I r

~ Schools confront

101- teacher vacancies , .. ,,1 3 .

A look at summer camp

6

Citizen's guide to the budget

10 M Parents, teachers

• and the contract

· ? 19

25"N, OTEBOOK SPRING 2000 VoL 7, No.3

PHilADELPHIA PUBLIC SCHOOL

A district desperate for dollars

Mayor faces struggle to keep schools open by Paul Socolar

Vowing that children will not be subject-, ed to further cuts in school programs, Mayor

John Street and the School District's leader­ship are struggling to bridge an enormous deficit in next year's budget for Philadelphia schools.

If they fail in their efforts to secure more funding from the state or other sources, the School District could run out of money to pay its bills as early as this summer. The result could be a systemwide school shut­down or a state takeover of schools.

In Harrisburg, the Ridge administration's response was that poor districts in Pennsylvania already receive substantially more money from the state than wealthier ones. "We think in Pennsylvania we distrib­ute the funds equitably," contends Department of Education spokesperson Dan Langan.

But state governments across the country generally target most of their education fund­ing to poorer districts. Pennsylvania has scored poorly in comparisons of states' effort to equalize funding of schools (see p. 14).

Ridge budget package debated

Photo: Richard McMullin, Office of the City Representative

Mayor Street has held meetings in each of the District's 22 clusters in which he has warned audiences of the funding crisis and begun to rally supporters of public education to demand more state funding. The mayor argues that the state needs to step up and ful­fill its constitutional obligation to insure adequate education in all school districts.

This year, Philadelphia will receive over $800 million in education funding from the state, somewhat more than half its total bud­get. Governor Ridge has proposed a budget package for next year that includes about $50 million in new spending and savings for Philapelphia, which would make only a small dent in the budget shortfall.

But $16 million of that is tied to a controversial Educational Empowerment Act, which is opposed by the teachers ' union here. If approved by the legislature, it would give struggling districts new powers to con­tract out for services and unilaterally set working conditions.

Speaking to an overflow crowd at the High School for Creative and Performing Arts on March 15, Mayor Street exhorted his audience to demand "Quality education now!" The mayor spoke on the District's financial crisis and his response in each of the School District's 22 clusters in February and March (see story page 12).

The mayor argues that the state needs to step up and fulfill

its constitutional obligation to insure adequate education

in all school districts.

"There's been a complete and total break­down in the system for funding public edu­cation in this Commonwealth," Mayor Street said.

Though state aid to Philadelphia is a sub­stantial sum, its growth stagnated in the 1990s, in a period when the School District had rising enrollments. The state has been devoting a diminishing share of its budgeno public education each year and has been paying a smaller portion of Pennsylvania's total costs ofK-I2 education.

These funding patterns have caused the average amount spent per student in Philadelphia to lag further and further behind the amount spent by wealthier school

districts across Pennsylvania. Compared to the average of the state's 100 highest spend­ing (and generally highest performing) school districts, Philadelphia schools now have $2500 less to spend per student per year, or $75,000 less to spend on a class of 30 students each year.

State legislators from both parties have drawn up legislation to try to remedy the gap between poor and wealthy school districts through tax reform that would increase the state's share of education costs (see box, p. 12). However, no action is expected on these bills this spring.

This leaves the School District looking for a way out of its immediate financial crisis.

In his cluster-based meetings, Mayor Street

Historia de dos escuelas: ciudad y suburbio par Nancy 1. McGinley .

como la Intermedia de Abington (condado de banas crea diferencias significativas en pro-Cuando yo deje mi trabajo de principal

en una escuela intermeclia del DistrilO Escolar de Filadelfia, para convertirme en principal de una escuela intermedia subur­bana, la primera gran diferencia se me hizo evidente en la forma de un incremento de $20,000 en mi salario anual.

