BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Bethlehem Area schools administrators strongly advised against granting charter school status to the proposed Bethlehem STEAM Academy at a special meeting Monday, citing numerous issues with community support and academics.
Superintendent Jack Silva and Assistant Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer Maureen Leeson both recommended the school board vote against the charter school, which consultant David Piperato had pitched as a school offering “rigorous academic content emphasizing science, technology, engineering, arts and math.”
Monday’s meeting was an extension of the original presentation for the charter on Dec. 18.
At that meeting, Piperato, a former Easton Area School District superintendent, offered a presentation for Bethlehem STEAM Academy, a charter focused on an integrated learning model introduced in Harrisburg.
He said the proposed school's mission, through partnerships with higher education, school organizations, nonprofits, community partners and local businesses and government agencies, would be to provide students "with rigorous academic content, emphasizing science, technology, engineering, arts and math.”
'Failed to do its homework'
During public comment Monday, former Lehigh University professor George White expressed concerns about student safety with traffic at the charter’s intended 316 E. Market St. location, and questioned the lack of a thorough curriculum plan.
Allison Peterson, an attorney for the district who presided over a session of questioning directed at Piperato — along with his fellow consultant Michael Makhoul, the former Dieruff High School principal, and their attorney Brian H. Leinhauser — cited issues with adequate parking, the potential board for the charter school and details regarding payment for the property, among other items.
Leinhauser said the school, if granted a charter, would not be obligated to pay Charter Solutions Inc. upon establishing the facility, at least as per his legal advice.
“The lack of evidence of integrated learning practices and the reliance upon skewed results are concerning. The STEAM Academy Charter School provides redundant or lesser programming and the Bethlehem Area School Districts, and the curriculum, instruction, and professional development plans do not align to their vision."BASD Assistant Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Maureen Leeson
Silva's comments focused on a lack of community support for the charter school. He said the proposed school lacked the backing that the Pennsylvania STEAM Academy in Harrisburg had in its environment.
Piperato specifically highlighted the Harrisburg STEAM Academy as an inspiration for the Bethlehem property.
“The Bethlehem STEAM Academy Charter School failed to do its homework in securing the support of significant and sufficient community partners for local STEM organizations, arts organizations, business organizations, special education, service providers, and parent associations,” Silva said.
“In contrast, the PA STEAM Academy Charter School did its homework and enlisted from its beginnings sufficient school support and partnerships from former Pennsylvania Secretaries of Education, institutions of higher learning, leading steam organizations, local arts, education providers, and local chambers of commerce, as well as their local intermediate unit and parent organizations in the Harrisburg area.”
Silva highlighted lack of support from supposed local partners cited in the Dec. 18 presentation, including Lehigh University, the DaVinci Science Center, the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Touchstone Theater, and #BASDProud Parents.
The superintendent displayed correspondence with each of those denying support, with Lehigh requesting that a previously submitted form letter be removed.
Silva said that while the application for the academy “describes a school for 240 students in one year… only 34 potential students who reside in the Bethlehem Area School District, who would be of the proper age” to attend.
Beyond that, Silva said of 97 letters of community support, 32 came from businesses at the Lehigh Valley Mall in Whitehall Township, outside the school district.
Silva said that among the 97 letters, “some business owners expressed that they were not aware of [or] concerned with what they were signing.”
Silva also pointed out two other proposed STEAM Academy projects in Allentown and Whitehall would be leased by developer Abraham Atyieh, who also would lease the Bethlehem property.
“The board needs to look no further than the evidence of the STEAM Academy Charter School’s motivation and lack of community support than its own application and its applicants’ testimony,” Silva said.
Academic programming, community partnerships
Leeson called attention to what she said were issues with the academy’s academic programming, saying it doesn't meet the minimum standard to “provide a comprehensive learning experience to students” and serve as a model for public schools.
She was interrupted by Leinhauser, who questioned whether she needed to read the entirety of her 24-page statement into the record.
"I could go off script, but I don't think you want me to," Leeson said, with the crowd laughing in response.
Questioning the use of “Balanced Literacy,” a system of literacy instruction created by Marie Clay, Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell, Leeson cited Emily Hanford’s podcast “Sold a Story” to point out problems with the methodology.
“Respected reading researcher Dr. Mark Seidenberg wrote, ‘Fountas and Pinnell’s approach to reading creates learning difficulties for which their curriculum then offers solutions,’” Leeson said.
“Bethlehem Area School District adopted a structured literacy approach in 2016 and prides itself on being a local and national leader in elementary reading instruction.”
Leeson said the charter’s proposed curriculum “does not substantiate” claims made by Piperato previously, particularly in terms of an “integrated learning experience” where students would apply concepts across classes.
“We agree, it sounds great, but that is it. It just sounds nice,” Leeson said.
Leeson repeated Silva’s commentary about a lack of support, saying BASD partners with local organizations, including Lehigh University’s Zoellner Arts Center, ArtsQuest, the Pennsylvania Philharmonic Orchestra.
'We encourage the board to reject the application'
Other issues brought up by Leeson included differences in staffing from the Harrisburg facility and the planned Bethlehem school, and noted differences in population dynamics, such as English language learners and special education students.
“The lack of evidence of integrated learning practices and the reliance upon skewed results are concerning," Leeson said.
"The STEAM Academy Charter School provides redundant or lesser programming and the Bethlehem Area School Districts, and the curriculum, instruction and professional development plans do not align to their vision.”
Leeson also addressed a budgetary shortfall for the academy in the amount of $492,023 in 2025, escalating to $1,029,486 by 2029 because of a lack of an existing retirement plan.
“These factors lead us to seriously question the credibility of this application," Leeson said.
"Bethlehem Area School District asserts that Bethlehem STEAM Academy Charter School did not meet its burden of establishing its capabilities to provide comprehensive learning experiences, and its burden to show that it would serve as a model for other schools.”
Silva concluded the presentation by stating, “to boil it all down to one administrative recommendation, we encourage the board to reject the application for specific reasons of insufficient community support and poor academic programs.”
Leinhauser stated the applicants would respond to the district’s comments in writing, “in terms of the misrepresentations of what content of the application actually is or areas of law that they've represented to the board.”
Piperato said his attorney advised him not to comment on the proceedings. He said a response will be sent to the school board by Jan. 31.
A school board vote on a final decision for the charter application has not been set.
