And some of our facilities, it is a mixed bag. And I think that is the byproduct of uneven funding or being $1.4 billion right now underfunded, 1.4 billion. And I've actually done a little research on this. When immigrants moved into Philadelphia -- yeah, a little history lesson in Philadelphia -- there was a marked change in who was sending their children to public education because they didn't want to go to school with Irish immigrants. They didn't want to go to school with Italians, right. And I actually saw that the superintendent and the board at that time sought to get the political wherewithal for the School District to get the bonds necessary to do the work on facilities. This is not a 10-year issue y'all. This is like a hunnit-year issue. I'm sorry, hundred. The Germantown's coming out. So that's part of framing for us. But we have some beautiful edifices of learning. And we have newer buildings. And so, our whole portfolio isn't dilapidated, falling apart, but we do have issues. And I think that me putting that context out there makes this even a more doable exercise, right. It's not all 212 schools. It's not. It's a subset of a subset. And I just want to posit that in this chamber to invigorate everybody to say this could get done, and every school in Philadelphia isn't dilapidated. I'll keep it there.
-- it's great that you're saying that. We need numbers, we need dates, we need when because then it gives us confidence to tell our constituents, yes, the ones that need work will get work done, and we haven't had that yet. And as our Chairman said, he's asked for it in 2022, so this is 2024. And so, we're all nice and good, but we need actual concrete things to come through. And I thank you all for taking all this in your stride. I know we've been hypercritical at times, but this is the only forum we have. So this is why what you said about having ongoing relationships, doing a retreat or whatever it takes for us to be on board so we don't have to wait until now to do this. So I thank you for your time, all of you. And thank you, Council President.
Thank you. Surely all the schools aren't the same because I just had a Budget Town Hall at MLK High School in the Northwest, the great ol' Northwest. It does not look like South Philadelphia High's auditorium, very different experience. And so, yes we do have some good schools out there with some very, very nice facilities. And so, we want to accentuate some of the good ones. At this time, I want to acknowledge Councilmember Jim Harrity.
Thank you, Council President. So while I'm new unlike some of my other newer colleagues, I actually was here last budget and last time that we had conversations. And just for a point of information, we did ask for you guys to come up with a facilities plan for when the money comes from the Governor's Office. So I'd just like to stress on how important it is to be prepared so that when the money comes, we're able to start right away of building new schools or fixing the schools that we got, but that's not my question. My question has to do with children who are English as a second language. We're having a -- we are a sanctuary city and we are taking in different nationalities all the time, which is great. That's what we're about. But we still have to give them an equal opportunity as our Mayor said. So how are we dealing with getting more bilingual teachers -- well, first, do we have enough bilingual teachers? And secondly, what are we doing to try to recruit more bilingual teachers?
Thank you for that question. We have approximately percent of our 10 students who are English language 11 learners and that number is 12 growing. 13
And often times 16 English language learners within 17 our system, and particularly the 18 families that they are from for 19 whom the home language is not 20 English, that number gets masked because as soon as English language learners achieve a certain level of proficiency, they're no longer counted in that 20 percent. So the School District has bilingual counseling assistants, and the bilingual counseling assistants are allocated to schools based on the populations that are there. So a school that I was recently at has bilingual counseling assistants in Spanish, in Mandarin, in Cantonese and two other languages I think, and we have bilingual counseling assistants. We're needing to hire more and more bilingual counseling assistants in Portuguese, which is one of our highest, fastest growing populations in need. I don't believe that we have enough bilingual counseling assistants to support all of our families, and we have restructured the way in which we are offering supports so that supports can be more streamlined and coming out of the same office for supports to the student as well as supports to the families.
So with that being said, when they get to a certain level of knowledge of the English language, then they're no longer considered bilingual? That's kind of --
They're no longer English learners and they no longer show up in our data as English learners.
How much time does it take on average do you think, is it a year, two years, three years, before they're ready to be done with the counselors for the bilingual? And is that actually feasible? Are they actually able to understand the language enough to succeed in order to pass their grades? Because in my own experience, I know a lot of people who are English as a second language and while they speak very good English, they don't understand all of it, you understand, you know what I'm trying to get at?
Absolutely. The supports do need to be there not just for the students, but for their families as well who will help in supporting a lot of the decisions that we expect families to be able to support and be engaged in.
Like I said earlier, I see the new math and for somebody that's speaking English his whole life, it's still a little crazy for me. So I would love to see what we could do about actually fitting more in and maybe giving them more time because I'm completely vested in the Mayor's vision of equal opportunities for all, because that's what we are about here in Philadelphia. And since our population of new citizens is growing, I'm glad to hear that you're looking at it and you're able to grow with it. It's all about being able to grow with what we have going on, right. But I also know that you have to work with what you got. And sometimes that's just not enough, right. Appreciate it. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes for last question Councilmember Jeffrey Jay Young.
Thank you, Mr. President. Really quick, can you tell us what the Board's role is in developing policies that allow outside organizations to use school facilities or to come in to help provide additional services to children in those schools?
The Board's role is through our policy powers. As you know, that's one of the powers that's outlined in the law, one of the levers that we pull. We have a policy cycle where the Co-chair who's right now ChauWing Lam and the other Co-chair is Joyce Wilkerson, there's policies that come up for reconsideration as well, but that's not the only mechanism. The Superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia, as long as a policy is silent on something or gives him autonomy, can implement administrative procedures. And usually that work happens in consultation with the policy committee work, but he convenes students, he convenes parents, he convenes individuals to let him know what he needs to know. And then there's a policy hearing that's public, of which you all are free to come to as well to voice your concerns or support something that we're doing and putting on the record. And then the policy comes up multiple times, and then eventually the full Board votes on it and then it becomes a policy. But that's the process. I think Co-chair ChauWing Lam wants to add something.
I think your specific question was about use of facilities for supportive and enrichment activities.
And it is absolutely the Board's role enacted through the policy committee to determine whether or not and under what guardrails to allow such use. Typically there are administrative procedures that accompany policies and that helps to guideline -- or helps to define the District's role in allowing that policy to happen. So, for instance, in the example that you mentioned, the District would also have to determine what level of staffing needs to be involved to make that facility available, what are the hours that the folks would need to work, what kind of memorandum of agreement would need to be made in order to ensure that there's clarity on how the facility is being used. But certainly, we can take a look at it as a Board.
Thank you. I only ask that question because I think that we are -- with our education system as well as other things, we're in a state of emergency. And I think we need an all-hands-on-deck approach. And so, we have outside organizations that are willing to come lend their time to our schools to enhance the quality of education to help educate the entire child. I think we need to make it a little bit easier for some of those organizations to come in to help turn around some of those schools and provide those opportunities to our students. Thank you, Mr. President.