Yo habia pasado 19 alios en Filadelfia como maestra, investigadora, administradora en la oficina central y principal en una escuela' intermedia. Habia enseiiado cursos de educati6n en la universidad de Drexel. Aun asi, yo no estaba preparada para el gran irnpacto en que el nivel de financiaci6n afec­ta el funcionamiento de las escuelas de la ciudad y las suburbanas.

Tanto la Intermedia Pepper (Filadelfia)

Montgomery) sirven a unas poblaciones gramas, materiales, recursos, empleados y, estudiantiles racialmente y etnicamente hasta cierto punto, en la cali dad del personal diversas. Ambas escuelas son grandes; tienen que ocupa varias posiciones. 1140 y 1700 estudiantes respectivamente. La verdad es que el Distrito Escolar de

Debido al contraste en el nivel de pobreza Filadelfia opera un programa muy flaco en entre las dos escuelas, las necesidades de los comparaci6n con otros distritos escolares del estudiantes varian . Aun asi, mi experiencia estado. Como resultado, los estudiantes no ha sido que los adolescentes, tanto en la ciu- re"cibenlos servicios educacionales ni el dad como en los suburbios, pasan por las apoyo necesario para triunfar y competir en mismas etapas de desarrollo, les presentan la economia global. retos sirnilares a los educadores y, mas irnportante, tienen los mismos sueiios de un futuro exitoso y productivo.

Lo que les espera a los estudiantes cuan­do entran en la escuela varia grandemente. La diferencia entre los ~iveles de fman­ciaci6n de las escuelas urbanas y las subur-

Apoyo administrativo En Filadelfia, mi escuela tenia un 85% de

nivel de pobreza (comparado con el 9% en Abington). Yo contaba con un principal asis­tente, una enfermera cuatro dias a la seman a,

"Dos escue/as" continua en /a p. 8

appeared to be preparing for a showdown with Pel1l1sylvania 's elected officials if and when the District's money runs out. He hopes that massive popular support for the schools will carry the day: 'That's when you're going to have to make your position known loud and clear," Street told his audiences.

Going into the red While the District has been forecasting

an approaching fmancial doomsday for more than three years, the system is now entering that uncharted territory. Operating budget projections show a large deficit: the District is expecting to end its fiscal year in June $39 million in the hole.

If the District simply maintained its cur­rent level of staffmg and programs next year, the total deficit would grow to $174

See "Mayor" on p. 12

12 Mayor visits each cluster

14 PA flunks on funding equity

16 New Jersey boosts aid to poor districts

20 Tale of two schools: city and suburban

Eye on Special Ed, p. 3 • Espanol, p. 8, 9 • Activism around the city p. 17 • _ Opinion, p. 18, 19

PAGE 2

No:fEBUOCOK 'Turning the page for change"

Vol ume 7, Number 3

A voice fo r parents, students, and cLass­room teachers who aTe working for quality and equality i ll Ollr schools.

Advisory Board Eileen Abrams, Research for Action Kira Baker, tcacher Diane Bridges, Hartranft Parent Leadership

Team Jane Century, Century Communications Cindy Engst, teacher and parent Rita Fraz ier, Youth United for Change Jared Grossmann Keith Harewood Kevin Muszynski, Local Task Force for a

Right to Education Rochelle Nichols Solomon, Philadelphia

Educat ion Fund Viclor Perez, Julia de Burgos Fam ily Center Han Ponsen, parent Len Rieser, Education Law Center Sharon Tucker, graduate student Debbie Wei, Asian Americans United Debbie Weiner, Philadelphia Futures Organizations for identification pluposes only.

