Franklin Towne Charter High School remains committed to serving its students in the best way possible even while the Philadelphia Board of Education investigates allegations of discrimination in its enrollment process.
The Board initiated the process of possibly revoking the school’s operating charter in August after discovering alleged irregularities in the school’s enrollment lottery.
“(We) are aware of the allegations of the past administration but have remained committed to our school,” Franklin Towne High School CEO Brianna O’Donnell said last month. “Our faculty and staff are prepared to serve the students of Philadelphia in the Towne tradition of academic excellence.”
That “academic tradition of excellence” has been upheld without disruption. The school and its students were recognized recently as a “Charter School of the Week” by the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools. FTC has also participated in several community events to further bolster the school citizenship efforts in the city.
Student government leaders, in concert with FTC high school principal Jonathan Dougherty, volunteered alongside FTC teachers to support the Philadelphia Phillies’ seventh consecutive Childhood Cancer Awareness Night presented by Nemours Children’s Health. The students and faculty helped distribute “Stand Up To Cancer” placards and materials to Phillies fans during a recent Florida Marlins game at Citizens Bank Park.
The school’s athletic teams continued their tradition of hosting a “welcome back” celebration, where they cooked for over 200 families before hosting a Bingo tournament.
In addition, Italian language teacher Claudio Saracino is leading a contingent of students, teachers and chaperones on an educational trip to Italy. The students will be able to immerse themselves in the history and culture of Italy while getting the chance to demonstrate the language skills they’ve learned in the classroom.
Perhaps the most important, most impactful event Franklin Towne students will be preparing for is next month’s Market Street Run for Blue. The event will center around efforts to honor Temple University Officer Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald, who lost his life on Feb. 18, while pursuing a suspect on campus. Fitzgerald was a 2009 graduate of Franklin Towne Charter. ••
