PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Several Black-led charter schools in Philadelphia have come together to launch a campaign designed to raise awareness about inequities in charter oversight.
“The Black-founded and -led schools that are still here have come together today: Enough is enough,” said Dr. Naomi Johnson-Booker, founder of the Global Leadership Academy Charter School.
GLA and 14 other Black-founded charter schools in Philadelphia have formed the African American Charter School Coalition (AACSC). This week, the group launched the Black Schools Matter campaign to raise awareness about how the charter school system in Philadelphia and beyond treats white-led charters differently from Black-led ones.
“Our schools have collectively dealt with racism, discrimination, inequity and biases when it comes to our schools’ expansion and renewal opportunities,” said Johnson-Booker, “and many times when schools have spoken up, it has been met with retaliation.”
A study published by the University of Arkansas in July reported that stringent charter regulations have stifled the creation of Black- and Hispanic-led charter schools.
According to the report, minority-led and -founded charter schools often lack access to capital and the means to deal with complicated charter applications. As a result, school districts tend to select white-founded schools with better funding and resources, which has created a disproportionate impact nationwide.
AACSC says Black charter schools in Philadelphia are more likely to face barriers to funding and expansion, and are more likely to close as a result. The group adds Black-led charter schools are necessary in the city, where 60% of the students in the School District of Philadelphia are Black. The charter schools provide culturally competent education to kids who often come from low-income, working-class communities, which want the same access to high-quality education as higher-income communities in the city.
“The disproportionate outcomes that we have seen related to school closures, expansions and philanthropic support points to systemic bias,” said Larry Jones, founder of Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School, which is part of AACSC. “Remember, every system is perfectly designed to get the results it is getting.”
AACSC announced the launch of the Black Schools Matter campaign virtually, which was attended by more than 160 parents, educators and elected officials.
The campaign will focus on getting Black-led charters recognized as necessities in Philadelphia; creating a non-biased system of charter oversight and renewal; revamping the district’s Charter Schools Office to increase transparency; and increasing funding opportunities for Black-led charter schools.