Editorial Board Paul Socolar (editor), Helen Gym, Eric 10selyn, Myrtle L. Naylor, Ros Purnell, Sharon Tucker, Ron Whitehorne Design: Patricia Ludwig Spanish translation: Milagros Irizarry Art: Eric 10selyn Proofreading: Eileen Abrams, Elayne Bender, Barbara A. Bloom, Chip Smith, Sandy Socolar Distribution: Irvin B. Shannon

Philadelphia Public School Notebook is a project of tlle New Beginnings program of Resources For Human Development. We publish four times a year. Send inquiries to: Public School Notebook, 3721 Midvale Ave" Phila" PA 19129, Phone: (215) 951-0330, ext, 107, Fax: (215) 951-0342, E-mail: psnotebook@aol.com

Special thanks to , . Fred Engst, Timothy Potts, Chris Ward, 10hn Worthington. our subscribers, advertisers, and volunteers who distribute the Notebook.

Funding in part from Bread and Roses Community Fund, the Allen Hilles Fund, the Samuel S. Fels Fund, IBM Corp., the I. 1. Williams Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation, and the William Penn Foundation.

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~~p~~7t ~tel~; ;~tU;~~~~~e~ir~~~~eh:~d; of people working for positive change.

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PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK

NOTEBOOK EDITORIAL

'No' to cuts, takeover The School District's future looks scary.

The funding situation is dire. But we sup­port the decision by Mayor Street and . Superintendent Hornbeck to "draw a line m the sand" and refuse to make cuts to school programs.

The mayor has been blunt: the likely result is that the District will run out of money. That could happen as soon as this summer. The consequence could be danger­ous: a state takeover of the School District.

State takeovers of oilier school

enough to support low-income school dis­tricts. Governor Ridge denies the problem, but many legislators (from both parties and from all across the state)·are getting behind tax reform plans that would finally shift the burden for education funding to the state and away from local property taxes.

How do we insure that Philadelphia school children are winners and not losers in a showdown with the state? The mayor observes that Harrisburg will take notice if

systems have deservedlyeamed the label "drive-by school reform,"

Pennsylvania's takeover law, its provisions gutting

We've put up with an inadequate level of

resources for too long.

tens of thousands of people show iliat they are prepared to act and take up demands like funding for smaller class size.

Mayor Street's efforts to mobilize cit­izens through meet­ings in each cluster are collective bargain-

ing, and Governor Ridge's history ofhostil­ity toward the Philadelphia public schools make us fearful of what a takeover would do to the quality of education here.

But the only other apparent a1temative ­deep budget cuts - is equally unacceptable. We think there is no choice other than to bring the District's long-term funding crisis to a head and demand that the state increase its aid 'to poor school districts, while fight­ing against a state takeover.

There 's no way to eliminate a deficit of this size without cutting teaching positions and making the situation in our classrooms much worse. Even the controversial sugges­tion that the number of cluster offices be cut in half would save no more than $5 million, less than 3 percent of the expected deficit.

Budget cuts would cripple Philadelphia's systemwide reform effort to insure that schools serve all students well, There's been some progress in building a culture of high ex pectations for students, and many schools are showing signs of improvement. The state should still be investing in this effort, not pulling the plug.

We've put up with an inadequate level of resources for too long. The symptoms are large class sizes, crumbling facilities, old textbooks, hundreds of teacher vacancies, and lack of extra support for students who need it. The chronic underfunding of Philadelphia schools is extremely hazardous to our children 's well being. Each year we lose thousands of students who drop out or give up on their academic goals.

In addition, it's simply unacceptable that some school districts in Pennsylvania can spend more than twice as much per student as others - all because the state doesn'l do

an important first step, but they have not yet addressed several challenges.

• The mayor and the District need to build partnerships with grassroots orga­nizations that can turn people out during a long-term struggle, It will ultimately be up to organizations in the community to involve large numbers of people in an ongo­ing campaign for funding.

• Parents and community activists must be convinced iliat their activism will be welcomed not only when they are supplying warm bodies in Harrisburg but when they are demanding change from schools <ir the District. Mayor Street and Superintendent Hornbeck must show that they want gen­uine community involvement year-round - holding our schools accountable and making sure that money is wisely spent. A good place to start would be making infor­mation about each school's budget more accessible to the community.

