Byers charter school board rejects parents' call for CEO's dismissal

The board of Russell Byers Charter School has rejected a call by more than 100 parents to fire the school's new Chief Executive Officer.

The board of Russell Byers Charter School has rejected a call by more than 100 parents to fire the school's new Chief Executive Officer, Constance Horton, on grounds that she has disrupted the school with sweeping curriculum changes and tough new rules for students.

Current board chair Laurada Byers said in a statement that the board decided Thursday to back Horton, despite strong opposition from some parents.

"We will not be taking any action to dismiss the CEO of the school," Byers said. "I hope that all constituencies will understand that change is hard."

In her own statement, Horton said she would respond "in full" to the parents' list of 42 complaints about her management of the school that accompanied a petition seeking her immediate dismissal.

"I am committed to productively working through all substantive issues raised by parents and teachers now and in the future, and will resolve all concerns as appropriate in the interest of the students," Horton said.

But the parents said they will continue to seek Horton's ouster.

"We understand that the board finds itself in a tenuous position regarding how to properly address the current unrest in the school," said a group calling itself the Concerned Parents and Teachers of RBCS, a charter located at 19th and Arch streets in Center City.

"We stand committed to our children and teachers and will continue our efforts to remove Ms. Horton from her position as CEO and rebuild our school community going forward," the group said in a statement.

On Thursday, the embattled chief executive sought to calm a growing parent revolt over changes she imposed at the start of the new school year but signaled that she was not about to change course.

At the board meeting Thursday, Horton apologized to a room full of angry parents, and some teachers, for any appearance that she had ignored their views when making sweeping changes to curriculum and setting new rules that have antagonized large sections of the school community.

But she gave no sign that she was about to roll back any of the changes.

"I realize that it brought about a great deal of change in a period when there is already a great deal of transition," she said. "However, that is our plan."

Horton did not respond at the meeting to the 42 complaints. With signatures of 130 parents, some of whom have several children in the school, supporters said it represents a majority of students at the 485-student school.

Still, the CEO acknowledged she could have done a better job at communicating her changes.

"If at some point in this process I have made you think that your voice doesn't count, then I apologize," she said. "I just hope we can work together. Whatever I can do to make sure our relationship is a positive one, I want to do that."

Parents say Horton has made changes to the curriculum without explaining them; has eliminated some artistic or cultural classes in favor of core instruction in math and reading, and has set tough new rules for students including requiring complete silence in corridors, and imposing strict limits on when they can use restrooms.

Parents also allege Horton has spent "thousands of dollars" on remodeling her office while some girls' restrooms have broken doors.

The list of complaints accuses Horton of lacking the teaching qualifications and background to take the job of a school CEO. But Fernando Gallard, a spokesman for the School District of Philadelphia, said such academic credentials are not required for the position at a charter school.

Horton's changes have led to the voluntary departure of nine experienced teachers since the start of the year, following five others who were fired in May, when she joined the school, parents say. They also blame the new regime for the departure of at least five families since the start of the current school year.

At the board meeting, nine parents and two teachers made a series of emotional three-minute speeches, arguing that the changes have violated the school's mission of educating the "whole child" by putting too much emphasis on traditional academic instruction.

"It is my opinion, and it is the opinion of many, that the school has unraveled," said Rachel Rosser, mother of two current students and one former student at the school.

Quoting the school's by-laws, Rosser told the board that it had a duty to monitor the performance of the school based on parent and staff satisfaction, and to hear complaints about the school's operation.