PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC SCHOOL

0 OTEBOOK WINTER 1995 "TURNING THE PAGE FOR CHANGE"

Hornbeck announces reform action plan Maps out District's strategies thorugh 1999

By Chip Smith Superintendent Hornbeck capped the

first six months of his reform tenure by formally presenting on February 6 Children Achieving, his plan for trans­forming Philadelphia's school system over the nex t 4 years. Initially sketched as a l 0-point program in September 1994, the detail s have been fill ed in by District staff with

Smith. From the readiness of pre-school children , through adequate classroom resources, to standards linked to jobs or positions in higher education , the plan seeks to involve all sectors of the com­munity in guaranteeing all the city's chil ­dren an elemental , adequate level of edu ­cation.

The price tag is in the hundreds of millions, but the

input from seven citi­zen task forces and a series of public meet­ings.

The plan reflects the impact of Judge Doris Smith's November 1994 rul­ing requiring, among other things, the pro­vision of full-day

While ambitious, the plan address­es only the basic needs of the city's children.

"radical" nature of th is reform program does not lie in exotic methods or luxurious surroundings. This is a no-frills program that requires schools to be clean and func­tioning, teachers and administrators to be accountable that chi I-

kindergarten to racially-isolated schools by September 1995 , and to all schools the following year. Reduced class sizes for early grades wi ll begin to be intro­duced in the fall of 1996.

While ambitious, Hombeck's pre­scription addresses only the basic needs of the city's children as described last fall by the team of experts brought in to assess the School District by Judge

dren are actually learning, and classes to be organized properly in the fall with enough books and computers. Add in other key elements like a school environ­ment free of violence, a full-time nurse available at each school (by 1997), and respect shown to students first language as they develop their abil ities in English, and you have what amounts to a decent,

See "Hornbeck" on p. 8

Protests rock SEPTA hearings; Fare hike spares students

By &ic Joselyn Last November the SEPTA Board

announced plans to hike their fares and reclaim the highest base fare of any major transit system in the nation. Transi t officials dined with the hearing examiner, lined up friendly experts for testimony and hoped for quick and quiet approval. SEPTA's designs for raising $ 13.3 million in additional inome from its riders, however, did not go unnoticed by those dependent on SEPTA for their education-Philadelphia's public school students.

Over a few short weeks students and community members became energized by the threat of a hike- a hike that could cut many off from school. Mobilized, they pressured and helped secure a set­tlement that averted a direct increase in student token costs. In addition, these actions focused attention on the burden transportation costs already place on our school ch ildren.

Student voices joined those of Community Legal Services, the Consumer Education and Protection Association and the Kensington Welfare Rights Union, as they presented testimo-

ny to show the human cost of the pro­posed fare hike.

The negative impact of a price rise on student attendance is not mere specula­tion; the School District has documented a decline in school attendance follow ing the last fare hike in 1990.

Before hearings in December and early January, youth activists from Asian Americans United began a series of out­reach in iti atives to contact students at high schools across the city. Ten thou­sand flyers alerting students to the fare hike were printed and di stri buted , along with black arm bands, at several high schools.

On January 12, over 350 students attended a noon rally at Central High School to protest not just the increase but the existing cost of getting to school. The next day over I 00 students were present to pressure the SEPTA Board as it voted on a compromise settlement. Students ralli ed in the wake of the final vote and gathered again on February 8th to plan next steps.

Nearl y 31,000 public school students use SEPTA tokens. The School District

VOLUME 2 • NUMBER 2

AI stake in the Philadelphia school reform debate: our children's lt1lure

Confrontacion de estudiantes evita aumento en tarifas de SEPTA

El testimonio de los estudiantes de Filadelfiafrente al Comisionado de SEPTA , referente a el aumento de f pasaj e. Despues de la protesta de estudi­antes, la Junta Directiva de SEPTA decidio volar en contra def aumenro de tarifas .

Mol Ly, la escuela secundaria Ba rtram.

No es justo para mi y para otros estu­diantes que no pueden pagar el aumento del pasaje. Creo que el Distrito Escolar de la ciudad de Filadelfia debe dar a todo el mundo--rico o pobre-la misma educacion.

La educacion es una de las cosas mas positi vas que se le puede ofrecer a urr nino. Usted puede pensar que la mayor parte de la violencia en este pa is es cau­sada por personas no educadas, pero no se les puede culpar. Es la sociedad que los impulsa. Si este pais hiciera todo lo que puede para educar a la gente, hubiera menos violencia y crimen.

Dicen queen este pais somos todos iguales, pero esto no es cierto. Y no son solo las personas pobres e incultas que cometen actos violentos. Pienso que el decir que todos somos iguales es violen­cia psicologica, pues todos sabemos 4ue Ios ninos ricos en este pais ti enen una educac ion mejor que los ninos pobres Conozco ninos ricos de los suburbios que tienen mucho mas dinero que nosotros, mas no tienen q ue pagar por e I autobus. Pero nosotros si que tenemos que pagar. Se que estos mismos ninos ricos tiene_n mejores escuelas, clases mas pequenas, mas libros. mejores edifi cios escolares y mejores oportunidades .

Y ahora se algo mas. Si despues de todo esto ll egamos a obtener una educa­cion no sera debido al apoyo de aquell os que tienen poder. Si no que sera debido a todos los ostac ulos que ustedes han puesto frente a nosotros. Asi que tengo una sola pregunta que hacer. Si nosotros fueramos sus hijos. podrian ustedes

haber fig urado otra manera para bregar con el asunto?

Catzie Vilaphonh, de la escuela secunda ria Cent ral .

Creo que el aumento de los pasajes no es j usto, los estudiante de Fi ladelfia ya pagan una de las tari fas mas altas de pasajes comparadas con otras ciudades. Tomemos a Was hington DC por ejemp­lo. Ellos solamente pagan un I /3 de los que nosotros pagamos. En el condado de Upper Darby los estudiantes ti ene la transportac ion gratuita, no pagan nada. Por que es que nosotros tenemos que pagar tanto?

Algunas escue las se han dado cuenta de 4ue esto es un problema para los esiu­diantes . Ex isten algunos fondos para ayudar a los estud iantes que tiene buenas notas, pero hay aque llos que no pueden pagar el pasaje toda la semana los cuales as isten a la escuela so lamente algunos di as , quien los ay uda? Debido a las ausencias sus notas 'son muy bajas. Estos no ti ene ni la oportun idad de obtener una beca.

'ill r

What's inside: School vouchers coming to PA? .. 3 Parents a nd the classroom .......... 4 Behind the Hornbeck pla n ....... 8-9 Summary of Children Achieving Pla n .. ............ ......... ..................... 10 Profile : Philadelphia Inter fa ith Action ..................................... .... 13 Letters ............................. ............ 14

Opinion : Breakdown of school community ..................... ...... .. ..... 15

Dentro Voces de una escuela .................... 6

Julia de Burgos ....... .... ................. 6

PAGE2

"Turning the page for change"

A voice for parents, students, and classroom teachers who are working for quality and equal ity in our schools.

Ad-,;sory Board Wi lfredo Rojas, National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights Mary Yee. Asian Americans United Debbie Wei. Steering Committee, Na­tional Coalition of Educat iona l Activists Eugene Wi lliams, Robert Fulton Parents Association Em il y Style, Co-Director, National S.E.E.D. Project-Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity Coleen Davis. LULAC Education Project Rochelle Nichols-Solomon, North Phi la. Comm unity Compact for College Access and Success Shafi k Abu-Tahir, New African Voices All iance Efrain Roche. Community Focus Newspaper Len Rieser, Education Law Center

W1r1<ingGroip Cindy Engst, Kathy Fleming, Helen

Gym, Eric Joselyn, Pat Lowe, Myrtle L. Naylor, Hana Sabree,.Chip Smith, Paul Socolar.

Philadelphia Public School Notebook is a project of the New Beginnings pro­gram of Resources For Human Development. Spec ial thanks to the Bread and Roses Community Fund for ass istance on this issue.

We publish four times a year. Send inquires to School Notebook, 372 1 Midvale Ave., Phila., PA 19129. Phone: (2 15) 95 1-0330. Fax: (2 15) 95 1 - 0342.

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due to the Bread and Roses Community Fund.

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Be part of the educational d ia logue. Your support helps put this paper in the hands of people working for positive change across the city.

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SCHOOL NOTEBOOK

When will it be the kids' turn? As people debate how much the School Di strict has changed under its new leader­

ship, one thing c learly hasn't changed. When it comes to getting on the school board,

it 's not what you know-it's who you know. Deborah Parks, a professional lobbyist, is the newest member of the Phi ladelphia

Board of Education, appointed by the Mayor in December to replace Rotan Lee. While

we don ' t want to belittle her strong record of community service , what distinguished

he r from all the other candidates is clear. Parks is tight with State Senator Vincent

Furno. It was F umo's tum, so Ed Rendell appointed Parks to the school board.

"Fumo 's tum?" you may ask.

Yes, that's right. Next time, we think it might be State Rep. Dwight Evans' tum

again . We' re not sure, because the rules aren't written down anywhere, but it seems

that there are only a few powerful guys who get turns in this game. The school chil­

dren don't get a tum, nor do their parents.

You may be wondering what Mr. Furno has done to entitle him to make this impor­

tant educationa l decision. One point of his record does stand out: over the past few

years, while he has been the city's big man in Harrisburg, the per capita state aid for

Philadelphia 's schoo ls has been steadi ly shrinking, with hardly a peep from the Honorable Mr. Furno.

Right now, the school board selection process is an insiders' game, filling a post

with job requirements like experience managing organizations with $1 million-plus

budgets. Furthermore, it 's an economically privileged few who can afford to take these

unpaid positions. T here need to be some seats on the board for members who are nei ­

ther big-shot managers, nor independently wealthy, nor dependent on a corporate spon­sor.

Phi lade lphia 's Board of Education desperately needs some more strong advocates

for o ur kids. Perhaps Deborah Parks will become one of these advocates. B ut for the

future, we need a selection process in which a candidate's ta lents and opinions count more than their connections.

Let's watch every move c losely the next time there's a vacancy on the board.

Hopefully next time we'll be ready to stand up to the big guys and say, "You 've got to g ive our kids a turn !"

Grants alone won't fill the gap . It is certainly good news that the School District will be getting as much as $50 mi l­

hon from Walter Annenberg, and potentiall y another $50 million each from the City

and the pnvate_sector to_ match it. Wnh lots of reform ideas on the table, it is vital to

have funds available to implement the_m. Another hopeful sign is that over a m illi on do ll ars per year is earmarked to organize paren ts and communities to partic i t fully m the ilfe of the schools. pa e more

But big n_umbers always have to be put in perspective. The Annenberg ant is to b

spent over five years , for an average of $ 1 O m illion a year. When spread 0~ over mor:

than 200,000 students in the School Distric t, this grant represents an additional contri­buuon of less than $50 per student per year (w ith the matching funds, you can tri le that amo unt). By compari son, the current expenditure per p ·1 · p Philadelphia is over $5,000. upi per year m

The Annenberg grant barely impacts on the gap in spending er u ii b Phtl adelph1a and many suburban di stricts. Some suburbs s end~s !up etween more per pupil eac h year than Philadelphia. p ch as $5,000

Even the $300 million per year increase in funding proposed 1 f 1

Smith 's educationa l team wou ldn 't cut the gap between city and :~~u: 1 by Judge

So we cannot le t o ur local and state e lected officials off the hook bs 111 half. members need to be challenged about the ir plans to add h . ·City Council funding levels. Mayor Rendell needs to get 10 work on ~~~i~ e madequacy of ex isting fundmg sources for o ur schools. not just matchi ng f d f g some substantial new

Fin a ll y, if you care ab_out publ ic education. we ne~~ so~rt~he Annenberg grant. tered to vote when ou r c ity's e lected offic ials fac th Y. . be informed and regis-

e e voters in May and Novem ber

Spread the news Help distribute the Phi!adephia Public School Notehook. You can be a part of putting the School Notebook in !he hands of

people across the city. Copies are avai l- -a~le for d1s1nbt1t1on at your school place o worship or community center. ,

Contact us at School Notebook 3721 Midvale Ave. Phila., 19129. Ph: 95 1-

WINTER 1995

Who ya' gonna cati? Jn this iss_ue w_e list a number of key nation organizations mvo lved 111 work mg for ed al tional change. There are many organ i za ti~~:­we were unable to hst m th is issue. Send your listing to Public School Notebook 3?2 Midvale Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19 129.' 1

Algebra Project: (61 7) 287 -1508. African-American acti vists who address the crisis m math education among inner city students.

Arrencan Association of University Women· (8001225.ggg3, ext. 21. · Provides resources on how schoo ls short­change g_irls: and strategies for combatt ing gender bias m educat ion.

Center for Collaborative Education (212) 348-7821 A network of New York City pu blic schools committed to advancing school reform. Coordinates an effort to create a national net­work of elementary schools.

Center for !he Preservation of Pu~ic Education (202) 833-4CXXl Monitors and supports efforts to combat pri­vatization, for-profit schools and school voucher plans. Project of the National Education Association.

Oearnghouse for Immigrant Education (CHIME): (800) 44 1 -71 g2 Resource center fac ili tating access to materi­a ls, org:mizations and people concerned with

the effective education of immigrant stu­dents.

Coalilion of Essential Schools (401) 863-3384 National network of innovative schools. Publishes newsletter, Horace.

Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform (312) 322 -4880 Supports bui lding of school-community ties and school reform through training, research, organizing and networking. Currently links activists in Philadelphia, Chicago, Denver, New York and Seattle districts.

Desgns for Change: (312) g22-0317 Materials for parents and teachers, offering detai led reports of Chicago's site-based reform, the country's most ambitious gover­nance reform.

Independent Commission on Cnapter I (202)-2g3.0115 Coal ition which pushed through important improvements in federal Chapter I law in 1994, and is educating communities on how to use the law as a too l for local school reform.

Natio1al Association for the Educ"1tion of Young Chik:Jren: (800) 424-241:, J. (202) 232· 8777 Publishes Young Children and other useful materials on early childhood education.

Natio18l Center for Fair and Open T esling (FairTest): (617) 864-4810 Produces FairTesr Examiner, a quarter ly newsletter on assessment issues.

Natio1a1 Cleanrghouse for 81111 ,gual Educalion: (800) 321 -6223 Conducts research and networking about local projects. Newsletter showcases success­ful programs.

Na1101a1 Coalition of Advocates for Sludenls (617) 357-8507 Network of schoo l reform organi zations. Produces comprehensive guide to school restructuring, mon itors spec ial education issues, and runs the National Center for Immigrant Students.

Natio18l Coalition of Education Ac<Msts (g 141876·4580 Activist group of parents and teachers work­ing on ant i-rac ist education projects, includ­ing tracking, standardized testing and class size. Quarterly newsletter, annua l conference, and electronic bullet in board.

Na!imal Student Alliance (800) 955-3622 Support for high school students who want to get seats on local school boards.

Netw011' of Educat.-", 1>n th,:e Amsncas ('.:::02; 429-0 137 Publishes an excellent catalog of curricular resources and a quarrerly newsletter. Teaching }or Change.

Ft• 'I" I_: I ·41 ), - · I ..f Provides curr icular resou rces on history and achievements of gay. lesbian. and bisexual people.