You're welcome. As we wrap up, just one last question. So, Mr. Streater, as we move forward in the event that nomination goes through, voted, your peers vote you again as Chairperson, how do you want elected officials to engage with the Board when we're coming to advocate as it relates to school issues in our District? In the past, and this is based upon I have to represent my members, I think that sometimes when they have come down, things come across a little adversarial between the Chair and the members, other elected officials as well felt that they come down and everybody gets passionate, but we're all professional in the same way so nobody should walk away feeling like there was something improper about advocating. And classic example, I haven't been in front of the Board under your administration, but I'm responsible for helping to save E.M. Stanton in South Philadelphia. They wanted to shut E.M. Stanton down at one time, build condos. I worked with the Goldenberg Group, come in, do a public-private partnership, came down to the District -- I mean, came down to the Board, advocated, and that was it. And so, just for members of this body, right, because it's been mentioned several different times, I just want to go on the record so we all can be professional. Folks don't feel like because they're advocating, there's anything improper or some type of undue influence we're trying to do other than just coming down there and advocating for our school. So give us from your perspective how would you like for us to engage so it could be a cooperative relationship?
Well, thank you for opening that door. I actually want to address something on the record, and this is a point of growth that I had. And there was a legislator who came early, I think it was my first action meeting chairing or my second action meeting chairing, and there was an exchange. And I'm not proud of it. I believe I have learned from that, and that event did not occur again. I actually went out to lunch with that individual and we broke bread, we talked it up. I had to, you know, eat some crow. And it is what it is. That's part of this process. I apologized and we kept it moving. And then later on I was able to work with that same legislator offline to talk about a very tough issue that was very successful. So that's my style and my leadership. I'm a human, right, and I react. As it relates to any assertions that the Board of Education has not been welcoming, I will say that we have -- so for example, there's a very tough vote that we had to take in February where three of our amazing legislators, some Councilmembers and the legislator came down, and I actually used Chair's privilege of the Board, I actually checked with the Board, and this is a City Councilmember. I'm going to amend the process and let the City Councilmember -- not even let, give him the floor to speak. I think my actions speak louder than words. But I also heard that there was some angst about maybe something I might have said on the record. I think I've coordinated -- I felt like I triangulated what it was. I actually have the transcript of the meeting of the portion that it was. I was not talking about your City Council, Council President. I was talking about the independence of a charter board and why I was making the decision I was making. I was not talking about the independence of the Board of Education. We are part of the process. We want to be hand and glove as much as possible while also ensuring that we maintain our fiduciary duty. So thank you, sir, for my --
Thank you. And look forward to doing that retreat in the future. And so, Jim Harrity said he's going to help write the budget for also making sure we get them counselors in them schools. And so, I back your play. And we can talk to our Chair of Appropriations. He's not here right now, but nevertheless make that -- we have our Vice-chair here, Ms. Moneybags. She knows that budget inside out. But it's a good day today. So we want to thank all of you for taking time out of your schedule. Listen, you're not getting paid to do this. You're signing up and we recognize that. And so, the questions that we asked from I guess whatever time we started today, like 11:15, 11:20 to 5:19, is just because at the end of the day we're very, very passionate about these children here in the City of Philadelphia. Most of us, we're semi- professional. And some of us got kids in the District, some of us got kids in private school, right. We're probably slight middle income and so forth based upon our professions and the work that we do, but there's a population of people out there, right, that don't have lobbyists walking the halls of City Council, don't have lobbyists walking the halls of our State House, don't have lobbyists in Congress. And so, we're the last line of defense to advocate on their behalf. And so, when we take these lines of questioning, there's nothing personal about any of it, right. It's just a passion and commitment to represent the people who actually sent us here in the first place. So we thank you all for taking time out of your schedule and being here today. Looking forward to working with you. And now, I would like to call up public comment, individuals who are here from the public to actually talk about this process and their issues and concerns. At this time, we have public comment to address, the resolutions that we have heard thus far today. All speakers must sign up in order to testify. If you have not already signed up for today's session, please do so now by giving your name at the table outside the rails to my left to Mr. Stephon Johnson. Once you have signed up, you will be called in the order in which your name appears on the sign-up sheet. Public commenters will be given one minute to speak based upon the volume of this sheet. Once the time has passed, we want you to yield the podium to the next speaker if you have not done so already. And I will work with you on time based upon who showed up and who didn't show up on this public commenter list.
Okay. We will now proceed with public comment. The Chair now recognizes Lisa Haver. (Witness approached the podium.)
Pardon me. Prior to beginning, I apologize for the interruption. For all those who are here to give public comment, please limit your comments to a minute-and-a-half, if possible, okay, and summarize your testimony if possible, as much as possible. We're trying to hear from every single person on this list. And we appreciate you being here. We thank you for the time you've extended all day. Please get all your remarks in, but we do want to accommodate every single person that's on this list front and back. Okay. So, Lisa Haver, please proceed.
Good evening. My name is Lisa Haver. I'm a member of the Grassroots Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools. I taught in Philadelphia's public schools and now advocate for public schools to remain in public control today. We are near the end of a process in which the public has been shut out almost completely. We have had no say in who serves on the Board of Education, the governing body that oversees a $4.5 billion budget and makes decisions that affect school children and their families and communities. There was minimal notice of the convening of the Nominating Panel in February. There was no 23 public testimony taken at that first panel meeting. In fact, when I asked to be heard, I was silenced. The panel in violation of the PA Sunshine Act conducted all of its business in executive session. The panel did not release the names of the applicants so there's no way for any parent, student or educator to speak out for or against any potential nominee. This hearing is being held at a time when teachers, students and most parents are not able to attend. We did try to meet with Councilmembers, and I do thank those Councilmembers who did listen to me when I approached them, but it seems that some people were heard, those with a more financial interest in public schools, those who seemed to want to go back to the days of state control and the School Reform Commission when neighborhood public schools were closed and replaced by privately managed charter schools. The richest man in Pennsylvania is Jeffrey Yass. He does not live in the City, but he has had by virtue of his wealth and political connections a lot of influence on the City schools. He's a political and financial supporter of Donald Trump and other right-wing Republicans. Yass has poured a lot of money into supporting the privatization of public schools and into the campaigns of elected officials who support that. At the same time public was shut out, the dark money forces moved in. As a member of APPS, I've been a critic of the actions of the Board on many occasions. Councilmembers should understand that Board members who vote -- that Councilmembers who -- excuse me, I'm sorry. Councilmembers should understand that Board members who vote against any new charter application are simply being fiscally responsible. I did send copies of our APPS report to some Councilmembers that shows that over half of the City's charter schools are underenrolled. Years of data shows that charter schools have consistently performed below District schools.