• The City should ante up additional money for the schools this spring, Despite tight budgets, the City manages to fmd money for other "economic development" projects like stadiums or Disneyquest. If City Council and the mayor increased their investment in the Sohool District, it would deliver a strong vote of confidence.

• This struggle is not going to be won by Philadelphia alone. But a coalition of cit­izens from Pennsylvania's poor school dis­tricts could topple the status quo in Harrisburg. We need to fmd allies not only among our neighbors but also from COun­ties across the state, Groups like the Pennsylvania Campaign for Public Education have started this work, But there tS much more to be done.

SPRING 2000

Whoya gODDa call?

School District of Philadelphia School board members Pedro A, Ramos, Esq., President: 215-299-7916

Dorothy Sumners RUSh, Vice President: 215-299-7919

Martin Bedimrek: 215-299-7914 Rev. RalpJi Blanks: 215-299-7913 Helen Cunningham: 215-299-7917 Sandra Dungee Glenn: 215-299-7799 Christine James-Brown: 215-299-7454 Michael Masch: 215-299-3597 Emilio Matticoli: 215-299-7920 Jason Kleinman (studen1 adVISOry

member): 215-299-7301 Natalie Popchuk (alternate student advisory member), 215-299-7301

City of Philadelphia Mayor John Street: 215-686-2181

'City Council Members-At-Large David Cohen: 215-686-3446 W. Wilson Goode, Jr.: 215-686-3414 James F. Kenney: 215-686-3450 W. Thacher Longstreth: 215-686-3452 Angel L. Ortiz: 215-686-3420 Blondell Reynolds-Brown: 215-686-3438 Frank Rizzo: 215-686-3440

District City Council Members Frank DiCicco: 215-686-3458 Anna Vema: 215-686-3412 Jannie L. Blackwell: 215-686-3418 Michael A. Nutter: 215-686-3416 Darrell L. Clarke: 215 -686-3442 Joan L. Krajewski: 215-686-3444 Richard Mariano: 215-686-3448 Donna Reed Miller: 215-686-3424 Marian B. Tasca: 215-686-3454 Brian J. O'Neill: 215-686-3422

Pennsylvania State Legislature State Senators Vincent J. Furno: 215-468-3866 Christine (Tina) Tartaglione: 215-533-0440 Shirley M. Kitchen: 215-457-9033 AlJyson Y. Schwartz: 215-242-9710 Frank (Hank) A. Salvatore: 215-676-2600 Vmcent Hughes: 215-471-0490 Anthony Hardy Williams: 215-662-5519

State Representatives Louise Williams Bishop: 215-879-6625 Alan L. Butkovitz: 215-335-2521 Andrew J. Cam: 215-560-5326 Mark B. Cohen: 215-924-0895 Robert C. Donatucci: 215-468-1515 Dwight Evans: 215-549-0220 Michael Horsey: 215-747-0757 Harold James: 215-462-3308 Babette Joseph's: 215-893-1515 William F. Keller: 215-271-9190 George T. Kenney, Jr.: 215-934-5 144 MarieA. Lederer: 215-426-6604 Kathy Manderino: 215-482-8726 Michael P. McGeehan: 215-333-9760 John Myers: 215-849-6896 Dennis M, O'Brien: 215-632-5150 Frank L. Oliver: 215-684-3738 John M. Perzel: 215-331-2600 Benjamin Ramos: 215-427-9035 William W. Rieger: 215-223-1501 James R. Roebuck: 215-724-2227 John J. Taylor: 215-425-0901 W. Curtis Thomas: 215-232-1210 LeAnna Washington: 215-242-0472 Ronald G. Waters: 215-748-6712 Chris R, Wogan: 215-342-1700 Rosita C, Youngblood: 215-849-6426

To find out which 0/ these elected officials represent you., call the Leagu.e o/Womell

Voters at J -800-692-7281 e.xtlO, or go to website www.vOle-smart.org and type /11

your 9-digit zip code.