' F I

WINTER 1995

EYE ON $f EC/AL

EDUCA-TION ' by Hana Sabree

I want to thank the Norebook for dedi­cating a column to address the concerns, issues, and needs of those receiving spe­cial education. "Eye on Special Education" belongs to all who are inter­ested in the area of special education services. We welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions on issues you want to see addressed. "Eye on Special ' Education" wi ll provide informat ion as well as views on the defeats, the victo­ries, and the benefits of special educa­tion.

One victory for Special Education advocates is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The IDEA is the major federal legislation on the education of students with disabili­ties; formerly the Education for Handicapped Act (EHA). IDEA basical­ly ensures that all chi ldren with disabili­ties have available to them a "free and appropriate ed ucation in the least restric­tive environment." It also states that educationally related serv ices are to be provided to meet the rieeds of exception­al children. Some examples of educa­tionally re lated services are: speech, occupational and physical therapies, transportation, and assistance in feeding and toileting.

ln addition, IDEA entitles students with disabilities beginning as early as age 14 and no later that age 16 to receive transition planning annually as part of the Individualized Education Program (IEP). Transition planning is important because it li sts coordinated activities that must occur to prepare your son or daughter for li fe after high school. Some of the activities include ann ual goals and objectives in the area of living arrangements, work or voca­tional training, community participation, and adult serv ices. Most importantly IDEA ensures that the rights of children and youth with disabilities and their par­ents are protected. It is indeed fortunate for students with di sabilities and their parents that IDEA exists to protect their rights.

IDEA being threatened Unfortunately the Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is being threatened . The IDEA is coming up for reauthorization before Congress. Many of the guarantees and rights are being reexamined. Now is the time to let your leg islators hear from you that you would like them to reauthorize IDEA. One major point you could state-is that they not open part B of IDEA for rev i­sion. It contains the protections that are now guaranteed and needed, for exam­ple, lEP, due process, and parent partici­pation rights. These are at risk by those wishing to restrict IDEA protections if Part B of IDEA is revised.

Write to-

U.S. Senators: Rick Santorum 9456 Federal Building

600 Arch St. Philadelphia, Pa. 19106

Arlen Specter 9400 Federal Building 600 Arch St. Philadelphia, Pa 19106

U.S . Representatives: Thomas Fogliett a. Chaka Fattah. Robert Borski·

House Office Building Washington, DC 205 I 5

If you are not sure who your representative is. call The Commiltee of Seventy at (2 15) 545-0 104.

To suhmit articles to Eye on Special Education. /eG1•e a message for the Public School Notebook at 95 1-0330 or mail 10 RHD, 372 1 Midl'ale A1·e ..

Phi/a. PA 19129-1532.

SCHOOL NOTEBOOK PAGEJ

A school voucher plan, which would divert massive state puhlic education funds to pay ruirionfor privare and parochial school srude111s, is high on rhe legislarive agenda of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge. Below are excerprs ji·om marerial prepared by the Pennsylvania Education Coalirion to Oppose Tuition Vouchers, a stare-wide organizarion with over 30 member 01x_a-nizations·

The Penri~y l van ia General Assembly continues to be barraged by religious and private school interests who want the state to divert tax dolla rs from public schools to their private school coffers through a scheme called "tuition vouch­ers ."

Tuition voucher proponents couch their scheme in mislead ing terms, such as "parental choice," "G.I. Bill for Kids," and "school reform through com­petition ." The bottom line, however, is that the voucher legislation would give a spec ified amount of public money (up to $ 1,000 for each student) to parents to encourage them to send their children to religious and private schools. The grant is called a "voucher."

Here are some important fac ts about tuition vouchers:

The voucher schools also can reject children for discriminatory reasons such as religion , gender, economic s\atus, physical abi lity or academic record . The private schools get the "choice" of which students to take.

Public school s accept and teach a ll children, including those with spec ial needs. But voucher school s can tum

vouchers for religious schools a re unconstituti ona l, voucher proponents cont inue 10 seek votes for this legis la­tion. No other state has implemented such a plan. S ince 1966, voters in 14 states have rejected vouc her and tuition tax cred il initi at ives or referendums 19 times.

Tuition vouch­ers remove mi l­li ons of taxpayer dollars from public schools and place them in voucher schools which are not accountable to the public.

The proposed legislation would cost at least $250 million annually

Proposed legislation would cost at least $250 million even if no public school stu­dents choose to move to a private school.

away chi ldren based on the extra cost of educat ing special needs stu­dents . .How can we send so much pub­lic funding to pri­vate and parochial schoo ls when spe­cial education is so inadequately fund­ed?

Tuition voucher

Pennsy lvan ia taxpayers already pro­vide substantial nonsectarian services and supplies 10 pri vate and re ligious schools. In 1992-93 alone, these ser­vices cost taxpayers $ 174 million. In contrast, 28 of the 50 states prov ide no support to such schools, and most other states provide far less than Pennsy lvani a.

Locally. rhe Pare111s' Union is pro­moting a postcard campaign to the new governor and /0 the state legislators. opposing the 1•011cher plan. For more information on the Puhlic Education Coalition 10 Oppose Tuition Vouchers, a list ofmemhers, and their campaign "Puhlic Funds for Puhlic Schools." co/1/act Parents' Union, (215) 546-1166.

even if no public school students choose to move to a private or re ligious school. The $250 million would be needed to subsidize only those who already attend private and re lig ious schools-hundreds of millions spent without changing or improving the education provided to one Pennsylvania child!

Legislation considered in Pennsyl­vania has not proposed a way to pay for the vouchers. The state would either raise taxes or take away public schools' funds, harming the state's public schoo l students.

In addition to the direct cost related to tuition vouchers (e.g., the money given to parents to encourage them to send their children to private or re lig ious schools), the legislation will result in additional costs for transportation, administration . and dissemination of information.

Parents Union's

Resource Center welcomes parents to

visit our library

Come find out about your school

4 .

.. .

311 S. Juniper St. Rm.602

Philadelphia, PA 19107 (215) 546-1166

proponents want to "break ground" in Pennsylvania.

Despite a vote by the Pennsy lvani a General Assembly in 199 1 that tui tion

Statistically speaking· Facts and.figures that provide • a look at our school system

Total number of schools in 1993-94: 256

Phi la. Public school- students - teachers. African American 62.8% 353% Latino I 0.0% 1.4% Asian 4.6% .4 White 22.3% 62.0

Percentage of students granted vol untary deseg­regation school 1ransrcrs from 1985 10 199:L

18% of requests by b l a~k s1uden 1s 33% of requests by whne students.

Range in temperatures for classrooms recorded at Julia de Burgos Middle School during an air quality inspection in 1992 + 93: 47° to 97°F

Estima1cd number of Philadelphia public school drop-ou1s during the 1980s: 70.000

High School class size suggested by Council Presiden t John Street: 50

Number of children Mayor Rendell ha~ in public schools: 0

Number of tccichcrs. out of 10.769. given ··unsat­isfac1ory" rating in 1992-93: I 0

Percen t o f 9th !.!faders w ho mcc1 c riteria to start I01h grade the l1ex1 year: 4Yh

Num ber of uncmnpleted work order-.; (lca~ s . door

~n~~~ ~;.n~.~fifli~~c~~~~~c~~c~ :11~~1 ~~~~: ~~~~in 1993-94: 39.[XXI -

Numher of nationali1ics rcprc-;cntcd in !he stu­dent body oi"Ccntral Ea-;1 Middle School: 1X

The Philadelphia

S.E.E.D. Project on Inclusive Curriculum

(Seeki ng Educational Equity and Diversity)

Salutes the Public School Notebook We join them in the endeavor of assuring

schools affirm the history and culture of all students by placing them at the center of our agenda .

Teacher and parent facilitated seminars for parents, teachers, school staff, and community members

committed to the creation and development of a multi-cultural curriculum and school climate.

For more information. call (215) 248-4834

SCHOOL NOTEBOOK WINTER 1995

' > ~

Communites want to be part of what goes on inside our schools

Ferguson School Opening doors

By Myrtle Naylor Ferguson Elementary School , located

in the heart of North Philadelph ia at 7th and Norri s Streets, ranked 171 of the 171 elementary schools in the city, according to the Philade lphia Inquirer's October 1994 article titled "A District In Distress"

The staff and parents of Ferguson are trying to ·tum these figures around. They are taking parent involvement to a new and unique level.

First they are debunking the idea that in certain neighborhoods, parents just don 't care. They set out to prove that no matter where they li ve, parents do care.

To get parents in volved in the school, they had to get parents into the school. After using the conventional methods of reaching parents, with little or no suc­cess , Ferguson adopted a new approach.

Using the persona l touch and making the school user-friendly is their method of operation. Principal Linda Hall says she believes you have to provide an environment where parents feel comfort­able. Ferguson is now "the home of the persona l invita-

discuss concerns they have around chi ld rearing in a supportive, non threatening

atmosphere. After taking a survey, Zelda Jones­

Davis, support teacher for parent involvement, found the need to involve grandparents who are raising ch ildren in a program which was unique to them. "Grandparents Need More Than Hugs and Kisses" is a newly designed group to help them deal with the particular issues and problems they face.

A Parent's Network meets weekly, planning and organizing activities for parents. They are responsible for the fol­low-up phone calls and engaging other parents.

Although a Home and School does exist at Ferguson, both Hall and Jones-Davis said parents were more interested in being in vo lved in the other activities in the school. They admitted there was

.little enthusiasm among parents for serv­ing on a Home and School executive board.

Not all of the endeavors to involve parents have been highly successful , but Jones-Davis is quick to point out this is a learning process for staff and parents alike. Activities which a few years ago on ly had four or five present now will

have at least l 00. tion."

For many acti vi- using the personal ties and events, fl y-

How does Ferguson School get such a high level of parent par­ticipati on? Hall said she feel s it again returns to the personal touch. She makes it a point of visiting with par­ents in the school

ers are still sent out touch and making with the student s;

however, the fl yer the school user._ is often fol lowed

with a second , and friendly is their then parents rece1 ve

a te lephone call method of operation. from another parent or a staff member, extending the invitat ion to join the event.

Another avenue they use is personal home visitation. For example, th is was the fo undation of Ferguson 's "Parents Make a Difference Open House." To generate participation in the math and reading classroom observations and workshops, which were part of the Open House, the staff and parents took a Sunday afternoon in November and vis­ited students ' homes and ex tended the invitation to the Open House.

T hey a lso used thi s opportuni ty to engage parents and ca reg ivers in the importance of their taking an acti ve part in the ir chil dren 's education. T hey have mai ntai ned turnouts of over 200 at the Open House eac h of the las t two years.

T hroughout the year a num ber of workshops are offered for careg ivers. including ones on self-esteem as we ll as science. In addition to these educational forums for paren ts. Ferguson has estab­lished a mother's support group which brings together caregivers and staff to

yard when they bring the children in the morning. Often the conversation ends with an invitation to come into school and join their child in the c lassroom. "The schoo l environment must be made to be welcom ing to parents," Hall said.

How does all of thi s personalization, involvement of parents, caregivers and community translate to higher student achievement? Hall admits hard data such as test scores do not make Ferguson look good. However, the inclusion and pres­ence of parents taking part in their chil­dren 's education en hances their chil­dren 's abi lities to be more prepared and better able to perform academically. Discipline problems have been reduced and the atmosphere of the school is more conducive to learning.

Clead y. bui lding these relationships is seeking improvement over the long haul. The many schools in Philadelphia that, like Ferguson, face near-c ri sis situations must look beyond the "quick fix " and work to re-form their ties wi th the com­mun ity. This is the lesson from Ferguson .

By Cheryl Feldman Parents of chi ldren attending C. W.

Henry School have carved out an inte­gral role for themselves beyond t.he usual parent-teacher relat1onsh1p. Through the Home and School Association , a comm ittee call ing itself Classroom Representatives serves as the communication link between teachers, parents , and the Home and Schoo l

Association. c. w. Henry is a K through 8 school

located in West Mount Airy. As one of the School District's voluntary desegre­gation schools , Henry 's population is 64% African American , 33% white, 2% Hispanic, and 1 % other. Parents actively support the Home and School , schoo l plays and the excellent music program. They volunteer in classrooms and as par­ent peace-keepers to assure the safety of children walking to or from school.

Classroom Representatives, or Class Reps, work to build communication and a strong partnership between the class-

Class Reps work to build a strong part­nership between the classroom teacher and parents. room teac her and parents. They assist the teacher in obtaining additiona l resources from the parents, involve par­ents more in classroom activities, and provide a vehicle to connect parents to school-wide or Home and School activi-

parents can help. Some Class Reps are avai lable during school hours to get more involved in the classroom, while others organize parents during their evening hours.

There are a number of different and successful strategies developed by Class Reps:

Judy and two other Class Reps have children in a second grade class. Judy is somet imes ava il able during school hours, but the other two moms are not. One of the mothers worked with the classroom teacher to get the names , addresses , and phone numbers of the children and put out a classroom directo­ry for the use of parents and kids. The Reps have divided the classroom parents mto three groups and regularly keep in touch with their parent group, communi­catrng. c lassroom needs, upcoming events m the class, or recruiting help for thrngs such as class trips. Judy has decided to become a regu lar classroom vol unteer, working with individual kids who are either disciplinary problems or need one-on-one help with basic ski ll s

In a fi rst grade class, the three Cl~ss Reps established monthly meetings with the .classroom teacher early in the year which have been open to parents: Mmutes from these meetings are distrib­u~e~ t.o all of the parents. Projects initiat­~o r y paren.ts mclude a c lassroom direc­c ~ ~cqumng old conwuters being di s­. ar e by a parent 's workplace and he lp-

~~! ~~a~~ t them successfully installed in ' puttmg out a newsletter pub-

Teachers who can utilize parents' investment in the classroom environ­ment can find a tremendous resource. Class Reps to sponsor parent meetings to

discuss transitions, as their children head toward high school at the same time that they are leaving childhood and becom­

ing teenagers. Wh ile there are issues to sort out

about appropr iate parent and teacher roles, Class Reps are exploring involve­ment in mediating parent-teacher prob­lems or in helping commun icate with parents regarding the curriculum and themes wh ich the teacher has planned.

Tamar Magdovitz, a Henry parent and C lass Rep who is also a teacher at Shawmont, commented , "When yo u have a teacher who is receptive to parent input and invo lvement and parents who are respectful of the teacher 's methods and curriculum, then Class Reps can f~I~ fil l a tru ly important funcuon 10 t classroom and the school. Teachers wlio can utili ze parents' in vestment in th e success of the class room environment

can find a tremendous resource."

Con todo mi corazon She was a mistake, that's what I said, a mistake. Born five years after me, I knew

we wouldn't get along. Waking me up at six o'clock in the morning, always telling on

me, suddenly becoming my shadow and eventually a miniature me. I was annoyed

with the little brat ,but eventually I grew up. She made me realize that no one can ever

make me feel as special as she does when she wants to be like her big sister. I learned

to stop being so self centered and start listening to my baby sister. I see now a young

lady with strength and maturity, facing the problems of tomorrow. She will not face

the world totally alone, because she has her big sister to hold her hand. I guess I

haven ' t realized the importance of our relationship, but we never really appreciate our

fami ly until they are not there. That 's why I write to her now saying thanks for being

my baby sister. Te amo con todo mi corazon.

-by Ana Echevarria, Central High School

(reprinted from Winter, 1994 edition of The Issue, a Philadelphia student-run publica­tion. For more information on The Issue, write 820 S. St. Bernard St., Phi/a., PA 19143)

Take Me Take me to a place far away,

Where no one has gone before, Where the flowers bloom and trees blossom.

