We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who care about the quality of education in our community.  On 26Apr2023, the Pennridge school board approved an open-ended contract with Vermilion Education to revise the K-12 curricula, including but not contractually limited to, social studies.  This was done despite unified feedback from the community, teachers, and four of nine board members who opposed the contract. This is unacceptable and we demand that the contract with Vermilion Education be terminated. 

We write to express our deep concern over the actions of the school board. 

First and foremost, we expect high quality and properly vetted services for our schools. Our students and teachers deserve the highest standards for any consultants hired to improve our schools’ programs and curricula.  It is unacceptable for a contractor whose firm was established four months ago, with limited teaching experience and no consulting experience in public schools, to be hired to re-write the K-12 curricula.

Second, we expect transparency from our school board.  No board member should be able to add a curriculum-impacting contract to the agenda only 24 hours prior to a school board meeting.  Further, no such proposal should be added without the knowledge of every board member and the public.  This is a blatant attempt to push personal agendas without proper scrutiny.

Third, we expect fiscal responsibility from our school board. It is unacceptable for them to pay to an outside education consulting firm to rework our schools’ curricula with no caps on payment, no disclosed budget, and no clear deliverables or objectives. This lack of financial accountability must end immediately.

Lastly, we demand respect for the teachers that our school board has hired. Our teachers should be consulted, and their input respected, for any changes to the curriculum. They are the experts on the ground, and their expertise should not be overlooked.

We urge our school board to take this community petition seriously – to put the needs of the students and teachers ahead of your own personal agendas and ensure that Pennridge schools provide a quality education in a responsible, transparent, and respectful manner. We demand that Pennridge School Board revokes the contract with Vermilion Education.