Okay. Did you ask me to summarize or -- okay. The vote is in your hands. Make your decision based on what is best for the City's children, not on what will make Jeffrey Yass and his beneficiaries happy. Thank you very much.
Okay. Next witness we have is Coleman Poses. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Coleman Poses. Dear members of City Council, thank you for the opportunity of speaking with you today. Based upon the recent calculations from the state's Basic Education Funding Commission and Governor Shapiro's '24-'25 budget proposals the state of Pennsylvania shortchanges Philadelphia schools by over $1 billion annually. The problem of lack of revenue has only been compounded by excessive expenses associated with the maintenance of the charter school system -- with the maintenance of the charter school system in the District due to the directives that exist within this current state Charter law. Philadelphia is not alone in this problem. Nearly 470 elected school boards in Pennsylvania, almost 90 percent of all the school boards in the Commonwealth have signed onto a resolution calling on the General Assembly to enact meaningful charter reform that would rectify many of the extreme financial burdens charter schools have placed on the District. But the law has been deficient in other ways. The law allows for a rather long and convoluted charter revocation process where underperforming schools continue to run while the District spends exorbitant amounts of money to defend its intention to close them. Poorly-performing charter schools therefore continue to operate within this system. There's also data that indicate how the law has affected our state. A recent report of the National Assessment of Educational Progress underscores Pennsylvania's problems by finding the Commonwealth charters to be close to the bottom in reading and math scores of the 36 states included in the study. I, therefore, come here today to ask you to only confirm School Board nominees who will deny all new charter applications until the state law demands more accountability, transparency and reimbursement only for services provided for these schools, and the School District of Philadelphia is properly funded. Regardless of what your feelings are about school choice, does it make sense for the School Board to approve new charters with money that the District frankly does not have? The District to that -- the answer --
Mr. Poses, please summarize your testimony.
-- to that question may very well dwell in this room. Thank you.
Thank you so much. Thank you very much. The Chair now recognizes Linda Rubin. (Witness approached the podium.)
This isn't right. I just need to say that. This isn't right. Hello, my name is Linda Rubin. I'm a product of Philadelphia public schools. I worked --
Can I start over? Hello. My name is Linda Rubin. I'm a product of Philadelphia public schools. I worked in the District for 41 years. Three years as a teacher at Walton Elementary, 27th and Huntingdon where I had student taught. 38 years as a K to 8 counselor in D.N. Fell Elementary School in South Philadelphia. I am passionate about children, their families and supporting them. I was a member of Mothers in Charge for five years in support of mothers of murdered children. I worked with other groups on anti-violence, including with Councilmember Johnson. As a counselor -- no, I'm going to skip that. There are so many private interests out there that want District money and make promises that don't work out. On February 1st, Chalkbeat had an article, Philadelphia tax break program fails to deliver benefits to students. Big sums of money were lost just because that didn't happen. Privately-run charter schools are another example of dollars leaving the District schools, as they keep returning for more and more schools but don't accept the Board's oversight. Many are underenrolled. Most charters are approved and re-approved. School Board members have to keep all of that intact to be fiscally responsible. I just heard a disturbing piece in the Inquirer about a move to deny retention of Reginald Streater and Joyce Wilkerson. I can only assume that's because they have both followed their jobs to do due diligence on charter renewals, creations of new charters. The Board's job is to oversee charters, their practices and how children are learning. Charters are not in a vacuum. There are 217 District schools for whom the Board is responsible. In addition to overseeing 85 charters, the Board is responsible for District students who also deserve an education. That is something that the Board must take into account as well as the status of existing charter progress. If the article is correct and there is a move to deny seasoned Board members Joyce Wilkerson and Reginald Streater's retention, that sounds personal to me, not educating. I hope this Council will not -- will be complying with all restraints on them. I hope that this Council will not bend to this pressure and for two Board members doing their jobs with all competing restraints that they have on them. Thank you.
The Chair now recognizes Dr. Cassandra St. Vil. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Dr. St. Vil had to go for her daughter, but if I'll leave testimony on her behalf.
Sure. And I'd also like to ask all the witnesses if you have written testimony that you'd like to submit for the record, please do so. Dr. Cassandra St. Vil had to depart? UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Yes.
Okay. Thank you very much. The Chair now recognizes Corey Hinson. (Witness approached the podium.)
Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good evening. My name is Cory Hinson. Honorable members of this Council of the great City of Philadelphia. I stand before you today with a deep sense of pride and conviction as I advocate for the confirmation of current Board President Reginald Streater to continue serving on the Board of Education and to be re-elected as its President. I do so not only as an affiliated stakeholder of this City's public school system but also as someone who has witnessed firsthand the transformative impact that he has had on our education in our communities. Reginald embodies the essence of serving leadership in every facet of his work. His character exudes humility, integrity and a deep-seated commitment to uplifting our youth. Through countless hours of dedicated service, he has determined a -- he has demonstrated, sorry, a steadfast resolve to prioritize the needs of children above all else. His leadership style is not about commanding authority but about serving with empathy, compassion and a genuine desire to effect positive change. Under his leadership alongside the Board and Superintendent Reginald has demonstrated an exceptional ability to navigate complex issues and contentious issues with grace and efficacy. From addressing challenges of educational operation to ensuring the Board's practices are grounded in fact and law, he has consistently prioritized student-centered approach to decision-making. Perhaps most important to note, Reginald has with the working assistance of Superintendent Watlington systematically delivered results where it mattered most, in student achievement. Under his leadership, 13 of the 17 student achievement indicators are on the rise. A testament of his effective stewardship of our educational resources and unwavering dedication to the success of every student in Philadelphia. Honorable members of this Council, you have the power today to commit to the further transcendence of our systematic educational future. I urge you to confirm Reginald's continuous service on the Board of Education and to re-elect him as its president. Confirming him is not just a vote of confidence, but it is a commitment to excellence, equity and the limitless potential of every child in our city. His track record of achievement, his dedication to our community and his embodiment of values make him the ideal candidate to lead our educational system into the future. Ladies and gentlemen, there is no better choice than Reginald Streater to serve this City and its children through the avenue of service on the Philadelphia Board of Education. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Thank you for your testimony. The Chair now recognizes Marquita Ross. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony. (Witness approached the podium.)