Take me where love is harder than a rock, Softer than a cloud,

Where children play with joy in their hearts, Take me where no one has taken us before,

Take me to a place where there is happiness, A place where no one can hurt you or me.

-by Zussette Reyes, 6th grade, Central East Middle School

Th.a:nk you for cari.ng for the world. ;you ~de it a whole lot better for peo­ple. But, we still have a lot of hatred in ·the world. I wislryou were still here to stop it, like you fought to stop racism.

Thank you,

Sneshia Davis, Gillespie Middle School

Meteors I was standing in my yard one night and a meteor crossed my face from left to right.

This rock may have been traveling for billions of years and it happened to cross our atmos-

phere.

They look yellow and blue­that's what I think.

They move so fast you'll miss it even if you blink.

When it passes your face it's like a blue and ye ll ow glow.

How fast these things move nobody knows.

-by Brandon Jenkins, Wagner Middle School

Tet ansam-All together

PAGES

Drugs In real life people are dying every day

because of drugs . A person may owe another person some money. If they don't pay, the person pulls out a gun. Shootings happen due to people doing drugs.

There are a lot of kids doing drugs. The reason they are doing them is because of pressure from peers or other people. It's important to the entire world to stop children from doing drugs.

Like on T. Y. they show children pres­suring other chi ldren . They try to show you how to handle it, but it doesn ' t work. Kids promise their parents that they won't do drugs, but they break their promises because they give in to the pressure. They a l low other people to

control them. There has to be a solution.

My parents te ll me every day, when you go outside look all over and be aware of everything around you. A walk to the corner could be death. It's a rough neighborhood out there.

Don't do drugs, it can kill' It doesn't matter how you put it, people are dying every day.

Life is not a game!

From someone who wa nts to make a difference.

-by Vincent Reid, Comegys Middle

School

School supplies for Haiti The return of Jean-Bertrand Aristide

as president of Haiti has been hai led as a victory for dem,pcracy, but for democra­cy to truly take root, public school s must be able to educate a free citizenry. Mi litary rul e has ended and many schools are try ing to reopen. But those that are open often lack the most basic supplies, such as paper, pencils, or note­books.

In response to the urgent need for school supplies in the Grand Anse region of Haiti, the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) has begun a cam­paign called "Tet Ansam", a Creole phrase that means "a ll together."

Collecting school supplies for Haiti is

simple and d irect. An organiz ing packet is ava il able with complete instructions. includ ing exactly what school suppl ies are needed in Haiti. Assembled boxes of suppl ies can be sent to AFSCs Philadelph ia office. AFSC staff wo rking in Haiti's co untryside d istribu te the boxes di rect ly to schools in need.

As a classroom project. co ll ecting school suppli es for Haiti can educate about the people of Haiti and their unfold ing history, as well as meet a cru­cia l humanitarian need.

For more information 011 how you co11

help. write or call the Special Assistant 011 Haiti, AFSC. 1501 Cherry St .. Philadelphia. PA 19102. (215) 241-718.

PAGE 6 SCHOOL NOTEBOOK WINTER lffl

Voces de una escuela: Roberto Clemente

Estudiantes Marlene Burgos y T amans Leon le da bienvenida al cambio.

Ruth Morales, Presidente de la Asociacion Hogar Escuela de la Escuela Intermedia Roberto Clemente.

Yo vine de Puerto Rico en e l 1989 con mi familia. Me choco al ver a la escuela que irian mis hijos. Yo sabia que e l edifi­cio de ta Clemente era inapropiado para los ninos. Se estaba cayendo. No habia gimnasio, ni auditorio, ni siquiera sufi­

cientes li bros. En e l 1989 cas ino habia envolvim ien­

to de padres en la Escuela. Se hizo una reun ion de padres y vinieron 150 padres. Ahi fue cuando comenzamos la Asociacion. La majoria de los padres hablaban espano l, asi que empezamos a impri mir hojas sueltas en espanol e

ingles. Muchos de nosotros sentimos que

nuestros hijos habian sido marginados Y descuidados. Tu sabes, tanto que se habla de abuso de ninos, esto tambien era abuso de ninos! E l sistema estaba abusando de nuestros ninos.

S iempre les digo a los padres: Somos minorias, pero a mi no me importa si tu estas en seguro social, ayuda publica, o lo que sea, nosotros tenemos derecho a

una buena educacion para nuestros hijos. Nosotros no tendremos dinero para dejarles una herencia, pero podemos dejarles una buena educac ion para que puedan ganarse una vida honestamente.

, . .Nuestros estudiantes en la vieja C lemente se vol viero n bien frustrados. En un momento se prendieron fuegos. Los padres y la comunidad empezaron a organizarse seriamente. Hicimos piquetes fuera de la escue la y suimos a reuniones con ofic ia les de la escueeta. Adquirimos guaguas y fuimos a l Concilio de la C iudad asi como para que los padres hablaran y protestaran en reuniones de la Junta de Educacion. Por anos a los padres se les prometieron cosas y nunca se nos cum pli a. Ahora tos padres estabamos dispuestos a pelear hasta ganar, y e llos lo sabian .

E l Distrito Esco lar fina lmente dec idio darle un nuevo ed ific io a la Escuela Roberto C lemente.

Los padres estuvieron envue ltos en ta planificacion de la Esc ue la. Formamos varios comites. E xig imos un arq uitecto Latino por q ue queriamos a alguien que

"Voces" continua en la p. 7

De Burgos: Escuela bilingue desafia evaluacion injus-Par Fbn ll\!hitehorne

Muchas escuelas en Filadelfia reciben ayuda federal denominada "Capftulo I" para los estudiantes de bajos ingresos, y el Distri to Escolar ha trabajado duro para desarrollar un Sistema que ofrezca Oexi ­bil idad a algunas escue las de c6mo usar esos fo ndos para satisfacer las necesi­dades de los estudiantes.

Pero la unica esc uela media bil ing i.ie de Fi ladelfia esta en pe ligro de perder e l con­trol de esos fondos federales debido a que las notas de los estudiantes en los examenes estandard no son lo sufic iente­mente al tas. Tanto el personal como los padres de familia estan hablando claro de lo que e llos consideran una polftica q ue es injusta para los estud iantes de una minorfa lingi.i istica.

La Escuela Med ia Magnet Bilingi.ie Julia de Burgos, como muchas escuelas med ias urbanas. tiene un gran numero de estudidntes que se enfrenta a una fuerte posibilidad de fracaso, debido a sus defi­ciencias en matematicas y en la lectura.

Entre la mitad y las tres cuartas panes del estudiantado registran notas inferiores al 260. de percentila en lectura y matematicas.

La escuela de Burgos. ubicada en un edificio viejo que era anteriormente la sede de la Esc uela Secundaria Ed ison en la secc i6n Fa irhill de l Norte de Filadelfia, sirve a una com unidad vfctima de la pobreza, un trafico de drogas penetrante y del crimen y la violencia que este genera. La escuela fue fundada en 1988. en parte por la presi6n de la comunidad latina que deseaba un programa bi lingi.ie. mu l1 icul-1U ral que sirviera a los es1udiantes de la escuela media. El estudiantado de la de Burgos esta integrado aproximadameme por el 85% de latinos. en su mayorfa puer­torriquefios. Los cstudiantes afroameri­canos constituyen el 15% restante.

Los fo ndos federa les. a traves de un programa llamado "School Wide Projec1s" le ha pem1 i1 ido a la Escuela de Burgos, asf como a otras escuelas de Filadelfia. disefiar programas para mejo­rar las destrezas basicas de los es1ud i­antcs. El "School Wide Projects" permite a las escue las detenninar por sf mismas c6mo uti lizar los fondos denominados "Capftu lo Uno".

A diferenc ia de los programas tradi­cionales del Capftulo Uno, que limitan los

servicios a programas que se pueden reti­rar para estudiantes elegibles, el "School Wide Projects" autoriza que el dinero se use para servicios a todos los estudiantes. Este enfoque se considera mucho mas efectivo debido a: su enfasis en la planifi­caci6n amplia escolar, y el proceso de toma de dec isiones, y el reconocer que el aislar a estudiantes "en peligro" es una medida contraproducente, por lo general.

Julia de Burgos fue la primera escuela media que fue incorporada al programa

de los conceptos y destrezas que seran examinaaas; asf como una serie de reuniones y asambleas para motivar a los estudiantes y al personal por igual. Segundo, estan retando el mismo proceso de eval uaci6n por considerarlo injusto; tanto el personal , representado por la Federaci6n de Maestros de Filadelfia y los padres, representados por la Asociaci6n de Home & School, reconocen la desven­taja del metodo de evaluaci6n que pone en desventaja a la escuela desde un princi-

Los estudiantes latinos necesitan mas, y no menos, expansion de programas bilingues; mayor numero de maestros bilingues y clases con menos estudiantes. "School Wide Projects (SWP)" y esta . ahora en su segunda re-evaluaci6n (El Estado evallia a las escuelas al final de cada c iclo de tres afios). El aiio pasado tres cuartas partes de un mi 116n de d61ares ($750,000) fue asignado a dicha escuela medi ante e l dicho programa.

El plan para el uso de esos recursos se desarroll 6 con la participaci6n del person­al y de los padres de familia y requiri6 que se conn-<Haran mas maestros para las clases de lectura con el fin de reducir el tamafi o de la c lase para dicha asignaci6n; comprar mas computadoras con el objet i­vo de mostrar al estudiantado la van­guardia de la tecnologfa; contratar ayu­dantes para el sa lon de clases, biling Lles, de tiempo parcial y contratar a un coordi­nador de la com un idad. Estos programas, algunos de los cuales han estado durante varios afios. han tenido un impacto pos iti­vo. de acuerdo con el personal de la escuela y de los padres involucrados.

Pero ahora se le infonn6 a la esc uela Julia de Burgos de que a menos que haya un mejoramiento considerable en las notas de los examenes de toda la ciudad esta pri mavera. la escuela sera descontin­uada del SWP. La escuela ha reaccionado de do.s maneras. Primera, el personal y los estudiantes sc estan preparando para lie­var a cabo un esfuerzo importante y ele­var las no1as de los examenes. incluyendo ad1esrram1ento ad icional en c6mo tomar el examen. mayor ensefi anza sistemat ica

pio.

Las discrepancias que surgen del meto­do de evaluaci6n util izado por el Distrito Escolar y el Estado en la decisi6n si la de Burgos permancera o no como una escuela del programa SWP son impor­tantes no s61o para dicha escuela sino vir­tualmcnte para todas las otras escuelas en la ciudad que tienen una gran concen­traci6n de estudiantes con Profic iencia Limitada en Ingles (Limited English Proficiency - LEP).

Esencialmente, para que la escuela cua lifique y continue en el SWP, los estu­diantes deben ser mejores que los del Capftu lo Uno de las escuelas que no pertenezcann al programa SWP en la ciu­dad, basado en la estandarizaci6n de l exa­men amplio en la ciudad.

Como dice una carta de ta Uni6n y de la Asociaci6n de Home & School: "No estamos en un ni vel para estar jugando en cuanto a esta comparac i6n debido a la a lta proporc16n de estudiantes de LEP en Julia de Burgos ."

La mvestigac i6n muestra queen promed10 se necesitan hasta siete afios de

~:ucac 16n para que un estudiante, cu yo gundo. 1d1oma es el ingles, este al nivel

de estud1antes angloparlantes.

esc~~1;ran numero de estudiantes de ta . de Burgos que toman el examen

de la c1udad salieron recientemente de l programa de "English as a Second Language (ESOL)"

Muchos estudiantes que se jactan del ingles como su primer idioma, provienen de hogares en donde se habla muy poco ingles. Para evaluar justamente el progra­ma, en la escuela de Burgos, se deben tomar en cuenta todos estos factores.

Recientemente se publicaron los datos de los examenes de toda la ciudad y mostraron que el problema de notas bajas a nivel urbano no esta meramente limitado a la de Burgos. Una escuela simi lar, la Roberto Clemente, obtuvo todavfa califica­ciones mas bajas y todas las escuelas con grandes concentraciones de estudiantes con LEP calificaron bastante mal . Mas de la mitad de los estudiantes que se graduan de estas escuelas medias abandonan la escuela secundaria.

Pero este problema no sera resuelto mediante el recorte de recursos, de por sf inadecuados, que se asignan a las escuelas como la de Burgos. Los estudiantes latinos necesitan mas, y no menos, expansi6n de programas bilingi.ies; mayor numero de maestros bil ingi.ies y clases con menos estudiantes, por ejemplo.

El personal y los padres de familias de la escue la de Burgos estan apelando a la comunidad para que los apoye en su cam­paiia de mantener a la escuela en el progra­ma de "School Wide Projects" y promover un estandard de evaluaci6n mas equitativo.

jMantenganse informados!

Februaly sale! Exciting new product line for March!

Developmental Toys, .Books & Games For All Ages

Home Demonstrations, Fundraisers, Catalog/Phone

Orders

New Book of Knowledge Encyclopedia

Part & Full Time Career Opportunities

349 W. Hortter St. Philadelphta, PA 19119

WINTER 1995 SCHOOL NOTEBOOK

Padre, maestra y estudiantes relf ejan sob re su nuevo edificio

"Voces" viene de lap. 6 entendiera la c lase de esc uela que queri­amos construir. Por ejemplo, los colores de la (n ueva) Clemente son caribenos. Ahora que tenemos un hermoso edific io nuevo, le pedimos a los padres que par­ticipen en la Escuela.

Tambien queremos que la Escuela le sirva a la comunidad. Por eso es que ped­imos que hubiese entradas desde la calle al aud itorio y al gimnasio para eventos noctumos. Y habra una clinica de salud para la comunidad manejada por el Hospital St. Christopher.

Estuvimos durmiendo por muchos anos. lQue rayos estabamos pensando por tantos anos que permitiamos que nuestros hijos entraran a un edificio como quel?

La leccion mas importante en todo esto es que los padres, la comuoidad y los maestros somos una fuerza enorme. Tenemos que envolvemos con nuestras escuelas para saber que esta pasando con

nuestros hijos, y tenemos que unirnos como uno solo para cambiar nuestras escuelas para que nuestros hijos puedan lograr sus metas."

Tamaris Leon y Marlene Burgos, estudiantes de octavo grado de la Escuela Intermedia Roberto Clemente.

En nuestra vieja escuela a los mucha­chos no les importaba muco muchachos no !es importaba mucho. Los muchachos escribian en las paredes y a nadie le importaba. Ahora colgamos nuestros tra­bajos en las paredes y nadie los tumba. Todos queremos que es ta escuela sea la mejor.

Aq ui nos gusta q ue tenemos salones separados. En la vieja escuela, no podi­amos ni oir al maestro. Siempre era tan ruidoso . Las paredes no llegaban a l techo. Los muchachos ti raban papeles y libros sobre las paredes.

Ahora trabajamos mas fuerte por que

no tenemos excusas para no hacerlo. Antes las 1 uces prendian y apagaban y habia grandes rotos en med io del salon, y muchos fuegos. No podiamos escuchar a los maestros.

La mayoria de los estud iantesaqui son realmente buenos. Nos gusta que nos respeten , eso si que es bien importan te. Si un maestro tiene un problema de acti­tud hacia nosotros, nosotros no podemos respetarlo tampoco. Fijate en la Principal, tu puedes notar que tu puedes de verdad hablar con ella, y todo e l mundo la respeta.