SPRING 21

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SPRING 2000

Standardized tests and accommodations by Janet Lonsdale

April is a big month for standardized testing in the District. Students in grades 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, and 11 take the SAT-9

(Stanford Achievement Test, Ninth Edition) in the early part of the month. In the second half of April, the PSSA test (pennsylvania System of School Assessment) is given to 5th, 8th, and 11th graders.

PSSA results are used to evaluate school perfor­mance statewide, while the SAT-9 scores are used to assess the educational progress of students and schools within the School District of Philadelphia.

Many students with disabilities will take the SAT-9 and the PSSA, along with students in "regular education" classes.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, is the federal law giving students with disabilities the right to a free, appropriate education. IDEA also requires that these students par­ticipate in both local school district and state evaluations.

Students with disabilities must be given appropriate accom­modations and modifications in order to take the local or state

test. These accommodations and modifications must be listed on the student 's

Individua1ized Education Plan (IEP) under section VI: "Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), A -Participation in State and District­Wide Assessments."

This section lists three options to check and fill out as follows:

"_ S.tudent will participate in State and District-wide assessments without accommo­

dations; "_ Student will participate in State and

District-wide assessments with the following accom­modations (Accominodations listed individually here) "_ Student will not participate in State and

District-wide assessments because (Reason for non-participa­tion must be stated here), and educational progress of the stu­dent will be assessed through the following methods .... "

The IEP team makes the decisions about what are appropri­ate assessments. Parents are members of that team, which may decide whether the child will take the SAT-9 or the PSSA. If so, will the child have accommodations, and what type? These accommodations must be spelled out in the IEP

Remember that the accommodations should be different for each child. A statement such as "w,ill need accommodations" is not appropriate.

Students are nomnally given the SAT-9 and PSSA on the grade level that their age indicates. For example, a 12-year-old in a Learning Support class would be expected to take the 7th grade SAT-9. However, a student 's IEP may include a require­ment that all assessments are to be given ai the child's instruc­tionallevel. In that case, if the child reads on a 3rd grade level, the 3rd grade test is what must be administered.

Students in Life Skills, Multihandicapped, and Autistic Support classes are not usually included in SAT-9 and PSSA testing. However, if a student in one of those classes is being taught reading, math, and/or science from the regular curricu­lum, that student may take the test.

For the SAT-9, there are 18 identified and allowable types of accommodations that apply to students with disabilities (as well as English Language Leamers). Accommodations are designed to ensure equal opportunity for students to demon­strate what they know and are able to do. Indiv~dual students may need quite different types of accommodations.

"The testing situation should not be the fIrst time the student encounters an accorrunodated strategy," School District guide­lines state. Possible accommodations for the SAT-9 include:

For the PSSA, a handbook called "Testing Accommo­dations to Encourage Participation by Students with Disabilities in the PSSA" is available to help decide which accommodations are acceptable and useful. To request it, call the Special Education Consultline (1-800-879-2301).

Janel Lonsdale staffs the Parents Involved Network of PA.

PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK PAGE 3

Persistent teacher shortage disrupts life. at many schools by Christina Asquith

On a recent Thursday afternoon, while most stu­dents at Julia de Burgos Bilingual Middle School were at work, Jose and Donnielle aimlessly circled the school halls, stopping in the gymnasium, then at the lockers, and fmally ducking inside an administrator's office to hide from the school security.

"We run around the hallways because we don 't got a teacher," said Jose, i4 . "We don 't learn nothing - just a wasted day."

Seven months into the school year, the problem of teacher vacancies in Philadelphia schools is as grave as ever. Across the city, thousands of students like Jose and Donnielle arrive at school each day to face a revolving door of untrained sub­stitutes, disorganization, busy work, and trouble because their classroom has no assigned teacher.

Yet many worry that students will face the same problems or worse next school year unless the Office of Human Resources devises

Executive Director Marj Adler says the problem is lessening. Over the summer her office offered a $1,500 bonus to all new hires. They also have relaxed the residency requirement; teachers now have three years to move into the city instead of just one.

