Students again walk out at Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School to protest its closure

Students at Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School — the Philadelphia charter whose founder says it’s closing because she’s retiring — attempted another protest Thursday over what they say are contradictory and confusing messages by chief administrative officer Veronica Joyner.

Cayla Waddington, an MCSCS senior and student organizer at the school, said about 20 students walked out of school during their lunch period Thursday. More tried to leave, but were physically barred by school employees blocking doors. One school worker put his hands on a student, Waddington said.

Then, Waddington said, Joyner made an announcement over the loudspeaker “threatening us. She said anyone who participates in the protest will be punished. But we are refusing to be scared.”

A recording of the announcement was shared with The Inquirer: Joyner told students that protesting was a safety risk, with students crossing North Broad Street to stand in front of Philadelphia School District headquarters.

Joyner let a protest happen last week, she told students, but “we’re not doing it again ... you are not to disrupt this school.”

Reached by a reporter Thursday afternoon, Joyner said, “There was nothing going on here. There were a few kids that decided to leave. We let them leave.”

Asked whether students had been threatened with suspension or expulsion, she said, “Sure, because the parents sent them here. They didn’t have a permission slip to leave.”

Joyner said she was the person responsible for the students, then ended the phone call.

The MCSCS public furor began earlier this month, when Joyner, the founder and longtime leader, said the charter would close in June because she wanted to retire and no one was equipped to take over the school. She also cited feeling disrespected by the district’s Charter Schools Office, which had offered the school a one-year renewal instead of its typical five-year renewal.

» READ MORE: Can a Philly charter close because its founder says so? Here’s what to know about Math, Civics and Sciences.

While charters are independently run, they are publicly funded and authorized by local school districts. According to Philadelphia district officials, MCSCS has failed to meet standards in two out of three charter domains it evaluates: academics and organizational compliance. (It met financial standards.) The 25-year-old school, one of the city’s oldest charters, enrolls 900 students in grades 1-12.

Though Joyner has said the charter school’s board of trustees agreed with her decision, it’s unclear if and when the board voted for the closure. District officials have said they are trying to answer that question; no minutes of recent board meetings have been posted publicly. Members of the MCSCS board have not responded to requests for comment.

Joyner has also said she intends to sell the charter school’s building, located across from school district headquarters on North Broad Street and owned by a nonprofit she operates. While she said she wouldn’t profit from the sale, she also suggested she could start taking a salary from the nonprofit upon her retirement from the charter.

Waddington said students don’t understand why the school has to close upon Joyner’s retirement. Joyner did meet with a group of students on Friday, but answers were in short supply, Waddington said.

“She talked at us for about an hour, talking about her legacy,” said Waddington, 16. “She compared herself to Harriet Tubman. When we asked questions, she said, ‘Stop being disrespectful.’ She said that we should just give her flowers and respect everything that she’s done for us, as opposed to asking questions about what’s going on.”

Thursday’s walkout was the second in a week. On Oct. 11, hundreds left class, protested in front of school district headquarters, then walked back into school after making their point.

The student protesters were eventually let back into school Thursday, Waddington said, but told their protest was disrespectful.

“We want to talk to our school board,” Waddington said. Students want the board to help keep the school open, but have thus far been unable to get in touch with any MCSCS board members.