Tambien este edific io nuevo nos hace a nosotros ser mas respetuosos. Por ejemple, los muchachos no le escupen a los otros al pasar debajo en las esca leras como pasaba en el viejo edificio . Nosotros adoramos tener nuestro propio gimnasio aqui. Antes teniamos que viajar la mitad del periodo (de clase).

Y esta mas estrictio aq ui. Muchos maestros , padres y genie de Seguridad.

Se escuchan las voces de los estudiantes sobre SEPTA "Testimonio" viene de lap. 7

Ademas mi escuela requiere que los estudiantes participen en servicios comu­nales para poder recibir credito y grad­uarse. Esto significa que hay que comprar mas fic has (tokens) para el pasaje. Como podemos comprar mas fichas (tokens) para atender el servicio comunal si tan siquiera podemos comprarlas para atender la escuela?

Hang Do, la escuela secundaria de Central.

Hoy dia hay estudi­antes que no pueden pagar por lo que llamamos educacion publica.

Mi fami lia paga $27.00 semanales ya que hay tres ninos que van a una escuela que no provee transportacion. Una de mis hermanas va a la escuela intermedia Pepper. E lla iba a la escuela en la guagua escolar hasta el sexto grado, pero ahora va al septimo grado y tene mos que pagar por sus fic has (tokens) par el pasaje. Mi otra hermana va al centro de aprendizaje de Franklin y tambien tiene que pagar sus fichas (tokens). Reci bimos asistencia pub­lica.Todos los meses mi padres tienen que pagar $108, para que podamos ir a la escuela. Somos seis hijos en mi fami lia. Imaginense que el futuro mis padres tuvieran que pagar $54. Semanales para

enviamos a la escuela. El gobierno siempre esta habl ando de

sacar a la gente del Welfare . Alguna vez han pensado en el efecto que estegasto­tendrai en la ciudad? El costo tan alto del pasaje causa que muchos estudiantes dejen la escuela. Para comenzar, en muchas escuelas la educacion no es muy buena. Muchos estudiantes piensan que si tienen que pagarla para que molestarse. Pero si los estudiantes dejan la escuela por que no pueden pagar el pasaje entonces al no tener una buena educacion no pueden conseguir trabajo. Terminarande de nuevo en Welfare .

La escuela publica debe estar abierta para todos los estudiantes . Hoy dia hay estudiantes que no pueden pagar por lo que llamamos educacion publica. Si ustedes aumentan los pasajes, hasta las escuelas estaran cerradas para el pobre. Yo creo que esto no es dar oportunidades iguales . Puede que no podamos asis ti r a la escuela, pero aprenderemos una leccion. La lecci.on sera una que nos ensenara quien ver­daderamente cree esta sociedad que es importante y quien debera se desechado. Es esta la leccion que ustedes quieren darnos a aprender?

Oudeon Vilayphunh, Centro de Aprendizaje de Franklin.

Creo que ya estamos pagando sufic iente por el pasaje, si esto sigue aumentado va ser mucho mas dific il para aquellos estudi­antes que ya tienen problemas pagandolo. Por que el gobierno esta haciendo tan imposible el que nosorros los estudiantes obtengamos una buena educacion? Parece que el gobierno no nos esta ayudando a ir a la escuela sino que nos esta retando a ir.

Una de cosas mas incomprensibles

College going should be a choice for a ll young peo­p le . The partners of the North Philadelphia Community COMPACT believe tha t w ith c onsol idated resources, committed leadership and a community-wide focus on results, more families in North Philade lphia w ill realize the dream of seeing their c hildren graduate from college.

;uji~leiiJ Ill Ill

for College Access and Success

North Philadelphia Community Compact

Rochelle Nichols Solomon. Director The Lighthouse 152 West Lehigh Avenue Philadelphia. PA 19133 (2150 7 39-9340

sobre el costo de! pasaje es que la escuela ya tienen un sin numero de normas locas para bregar con el asunto. Yo voy al Centro de Aprendizaje de Frank lin. Muchos estud iantes de diferentes razas van al la misma esc uela, pero solo las blanco reciben las fichas (tokens) gratis. Alguien me dijo que los blancos reciben las fichas (tokens) gratis debido a la desegregacion. Yo entiendo que estan tratando de ni velar las oportunidades escolares . Pero todas las semanas, cuando los estudiantes compran sus fic has

Si despues de todo esto llegamos a obtener una educa­cion no sera debido al apoyo de aquellos que tienen poder. (tokens) y ven como los blancos reciben gratis, se enfadan. Y no importa la razon por la cua l es asi. Se siente como disc rim­inacion racial.

Yo tengo amigos que van a la esc uela secundaria de Un iversity City. Los asiati­cos van alli por que hay un programa de ESOL que los ayuda a aprender ing les. Pero no viven en el vec indari o. Ellos tam­bien rec iben fic has (tokens) gratis por que tiene que sali r de su vec indario. Pero hay otros estudiantes en la esc uela que ho reciben la fic has (tokens) gratis . Los estu­diantes as iaticos se sienten ma! por esto . Los otros estudiantes no comprenden por que e llos no pueden recibir la fichas (tokens) grat is.

Para ser honesto, yo tampoco lo entiendo. No entiendo nada de esto. En mi opinion, ning un estud iante deberia pagar un precio tan alto para poder ir a la escuela. Y este cos to ha hecho un sin numero de normas que hieren y enfurece a los est ud iantes. Ustedes nos dicen que qu ieren que nos eduquemos y que viva­mos en paz. i,Pero, como podemos hacer­lo en esta rea li dad? Puede que los adu ltos en poder entiendan lo que qu ieren con esto. Pero verdaderamente nosotros no lo entendemos.

Trad11ccio11 por Iris Violera

PAGE7

Los muchachos no traen armas. No hay lugares secretos para esconderse al cortar clases. Tambien las ca lies alrededor de la Escuela estan mas seguras. Antes en la calle de enfrente se daban tiroteos con tantos tiradores de drogas.

Pero fueron desde entonces que nue­stros padres lograron quo se abriera la nueva (escuela) . Ell os pelearon y pelearon. Tuvieron que hacerlo. Las madres y padres de nosotros dos trabaja­ban y no podian venir a los piwuetes, pero nosotros ibamos a las protestas con otros jovenes. Los padres necesitaban pelear en serio. Uno no puede masque pedir. Uno tiene que demostrar que uno necesita al go de verdad.

Ahora queremos que la gente sepa que los jovenes aqui somos buenos y que somos una escuela buena. Tambien ten­emos e l orgull o de ser la primera clase graduanda de octavo grado de la nueva Escuela Intermedia Roberto Clemente.

Janet Kristman, una maestra en la Escuela Roberto Clemente por los ulti­mos ocho anos. La Sra. Kristman ense­na sexto grado.

En e l otro plante l yo me sentia que era muy privlegiada pues mi salon de clases tenia ventanas y la puerta de! salon se pod ia carrar. Muchas maestros no tenian minguno de estos pri vilegios. Ellos ensen­aban en salones donde no entraba la luz del sol y la un ica luz que estaba d ispon ible era la luz electrica. Y claro esta hay que menc ionar que durante el verano se sentia el ambiente muy cali ente y seco.

Este nuevo edificio es un sueno hecho realidad. La biblioteca esta siendo organi­zada e incl uira nuevas formas en que los estudiantes tendran acceso materiales educativos. El gimnasio esta designado para hacer deportes y el nuevo auditorio permitira que nuestros estudiantes par­tic ipen y puedan disfrutar de obras teatrales. Los laboratorios de cienc ia y computadoras son muy modernos; esto ayudara a promover a que los estudiantes sean expuestos a nuevas formas de apren­dizaje fuera de! sa lon de clases.

Esperamos que este nuevo edificio aude a crear una fi losofia y actitud positi­va en tre maestros y est udi antes. Creo que todo nino merece una buena educac ion y esta nueva escue la de muestra que nosotros va loramos a nuestros estud i­antes . Este plantel fue disenado para ser una escuela; el otro ed ificio fue disenado para ser una fabrica.

Los esfuerzos hechos por obtener una nueva escue la genero mucha confianza entre los maestros. Nuestra union se envolvio en e l proceso y muchos maestros fo rmaron parte de los d iferentes com ites Fue un esfuerzo por parte de todos.

Ahora me doy cuenta de e l valor que tienen los padres y la comunidad. Fue a traves de los esfuerzos de ellos que esta escuela se convirtio en una rea l idad; e ll os trabajaron y trabajaron din parar. El los merecen todo e l credito. Esta nueva escuela d ice mucho del poder que tienen los padres y la comunidad para cambiar y hacer cosas posit ivas.

Traduccio11 por Jose Morales y Felicia Feliciano

WINTER. J995

SCHOOLNOThe process behind By Paul Socolar Readmess; Community Services and

A first step 1n parent engagement families gathered at de Burgos Middle School for one of 22 cluster meetings across the city

Neighborhoods step out to support schools

"Cluster" meetings give voice to grassroots ideas on school change

By Juno Cohan Between December 6 and January 26,

1995, neighborbood school "c luster meet­ings" were held around the city. Parents, community leaders, and many teachers came together to begin 1he di scussion of empowerment-to radically change our schoo ls. The meetings were supported by efforts from the Alliance of Public School Advocates.

The ideas and information gathered at these 22 meetings had

ty. The Home and School President from Roberto Clemente Middle School spoke of the strugg le of the comm unity to get a new bui lding, and the need to continue to fi ght. Two students testified that they were put into low tracks and told they could not get into college; and a minister in one neighborhood spoke about how the youth in our neighborhood are holding us hostage," because they are not receiving what they need in the schools and in the

community. two purposes: to learn about and respond to the Superintendent 's new I 0 point plan for "Children Achieving", and to discuss the key problems fac ing our schools and identify what roles people can play to make them change.

More than 1500 people attended this first round of meet­ings. They were labeled cluster meet-ings because they

It was clear that all across this city, people want the schools to be part of the communi­ties, not just forboding buildings. Neighborhoods need the schools to help strengthen them, and our schools desperate-1 y need the neighbor­hoods to support them.

In ev~ry meeting people repeated, "We want to know what

Neighborhoods need the schools to help strengthen them, and our schools desper­ately need the neighborhoods to support them. goes on in the

school s." They said schools should be open for programs at night and on weekends. Parents want to participate in decision - making, to dis­cuss the curriculum, and to commit them­selves 10 making schools work for the children. They want to be welcomed in the schools and to understand the issues fac ing 1he staff. Most of all, people want their neighborhood schools to be safe places for all children.

were organ ized around the 22 high school s and the ir feeder elementary and middle schools.

This is the first time in memory that citizens were forma lly asked for their opinions on schools. And give it they did. We heard from a retired army man who was active in hi s civic association town­watch who sa id. " They should give a tax incenti ve to senior citizens who put the ir time in the schoo ls. People are always com plaining abv~i not getting anyth ing for the ir school taxes."

We heard from the hi gh school teacher who wanted to "meet other acti vists and rea lly do something." And from 1he grandmother from Frankford who spoke emo1ionall y of fighting for change for 40 years, and final ly seeing a real opportuni-

School Board meetings

This apppears to be just the beginning of 1he process. More and more people have to be brought into these discussions. Many feel that this is our chance to radi­ca lly change the way our children learn and also to change the relationship belween school s and the community. In lhese meetings there was anger. fru stra­tion-and most important, hope.

All around the town The remaining 1994-1995 school­

vear School Board meerings will he held Monda.vs. unless nmed othe1wise They are scheduled asji>llows:

March 6, 1995 7:00 p.m. McCall School. 61h and Delancey S".

March 20, 1995 I :30 p.rn. Boardroom. 2 1 s1 and 1he Parkway

April 3, 1995 7:00 p.rn. Clemen1e Middle Schoo l. Fron1 SI. and Erie Ave.

April 24, 1995 1: 30 p.m. Boardroom May 8, 1995 7:00 p.m. Houston Schoo l.

Al lens and Rural Lanes May 26, 1995 I :30 p.m. Boardroom

(Friday) June 12, 1995 7:00 p.m. Meehan School .

Ryan Ave. and Sandyford Rd.

. D .d Hornbeck has Supports; Management and Prod uctiv·t . . Supenntendent

0 a~:n that holds Space and Facilities; and Technology.

1 y,

laid out a sweepm,, P f chooling in Shell ey Yanoff, director of

promise oh ne~: ~~~~cts now gears up Ph iladelphia Citizens for Children and Philadelphia. T ·deas Youth, was brought m as task force co to implement these new~ larg~ and dinator. Her charge was to deve lop setor-

To change a ~st~~·;adelphia School of recommendations for evaluation b/ bureaucratic as _e

1 ew level of the superintendent, who would weave

Distnct wi~/~~~~;;y from both par- them into a unified plan by February.

~~:~~vne:::achers. She lined up bet.w-eeli 15 and 40 partici-

Yet the three-month planning process pa~.t.s for_ eac~, task force . through which Hornbeck 's recomme_nda- . . Outsiders from the corporate sector, tions were developed was one in wh ich city government, the academic commu-arents and teachers played only minor mty and social service organizations pre-

p dommated on the task forces. Yanoff

ro l~long the way, there were missed said that this made sense beca use many

opportunities to engage larger numbers of the t~sk forces focused on the school of parents and teachers as real players m d1stnct s _external relat1onsh1ps with the this new reform effort. Some who were community. not touched by the planning process . Openness toward outside business and have been left with the fear that c1v1c leaders is also one of the School Superintendent Horn beck 's plan is just District's strategies for garnering more one more top-down directive from 21st resources_, _and for developing more and the Parkway. opportunities for employment. and higher

Defending the planning process, education for the system 's grad uates. School District spokespeople say that it Every task force had at least one par-was in fact an open one, given the time ent and teacher member, Yanoff stated.

pressures that were The administration

faced. But other ;t ilorn parnnts and generally allowed observers criticize lrI' It.> I t.> the Philadelphia

the choices that h ( fart t Federation of were made about teac ers mus S 0 Teachers (PFT) to

~s~~~~~~~c~~ ~=re feel that their voices :~~c~~r: 1i~~:1~:d ~~~e:e~~a~n~~; argue are being heard, if ~~~~=s~ la~:~:~nd ~~~:~~:~~:r:t~~d they are going to buy ~~~ec::s~r~~n ;~~ool ~~~~~~~:~~;n~: into the reform effort. ~~~t~~~p~~.;~~~s::~ central adm inistra- to avoid antagon iz-tion. ing the teachers ' union.

All agree that the next few months are But neither administration nor union critical, and that more parents and teach- developed a mechanism for involving a ers must start to feel their voices are broad range of reform-minded teachers being heard, if they are going to buy into in the planning. the reform effort. Jn the community, a process got

October ~unch date The planning process was launched in

October. Seven task forces were formed to tackle key elements of Hornbeck's Children Achieving agenda: Work and Post-secondary Education Success; Standards and Assessment; School

underway that did involve hundreds of parents in a series of 22 meetings (see story, left) about Hornbeck 's reform agenda and the role of communities in changing schools. Parents were asked for feedback on the possibi lities for greater parental involvement and the obstacles to it. But these meetings were general

Hornbeck announces Continued from p. 1

"normal" schooling experience for the chi ldren. The plan is "radical" only because what passes for normal today is so wretched.

As to the price tag, Hornbeck made clear that he hoped attention wi ll focus on the actual content of the program- at least at first-and not on the cost.