My name is Marquita Ross. Greetings Honorable Members of the Philadelphia City Council. Today you have a historic opportunity to approve non-School Board members who will do right by our children. Your decision will directly impact our families now and for years to come. What we are asking for is simple. What we're asking is that each one of the nine School Board members will treat charter schools fairly, which has not always been true of the current School Board. With your vote you have the power to change that. Again, my name is Marquita Ross. I not only serve on the Mastery Charter School Board, but I'm also a part of the Parent Action Team. I'm here today to stand on behalf of 12,000 families whose children attend Mastery schools. These public charter schools are some -- some are Renaissance charter schools, which means that prior to the Mastery turnaround, they were some of the lowest- performing schools in the City, mostly underenrolled as families were opting out of attending their neighborhood schools. Not anymore. Mastery schools serve all children, including many who have special needs. Our children are learning and thriving in our schools and community anchors. We are filled with hope for the future. This is not an abstraction for me. This is my reality. I have seven children, five sons and two daughters. I have witnessed firsthand the positive transformation at Cleveland Elementary and Simon Gratz when they became Mastery Renaissance charters. My daughter was floundering in school and they soared. Having a choice of a good school to send your child is fundamental. It has been a right denied for too long. Too many Black and Brown families, especially in lower income neighborhoods --
Ms. Ross, please summarize your testimony.
Okay. Charters are providing assets and equity. Values I believe you all hold dear. We're delighted that Ms. Parker, Mayor Parker, is calling for an end to this versus us and them. Thank you.
Thank you. And you can submit your testimony for the record if you'd like. The Chair now recognizes Ashley Redfearn. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony. (Witness approached the podium.)
Hi. Good evening, and thank you for having us here today. I'm very encouraged at the idea of one Philadelphia, one voice and I'm encouraged by the thoughtful questioning of City Council. As the CEO of American Paradigm Schools, a nonprofit charter management organization that serves 4,200 students and employs over 500 staff members in the City, we are excited to work with whatever Board the Council recommends and we will roll up our sleeves next to the new nominees and any returning nominees and work side-by-side. We share concerns however that the conditions of having been exposed all of us, traditional schools, public charter schools to unfair funding has placed us in a situation where we are pitted against each other for scarce resources. I'm also concerned and our organization is about the crisis in public safety, the teacher pipeline and post-COVID needs. All of these things have changed how we understand our student data. Yet the metrics by which charter schools are judged have not altered since that time. In May of 2023, we became very confused as we were emerging from COVID when unexpectedly going through the renewal process, Memphis Street Academy was invoked our surrender clause by the School Board. We did not know before the public meeting that this was happening. We had proceeded in a renewal process. I agree that communication could help ease some of the struggles we're having. I agree that if our teachers had communication ahead of time we wouldn't have lost some quality teachers for students that are still in the District. I encourage you all to really take seriously coming together. That's more than just saying it. It's going to be hard work. There are issues in the metrics that we need to be aware of and come together. There's issues of inequity in how we look at the SPREE goals and guardrails versus the ACE framework, charter school renewal. One is supportive --
Ms. Redfearn, please summarize your testimony.
Thank you. The Chair now recognizes Lawrence Jones. Lawrence Jones, Jr. (Witness approached the podium.)
And, Dr. Naomi Booker, you are next. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Lawrence Jones. I'm here to talk about the process of evaluation and the School Board. So we have two types of racism. When you have intentional racism against an individual, that is often hard to prove and it's also a very bad thing, but it's easy to be fixed because you get rid of the bad actor and the behavior stops. But systemic racism and systemic bias are significantly different things. They're like a virus that eat away at a community, at an organization and at the people it serves. When the Ballard Spahr report came out and identified that there was no 16 intentional acts of racism, the School Board took that as a victory lab. But they minimized the fact that there was systemic bias. And one of the biggest areas of that bias was the framework that you consistently have heard this Board today talk about. It's an answer to many of the questions that you have asked. The fact of the matter is that report said that the framework is disproportionately impactful to Black schools and stand-alone schools. It specifically said that with regards to the domain of organizational compliance, it is not fair. And from 2016 to 2022, there were schools that got it 11 does not meet standard on 12 organizational compliance according 13 to the framework. 12 of the 13 were Black. In addition, we have a national report that says frameworks like the ones that are continually being used by the District, that they told you today they are standing behind are disproportionately disparate to Black folks and stand-alone charter schools. This is systemic racism. And if you're going to sit back and support this School Board, you've got to put something in place to make sure that we can work together to come up with a form of evaluation where we can all be confident in it. And that's all we're asking for. And it would also be great if somebody would stand up and say, we did wrong, we'll do better. But I've never heard that. Kind of feels like slavery and (inaudible) and everything else. We just want an apology and acknowledgement. Thank you.
Thank you for your testimony. The Chair now recognizes Dr. Naomi Booker. Please proceed with your testimony. State your name for the record. (Witness approached the podium.)
Okay. Good evening. My name is Dr. Naomi Johnson Booker. I am a retired educator from the Philadelphia School District having served for 30 years and now as a charter school leader serving for the last years. I have a number of 10 awards and I served also -- when I 11 left the District, I was a 12 principal and then I became a 13 Regional Superintendent/Cluster 14 Leader. And one of my most 15 greatest prizes of awards is that 16 City Council named me as one of the 17 living legends. So here I stand with you today to talk about 200,000 educated -- I mean, children in the City of Philadelphia, of which more than 70,000 belong to charter schools. And there are things that I want to say to you that you need to know and that we need to understand. And, that is, yes, I tried to get a high school for the last three years. Yes, my parents wanted to get it. And, no, it was denied again. But I want to say for that our children certainly were not able to reach those high schools they needed to go. I heard today where they were talking about Masterman and Girls' High and Central, but I did not hear where they were talking about Overbook and West Philly and Bartram and those schools that do not have a decent graduation rate. I want to say that also public schools are -- public charter schools are public schools and that we use the same tax dollars as public schools. And parents are given a choice, and we do not have the right to take the choice away from them. I have some 45 children returning from the South right now as we went to a civil rights tour. And during that tour, we told them to please take your voice and use your voice. Well, this is what we're trying to do now. We here in the charter school community need a School Board that values charter schools. We need a School Board that will agree to overhaul a system. I heard someone talk about a professional learning communities. I've never been to it, never heard about it at the Charter Office. I also heard someone talk about growth and not knowing the growth. Well 19 percent of the District last year 20 showed growth and this year was 21 down to 15 percent. Global Leadership Academy showed 100 percent growth in reading and 85 percent in math. We need the School Board to commit to growing seats in high demand charter schools and allowing new schools with innovative-community driven --
Dr. Booker, please summarize your testimony.
Charter schools are tired of being at the back of the bus, and we need to be right alongside. We need to collaborate with District personnel so that we can come up with the great plan which is to educate our children in this City. And I'm asking you what Gandhi said, Be the group that will change the world that you want to see, make a difference today, make a difference and show us that. Thank you.
Thank you. Please submit your testimony for the record. The Chair now recognizes Keira Wesley. And next up will be Pri Sabjoree. (Witness approached the podium.)
Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Keira Wesley. Good evening, Honorable, Distinguished Councilmembers and citizens. In brief and in short, my name is Keira Wesley. I'm a voice from the Heartland to Harlem, and I'm resonating with the pulse of Philadelphia's aspirations. Although my roots lie firmly in the heartland of Kansas where Brown challenged the Board of Education, and my uncle was the architect of the desegregation plan that was widely spread and from Harlem where decades later we took on the challenges with a million families to climb out of an education crisis such as Philadelphia's facing today, but my spirit is intertwined with the fabric of this great city through my work alongside Bishop Darrell Robinson of Yesha Ministries. I have witnessed the resilience and hope that defines Philadelphia. I heard him deliver the community prayer with the historic inauguration of Philadelphia's first woman Mayor. I've been sitting here today listening to teachers and parents and to the Board members and City Council. And I just implore today that the august chamber transcend the mundane and embrace the extraordinary, that as you deliberate I urge each of you to measure your decisions against the yard stick of the constitutional promise. And as we align ourselves with history and we march towards justice, it's very important that our kids just get a fair shot. Will you be the architect of change or will you acquiesce to the status quo? The weight of equal protection and due process rests upon your shoulders --
Ms. Wesley, please summarize your testimony.
Thank you. Thank you. And I'm just urging you to rise above partisanship and embrace the mantle of leadership with courage and conviction. Thank you all very much.
Thank you. Thank you so much for your testimony. The Chair now recognizes Pri Seebadri. (Witness approached the podium.)
Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
My name is Pri Seebadri. I'll be brief. I'll just follow up on Keira Wesley talking about the constitutional promise. The allegation against the current regime of the School District is an allegation of racism. Ballad Spahr was commissioned by the current regime to investigate the allegation of racism. About two years later a report was produced. The two key things about the allegation is that it's a 14th Amendment issue. It's about the equal protection clause. Section 1 of the 14th Amendment has two critical components. The findings of the Ballad Spahr report are scathing and they are damning. What we want to implore is that as we go towards a One Philadelphia, it's a One Philadelphia with justice. The second component is the due process element of Section 1 of the 14th Amendment, and that basically addresses issues of procedural and substantive due process. The School District right now is contesting in federal court being transparent and providing discovery to the claimant. Memphis Street Academy is trying to get information that Ballad Spahr has. We spend hours with them as charter schools walking them through all the data around inequity and systemic racism. They are spending public resources to fight and resist transparency. The last thing I'd say is this, is that Luther King said that, you know, the arc of history is long but it bends towards justice. A special master has been appointed and by the 20th of June, information will be made available and this administration can get a black eye because of what will be revealed.
Thank you for your testimony. The Chair now recognizes John F. Street. (No response.)
Okay. Chair now recognizes Pat Smith. After Pat Smith is Loree Jones. (Witness approached the podium.)
Pat, please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Yes. Good evening. My name is Patricia Smith. I live in the 4th Councilmanic District. I'm a retired CEO of a national nonprofit. I respectfully urge the City Council of Philadelphia to approve Mayor Cherelle Parker's slate of nominees to the Philadelphia Board of Education. At the outset of the process, Mayor Parker made clear that the City of Philadelphia deserves a school board with the diversity of skills from different neighborhoods, sectors and communities. She has delivered on this promise. The nine Mayoral nominees collectively possess the requisite knowledge, experience and wisdom to effectively govern the Philadelphia school system. The nominees includes incumbents and newcomers. Their skills and experience complement one another. Although the nominees come from different backgrounds and career paths, they are values aligned, each totally committed through equity and ensuring that our children receive the best education. I especially want to shine the spotlight on a particular nominee Joyce Wilkerson, a former colleague. I had the privilege of working with Joyce at Community Legal Services, the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority and as Director of the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative under Mayor Street's Administration. Joyce is an exceptional leader and seasoned public servant who has worked tirelessly on behalf of the City of Philadelphia. She understands what it takes to implement authentic system change. We live in turbulent times. The multiplicity of issues are complex and controversial. In Joyce, you will have someone committed to finding the best path forward. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. The Chair now recognizes Loree Jones. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony. And after Lori will be Elbert Sampson. (Witness approached the podium.)
Good evening. Are you guys still there? Good evening. (Good evening.)
I am Loree Jones Brown. I'm here as a private citizen. I am a graduate of public schools. I am the daughter of a 40-year educator from the School District of Philadelphia, serves as a teacher, a curriculum specialist in AfricanAmerican studies and a charter school principal. I am a former employee of the School District in the School Reform Commission having served as Chief of Staff and Executive Director there. But here today I'm here as president of the Joyce Wilkerson fan club. For years, 10 like many of you I served in this 11 building, I served in public 12 service. And I had a chance to 13 serve with Joyce Wilkerson when we 14 worked for Mayor Street. 15 I watched and benefited 16 from her brilliance competence, her 17 solid balanced approach, the way 18 that she modeled leadership, how 19 she coached, supported and mentored 20 so many people like me who've continued on in public service. I benefited from her tutelage. I have to say I'm a little bit disappointed that you didn't get to see and hear from her today and hear her brilliance and her commitment to the thousands of students across the City of Philadelphia that she gets to serve and has served on both the School Reform Commission and on the School Board. Joyce is a lifelong learner. I've seen her at the School Board and on the School Reform Commission spend her own dollars to invest in and learn more about what's happening in education, not just here locally but across the globe. I know a number of people who served on the School Board and on the School Reform Commission. I know a number of the nominees, including one of my mom's classmates who's nominated as well. I have to say that Joyce stands top among the people who for the last several decades have volunteered selflessly to serve the students across the School District. And I can't think of a better person for you to consider really not just nominating, and thank the Mayor for that, but supporting. It's not my place to suggest to this body what you should do, but it is my role as a citizen and as an informed citizen to let you know that in my opinion Joyce Wilkerson is one of the most qualified people for this job. And I am grateful for her service and hope you will agree that she would serve again. Thank you very much.
Thank you. Thank you so much for your testimony. Elbert Sampson. (Witness approached the podium.)
Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
My name is Elbert Sampson. I do not have any testimony but I will submit written comments.
Thank you so much. The Chair now recognizes Ira Coates, Jr. (No response.)
Chair now recognizes JaNeil Larue. You can state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony. After JaNeil Larue will be Dr. Robin Cooper and then Keisha Wilkins. (Witness approached the podium.)