And they have created a program with St. Joseph's University in which the District absorbs tuition costs for graduating special education teachers who agree to teach in Philadelphia. That involves about 60 teachers, Adler said.

Recruiting success She points out that 900 new teachers were hiired for this

school year. "We've stepped up our recruiting effort, and it 's paid off," Adler said. .

But Adler acknowledges that far too many of the new teachers trained in Pennsylvania are taking their degrees else­where. She does not know why so many leave, but some

observers wonder if it isn't because other cities recruit more aggressively.

some new sales pitches and unless some new supports can be put into place to help teachers stick with their jobs.

The School District 's Office of Human Resources pegs the current number of vacancies at 200, down from 250 in September, out of a total of 12,000 teachers districtwide. The District defmes vacancies as any position not filled by an

Many vacancies have been covered by

rotating long-term substitutes, meaning

that students have lacked a steady teacher.

"I opened up the University of Pennsylvania school paper and ~aw a huge advertisement from the Los Angeles School District," said Debbie Weiner, director of School­to-Community Partnership and Philadelphia Futures. "Are we recruiting in LA, in Boston, in Houston? I don't think so."

Others complain they are frus­trated with the recruiting process. Frank Tarquini applied in August appointed teacher.

But that number may not capture the true extent of the shortage. Many vacancies have been covered by rotating long-temn substitutes, meaning that students have lacked a steady teacher. Also schools have cut unfilled positions for mentally gifted, Spanish, computer, English as a Second Language, and other teachers.

Nor does the District count the hundreds of untrained apprentice teachers as vacancies, although they can step into the classroom without prior training, are not certified, and have a high rate of tumover.

Shortage causes instability Teachers say all these factors contribute to an unstable

school climate, a lack of unity, and pressure on the rest of the staff. Many teachers now regularly lose their prep time. Students - particularly in special education classes - are anxious over the constant changes. In some schools, the library has shut down because the librarian covers classes.

"We've never had it so bad," said Harriet Liss, the roster chairperson at Julia de Burgos. "It's devastating for staff because they're bombarded with coverages. It hurts the kids and disrupts the whole learning process."

At the School District 's Office of Human Resources,

for a special education position, one of the areas most des per -ate for teachers. He said the School District recruiter was vague and then lost his application .

"The District made it out like there were no openings," said Tarquini, who now teaches special education at FitzSimons Middle School. "] don 't know why the School District was hesitating to hiire me. I saw a lot of learning sup­port openings. Here] was will ing to apply and they were not aggressively trying to recruit me at all."

With all the need, one would think that an application from Don McGuire to be an apprentice teacher would be snapped up. A fomner college professor, he has a Ph.D. in sci­ences and is already emolled in his second semester at Temple University's teacher training program.

But he has not heard from the School District since he turned in his completed application in December and was told by the Office of Human Resources that he had every­thing he needed.

"I'm surprised," said McGuire, who is currently unem­ployed. " It 's been three months, and the last] heard there were 200 vacancies in the Philadelphia School District. Isn't

Continued on p. 4

PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK SPRING 2000

PAGE 4

Teacher shortage disrupts school life Continued from p. 3

there any school that wants me?" Of those that do get on board, many

leave shortly thereafter. The School District struggles to retain teachers. Some estimate that as many as 50 percent of new teachers leave within the first three years. Already this year, 210 newly hired teachers have quit, Adler said.

The School District struggles to retain

teachers. Already this year, 210 newly hired

teachers have quit.

