Parents and students urge Wissahickon board to address discipline, equity and accountability concerns

A range of parents, students and community members told the Wissahickon School Board on June 2 that persistent problems with discipline, communication and racial equity remain unresolved and require board-level action and transparency.

Speakers described incidents they said involved inconsistent discipline, poor communication from staff, and racial or cultural insensitivities. Saida Settles said she had been falsely accused of assault and that those allegations were spread by named people in the community. She asked for "a full public retraction and apology" from the individuals she named and for board accountability. Cleo Norcom, a Stony Creek parent, described multiple incidents she said had harmed her children and others, including restraint of a kindergartner, marks on a child's face with no explanation, and what she characterized as staff inaction. Norcom said she has brought students directly to administrators to report racism and that she hears staff leaving midyear because they feel unsupported.

Other speakers urged the board to act on race-and-equity matters the district has not yet reported out. Karmina Taylor (transcript spelled 'Karmina/Carmina' in places) noted the Race and Equity Committee had "nothing to report" at the meeting and urged the district to listen to affected families. Speakers also asked the district to expand cultural recognition: a fifth-grade student, Louis Wei, delivered petitions from classmates asking that Lunar New Year be added to the district calendar; other commenters asked that Eid be recognized as well.

Board members did not take formal action in response to public comment at the meeting. Several board members thanked speakers and acknowledged the concerns; however, callers said they remain frustrated by a lack of clarity, follow-up, and perceived differential treatment. The transcript records calls for further transparency, for better two-way communication between families and the district, and for public retractions and apologies in specific, named cases.

The record shows no formal disciplinary findings or board determinations were made in the meeting itself; requests for investigations and retractions were made publicly and will require administrative follow-up to verify and respond. Speakers repeatedly asked the board to prioritize fairness and to ensure that all families, staff, and students are treated equitably.