Good evening everyone. Good evening, Councilwoman Gilmore Richardson and members of Council. Thank you all for the work that you do for our city that I love so much and I know you love so much, and for the opportunity to speak this evening. I am honored to stand here today to offer my highest commendation to ChauWing Lam for re-appointment to the Board of Education. I ensured I was present when ChauWing invited me to attend this session. I don't often get to support a dear friend in this capacity publicly. She is someone whose thoughtfulness and integrity have left an indelible impression on me. I've known her for six years. And during this time, I've had the privilege of witnessing a woman of remarkable character. We met while working in different departments at the School District of Philadelphia. She worked in the Office of Evaluation Research and Accountability and I worked in the Office of College and Career Readiness. My office worked closely with ERA to gather data on FAFSA completion, on track to graduation status, high school graduation and post-secondary enrollment data. Our relationship started when she stopped at my desk one day and we had a conversation about the work my office was engaged in with the middle and high schools. From that day I found a thought partner and strategist in my colleague, someone who supported preparing our young people for post-secondary education. I also found a friend. ChauWing is a woman who embodies honesty, integrity and compassion in every aspect of her life. She serves the community with her whole heart and with excellence. I wholeheartedly endorse ChauWing as a woman of outstanding character to continue on this Board. She takes to heart the decisions she makes and cares deeply for the children, youth and staff and faculty served by the School District. She cares for the community in which it resides as well. She does not take this or any position lightly. Her goal is to always do what is right and best for students. And I am confident that she will continue to positively impact the lives of those around her and contribute meaningfully to this body. Thank you so much for your time.
Thank you for your testimony. Dr. Robin Cooper, please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony. (Witness approached the podium.)
After Dr. Robin Cooper will be Keisha Wilkins.
Good evening everyone. Hi. I am Dr. Robin Cooper, President and principal officer of Teamsters Local 502, Commonwealth Association of School Administrators. Just giving you some of my background, I attended Philadelphia public schools. I attended Meade School, Conwell Middle Magnet School, and I was the first graduating class of Parkway Center City. I didn't just stop at Philadelphia schools. I extended it across the state. I attended Pennsylvania State University for undergrad. I attended Cheyney University for grad, and I did the Jesuit thing and attended St. Joseph's for my Doctorate. I have been a teacher assistant, principal assistant to the cluster leader of principal, Teamsters Black Caucus, chairperson of the Eastern Region and a Lindback Award winner for principal leadership award. I say all of that to say I represent principals, assistant principals, climate managers, facility managers. I work with all of those folks to help keep the School District of Philadelphia moving. The School Board -- this decision that you make will be the most important decision that you will make outside of the gun violence pandemic. I am asking you to please use your voice, use your vote. Our Mayor has given what she feels is the best and I wholeheartedly stand behind her. And I am asking us to please support our Mayor and to nominate to support the nominations of these nine individuals. That is not to say that any of the other individuals are not great, but I am asking for us to support our Mayor. Thank you.
Thank you for your testimony. The Chair now recognizes Keisha Wilkins. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony. And after Keisha will be Danny Cortes. (Witnesses approached the podium.)
Good evening. My name is Keisha Wilkins. I am the proud principal of Martin Luther King High School. I have a statement that I'm going to read and then hopefully I'll have enough time to just say a few short words after that. I'm writing to express my heartfelt support and recognition for the outstanding leadership of Board President Reginald Streater, Esquire. Mr. Streater's commitment to the educational welfare of our community, particularly the underserved comprehensive high schools such as Martin Luther King High School, has been exemplary and deserves our collective acknowledgement and appreciation. As a proud alumnus of Germantown High School, Mr. Streater brings a unique and valuable perspective to his role, his understanding of the challenges faced by schools in underserved communities is profound and his actions consistently demonstrate a genuine commitment to addressing these challenges and actively working toward meaningful and lasting solutions. Under his guidance, we have seen an enhanced focus on not only maintaining and exceeding educational standards but also on nurturing an environment that fosters educational growth and opportunity. His efforts to understand and advocate for the needs of underserviced schools have contributed significantly to creating a supportive and effective educational atmosphere in Philadelphia schools. For the past two years, Mr. Streater has honored Martin Luther King High School with his presence at our graduation ceremonies. His participation is more than a ceremonial duty. It is a powerful demonstration of his personal investment and belief in our students potential and futures. By standing with our graduates, he sends a clear message of hope and confidence that resonates deeply within our community and bolsters our spirits. Mr. Streater's presence at these events also highlights his leadership in fostering supportive and inclusive environment that acknowledges the achievements of all students regardless of their backgrounds. His involvement goes beyond mere oversight of policy and extends into a genuine heartfelt engagement with the students, educators and communities he serves. I will say this really quickly. It is important that we do not pit charter schools against public schools, and that is what I felt sitting here today. We are to serve children. What about the children? We have not asked one child to speak today about what they feel when they walk inside of our school buildings, what violence they see on a daily basis. And I want to explain to you all or at least say that we are still in a pandemic. I will be brief. We are still in a pandemic. Also, in reference to Black male educators in our school, in September of 2022 the Chair of the Education Committee put forth a resolution for Martin Luther King High School. I'm proud to stand here and say that I'm the first principal in Philadelphia to recruit and secure four Black males in core subjects to teach our children. And you know what happened from that year to this year, a 13.5 percent increase in our Keystone scores in Algebra. (Applause.)
Let us do the work, but ask us about what we need. You coming to Martin Luther King and seeing how beautiful that school was, it took a lot of ass-kicking, excuse me, maybe I shouldn't have said that, but it did for it to get here. I am standing -- people who know me know I run through my neighborhood and anywhere that I go, you will know who I am and you will understand the power of Martin Luther King High School. So let us please remember the children in all that we're doing. Thank you.
Thank you for your testimony. The Chair now recognizes Danny Cortes. State your name for the record. Proceed with your testimony next. Will be Alfredo Calderon.
So please state your name for the record. Proceed with your testimony.
Collectively we represent 5,000 children in North Philadelphia in several charter schools. I'm here today to implore you to appoint members that have a demonstrated history that aligns with the Mayor's commitment to a traditional and charter public school ecology and have shown they accept this reality. Charters are an asset to our children, parents and to Philadelphia. They reside in all your Councilmanic districts and offer hope to parents who would otherwise have to subject their children to schools that can do an injustice to their futures and squash their parents' aspirations. Appointees that consistently ignore the opportunities charters offer Black and Brown students that have a record of past and demonstrated rejection of all things charter around growth and expansion and have eliminated Black and Brown charters that could produce highperforming students of color do not show a commitment to the Mayor's vision as she has articulated. Charters are statistically verified best option for Black and Brown students. A person with a philosophical commitment that is an unequivocal commitment against charters is doing a disturbance to that vision. We need appointees committed to a new practice. And I quote Mayor Parker of diversity of thought that supports quality seats in both traditional district and public charter schools. Know us, first (inaudible) a united city. And I will conclude, let's treat all of Philadelphia's children with the same level of dedication and tenacity they deserve. No matter what sector they attend, public charter or traditional, parochial or independent, they are all your children. A vision is only as good as those tasked to make it happen. We need a passion to serve all children and appointees that acknowledge what is demonstrated best for Black and Brown. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
Alfredo Calderon. I was here to testify about our concerns with some of the nominees. However, my testimony has changed since Mr. Streater decided to make a statement as erroneous. Two of the schools that they took back, which was Olney and Stetson, he mentioned that they were done because of misuse of funds. That is incorrect. Those two schools -- all five schools of our schools were audited by the Auditor General Eugene DePasquale. He found no 23 dollars missing. All of the schools were audited by the City Controller. They found no issues. Also, the Department of Education audited one of those two schools that they took back and they found no missing money, not $1 missing. Also, there were third party auditors. He also stated that the Charter Appeals Board had actually found with them -- they voted just to uphold their vote and they did not give us an opportunity to present any evidence to show to the country. In a subpoena that we did in our fight, there was a current Board member that was asked why you wanted the schools back, so you expected them to say something such as because they're failing, that they're failing the children or what he said missing funds, none of that was said. All she said was they want the schools back because they want them back into their inventory. That was her statement on the record. All right. They see it as an inventory. They see our children as subjects or objects of an inventory that this District maintains. That's unacceptable. Thank you. (Applause.)
