad replies, “I couldn’t be any happier if they were based on real grades.” The charters too, are being rewarded for their ability to persuade and … so charter oversight becomes a mockery of what it is supposed to do.
The charters are unhappy so they persuade the SRC to change the rules and grades so substandard charters like Aspira can continue. The charters persuade the SRC to permit substandard applications to be approved. For example, the SRC won’t vote to not approve Franklin Towne’s application because FT might appeal that decision so the SRC approves with conditions. The charter doesn’t like the “conditions” and appeals anyway. I guess the SRC is there to be the stooge not the watchdog over school quality.
Bad finances? Who cares? Bad academics? No problem. Wister School was on the ‘watch list’ before they were taken over by Mastery but 2 years later are on the “Intervene “ list.
Chair Richman told Notebook reporters that the charter agreement has undergone “more than 60 negotiated changes” over the past year. I attend most SRC meetings and I knew nothing about these changes. The Notebook wrote, “If charters accept the terms in this revamped rubric — known as the “charter school performance framework”… If the charters accept? Why do the charters call the shots? Why didn’t the public know about this new charter rubric until after it was fully negotiated in secret?
The APPS Ears asked – “Why do the charter operators – the entities who are regulated- determine how they will be regulated?” At the end of your tenure you continue your secretive policy of bowing to the powerful charters, to the corporate money in education and continue to secretively negotiate behind closed doors because you don’t want the public to know. When do the students get protected? Hopefully, the new school board will do better.
For these and other reasons we sing:
“IT’S A GRAND OLD FLAG” MELODY
It’s a grand old day –
SRC’s goin’ away
After years of controlling our schools.
They’re the emblem of no neighborhood say
Just get us to stay out of way.
It’s a grand old day
Hope our school board will stay
Fight for funds and repairing our schools.
(Auld Lang Syne)
Should resolutions appear again
Hope it’s not with the SRC.
Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools 