Title
Urging Governor Wolf to make appointments to the Pennsylvania Charter Appeal Board, and calling for a moratorium on its proceedings until all board members are duly appointed and confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate to serve in four-year unexpired terms.
Body
WHEREAS, The 1997 Pennsylvania Charter School law established the Charter School Appeal Board (CAB). The CAB is the only entity with the authority over a school district's decision to deny, renew, or revoke a charter application; and
WHEREAS, Members of the CAB are appointed by the Governor, and must be confirmed by the State Senate. The Board consists of the Pennsylvania Secretary of Education, and six members: a parent of a school-aged child, a member of a school board, a public school teacher, a member of the faculty or administration of a higher education institutions, a member of the State Board of Education, and a business community representative; and
WHEREAS, All five sitting members of the CAB are serving expired terms. Two sitting members' terms expired as long ago as June 2015. According to The Philadelphia Public School Notebook, each of these CAB members, who were appointed by former Governor Tom Corbett, have direct connections to charter and Catholic, but not public, schools in the Commonwealth. There is also one vacancy on the Board; and
WHEREAS, These serving Board members reflect the priorities and values of former Governor Corbett, who cut funding for public education by over $1 billion. Governor Wolf does have the authority to reappoint these CAB members if he so chooses. Nevertheless, the Governor must ensure that CAB members are serving unexpired terms, and that these members reflect the educational priorities and values of his administration; and
WHEREAS, The Governor and the State Senate make approximately 800 appointments to over 100 board and commissions. While Governor Wolf has successfully made hundreds of these appointments, no CAB nominees have been proposed sinc...
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