Leonard Wakefield. (Witness approached the podium.)
Okay. I'm here to represent the Board of candidates carefully selected from a pool of 27 individuals by our new Mayor Cherelle Parker. This team has been chosen as the new School Board under her leadership. I urge you to vote in favor of this Mayoral-appointed team to ensure the continuity of crucial work while welcoming new esteemed members to the Board. Let me address the recent smear tactics surrounding the debate on charter schools. It's essential to recognize these tactics for what they are. Nothing more than attempts to distort the facts. Contrary to how it's been portrayed, our Board has supported charter schools. Some may urge that it has leaned more towards pro-charter than pro-public schools. As Board members, we often confront contentious issues regarding public versus charter schools. Union matters, community interests and special interest groups. However, as long as our decisions adhere to Charter School law, they should be respected. Consider, for instance, the tenure of Joyce Wilkerson, during which several charter schools were approved since 2018. The return to local charter has seen a 90 percent renewal rate for charters, yet there are attempts to paint Ms. Wilkerson, a highly accomplished individual with over 40 years of stellar career in government as an anti-charter without acknowledging her record of charter school appointments and expansion. Perhaps the real issue isn't about being anti-charter, but instead about being against poorly- performing charters. This misfortune being spread is nothing short of lies and it's essential to demand proof for those who propagate such falsehoods. The previous School Board undoubtedly had some errors to improve upon. However, holding them accountable for not approving expansions for operations whose existing schools have alarmingly low reading and math scores is unjustifiable. The debate should not dissolve into charter versus public. It's about ensuring the presence of high-quality schools regardless of their classification. Thank you for your attention, and I urge you consider the facts when deciding.
You're welcome. Shawn Aleong. Did I pronounce that right? (Witness approached the podium.)
-- Councilmembers. Thank you for this opportunity. I am here today to speak. My name is Shawn Aleong. I'm here to speak today for the current Board President. There has been numerous improvements, particularly engaged in school and community members under the present (inaudible) of the follow initiative: Removal of physical barriers such as (inaudible) from all of the auditorium and we position Board members closer to the community for a more inclusive atmosphere, atmosphere. We let the realization of the two men that speak the rule to allow for increase community input, (inaudible) of engagement structure members of the Charter School Office, CSO, team instructor assignment, a member of the Charter Office, CSO, (inaudible) as the point of contact for each school, introduce of office hours program, provide overopportunities for engagement with SC-based service managed experts, doubling CSO's staff, currently 22 full-time employees, better support schools, enhancement of community, include update monthly newsletter format, provide updates on school organizational process, operational requirements and engagement opportunities. Additionally, this newsletter highlights students and schools' success. While many compliments are not listed, the highlights above on the school shows commitment to support the charters by implementing the strategies to help them meet standards, outline Charter School law and have leaders who will act as responsible stewards of all funds allocated to the Philadelphia children. Thank you for attention. (Applause.)
Next up is Amy Hollister. Amy Hollister. (Witness approached the podium.)
Without glasses, I'm going to make this work. My name is Amy Hollister. I've been a proud Philadelphia School educator and administrator in Philadelphia for years. 6 Thank you, Rue, but I got it on the 7 computer. 8 Today I'm here representing 9 Philadelphia Charters for 10 Excellence also known as PCE. We 11 are a nonprofit membership 12 organization founded in 2011, and 13 today we represent 80 brick-and- 14 mortar charter schools here in our 15 City. We collectively educate 16 one-third of the public school 17 students in the City. That's more 18 than 62,000 children. They come 19 from every single one of your 20 Councilmanic Districts and we 21 shared that information with you 22 today. 23 As others have stated with 24 the new leadership in the Mayor's 25 Office, on City Council and in the School Board, there is great opportunity to create our One Philadelphia that we've heard so often, and I've heard it today. That it's not public, traditional and charter. One Philadelphia, and I applaud Mayor Parker for that theme. Real change starts with ensuring that every member of the School Board is committed to fully supporting charter schools and District-operated schools, but it does not stop there. Others have spoken about deep challenges charter schools faced under the previous School Board and detailed the recent Ballard Spahr investigation. There are some important fixes that can be put into place to address those problems. Today I want to outline four of those. One, continue to welcome public charter schools as leading collaborators in innovation. I've walked through 80 of the 83 schools in this City that are charters. I've walked through the halls of most of them, and I can tell you that the unique and innovative spaces that I've seen are just amazing. We have everything from Afrocentric education, careers in STEM, Freedom schools, language arts immersion. These are the reasons that people are staying in Philadelphia. Two, we need to reform how charter schools are authorized and evaluated. The Ballard Spahr report laid bare reasons we need to develop a new authorizing framework and model charter agreement until a fair, unbiased and transparent evaluation can be created in collaboration with leaders. All nonsafety charter renewals should be paused. Three, we should hold all Philadelphia schools in the same regard. Often we'll hear great things about our traditional public schools, but we will be left out of those awards or those announcements. And as charters, we think that that should be across the City. Four, we would like to stand with you and support budget reform so that all schools are adequately funded. We definitely have a great opportunity in front of us with the new funding hearing. And in closing, I would just like to say that with a new School Board, new authorizing policy and fiscal financial equity on the horizon, Philadelphia schools can be what we want them to be a true opportunity for our City's children to achieve and be the people we all know they can be. Please make this a reality by appointing and holding accountable nine new Board members who accept the challenge of fairness for all schools. I thank you and good night.
Thank you. Horace Clouden. (Witness approached the podium.)
I'm also going to ask for -- is it Tina Kluetmeier? Is there a Tina Kluetmeier? (No response.)