There are nine parts to the plan plus a tenth that says all of the previous nine must be carried out together for the plan to be effective-no picking and choosing among them. The nine section headings o_ut line the contents: "Ser high expecra­r10ns for everyone. Design accurare pe1formance indicarors to hold every­one accountahle for resulrs. Shrink rhe cenrralized bureaucracy and let

school_s make more decisions. Provide 111tens1ve and susrained professional deve/opmenr ro all staff. Make su re

rhar all studenrs are ready for school. Provide srudenrs wirh rhe commun iry supporrs and services rhey need ro

succeed in school. Provide up-ro -date rechnology and insrructiona/ materi­als. Engage the puhlic in shapin~. understanding, supporring and ,;artic-

ipating in school reform. Ensure ade­quate resources and use them effec­ti vely."

In outlin ing the conditions we find ourselves in , Hornbeck spoke of the increasing ineq uality in the country and its link to the greater educational attain­ment needed today for productive, decent-paying jobs. He sees thi s moment in U.S. history to be important because for the first time "the economic and moral needs of the country coinc ide." It is morally right to work to overcome inequality and, in the process, the econo­my will gain va luable human resources.

The plan seeks to attract business sup­port with the promise of a well-prepared workforce. In retu rn it call s upon busi­nesses to devote leadership and resources to the schools, and provide jobs to its qualified graduates. Taxpayers can look forward to reduced public ex penditures on prison and welfare in return for an investment today in the city 's children.

According to Hornbeck, each sector wi ll benefit but each sector has a respon­s ibili ty as ~el l. Children will benefit from adequate resources and attention from a staff that wi ll be trained and he ld

95 ....

l y;

!-

td

~r

WINTER 1995 SCHOOL NOTEBOOK PAGE9

the plan: Whose voices were heard? di scussions and not designed to recom­mend specific solutions.

Time pressures were a major factor in the process. Deadlines were imposed because of the need to get a grant req uest to philanthropist Walter Annenberg (who had announced plans to give away $500 million nationall y for public education); the need to respond to a Commonwealth Court ruling in the District 's desegrega­tion case; and above all, by heightened expectations for change in a system where discouragement and cynicism have been

the norm. The time frame meant that most task

forces met only three or four times. " It certainly didn' t allow much time for peo­ple to leave our meetings, check with their constituencies and come back," Yanoff commented. But she added that some task force members were able to solicit feed back from their communities.

In the rush to develop the plan, publici­ty about the process was minimal. Few school district personnel or parents knew what the task forces were, when they met, or who was on them.

Yanoff conceded that "it was an imper­fect system, but an

community an opportunity to respond to the plan.

Whi le the task forces met and commu-nity meetings were organ ized, another grouping - the "design team" - was working and re-working the new model for structure and decision-making in the District. This group was smaller and weighted toward administrators, but incl uded other Hornbeck adv isors. There were no School District parents or teach­ers on the team.

The design team got ongoing feedback on its work at retreats that brought togeth­er School District admin istrators- includ-ing regional superintendents and some principals.

Deeding who IMll govern What this team developed, according

to Steve Guttentag, staffer for the District 's transition and part of the design team, is "an infrastructure for engage­men:,"-a decentralized governance model which allows people at the school level to participate in decision-mak ing.

Guttentag acknowledged that few teachers or parents have had a voice in the

:~~::~1:~ ~~n~pen Neither administration planning, but he sa id, "We 've been working hard to create a situation where these peo­ple can make decisions." He argued that " important deci­sions haven 't been made yet," and said that over the next few months,

straints of the • d · task."Debatedid nor UnlOn eveloped a take place, and h . f. , l severa1 partici- mec anism J or lllVO V· pants on task • b d if forces told the ing a roa range 0

~:::::s0:r~hv~~~~e reform-minded teach-opportuni ties for , h l , input on the key ers lll t e p anmng. issues. Yanoff set up additional weekly meetings with teachers outside of the task force sessions to solicit input.

Yanoff stressed that the District is still open to feedback on Hornbeck's February 6 plan, which drew upon the task force recommendations. The District has print­ed up the task force recommendations as well as the plan, so people can look at what recommendations are not reflected in the plan. Finally she noted that follow-up "cluster meetings" across the city, organized by the Alliance of Public School Advocates, will give the

parents and teach­ers will have opportunities for input into issues such as the curriculum standards.

Whi le Guttentag emphasized that many issues haven 't been decided, others expressed concern about what has already been decided and who has been left out of those decisions.

Sources close to the planning process described how the important decision about who would have majority control of the new school governance counci ls was quietly made by the Superintendent with minimal parent and community input.

Earlier last fall, Hornbeck had publicly

"radical" action plan accountable, school by school, with the children 's achievement as the standard. In return students are expected to attend c lass and work hard. Parents get more input into curricu lum and the way the schools are run. They are asked to active­ly support the schools and their chil -

inequality, increas ing hosti lity and suspi­cion, will continue. The result, with evi­dence already around us, will be the eventual resort to a "barbed wire soci­ety."

Hornbeck expressed concern about Governor Ridge's campaign emphasis on

dren 's teachers. ------------a voucher program for Pennsylvania 's schools. He po inted out that evidence from across the country shows that. when implemented, voucher plans "do not translate into school change." and ex isti ng inequa liti es tend to increase.

Teachers will have 5 1 % contro l of local school council s, ade­quate resources to carry out the ir work, and new opportun ities to develop profession­al ly. The expectation is that teachers under these new cond itions will now succeed in preparing students at each step along the

If real reform is not forthcoming, then the spiral of increas­ing inequality, hos­tility and suspicion will continue. With the presen­

way to take their place as productive members of soc iety.

The a lternative to thi s scenari o--as presented both by Hornbeck and by sev­era l members of the Board in their com­ments-is gri m. lf the moment passes. if rea l reform is not fo rthcoming, then the likelihood is that the spiral of increasing

tation of the plan

and the audit report to Judge Smith on February 15, Horn beck said he will now be stepping up meetings with the Governor as well as state and city leg isla­tors. The implementation phase is about to begin. Everyone has a stake in what happens from here on out, as the Superintendent tells it. Let 's see if we can

At a cluster meeting. an Edison High School sludenl reflects on problems \CJUnD peq le face in their schools

floated proposals to set up and empower two school-based counci ls at each school, one with a majority of parents and com­munity members and the other with a majority of educators. The idea met with stiff opposition from teachers and adm in­istrators, and both the two-council idea and the idea of a parent/community majority were jett isoned in favor of a model with a single council on which teachers have a majority of the seats.

According to these sources, Hornbeck came to the design team with this deci ­sion after hearing the views of principals and the PFf; however, very few parents or community people were even aware that the composition of local school coun­ci ls was being decided.

Plans made for Annenberg rnon8\ Close I y tied into the work of the

design team was the development of a proposal and plan by the School District

commented. Other teachers echoed Hille r 's con­

cerns that the District needs to build on past reforms-rather than contin uing to lurch from one reform initiative to anoth­er-and to start talking and listening to more teachers.

"This whole process hasn ' t really touched people in the school s," comment­ed Ron Whitehome, PFf building rep at de Burgos Middle School, and co-chair of the PFf's community outreach commit­tee.

Whitehome participated in one meet­ing about a task force issue and a large teacher conference to plan professional developmen t work. He ca lled the process at these meetings "fai rly good", but added that "90% of the people at my school don 't even know the task forces existed."

"There 's very little sense of anyth ing

to get a $50 million ------------

being different in the schoo ls," he added. 'The public engage­ment process of community meetings is a good one, but there hasn 't been

challenge grant from Walter Annenberg. The Annenberg money will be used to support pieces of Hornbeck's plan, like the development of "small leaming communities" of 200-500 students

"There needs to be a community mandate for Hornbeck to do the things he really wants to do."

any comparable process involving school distri ct employees."

'There needs to and a community organizing effort to increase parent and community involve­ment.

Submitting plans for the Annenberg money involved a number of important decisions, again made without an inc lu­sive process for input. Natalie Hiller, sci ­ence teacher and charter coordinator of the Crossroads charter at Gratz High Schoo l, questioned why more teachers who have worked to develop small learn­ing communities weren't brought in to plan the request to Annenberg. Hi ller's charter is affi liated with the Coal ition of Essential Schools. a school reform group involved in making the Annenberg grants, and it would have been logica l to get her charter's input.

Hi ller is one of many Schoo l Distr ict teachers who have been deep ly in volved in efforts over the past five years to restructure high schools around charters like Crossroads. She fears those experi­ences are be ing forgotten in the new round of restructuring. Hiller sa id she sees "a failure to build on ex isting reform effort s," and she questioned why the District bypassed its own teache rs and brought so many outside professionals into its planning process .

" It 's very fru strating to see a ll the work that was done. and now it \ like they're starting from scratch ," Hil le ,-

be some systematic effort to engage the people who have to implement the reform program," Whitehorne observed.

John Skief. coordinator of the Communit y Deve lopment charter at West Phi lade lph ia High. says cyn icism is being given fertile ground because people still see so many of " the same admin istrators running the process who were in place before: · Skief sa id he sees Hornbeck\ abi lity to change this as limited. until the community asserts its power. "There needs to be a community mandate ror Hornbeck to do the th ings he real ly wan ts to do," Skief said. "At least there is a

Education-oriented~ community organizing

Com~~~i~t~.g~~:~~~n~~ rh a commitment 10 school reform and par- J

ent and community involvement are I

invited to app ly for one of the grants I that will be made available for the hi r­ing and training of 22 organ ize rs.

Send inq ui ries to the Alli ance or Public School Advocates, c\o North Phi ladelphia Communit y Compact, The Lighthouse. 152 West Lehi gh Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 191 33.

PAGE JO SCHOOL NOTEBOOK WINTER 1995

Highlights of Action Design, 1995 -1999

Hornbeck outlines steps to Children Achieving

Superintendent Hornbeck distributed his Action Design Summary at a special Board Meeting and news conference on February 6. The Summary outlines his plan Children Achieving/or the years 1995 to 1999. Following are the Summary's section headings, with addi-

. tiona / text if the topic was highlighted in the Superintendent's presentation.

D Set high expectations for everyone.

Establish one set of rigorous, chal­lenging graduation standards with appro­priate benchmarks at the fourth and eighth grades .

Develop. opportunity-to-learn stan­dards to: ensure that all students are given adequate opportunities to meet the new standards; enable students, parents and the commun ity to hold school s accountable for results; and enable teachers, administrators and schools to hold the system and community account­able. Schools will be safe and conducive to leaming ... (P)ull-out programs and tracking will be minimized .. . Schools will integrate academic and career prepa­ration instead of tracking some students into college and some into vocations. Resources will be adequate and distrib­uted equ itably to schools.

Develop a school cu lture that is flexi­ble and innovative.

Create an Office of Equity Assurance to make sure that all schools have ade­quate resources and engage in the type of practices needed for all children to achieve at high levels.

l'/illDesign accurate performance s:lindicators to hold everyone

accountable for results. Implement a system of performance­

based assessments tied to the new high standards for students.

Design valid assessments for students of diverse language background ... (and) seek non-language-dependent assess­ment formats.

Design an incentive system for staff that links achievement by all students, including those whom we have histori­cally failed, to real rewards and penal­ties. Given increased authority over per­sonnel. budgets, profess ional develop­ment, instructional strategies, curricu­lum. scheduling and teacher/student assignments, and increased resources, schools and small learning communit ies will be accountable for student perfor­mance.

Establ ish an Office of Standards, Assessment and Accountability by 1995 to develop standard and assessment strategies and implement the new accountability system.

Begin negotiating agreements with the city 's companies, colleges, universities and unions to assure that all students who meet the graduation standards are admitted to college or hired for a job.

llShrink the centralized bureaucracy and let schools

make more decisions. In thi s new sce­nario, school s wi ll make the important decis ions around teaching and learning. and the central office will set standar\ls, assess progress. monitor for equity. and act as a guide and provider of resources and support.

Organize schools into small learning communities of 200 to 500 students.

Beginning with (the) 1995-96 school year, the District will identify six high schools, six middle schools and six ele­mentary schools that will be the first group of campuses of small learning communities. Subsequently, all schools will move to thi s mode of operation.

Establi sh school councils to govern school-wide po licies and resources. Teachers, who will comprise 51 percent of the members, will be joined by the principal, parent representatives and, in the secondary schools, two student rep­resentatives.

Reorganize schools by feeder pattern into 22 neighborhood clusters of six to ten elementary schools, two to four mid­dle schools and a comprehensive high school.

Restructure and downsize the central office so that it becomes more respon­sive and accountable to learning commu­nities, school s and school clusters.

Allocate decisions about resources to schools in a way that encourages effi­ciency and innovation and that promotes high achievement by all students in all schools.

Develop a system of client-centered services and supports.

llProvide intensive and sus­tained professional develop·

ment to all staff. Provide 20 days of time or its bud­

getary equivalent for the professional development of all school-based teach­ers, administrators and staff.

Make professional development resources convenient for teachers and administrators to use. Each school clus­ter wi ll have a Teaching and Leaming Network to help staff ... (develop) good teaching and learning practices, and serve as a resource for curricu lum, instruction and assessment strategies.

Prov ide specific professional develop­ment opportunities-some ongoing, some transitional- that target priority needs.

-=mMake sure that all students - are ready for school. Provide a developmentally appropri­

ate full-day kindergarten program to all eligible children. In September 1995, full-day kindergarten will be opened in high-poverty, racially isolated schools. By September 1996, our goal is to have ful l-day kindergarten programs in all ele­mentary schools.

In partnership with the Departments of Health and Human Services, create a Chi ldren and Families Authority. The Authority will...oversee the necessary ... services for children and their families, so that all Philadelphia children will be ready for school by age five.

.. Provide students with the a!ilcommunity supports and ser­

vices they need to succeed in school. Link students with health and soc ial

serv ices agencies. At the school level, our immediate goal is to restore 27 nurs­ing positions and eventuall y to have one full-time nurse in every school building. A Family Resource Network in each cluster will link students and their fami­lies, espec ially those with special leam­ing,Oianguage and cultura l needs . to out­side services.

Ensure that each schoo l has an ongo­ing relationship with at least one com-

THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PHILADELPHIA

The Board of Public Education

Superintendent

- - o'°;;p;;iy - - - - - Ma;:;-agJng- -Superintendent Director

Equity Assurance

Standards, Assessment and

Ai;:counlebility

Under the new plan. central administration focuses on services for schools and clus-

munity based organization. Recruit and match 10,000 new volun-

teers with school s. Conduct a campaign to prevent stu­

dent pregnancies, and make sure that stu­dents who are pregnant or parenting have access to the health and social ser­vices they and their children need.

llProvide up-to-date technology and instructional materials.

Prov ide all schools with the resources and support needed to have one comput­er for every six students . Transform libraries into technology resource cen­ters.

Consolidate responsibility for the District's technology infrastructure into a single office.

Conduct a comprehensive analysis and make a five-year recommendation of what technology and information resources will be needed to support stu­dent learning.

REngage the public in shaping, .. understanding, supporting

and participating in school reform. In order to make the revolutionary changes proposed in the Action Design, we need the public's permission. The schools belong to them-as cit izens, as taxpay­ers and as parents.

Develop accountabi I ity tools to help the public assess the District's perfor­mance. We will develop new reports, with a wealth of easy-to-understand indi­cators ... [to] be distributed in a variety of ways, including quarterly Report Card Nights in small learning communities.

Develop messages and strategies that clearly explain to people what Philadelphia's schools are doing and why.

The Alliance (of) Public School Advocates will select and train 22 com­munity organizers-one in each cluster of schools. These organizers, in turn, wi ll work with parents and other neigh­borhood leaders to become powerfu I champions for creating the kinds of learning environments that children need to succeed.

Build the capacity of all District staff to be better ambassadors for educational excellence.

1T11Ensure adequate resources uand use them effectively.

Additional resources are not the only requirement for radical change-they are not even the most important ingredient­but additional resources are an absolute prerequisite for dramatically improving student outcomes.

Aggressively improve efficiency and effectiveness in non-instructional areas. We recognize that if we are to obtain the additional public and private funds need­ed to realize the Children Achieving agenda, we must demonstrate that ex ist­ing resources are being used efficiently and effectively.

Investigate alternative financing opportunities ... and ensure that the District is making the best use of exist­ing space and planning strategically for future space requirements.

Ensure that the District is drawing on all available resources to the maximum extent possible.

Augment the District's operating bud­get with ancillary private resources, such as the Annenberg Foundation grant, and funds from other foundations and corpo­rations.

Aggressively pursue greater equity and adequacy of government resources and their distribution.

Redesign teaching and learning so the who, how, where and when are viewed as variables and student achievement remains the constant. As we rethink who teaches (not just. traditional teachers), how they teach (not just the traditional "chalk and talk"), where they teach (not just in traditional classrooms) and when they teach (not just in 45-minute blocks of time, 180 days a year), we should be able to use time and resources more cost effectively.

lmBe prepared to address all of llllthese priorities together and

for the long term--starting now.

WINTER 1995 SCHOOL NOTEBOOK PAGEJJ

Judge Smith firm on end to school inequities Critics fear reform effort weakened

Commonwealth Judge Doris Smith

issued her ruling on November 23, 1994, in the long-running desegregation case that pits the Human Relations

Commis-sion and education advocacy

groups against the Board of Education. The Judge ordered full -day kinder­

gartens, much-reduced cl ass sizes for

grades one to three, an end to the early

school -year disrupti on caused by roster leveling, and the provision of adequate

supplies as well as clean and functioning physical facili ties-in most cases giving first priority to the 134 raciall y isolated schools.

With few exceptions the Judge chose to endorse the recommendations of the court-appointed seven-person Education Team whose report was presented to the public in September and on which the Judge heard testimony and accepted written comment in October. The basic nature of the recommendations speaks once again to the dramatic inequities and crying needs of many of the sys­tem 's schools.

The District "main­tains a def acto segregated public school system."

The Judge deferred the key question of funding until after a School District plan implementing the order is approved

and an independent aud it of school finances is complete. The court-ordered financial and performance audit w ill

uncover possible economies from reor­ganization and allow realistic cost pro­jections. Once these condit ions are met,

the Judge may then permit the District to

pursue its motion to include the C ity and State as defendants, so that tax money from these levels of government might

be tapped to implement a level of educa­tion mandated by the State Constitution and law.

First things first, the Judge seems to

be saying. Put together a plan and a real­istic budget to redress the inequities, and then we can talk about money.

The School District d idn't see things

this way. On December 22, the District appealed 9 out of the 46 paragraphs that make up the Judge's order, and simulta­

neously requested a stay from Judge

Smith on her order until the Supreme

Educators!

·-It is still unclear who iMll supply funds to rnpk'Jrnent the reform plan

Court rules. The two main challenges raised by

the District concern: I ) the Judge's alleged " micro-managing" of the District's affairs, "usurp(ing) its authori­ty," especially in lhe an:a of school gov­ernance; and 2) the unwi llingness of the

Judge to address funding issues prior to a plan and audit. Despite the appeal , the District stated its intention to "proceed

deliberately wi th all of the reforms con­tained in Superintendent Hornbeck 's ·children Achieving agenda." The press

reported that the District had the back­ing of Mayor Rendell in making the appeal.

Judge Smith issued her response on January 6 and denied the request for a stay. In her comments , the Judge asserts

that while the District did rot appeal the fact that it " maintains a de facto segre­gated public school system ... (i)nsteao, the School District appealed the very

essence of the Court's order to remedy the racial disparities found to ex ist and to bring about equality in education."

In rebutting the School District 's alle­gation of micro-managing, Judge Smith

writes, "The Court conferred substantial latitude and responsibility ... to develop the specifics of an acceptable plan to be submitted by February 15 , 1995 and imposed no educational remedies not

supported by the record." On the issue of the District's restruc­

turing plans, the Judge brings to bear the weight of decentralization experience in New York and Chicago. She cites the potential for patronage and graft and

blocks the transfer of funds to the direct contrnl of local school councils. Hiring and firing decisions are bound by state's School Code to reside w ith the Board of

Education, she states.

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Jn making these points the Judge sug­

gests that her order is not so opposed to

site-based management as some have made out. Each school is to be run by a

Local Counci l made up of the princ ipal , teachers, parents and community repre­

sentati ves. L ocal councils are to draw up their school's budget and can make per­sonnel recommendations to the admin is­

trati on concerning school staff. On the funding question , Judge Smith

states that " the appeal on this ground is totall y devoid of merit. " She then reiter­

ates the conditions under which she w ill allow the State and C ity to be brought into the funding picture. First the District must show that its house is in order and that all poss ible savings and projected expenses are correctly accounted for. Jn her N ovember ruling the Judge had noted that " the Schoo l District 's cost projections lack credibili­ty and required substantial revision. "

In summary, the Judge concludes: " It is incumbent upon the courts of thi s Commonwea lth to end the School District's 24 years of stonewalling and claims of fiscal inability to educate the rac ially isolated school students, and to

order the School District to finally satis­fy its legal obi igations to these chi 1-dren. "

Some observers, while uniting with the Judge's insistence that the School District move to correct racial inequities, nonetheless feel she dealt a severe blow to reform efforts by restrict­

ing the decentralization of power to local school counci ls. In thi s view, the burden of bureaucracy weighs aga inst any real change unless the centra l struc­ture is dismantled.

"The Judge told the District you have to get from A to B. But she didn ' t pro­vide a way to get it done," commented one school activist and critic. " No one so far has lost their job because the schools are in the shape they' re in. "

When it comes to matters of money, our kids often need help handling the harsh realities of dollars and sense

That's why we've created Money$mart. Developed by Meridian and the Pennsylvania Council on Economic Education, Money$mart presents the how-to's of managing money. It's a comprehensive 10-unit financial literacy program for high school students, taught in the classroom using real-life srtuations.

Powerful interests concentrated at the

District level- the School B oard, the

Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, the principals' union- were suggested as 1 ikely to undermine in various ways the

exerc ise of power at the local leve l. " Pol itics and patronage are the way

things have always been run at the

D istrict. So while the Judge raises these very reasons in order to oppose decen­trali zation, the effect is to assure that these undemocratic practices w ill con­tinue," the acti v ist concluded.

A strategic decision now faces reform forces, in this v iew: to accept the lim ited natu re of the decentralization provisions and work to max imize local governance

w ithin them, or to bypass the c ity and seek legislation at the state level to force

"No one so far has lost their job," com­mented one critic. full decentral ization as was done in Chicago.

For other reform forces, the question of governance is secondary to the

Judge's focu s on specific services and results. For them the relative down-play­ing of the local councils will permit

more attention to be paid to what is actually happening in the classrooms.

With the denial of the District 's peti­

tion for a stay, Superintendent Hornbeck moved ahead w ith preparation of the plan that was presented to the public on February 6, ahead of the Judge 's Feb­ruary 15 deadl ine. (See story on page 1.)

Once the plan is affirmed, and the Judge is convinced that the interests o f students in the raciall y isolated schools are being addressed adequately-at last- then the conditions w ill be set for the Judge and the Superintendent to

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PAGE 12 SCHOOL NOTEBOOK WINTER1995

Students from Central High School played a key role 1n the fare hike protests.

SEPTA fare hike spares students

Continued from p. 1

has been subsidizing the student token fare s by purchasing them at$ 1.05 and selling them to students at$ .90. This fare subsidy and other free transit costs are absorbed by the School District at a cost of over $8 million a year.

The final agreement reached with SEPTA allowed

Lai Har Cheung, a Central High School graduate stated, "The fight to enable all students to ride for free has not ended, it has just begun." She continued, "As students, we are willing to work with SEPTA and the School District to make free transportation a reality for the hun­dreds of thousands of students in Philadelphia. We want to form a Youth Advisory Committee with SEPTA and the School District to begin discussing ways to reduce the burden of trans-portation costs. We deserve to be

heard ."

the District to "Th fi' h maintain the cur- e lg t to enable The new rate

structure continues the practice of underwriting costs for suburban riders at the expense of city riders. As ini­tially designed, the

rent cost of tokens [[ d 'd fi for students a stu ents to Tl e or through the end of f: h d d , the school year. At J ree as not en e ; lf that time the has 1'ust begun." increase will go into effect but it will be absorbed by the Distric t. This arrangement will cost the students of Philade lphia, in the long run , as vital resources are di verted from other areas to cover th is new cost.

According to School Board President Floyd Al ston , the rate increase will ulti­mately cost the District $ 1. 7 million per year.

The District suffered an additional financial setback when SEPTA announced that all tokens for this school year would have to be purchased before the rate hike took effect across the city. District officials estimate this lump pay­ment of $4.5 million will cost our schools over $ I 00,000 due to the loss of projected investment income.

There are serious questions if existing student subsidies can continue. Communications director for the Distric t, Charlie Thomson, was quoted in the Daily News as sta ting, "We are committed to protecting our students

proposal hit low-income families and the elderly the hardest.

But, contrary to the hopes of the rate hike's architects, Philadelphia students were not willing to quietly suffer a sig­nificant boost without taking action. They encountered paternalistic and con­descending attitudes from SEPTA board members, scant recognition in the press for shaping the positive outcome, and to date, no forma l public acknow ledgment from School District officials.

They did, however, clearly demon­strate the power of students and their all ies to actively shape the polic ies of the city and governmental agencies. The students' actions provide a stirring demonstration of an awareness of the events that shape their lives, the ability to articulate their concerns and a wi ll­ingness to take part in the life of our city. Truly, these are skills our schools need to nurture in all students.

Students testify

Fare: "It's not The following are exerptsfrom testi­

mony of Philadelphia students before the SEPTA Hearing Examiner addressing the fare increase .

Mol Ly, Bartram High School. The SEPTA fare increase is not fair to

me and to many other students that canOt afford the price increase. I think the School District and the City of Phi ladelphia should give everyone- rich or poor- the same opportunity to get an

education. Education is one of the most positive

things you could offer to a kid. You might think that most of the violence in this country is caused by people that aren ' t educated, but you can't blame them. It 's the society that is doing this to them. If this country would do all they could to educate people, less violence and crime would occur.

They say this country is equal, but it really isn't. And it's not only poor, uned­ucated people who commit violence. I think it is psychological violence to always know that rich kids in this coun­try have a better education than poor kids, and then to tell us we're all equal. I know rich kids in the suburbs who have a lot more money than we do don 't have to pay for their buses. But we have to. I know these same rich kids have better

grades get hurt because of their atten­dance. So they don't even get a chance for a scholarship.

Also, my school requires students to participate in community service to receive a credit and graduate . This just means more tokens for kids to buy. How are we supposed to get tokens for com­munity service when we can't even afford tokens for-school?

Hang Do, Central High School. My family pays $27.00 each week

since my family has three kids going to schools that don't provide transportation. One of my sisters attends Pepper Middle School. She rode a yellow school bus through sixth grade, but now she 's in 7th grade and we have to pay for her tokens . Another sister is in Franklin Leaming Center and she has to pay for her tokens too. My family cannot afford this kind of money. We are on welfare. Each month , my parents have to pay out $108.00 for the 6 kids in my family to go to school.

The government always talks about wanting to get people off of welfare. Do you ever think of the long term effect this kind of cost has on the future of this city? The high price of student fares causes many students to drop out. At a lot of schools, the education isn ' t really that good to begin with. Most kids, if

schools, smaller classes, more books , better school bui ld-

-----------• they have to pay for

ings and better opportunities.

And now I know something e lse. If after all this, we do manage to get an education, it will not

"Even now, many kids can't afford what you call a public education."

it, th ink why bother? But if kids drop out because they can't afford tokens, then they can't get a job since they don ' t have a good education. They will end up back on welfare.

be from the support of all the people who have power. It will be in spite of all the obstacles you have put us through. So I have just one question to ask you today. If we were your kids, wouldn't you be able to figure out another way to do this?

Catzie Vilayphonh, Central High School.

I don't think the increase in fares is right because students in Phi ladelphia already pay a higher price in fares than in other cities. Take Washington DC, for example. They pay only 1/3 of what we pay. In the next town over, in Uppe1 Darby, students don ' t pay a thing for transportation. Why should we have to pay so much?

Some schools realize this is a problem for kids . There are some funds to help students who get good grades but those kids who can only go to school a few days a week because they can't afford the fare get stuck again , because their

Public schools should be open to all students. Even now, many kids can't afford what you aall a public education. If you raise the fares, even the public schools will be closed to poor students. I don 't think this is equal opportunity. We might not be able to go to school, but we will leam a lesson. The lesson will be one which will teach us who this society thinks is important and who this society thinks should be thrown away. Is this really the lesson you want us to learn?

Oudeom Vilayphunh, Franklin Learning Center.

Why is the government making it so difficult for the students to get a good education? It seems like the government isn ' t helping us to get to school- they ' re daring us to go .

from paying the latest fare increase for as long as poss ible . However, we face other budget pressures which are com­peting for our scarce resources."

Stu<lent transit fares in U.S. cibe

One thing that is crazy about the cost of tokens is that schools make up all kinds of stupid rules to deal with it. Take my school for instance. All kids from different ethnic backgrounds go there, but on ly white kids get free tokens. Someone told me that wh ite kids get free tokens because of desegregation. I do understand that they're trying to balance the social opportunities in the school. But every week , when the other kids buy tokens and see the white kids get free tokens, it makes us angry. It doesn't mat­ter what the reasons are. It still feels like racial discrimination.

H1 t 11 :1 [\\ J •. ~ (ti]! Ill It is s ignificant that the students who

came fo rward in the struggle were not simp ly wi lli ng to take their ten-cent break and ret urn quietly home. Discuss ions about fu ture directi ons began ri ght outside the board room fo l­lowing the vote. The ir pos iti on is s impl y that the current tab o f close to $ 400 a year to travel to and from sc hool is unac­ceptab le. Nearly 110.000 students, one ha lf the District 's enro llmen t, are from fa milies on we lfa re and th ousands and tho usands of these fa mili es must bear the full cost of tran s po~t ation to and from school.

At a " Victory Ce lebration" on Fe b. 8,

.Cincinnati Students over one mile :from a school

are provided with public transportation. Grades 1-8 use yellow school buses. •Grades 9-12 are bused in "specials" city buses on special routes before and after school. Student fares: I 0 cents each way.

Mi~Naukee Student fares: free if student qualifies

for free lunch.

New York City Student fares: For students Jiving more than 2 miles

from their school-free. For students living less than 2 miles

from their school--o.ne half fare ($6.25/week).

Washington. CTl • .0. .Student fares: Students pay $3.00 for 1 o tokens->a

reduction of 70 cents per token. l?hiladelp!hra Student fares:

Kindergarten-No free transportation except for special ed program.

Grades 1-6--cbild receives free tran~= !'°~tio~ (Usually by yellow school bu~) if child lives 1.5 miles or further from ' school.

Grades 9-12- students must pay $9.00 per week unless they meet certi!ln complex criteria relating to voluntary des~gregation, overcrowding, and other parucular situations.

