Co-founder leaves S.A. charter school after ‘breach of trust’
Letters of resignation are piling up at a recently developed San Antonio charter school.
The Gathering Place, a charter school on the Northwest Side for students from kindergarten through fifth grade, announced this week that five leaders and employees — including cofounder Ryan York — are stepping down.
York resigned after being placed on administrative leave by The Gathering Place board of directors due to “a breach of trust, leadership and duty of candor,” the charter network said in a statement provided to the Express-news.
The charter network would not provide further details. Principal Belinda Gonzalez, Special Education Director Alex Arriaga, Special Education Coordinator David Davila and Instructional Coach Amber Dhanani also have resigned.
“This amount of midyear leadership or district transition is unusual for TGP and we understand that it may give you pause,” the network said in a memo to parents. “The TGP board and leadership is committed to ensuring the impact is minimized as much as possible for our community.”
Brian Sparks, a former principal at Lamar Elementary School in the San Antonio Independent School District, has replaced York in the role of superintendent. His first day was Wednesday, and he will also serve as interim principal until a new one is hired. Gonzalez’ last day as principal will be Friday, the school said.
In a Facebook group for charter school parents, some users noted Sparks’ involvement with the School Innovation Collaborative, a nonprofit that San Antonio ISD had contracted to run four of its in-district charter schools.
The arrangement was terminated last month following allegations that the organization used SAISD employees to support public and private schools elsewhere.
“Since opening the investigation, SAISD has received further indications alleging that S-I-C has not been complying with Texas Education Agency accountability requirements, among other shortcomings,” Superintendent Jaime Aquino said in a letter to parents before the nonprofit and school district announced they had ended their partnership.
Sparks, who could not be reached for comment, is listed on the School Innovation Collaborative’s website as a co-founder and network director.
Since the resignations were announced, parents have swarmed social media to discuss how it might affect their children, particularly the school’s ability to meet the needs of special education students.
The school said the special education departures have no connection to York’s resignation.
“Special education is a top priority and will remain so for the entirety of the school year,” its statement said. “In the spirit of continuous improvement and to account for recent staff exits, we are making adjustments and working quickly to strengthen our Special Education program.”
The school said that a group from AIM Educate, a special education intervention group, is reviewing the school’s programming to provide recommendations on ways to stabilize and improve the department. Two special education staff members were also hired this week and are “supporting on-the-ground services for students,” the district said.
York, a former administrator of traditional and charter schools in Tennessee and California, opened The Gathering Place with co-founder Asia Klekowicz in 2020 with a focus on art and social justice. It was assigned a “not rated” score on the state’s accountability system and enrolls 465 students, according to the Texas Education Agency’s website.
“Instead of trying to force students to share a set of common societal beliefs, which in the U.S. are often built on white and Eurocentric values, we focus on understanding and encouraging the things that make us different,” the school’s website states.
The school said it is looking for applicants who are aligned with its mission to fill the new vacancies and will begin the interview process for a new principal and special education director this week.
“Recent weeks have presented challenges and we are committed to sharing updates as they surface,” the memo to parents said. “Our TGP community is strong and resilient, and we are grateful for your continued trust in our team.”