Troy and Thomasine are joined by Veronica Joyner, founder and CEO of The Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School in Philadelphia
VERONICA J. JOYNER, M. ED. began her career in education as a teacher in the Philadelphia Public School System in 1974. During the next ten years, Mrs. Joyner strived for excellence and equity for all the students she taught. She began to realize the importance of parent involvement in the system as a change agent in order to make excellence in the classroom a standard for all students. It was this that prompted her to found and serve as president of Parents United for Better Schools, Inc. (PUBS), a non-profit, multi-racial, parent advocacy corporation in 1984. Parents United for Betters Schools, Inc. now has a membership of over twenty thousand parents in Philadelphia and several key components to the program that evolved in the coming years:
PUBS Tutoring Program, which provides tutoring to thousands of public and private Philadelphia school students (one through twelve) throughout the Delaware Valley.
An adult tutoring program to aide adults attending college or trade school.
GED classes to high school drop outs and adults.
As an outgrowth of PUBS, Mrs. Joyner received state approval to open The Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School of Philadelphia, Inc. (MCSCS) in September of 1999 where she now serves as its Founder and Chief Administrative Officer. MCSCS is one of the largest charter schools in the state of Pennsylvania with a population of nearly one thousand students in grades 1 through 12. MCSCS was recognized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as one of the city’s top ten schools out of more than three hundred public and charter schools in Philadelphia, and it has received praise from the most prestigious educators on both a local and national level since its inception:
When referring to the school, former U. S. Deputy Education Secretary Eugene W. Hickok stated, “It’s pretty impressive.” He stressed the importance of education and said he would tell President Bush how impressed he was with the students and the school.
After visiting MCSCS, Dr. Hite, Superintendent of The School District of Philadelphia stated, “I enjoyed learning more about your school’s outstanding academic program and the tremendous strides that your students are making. I am pleased to know that you share my commitment to providing world-class learning opportunities to all children. It is obvious that you have created an environment that is conducive to teaching and learning. This was evident by the level of engagement and respect that students displayed toward learning and toward the adults in the building. Your staff should be commended for their commitment and high expectations for every student.”
Arlene C. Ackerman, former Superintendent of The School District of Philadelphia stated, “My visit with you was a quality introduction to the Philadelphia approach and an informative opportunity to observe an academic model of instruction that is faithful to its mission. The school’s teaching and learning environment was respectful and challenging. Students demonstrated an eagerness to learn and have fun while doing so.”
Thomas M. Brady, Former Chief Executive Officer of the Philadelphia School District of Philadelphia stated, “Thank you for allowing me to experience firsthand, what is meant by a quality charter school. …my visit provided me with an opportunity to observe a marvelous environment for teaching and learning and to see a discipline for learning rarely achieved within the Philadelphia public schools. What most impressed me was the ever-present notion of preparation for citizenship as an important goal of education that was interwoven into the fabric of your school culture. MCSCS is a place for caring, nurturing, and cultivating individual strength of mind and character.”
Paul Vallas, Former Chief Executive Officer of the Philadelphia School District states, “…I told Veronica that I considered her school one of the best I have visited to date and invited her to serve as a role model for other charter schools in the district”.