I have friends that go to Uni versity City High School. The Asian kids go there because there is an ESOL program there to help them learn English. But they don 't live in the neighborhood. They get free tokens to go s ince they have to leave their neighborhood school to get there. But other kids in the school don't get free tokens. The Asian kids feel bad about it. The other kid s there don 't understand why they can ' t get free tokens.

S88 "Testimony" on p 7 3

WINTER 19f!_S SCHOOL NOTEBOOK PAGE 13

Philadelphia Interfaith Action targets schools

Building organization, building power By Chip Smith

"When Superintendent Hornbeck, or whoever from the School Board, comes to the table, we're going to prov ide par­ents around that same table-and their input will be heard." These words from Carol Wright, a leader of the Ph iladelphia Interfaith Action (PIA) Education Team, capture the organiza­tion's plans for the coming year.

Funded primarily by its core institu­tions, PIA is overseen by a Board of cler­gy and lay people. A fu ll-time profes­sional organizer and regular IAF training programs work to develop leaders· out of ordinary citizens. Concerted action then flows from systematic research and painstaking, personalized organizing methods. A PIA statement presents the group's goal as "fundamenta l institution­al change in the corporate and govern­ment sectors in order to bring about jus­tice."

At the heart of PIA's work is its orga­nizing method, aimed at "bui lding

experience there, identifying and meet­ing with "key players" in the education arena, developing a briefing memo for new people from press clippings and other documents, and determining the best course of action once an issue is set­tled on. The result is that once an action is initiated, the organizers have a base, they are focused, and they know what they are talking about.

Accountability is essential for effec­tive organizing, both internal to PIA and in its relations with public officials. " If we ask of a public official some commit­ment, and we make a commitment our-

selves-as was done

And wh ile deliberate, PIA organizing is anything but passive. Cheerie Vaughn gives as an example a recent "campaign­ing" effort at an elementary school , where PIA activists talked to parents for a few minutes as they came to pick up their children. Despite having been noti­fied in advance, the principal ev idently felt threatened by the campaigning and came out to te l I people they had to stop, and that they needed a permit from the Superintendent. The PIA activ ists knew their rights, however, and managed to get the names of 38 people for further follow-up conversations.

Wright, Cheerie Vaughn and George Schneider, members of the Team's seven-person "collective leadership," recently outl ined PIA's goals, methods, and successes for the Notebook. We want parents to know we are a power organi­zation." says Wright. PIA is made up of "ordinary citizens like us," she empha­sizes.

power." Relational meetings cultivate close personal relationships with people, based on the understanding that "everyone has a story." Through the sharing of

ORGANIZATION

PROFILES

several times in the Nehemiah negotia­tions-we hold our­selves accountable for that," Schneider com-

"Our parents understand that they don't have to be intimidated by the admin istrators, teachers, the principal or whatever-that they can b~come empowered through this organization," comments Vaughn. But PIA leaders stress that they are open to teachers and principals being part of their organiza­tion also.

Working for "fundmental change" PIA began five years ago, and is today

centered around some 40 institutions, mostly churches, but including also a few community organizations. It is an affiliate of the national Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), with 35 or so member organizations around the country. Best known in Philadelphia for its housing work, given the recent ground-breaking for its Nehemiah housing development of 160 owner-occupied homes in West Phi ladelphia, PIA also has active teams work ing on crime and safety and on city finances, as well as on education.

stories, in one-on-one get-togethers and larger house meetings, self-interests are identified-interests that coalesce into issues for collective action. A key com­ponent is the IAF's three-times-a-year IO-day training programs that many in PIA have participated in and speak high­ly of. A local Philadelphia training ses­sion drew 80 parents this past fa ll.

Throughout the organizing process , research is a constant theme: surveying members of PIA's affiliated institutions, visiting other cities to learn from IAF

Teacher's network forms to counter anti-gay bias

GLSTN, the Gay Lesbian and Straight Teachers Network, is the only national organization that brings togeth­er gay and straight educators and com­munity members working to end school­based homophobia-the fear and hatred of gay people. It has now launched a chapter in Philadelphia.

Formed after a November conference here, the local chapter of GLSTN (pro­nounced glisten) "strives to assure that each member of every school communi­ty is valued and respected, regardless of sexual orientation. We believe that such an atmosphere engenders_ a positive sense of self, wh ich is the basis of edu­cational achievement and personal growth. Since homophobia and hetero­sexism undermine a healthy school cli­mate, we work to educate students, teachers, and the public at large about the damaging effects these forces have on youth and adu lts alike.

"We recognize that forces such as raci·sm and sexism have similarly adverse impacts on communities, and we support sc)Jools seeking to redress all

Student testimony Continued from p 7 2

To tell you the truth, l don 't under­stand it either. None of this makes sense to me. In my opinion, no student should have to pay such a high price to attend sch90L And the cost has only meant a bunch of ru les that make students hurt and angry. You say you want us to get an education and you want us to li ve togeth­er in peace. But how can we do either one when it's li ke this1 Maybe this makes sense to the adults who are in charge. But it sure doesn't make sense to us.

such inequities. GLSTN seeks to devel­op school climates where difference is valued for the contribution it makes in creating a more vibrant and diverse community. " (Quoted from the national mission statement.)

The organization's policy is towel­come anyone who is committed to car­rying out th is philosophy in K- 12 schools.

GLSTN's specific national activities include on-site workshops for schools, deve lopment of curricu lum and tra ining resources, retreats which offer support to gay, lesbian, and bisexual educators, and advocacy on behalf of youth, edu­cators and fami lies.

The Philade lphia area chapter's meetings have focused on supporting members and sharing stories of homo­phobia- and successfu l responses to it-in classrooms and in the workp lace. A loca l suburban public high school has adopted a chapter of GLSTN for their staff, and GLSTN organizers are now plann ing outreach to teac hers in the Ph iladelphia public schools.

Another aim of Philadelphia's group is to counter homophobia in the class­room through the forma l education of students and teachers. Members see the District's Multi-Cu ltural , Mu lti-Ethnic, Gender Policy-Policy 102- as a posi­tive step towards changing an often hosti le climate within our schools.

Homophobia expresses itse lf in many ways within our schools. The local chapter of GLSTN works to make these condit ions less pervasive.

Inquiries about CLSTN or its 1110111/J ­

ly meeting times can be sent care of Public School Notebook, 3721 Midl'ale Av., Phi/a. 19129. The addressfor rite National Office is CLSTN; Box 390526; Cambridge MA 02139

ments. When an !AF group moves on an

issue, people are prepared. For some individuals, the pace is too slow and they drop away from the group despite their in itial enthusiasm. "Sometimes it's a los­ing battle, and we have to learn when to let go," Schneider says.

PIA won 't be rushed-"You have to buy into that or else you probably can ' t be a part of PIA," observes Erdeen Britt, an Education Team member leading a community meeting at Sayre Midd le School, one cold evening in January.

"Organizing is a long, difficult process," adds Tony Britt, commenting on the low tum-out at the meeting. "But look at the Nehem iah Project and you see what can be done."

PIA's deliberate pace has demon­strated its effectiveness not only in the Nehemiah Project, but also in the win­ning of foot-patro ls and PIA training of po lice by the Crime and Safety Team, and in the string of victories around the country won using !AF methods.

Assessment Alternatives for

-Diverse Student Learners in

Urban Settings March 17 & 18

Wyndham Franklin Plaza Hotel

Philadelphia

• Assessment practices in the field of special education.

• Assessment of linguistic minority students.

• Assessment strategies for diverse populations.

• Assessment models for early childhood. ·

Participants in thi.s conference war learn about "best practices" in assessment as related to national and local standards. state outcomes. and student achievement.

Practitioners in the .field war showcase models which integrate curriculwn. instruction. and assessment.

Organizing larget is 500 parents The initial goal set by the Education

Team is to organize 500 parents, cen­tered primarily around 15 schools. Issues will be schoo l-centered at first , but in time the school-based parent's groups wi ll unite for city-w ide projects.

PIA does not see itself as competing with other education groups aro und the city working for fundamental reform. "We can't do it by ourselves." Schneider adds, "We do feel that the issues various groups are working on probably cannot be resol ved by smal l organizations. And we feel that power can be generated by our approach- relational organizing."

"The main thing," concludes Wright, " is that we al l ha ve a common goal­and that is the future of the children."

To contact the PIA Education Team, call Carol Wright at 697-0346 (work) or 424-0734 (home) or call the PIA office at 329-8804.

AA us

Conference

Registration

Information

Sponsored by The School District of Philadelphia

and the Pennsylvania Department of Education

PAGE 14 SCHOOL NOTEBOOK

READERS RESPOND Do schools meet needs of special ed students? Inclusion masks cut-backs

Hu P,(J!tnr

Although Hana Sabree's article, enti­tled "Special Education: bastion of apartheid". which appeared in School Notebook in Fall 1994, accurate ly docu­mented her experience and frustrat ion in seeking the best poss ible placement for her son, Hassan, it was insu lti ng to those of us who have ded icated our profes­sional careers to teach ing children with specia l needs.

The use of words such as apartheid and segregat ion to

scarce, as is the case now in our system. new philosophies emerge to j ustify the cutt ing of services.

A perfect example of thi s is the "inclusion" bandwagon that has gained a momentum that 's difficult to overcome as it appeals to the si mplistic wish that putting students in a "regular class" will make them "regular". This idea is partic­ularly absurd in our current situation where absentee rates, test scores, and dropout rates indicate that a reg ular class is the last place to expect help for a spe­cial needs chi Id. Where appropriate,

inc lusion is des ir­descri be the spe­cia l education pro­gram is unneces­sari ly derogatory and ind icates a bias that I believe is very detrimental to those studen ts who need the pro­tection, enhance­ment of self­esteem, and pre-

When resources are scarce, new philoso­phies emerge to justify the cutting of services. A perfect example of this is "inclusion."

able, but not all chi ldren can bene­fit. Many regular education teachers believe that they are already " including" a vari­ety of ch il dren with very special deficits and needs.

Next, I'd like to di spute the notion held by many pro-scripti ve teach ing

that can on ly be had in smaller classes with speciall y trained professio nal s. Special students need to be taught in a special way. This can on ly happen in a small c lassroom where the teacher has time to figure out how to reach each chi ld .

The spec ial education that I practice at the Logan Elementary School is based on the policies of least restrictive envi­ronment, integration into the life of the school , and mainstreaming whenever it is beneficial to the child. I.E.P 's are written with respect fo r the parent 's input and are carried out in accordance with the law. If these polices are being ignored, or if a particular teacher is not competent, the prob lem needs address­ing without condemning an entire pro­gram. It is not necessary to pit one pro­gram against another; we can support a variety of quality programs so that par­ents can have options.

There are several factors contributing to the spec ial educat ion bashing that has become so fas hionable. First there is the attempt on the part of admini strators to save money by reducing services to chi l­dren whose needs are great but whose vo ices are small. When resources are

gress ive, racially consc ious colleagues, that is, that those African-American males who are a little angry and difficult to manage in class are mistakenly labeled and committed to a life sentence in special education. Misdiagnosis may occur in some situations, but from what I have experienced, special ed students have sign ificant learning , language pro­cessing, behavioral, and/or reasoning deficit s that make it impossible for them

De Burgos at risk Cont1nuecl tram ri 7 6

Burgos but for virtually all the other school s in the city that have a large con­centration of LEP (limited English profi­ciency) students. Essentially, to qualify for continuation, Juli a de Burgos stu­dents must do better than Chapter One students in non-School Wide project schools c ity-wide, based on the stan­dardized city wide test. As a letter from the Union and the Home and School Association puts it: "We are not on a leve l playing field in this comparison because of the high proportion of LEP (limi ted English profic iency) students at Juli a de Burgos."

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to learn in a trad itional classroom, even with extra support. This is especially

-true when the traditional class has 30 plus students, many of whom are in need of a little ex tra support themselves. Any grade teac her knows l\ow difficult it is to

get spec ial education placement for stu­dents that they have not been able to reach despite thei r best efforts and sug­gestions of the student support team. Testing often takes years because of per­sonnel shortages at the district level. It is just not true that great numbers of mere­ly disruptive students are warehoused in

spec ial classes. Another myth is that students that are

not English proficient are slapped into special classes. We do have bilingual psychologists. My friends who teach ESOL say the problem is the opposite. That is, that ch ildren suspected of hav­ing learning problems are left to lan­guish in regular class with the hope that their problems will disappear once they learn English.

In order for a ch ild to get needed ser­vices, it is necessary to label the child with a particu lar exceptionality. This is a regulatory necessity. I'd like thi s to change. There should be a continuum of spec ial options rather than the special/ regular dichotomy that now exists.

I see no solution to the issue of busing students to a school other than the neigh­borhood school for special services. For example, I teach a class of very special children identified as auti stic. No one elementary school has enough of these chi ldren to fill a class. The fact that my . students are bused from nearby schools in my cluster doesn't seem to present a problem.

Let's take a realistic look at special ed ucation , improve it where necessary, but let's not be manipulated into believing the myth of inclusion by those who want to balance their bud­gets on the backs of our most vu lnera­ble students.

Stelle Sheller, reacher

Research shows that on average it takes seven years of education for a stu­dent for whom English is a second lan­guage to fully catch up to English speak­ing students. Large numbers of de Burgos students who take the citywide test only recently exi ted from ESOL (English as a Second Language) pro-

"We are not on a level playing field in this comparison" grams. Many more students, who claim English as the ir first language, come from homes in which little English is spoken. To fairly evaluate the program at de Burgos these factors must be taken into account.

Recently rel eased citywide test data showed the problem of low citywide test scores is by no means limited to de Burgos. All the school s with large con­centrat ions of LEP students fared poorly. Wei I over half the students graduating from these middle schools go on to drop out of hi gh school. -

But thi s problem will not be addressed by cutting the a lready inade­quate resources allotted to schools like de Burgos. Latino students need more not less - expanded bilingual program~. more bilingual teachers and small er class size - for exam ple. De Burgos par­ents and staff are appealing to the com­munity to support them in their cam­paign to keep School Wide Projects and promote a more equi table standard for evaluation. Stay tuned'

WINTER 1995

Fighting for what's best To the editor

I would like to commend your news­paper for prin ting such a fantastic articl e written by Hana Sabree, "Special Education: bastion of apartheid. " Ms. Sabree's article was tru ly an eye-opener for parents like myself. She was able to bring to light how-inadequate the system is by show ing the atrocities committed to her son.

Ms. Sabree writes, "Special education has left children bankrupt emotionall y and socially by denying them goals and opportun ities to learn." I think the spe­cial education system should be held accountab le for such criminal conduct. As a parent of a chi Id who has just entered into the spec ia l education sys­tem, I had to search high and low for the appropriate placement for my son.

I knew I had to come to his I.E.P. placement meeting with my "guns loaded."

My son graduated from an excellent "inclusive early-intervention program" which he participated in since he was I 0 months of age; therefore, I knew I had to come to his I.E.P. placement meeting with my "guns loaded", because of the reputation of the spec ial education sys-tem. .

My ambivalence about pla~i~g my son in a learning support classroom has lead me to question whether I could have found a better placement, or whether it exists.

Joshua continues to express to me how much he misses "his friends" from the former early intervention program. Now that he is in a classroom with no gender and ethnic diversity, I am con­cerned that he will not have interaction with the Hannas, Katherines, Allisons and Kellys of the world.

I tenaciously express that my son be included in music, recess, and all activi­ties that his teacher can fit into the schedule. I sti ll know that he is being segregated from his average developing peers.

