LK: No Confidence in the Philadelphia School Board

During the school board meeting on Thursday, April 30, 2026 students, educators, and community leaders gathered to voice their opposition to proposed school closures.

As the meeting progressed, tensions rose, particularly when Councilmember Isaiah Thomas disrupted Joyce Wilkerson from stating that the board supports closing the schools because she’s “not even a real school board member!”(Since 2024, Wilkerson’s appointment to the board has been the subject of legal debate, as she is the only one of the nine board members who was rejected approval by city council). The proceedings were briefly suspended, and when they resumed via Zoom, as the school board members refused to return to the auditorium, security and police officers barred several individuals—myself included—from re-entering the meeting.

Despite the protections afforded by the Sunshine Act for public meetings, the officers present took the law into their own hands. Notably, they also forced the door closed on Councilmember Rue Landau when she requested that the public be allowed back inside.

Councilmember Rue Landau, among other meeting attendees, barred from entering by the Philadelphia Police Department.

The decision to deny access to a public meeting and the dismissive treatment of both appointed officials and the community raises serious questions about accountability and transparency. It also highlights the fact that police walk around with impunity. We have reached out to Councilmember Landau’s office for comment but have not heard back. 

This sends a clear message of where appointed officials stand when they can’t be bothered to merely condemn officers that are violating our rights right in front of them. The publics safety is at risk due to officers unapologetic and emboldened attitudes while violating rights on video. Being watched didnt make them waver on their abuse of power so what of all the times they are unseen?

The repression of teachers and the closure of schools are seemingly part of a coordinated effort toward the privatization of public goods. Who does this privatization benefit?

Our children already lack access to fundamental resources. It is unacceptable to continue funding aggressive policing while shutting down schools, especially when 67 percent of adults in Philadelphia are low-literate, and 52 percent of which are functionally illiterate according to social justice based non-profit Achieve Now. We must remain acutely aware of these systemic efforts, as privatization will only set our communities back further.

The school board owes the students, teachers, and community an explanation as to why public voices were silenced during such a critical discussion regarding the future of our schools.