The Philly School Board is a Farce
On June 30, 2018, the School Reform Commission voted to dissolve. Many educators, parents, and organizers were joyful at this monumental win. It signaled the end of state control for the School District of Philadelphia. And then the creation of a locally controlled school board started. It eventually included students but gave them no vote. At first, it appeared as if a variety of applications were being seen, it almost appeared as if something different would occur. It resulted in some new faces and some who had been on the SRC. You can read here the very first school board meeting details. The format of the meetings, the speakers attempting to be on the record, a litany of Sunshine Act violations (thank you Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools - APPS), and Superintendent Hite always having the final word, the growing list of working with outside vendors for basic and unnecessary needs, and the simple presence of democracy rendered invisible. I soon realized that this looked...