I am optimistic that I will keep Joshua in public school because I want only the very best environment for my son, but a large class size and one teacher wi ll not work for my son. Joshua is thriving now and enjoying learning, but I refuse to set him up for failure as we look forward to the first grade .

Deborah L. Hazel, parent

·What's your opinion? School Notebook welcomes your

letters, reviews, or opposing view­points. Please send to Public School Notebook, 372 1 Midvale Ave . Phila. PA 19129.

Correction In our Fall, 1994 issue, the text

crediting the source of a cartoon was omitted. The cartoon that appeared on page 19 was drawn by Tony Auth and was reprinted from the Philadelphia Inquirer with the artist's permission. We apo logize for the error.

WINTER 1995 SCIJOOL NOTEBOOK PAGE 15

GUEST OPINIONS Violence, lack of superv1swn

Breakdown of the school as community By Ben Lariccia assaul ts do poorly at school. Moreover,

Violence in the schools is a topic anxious students often disrupt the school receiving a lot of media coverage these cl imate, thereby adding to the fears of days-shootings in the hallways, other students.

assau lts on the playgrounds, vandalism If it goes without saying that the against school proper ty. Commissions at atmosphere in a school influences stu-every Jevel have been formed to address dent achievement, then the issue of ade-the problem. quate supervision of ch ildren is a key

In response, school officials and edu- one. In my experience, the qual ity of cators point their fingers at the violence supervision makes the difference on the streets. "The schools are the vie- between a school with many violent tims of a violent soc iety," they cry. incidents and one with few. Surprisingly, "These children come from dysfunction- it's an issue which is not being al homes and neighborhoods." The stan- addressed by school reformers who dard interpretation is that the students seem more focused on curriculum contaminate the school with violence issues. Why not give some attention to that they " track in" from the community. the idea that the school should be a com-

l n publ ic discussions i t's rarely heard munity? that the schools themselves facilitate at Quality of supeMsk:Jn least some of the violent acts that we are How does the quality of supervision

What role does the school play in allow­ing violence to take place? seeing. Rather than wring our hands and point fingers at the community, everyone involved with education needs to focus on the school system and ask, "What role does the school play in allowing violence to take place?"

Psychologists tell us that children cannot begin to master academics until they feel secure. Studies show that stu­dents who constantly worry about

Community speakout

"The new guy" "Whal are your impressions of rhe

new Superinrendenl, Dr. Hornbeck?"

Courtney Sim pson, parent, Farrell Elementary School and Olney High School: "I th ink he might do a better job than the previous superintendent. He seems to be w illing to put the problems of the schools out in the open instead of hiding the failures."

impact on violence? We know what hap­pens in a neighborhood without police services. The top dogs take over and intimidate the underdogs. Drug dealers, if present, call the shots and everyone either moves out or shuts up. Schools that allow chi ldren by the hundreds to pass through the halls with no adults present, to enter the school building unsupervised, or to take recess in the absence of supervising adu lts are prov id­ing the conditions for violence.

When large numbers of children con­gregate w ithout superv ision, intimidators have free reign. The intimidated are vic­timized or they rise to a level of violence that wi ll prevail over the aggressor. It is a climate where all the neutrals have abandoned the terrain and where the role of victim or victimizer is determined by

Eula Chester, community member, parent of a public school graduate: "! like his ideas of dealing with the whole child. I'm impressed he recognizes there must be accountability on all levels."

Wanda Sabb, parent, Howe Elementary School: "My first impres­sion is one of sati sfaction at this point. l think he is tru ly comm itted to school reforrn and to knowing how to better reform the schools through communica­t.ions with parents, teachers and the stu­dents. I have seen through the media that he is committed to student involvement.

Following up on the news ... Can't stop the music

Twelve instrumental music teacher positions, el iminated during last sum­mer's budget cuts, have been restored after persistent protests by music program supporters at school board meetings in the fall.

Students, parents and teachers testified, waved signs, and even performed music at board meetings. Schools organized letter-writing cain­paigns and petit ion drives. Protesters turned up relentless ly at board meetings and finally won over Superintendent Hornbeck and· the school board to restore the cuts with funds from a small budget su rplus.

Reg iona l music festivals, which were also in jeopardy, wil l go on, thanks to some substantial private donations to help the regions mount the productions .•

Velma Simmons, the School D1stnct s music curriculum support coordinator, said that instrumenta l music staffing district-wide was still below the June 1993 level. About 200 of the 257 scliools have instrumental music programs.

Superintendent Hornbeck to ld protest­ers last fa ll that their protests ra ised the issue of whether the instrumental music program should be included as on~ of the standards for Philadelphia schools. If so. t11en every school should have a program.

Hornbeck stated.

At Fels High School. 100 students protested unsafe. dirty cond1tions and the sd1ool"s failure to respond to their concerns. February I 0. students gathered outs.:Je S<'l1ool. angry at lack of action on violence and 1ntimidcit1on in schocl Tl1e protesl lirought son;.o­results at Fels. but raised the question of how schools are earn 19 for our ·hilclre11

the success of one's arsenal-whether it includes karate chops a la Power Rangers or a .38 magnum. I t is a break­down of community.

What do we do about securing ade­quate supervision of our children? One tactic might be to ask the administration for a study of the discipl inary reports (pink slips in the School District of Phi ladelph ia) to deterrnine where vio­lence occurs and where more supervi­sion is cal led for. Anonymous student surveys would also reveal those areas or situations that

ment be doing? Collecting reliable data on school violence is a first step. Activists complain that information can be man ipu lated to make violent schools appear less so. I dentifying schools with a lack of adequate supervision and sup­porting the hiring of more staff are part of any attempt to improve school cli­mate. Above all , reformers need to underscore the concept of the school as a community. It's not enough to have the best curriculum, the best teachers, or even the most up-to-date facilities and

then ignore the give students reason to feel threatened. Parents and

Employees need to rec­ognize that their pres-

teachers are very d; f.

way students interact w ith eac h other and with staff throughout the building. familiar with the ence can mean the lJ ·

circumstances of rf. The school 's responsibility is to create a cli­mate that is safe

assaults; they are f erence between saJ ety a good source fi d for identifying a and danger or stu ents. lack of adequate and nurturing. supervision. A school with good union representation wi ll also make the case for adequate supervision.

Studying the lack of supervision in our schools will do little in the way of improving school climate if the adu lts are not there to do the superv ising. Wi th teachers legally responsible for what happens inside the classroom, NTA's (non-teaching assistants) are assigned supervision of the halls and other public areas. For that reason, schools must not lose their paraprofess ional staff. More NTA's, cafeteria workers, playground monitors, parent vo lunteers and others are needed to popu late the public areas of the school and give it a safe cl imate. These 3re the very workers whose ranks have been trimmed over the past few years!

And what about the professionals­teachers and adm ini strators? They need to support parents· efforts to get better supervision. T hey shou ld communicate norms for appropri ate behavior. More importantly, school employees need to recog nize that their presence in a given

area of the building can mean the differ­ence between safety and danger for stu­dent> and for others. Administrators who are invisible set a bad example and their behavior helps to accommodate disorder and mayhem. Disruptive students read tl1e absence of adults as a blank check for engaging in violence and other inap­propriate behavior.

What shou ld the school reform :nove-

An institution wh ich brings hundreds and even thousands of children together under one roof on a daily basis will set condit ions for how they treat each other. Let's make sure it does its job right. Let 's bu ild the school as a community.

Ben Lariccia is a middle school reacher in rile School Dis1rie1 (}f Philadelphia and rhe Prcside111 of rile Greater Olncv Comm1111ir.v Council.

Specializing in Contemporary, Cultural, Social and Political Issues

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PAGE 16 SCHOOL NOTEBOOK

Voices from a school: Roberto Clemente Parent, teacher and students reflect on their new home

Ruth Morales, President of the Home and School Association at Roberto Clemente Middle School.

I came here from Puerto Rico in 1989 with my family. I was shocked to see the school that my children would go to.

I knew that the Clemente building was not appropriate for kids. It was falling down. There was no gym, no auditorium, and not even sufficient books

Now that we have a new beautiful building, we are asking that parents come into the school and volunteer.

But we also want the school to serve the commun ity. That is why we asked that there be outside entrances fo r the auditorium and the gym for.evening events. And there wi ll be a health clin ic staffed by St. Christopher's Hospital for the community.

-WINTER 1995

In 1989 there was almost no parent involvement in the school. A parents' meeting was held and 150 parents came. That's when we started the Home and School. Most of the parents spoke Spanish so we began by printing flyers both in Spanish and in English.

We were sleep ing for many years . l<jds celebrate winning a decent school facility at the new Clemente Middle School

Many of us felt that our children had been pushed aside and neglected. You know, there is so much talk about child abuse, but this was also child abuse. The system was abusing our children.

I always tell parents, we are mmori­ties, but 1 don 't care ifyou'reon social security, welfare, or whatever, we have a right to a good education for our chil­dren. We don't have money to leave an inheritance, but we can leave them a good education so they can earn an hon­est living to support themselves.

Our students at the old Clemente became very frustrated. At one point fires were set in the school. Parents and community people began to organize seriously. We held rallies outside of the school and attended many meetings with officials. We got buses and went to City Council, and we had parents speak and protest at school board meetings. The School District finally agreed to a new facility for Roberto Clemente School.

Parents were involved in the planning of the school. We formed several com­mittees. We requested a Latino architect because we wanted someone who under­stood what kind of school we wanted bui lt .· For example. the colors of the bu ilding are Carribean.

What were we thinking about for so many years that we could let our kids go into a building like that?

The most important lesson, I believe is that parents, community and teachers are a strong fo rce. We have to be involved with our schools so that we know what is going on with our children, and we have to come together as one to change our schools so that our children can ac hieve.

Janet Kristman a teacher at Roberto Clemente for 8 years. Ms. Kristman teaches 6th grade.

In the old building I was privileged to have windows in my classroom, and I had an actual door that closed. A lot a teachers didn't even have that before. They were teach ing in the middle of the build ing where the only light was elec­tricity. And of course in the summer there was no air flow and it was very hot.

This new building is a dream come true. Our new library is being set up now. It will include many more ways for students to access materials. The gym is designed for sports and the new auditori­um will allow students to perform and see theatre. The science labs and com­puter labs are modem and will encourage kids to enjoy learning outside of a regu­lar c lassroom.

We hope this new building wi ll help to create a more positive attitude and philosophy among the staff and students.

Part of the exc itement is that every ch ild deserves a quality education. The

Bi-lingual middle school challenges unfair evaluation

new school is a statement that says that we value the them. This is a fac ili ty that was actually designed to be a school.The other building was designed to be a fac­tory.

The efforts for the new school gener­ated a lot of support from the teachers. Our union got involved and many teach­ers served on the committees that were set up. It was a team effort.

I now realize the value of parents and community. It was through their efforts that the new school got rolling. Thi s new building says a lot about the power of parents and community to change things.

Tamaris Leon and Marlene Burgos, 8th graders at Roberto Clemente Middle School

In our old school the kids didn ' t care so much. Kids would write on the walls and no one cared. Now we hang our school- work on the walls and nobody rips it down. We all want this school to be the best.

Here we like that we have separate classrooms. In the old school, we couldn 't hear our teacher. It was always so loud. The walls didn't reach to the ceilings. Kids wou ld throw paper and books over the wall s.

Now we work harder because we have no excuses not to. Before the lights would go on and off and there were big poles in the middle of the room, and many fires.

We couldn ' t hear the teachers. Most of the kids here are rea ll y good.

We li ke to be respected. That's really important to us. If a teacher has an atti­tude towards us, we can ' t respect them back. So if they give us respect we respect them back. Look at the princi­pal, you can tell yo u can really talk to her and everyone respects her.

A lso thi s new building makes us be even more respectful. For instance, the kids don't spit on each other going down the stairs like in the other school.

We love having our own gym here. We used to have to get on the bus for half the period.

And it 's stricter here. Lots of teacher, parents, and security. Kids don 't bring weapons. There's no secret places here to hide when you cut class.

A lso the streets around the school are safer. Before on the street in front there were shootings sometimes with a ll the drug dealers there.

But then our parents got the new school started . They pushed and pushed. They had to . Both of our par­ents work so they couldn ' t come to the rallies, but we went to the protests with the other kids.

Now we just want people to know the kids here are good , and we're a good school. Also we are proud to be the first 8th grade to graduate from the new Roberto Clemente Middle School.

Federal funds, local control threatened at de Burgos , ~~ I ,, I :!, 1/ .• ,

Many schools in Philadelphia get fed­eral ··chapter I" aid for their low income students. and the School District has worked hard to develop a system that gives some schools fl exi bility in how they use those do ll ars ro meet students· needs.

But Philadelphia's only bilingual mid­dle school is in danger of having its power 10 control those federal funds taken away because students" standard­ized test scores aren "t high enough. Staff and parents are speaking out against what they see as a po licy that is unfair to language minority students.

Julia de Burgos Bilingual Midd le Magnet School. like most inner ci ty mid­dle schools. has a large number of stu­dents who face the prospect of fai lure because of inadequate math and reading skills. Between half and three quarters of the student body scores below the 26th percentile in reading and math skil ls.

Located in an aging building that used to house Edison High School in the Fairhill Section of North Philadelphia. de Burgos serves a community victimized by poverty. a pervasive drug traffic. and the crime and violence that it breeds. The

school was established in 1988, in part because of pressure from the Latino community for a bil ingual, multi-cultural program to serve middle school age stu­dents. The student body at de Burgos is ro ugh ly 85% Latino, largely Puerto Rican. The remaining 15% is African American.

Federal funds availab le through a pro­

school wide planning and decision-mak­ing, and its recognition that isolating "at ri sk" students is generally counter-pro­ductive, this approach is widely regarded as more effective.

Ju lia de Burgos was the first middle schoo l in Philadelphia to be brought into School Wide Projects and is now up for its second reevaluation (schools are eval­

gram called School Wide Projects have allowed de Burgos. and other Philadelphia schools, to fashion pro-

Staff and parents are speak­ing out against what they see as a policy that is unfair to language minority students.

uated by the State at the end of a three year cycle). Last year $750,000 was allotted to the school

grams to improve students' basic sk ill s. School Wide Projects allows schools themse lves to determine how to use Chapter One funds.

Un li ke traditional Chapter One pro-grams. wh ich restricted services to pull­out programs for eligible students. School Wide Projects allows the money to be used for services to al 1 students within a building. With its emphasis on

under School Wide Projects. The plan for using thi s money was developed with the par­ticipation of staff and parents and called for hiring additional read in g teachers to lower c lass size for reading, purchasing more computers with the aim of expos­ing al l children to state of the art technol­ogy, hiring part time bilingual classroom assistants and a community coordinator. These programs, some of which have

been in place for several years, have had a positive impact, according to school staff and involved parents.

But now Julia de Burgos has been told that unless substantial gains are made in c ityw ide test scores thi s Spring, it will be discontioued in School Wide Projects. The school has reacted to this threat in two ways. First, the staff and students are girding up for a major effort to boost test scores. including extra training in test­taking. more systematic teaching of the concepts and ski lls that will be tested, and a series of meetings and assemblies to motivate students and staff a like. Second, they are challenging the evalua­tion process itself as unfair; both the staff, represented by the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, and parents rep­resented by the Home & School recog­nize the disadvantage the method of assessment puts the schoo l at from the outset.

The issues raised by the method of evaluation used by the School District and the State in determining whether DeBurgos will remain a SWP school are of importance not simply for Julia de

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