That's in part because many new teachers are given the assignmenrs no veteran teacher would want. Many new teachers have no

INVENTING WESTERN CIVILIZATION by THOMAS PATIERSON

tlln this wonderful book, Thomas Patterson effectively dethrones the concept of lcivilization' as an abstract good transcending human society. Combining the latest scholarship with his own sensitive thinking, Patterson shows the clear and specific class, 'race,' and gender connotations of the terms as it has been used and manipulated both historically and in the present age." -MARTI N BERNAL

ISBN: 0-85435-961-4 paperISJ3.00

COLUMBUS: HIS ENTERPRISE Exploding the Myth by HANS KONING Afterword for Teachers by BtLL BIGELOW

liThe book is an idea that has finally found its time." - Publishers Weekly Most of us have been taught to think of Christopher Columbus as a single­minded visionary whose navigational skills led him to "discover" the Americas . In this beautifully written revisionist biography, accessible to people of all ages, Hans Koning gives us the true history of Columbus' life and voyages.

ISBN: 0-85435-825-1 paperl S14.00

MONTHLY REVIEW PRESS

training at all, or are unprepared to deal with discipline and behavior in ilmer city schools. But rather than being given smaller classes or easier rosters, most new teachers get post­ed to classes that no other teachers want.

"Principals assign rookie teachers to the worst classes because they don't want to put in someone they know," said Weiner. "They get the classroom on the 4th floor where it's freezing and there's lousy material, and then we wonder why they leave."

Take Adam Milman, a 24-year-old new apprentice science teacher at Strawberry Mansion High School. After he struggled through the first few months as a new chem­istry and physics teacher, the administration moved Milman to a different section of the school to cover a vacant chemistry position and gave him an entirely new roster.

"It 's difficult because I had to get to know all new students again," said Milman. The dozens of hours invested in training and recruiting Milman will be lost, as he will have to be replaced again next year. He plans on starting medical school.

THE CONQUEST OF AMERICA How the Indian Nations Lost Their Continent by HANS KONING

This brilliant account of the war waged by Europeans against the native peoples of the Americas provides students with a different perspective on U.S. history and Q framework for understanding U.S. policy toward both indigenous and foreign peoples .

ISBN: 0-85435-976-6 paperlS13.00

MAKING SENSE OF THE MEDIA A Handbook of Poputar . Education Techniques by ELEONORA CASTANO FERREIRA and JOAO CASTANO FERREIRA

Lively, clear, and richly illustrated, Making Sense of the Media demonstrates how teachers can draw on students' own experiences to develop their creativity, imagi nation, and critical skills. The lessons are based on the popular educQ­tion techniques of Paulo Freire. Students are taught to create their own media, including puppetry, comic books, and other popular storytelling forms to then use as tools for learning and problem-solving.

ISBN: 0-85435-880-4 paperlS17. 00

Some say the system needs to give indi­vidual principals more authority to recruit and hire. Another suggestion is for the District to be more aggressive in combating the negative stereotypes of the inner city and to get bener at courting prospective students-like New York City's school system, which recently threw a huge party, with strawberries and a 14-piece merengue band, to woo teachers.

In the meantime, students like Jose and DonnieJle are resigned to cutting class instead of facing another substitute. Although another long-term substitute has been appointed to this class, he was absent on this day.

"All they do is give us crossword puzzles

all day long, and if you don't wanr to do it, the teacher gets mad," says Dormielle. "Everyone is sick and tired of doing crossword puzzles."

DonnieUe's mother says she has com­plained but is slowly giving up hope that her son will gain much from this year.

"He hasn 't had any work," she said. "He just goes from one rea~her to another. Sometimes J don '~even seod him."

For information on how to become a teacher with the School District of Philadelphia, contact the recruiters' office in the Office of Human Resources at

(215) 299-7401.

Interview with teacher educator Enid Lee

What kinds of skills do our new teachers need?

What often goes unspoken in the hunt for more teachers is the question of what kind of teachers we need, not only to meet the chal­lenges of working in the system but to trans­form schools into equitable and inclusive institutions.

Last spring, Helen Gym of the Notebook interviewed Canadian educator Ellid Lee in Philadelphia, where she was conducting teacher training for the School District. Lee has been at the forefront il1 training teachers and qdministrators in creating ami-racist school climates. Her publications include Beyond Heroes and Holidays: A Practical Guide to K-12 Anti-Racist, Multicultural Education.