Yes. My name is Horace Clouden. I did apply to be on the School Board. And my reasoning is because I am experienced with facilities. Okay. For the last 12 years I worked in over 100 schools as a building engineer, plus was four newly-built worksites. I also have training in different CTE courses. Plus I developed a training manual for engineer trainees. And I did push back on facility action items. You know, with all the years of 7 research that I have done, the one 8 thing I can say to everybody in 9 this room, bring back junior high 10 schools, 7th, 8th and 9th. I've been saying that for the last 12 years. Okay. We have 123 middle grade locations. You're never going to get parity in any of that stuff. You're never going to get an equal education out of 123 locations. Downsize it to junior high 19 schools. You have the facilities 20 already. These schools can handle 21 the load. It's not that you get an 22 elementary school and you make a K 23 to 8. Now, you got 7th and 8th 24 grade in there and everybody's 25 crying about you don't have enough electrical to supply it. You do have it in 25 junior high schools, and you still have the buildings. When you talk about facilities master plan, right now a facility master plan doesn't list the schools that have pools in it or they don't list the schools that have athletic spaces attached to them, okay, inaccurate facility master plan. When we talk about testing of students, I said to the Board, you should test every 3rd grader to 12th grader in 3rd grade math without a calculator and English language arts. What we don't understand is this: That test is the same entry-level job -- is the same test for an entry-level job, 3rd grade level math plus English language arts. Now, you have schools -- now, we talk about school safety. I don't know if you know, we have some schools that's 200, 300, 400 and 700 over building capacity. These schools are not safe. When you talk about the school budget is grossly underfunded. How can it be grossly underfunded when 90 percent of the budget goes to salaries and benefits, you know? What we need is better productivity out of the staff. Now, you talk about teacher shortage. Philadelphia does not have a teacher shortage. Philadelphia has a 96 percent teacher fill. The problem with the teachers in Philadelphia is they don't come to work. We have a $10 million substitute fees that the District is paying for teachers not coming to work. We talk about swimming pools. There's five pools that can be put back online right now because this Board has approved $10 million worth of materials for these spots, plus $8 million in maintenance support. So you don't have to worry about adding additional money for the pools to bring them back online. Plus I submitted a pool plan, you know. The District -- let's see, okay. The District always focus on the best schools -- okay. I'll do it real quick. This is important. The District is always focusing on the better schools. The schools above the river get the support. The schools below the river do not. I gave the School District a map to show them the divide in the City. Now, with the one Board member that might come on that said, well, I'm going to fight to get what the students need. You're a Board member. You don't need to fight for anything. Policy 000 gives you the authority to tell the Superintendent what you need to have done. So get this fight out of here and just start demanding from the Superintendent to do a better job. Thank you. (Applause.)
Peace and love family. I am standing here in honor of those that came before us. I stand here declaring, decreeing and claiming that we go back to the basics for new beginnings. That's what the ancestors are calling for. Our children have been cheated too much. You heard my husband. This man almost died. He was the engineer that got poisoned by carbon monoxide in a school. It took six years after he was sick for a year to get his pay, and we were told he was one of the best in the District. We were told they wanted 100 more men like that man. What is it about that man that he can't serve? I'm just asking you. Family, a lot of stuff is criminal. There's no reason in this world why our children in Philadelphia can't read, can't write, can't do math, can't read a clock and can't sign their names. I call it criminal. If they're going to school from the beginning when everybody says kindergarten, if they're going to school from kindergarten to 12th grade, they should know those things. I don't have a lot to say because this is not the place. If I'm talking to you as I've talked to them all these years, I've been at Board meetings from the parkway, all right, sitting with Dr. Clayton. If we don't do something -- see, I was in a tornado a week and a half ago. You got a earthquake feeling. If we don't do what's right by these beautiful beings that God is sending here, you have not seen anything yet, I'm telling you. The storm he showed me years ago that's coming if we don't do right, it's nothing like it's ever been seen before. We seen all kinds of stuff all over the world. You have not seen what's coming here to this City. This is a very spiritual place. There's a reason why it was the beginning, let me tell you. When I say the beginning, y'all know, government, everything started here. Went to D.C. and Washington, but it started here. Wall Street, everything. Family, we got to get it together and we got to work together like never before. I don't care who sits in those seats. If they sit in those seats and they keep saying yes to amendments, to contracts, people come and they say, this is what I want, this is what's voted on and come back and there's an amendment, amendment, amendment, amendment. Come on, they might not have been the lowest bid, I'm just saying. There's oversight that's needed at the School District of Philadelphia. I'm not talking about hiring firms to come in from East Giblip. I'm talking about people doing their jobs, people saying you're not doing what's right. And the other thing I talk about all the time is the lies. The lies, that half truths. And I'm telling you people in management position have got to stand up and really pay attention. Enough bringing all these people in from everywhere else. Let's deal with what we have. There's no reason why our young people can't get these jobs. I talked about South Africa. Years ago I talked to Dr Ackerman, I talked to Dr. Hite. Why is it still that our City looks like South Africa when it comes to construction? Something's wrong. You're welcome. Something's wrong. (Applause.)
Thank you, Mama Gail. Is there anyone else here for public comment? (No response.)
Okay. Hearing none, I want to thank all our witnesses for their participation today. We value your opinion. We will now go into our public meeting to consider the action to be taken on Bill Nos. 240254, 240255, 240256, 240257, 240258, 240259, 240260 and 240262. Mr. Christmas, could you please call the roll and take attendance.
Present. Thank you. The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Gilmore Richardson for a motion on Resolution Nos. 240254, 240255, 240256, 240257, 240258, 240259, 240260 and 240262.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that Resolutions 240254, 240255, 240256, 240257, 240258, 240259, 240260 and 240262 be reported from this Committee with a favorable recommendation and that the rules of Council be suspended as to permit consideration of these resolutions at our next session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
The Chair notes for the record that Councilmember Thomas seconds the motion. It has been moved and properly seconded that Resolution 11 Nos. 240254, 240255, 240256, 240257, 240258, 240259, 240260 and 240262 be reported from this Committee with a favorable recommendation that the rules of Council be suspended to permit consideration of these resolutions at our next session of Council. All those in favor will signify a motion by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and Resolution 2 Nos. 240254, 240255, 240256, 240257, 240258, 240259, 240260 and 240262 will be reported from this Committee with a favorable recommendation with a suspension of the rules to permit consideration of these resolutions at our next session of Council. This concludes the business for today of the Committee of the Whole. We thank everyone for being here. (Committee of the Whole concluded at 6:30 p.m.) C E R T I F I C A T I O N I, hereby certify that the proceedings and evidence noted are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me in the foregoing matter, and that this is a correct transcript of the same. __________________________________ TANEHA CARROLL