King Center Charter School has fallen under scrutiny after comments from State Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes about the school’s lack of administrative staff, with school just a week away.
Despite firing multiple upper-level employees in July, like then-principal Antoinnette Radford and Dean of Students Bandon Thurman, King Center Charter still has no replacements hired for when the school year starts Sept. 2.
The public needs answers, and there needs to be accountability from the school, Peoples-Stokes said.
“I mean, there are tons of people who prefer to have choices about where they can get to send their children, even if they don't have the capacity or the wherewithal to pay tuition for a private school," she said. "I expect charters to stand up to that anticipation that parents and families have, and if they're not standing up to that, then we should call them, hold them accountable.”
Members of the school’s board of trustees have not responded to a request for comment.
Peoples-Stokes wrote to SUNY Charter School Institute Executive Director Kathryn Connell-Espinosa voicing concerns with the administrative situation, and how it could put academic standards at risk.
“Just because you're having challenges doesn't mean you can't fix them, but you need to start on that, and you need to have a plan for it," Peoples-Stokes said. "I need to see what that is so that I might feel comfortable and encouraging parents to keep their children at their school.”
Peoples-Stokes has had preliminary discussions but will talk with Connell-Espinosa further after the appeals process, she said.