Here are Enid Lee's comments 011 what the School District should be looking for in new teachers. Her remarks have been edited for consistency.

In terms of physically what they look like, they 're going to look like the nation in its divers ity. They 're also going to have a wide range in terms of different language backgrounds and working in a range of com­munities.

In terms of teacher preparation, they need to be immersed in good teaching practices and understand theories about teaching and

We need teachers who know that

this profession is about helping

develop people who can be empowered to make changes

in their world.

learning among students from a range of backgrounds .. They need to have preparation m workmg WIth the community.

They need to understand how to validate what chIldren bring to the classroom from those communities. J would see teachers gomg on. fIeld trips, just to get to learn the commUDllles that the children come from. . And they also need to have understand­mg of one's own self, particularly teachers of the dommant culture and race _ to see that the stUdy tS not just about others but about themselves. and the role and the power they have; how they are perceived' what benefits they have had belonging (0 the

Photo: National Coalition of Education Activists

Enid Lee

groups that they do. You want people who engage in that kind of self-inquiry and who see it as critical to their on-going learning.

I thirik, too, I wou ld prefer if we had teachers who had a few more life experiences in different places. And I don 't mean they have to be older people. I mean they have to have knowledge of what it means to work in a community of people - so that things don 't get to be quite a crisis so quickly.

We need teachers who understand about the politics of education - such as how funding works. We need teachers to under­stand the ways in which education gets used as a political football, so they see what is expected to be carried out in the name of education. '

Above all, we need teachers who come to the task knowing that this profession is about helping develop people who can be empowered to make changes in their world, for liberation and for self-determination. It is about hearing people's voices and allowing them to say "This is how we wish to become as a community" as opposed to simply fit­ting them for a labor market that is forever changing and is disappearing.

Finally, I would like to see teachers as people who are hopeful. Even though what we' re talking about is very hard, they have the capacity to be joyful ancl to celebrate what we accomplish daily together with tile children in our classroom. We need teachers who see that teach ing is something that, in tenns of forgillg a nation and a world, cre­ates a place where some humanity exists and where we as people are central.

SPRING 20<

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SPRING 2000 PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK PAGE 5

Small school scores high on state tests

Spring Garden School: An academic oasis by Bm'bara A. Bloom

Only three out of 170 publio schools in Philadelphia scored at OF above the state

average in both reading and math on the standardized test given to Pennsylvania fIfth graders.

Two of those schools, Masterman and Girard, are no surprise, because they select students for admission from across the city based on their grades and test scores.

The other school that outperformed the statewide average for fIfth graders was Spring Garden Elementary SchooL

Just 270 children, kindergarten through fIfth grade, attend Spring Garden, at 12th and Melon Streets (near Fairmount Avenue). Over 95 percent of students are African American.

The yellow-glazed brick building, sitting across the street from Richard Allen Homes and near streets peppered with abandoned and boarded-up houses, is an academic oasis of which the staff and the neighborhood are duly proud.

Because it has been demonstrated that student achievement on standardized tests is closely correlated to family income, the accomplishments of the students at Spring Garden School look all the more remarkable.

Statewide averages on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) tests for 1999 are 1300 in math and 1310 in read­ing. Masterman, with scores of 1420 in math and 1470 in reading, has 43% of its student body eligible for free lunch (a measure

widely used as an indicator of poverty). Spring Garden had scores of 1340 in math and 1310 in reading, with more than double

the number (96%) of its students eligible for free lunch in 1999.

Spring Garden 's strong PSSA scores in 1999 were no one-time fluke. On the School District 's "Performance Index," Spring Garden has shown steady in1provement between 1996 and 1999. Attendance has improved and more students are being pro­moted each year. While SAT-9 scores are not . among the very highest for District elemen­tary schools, the number of students scoring basic or above on the SAT-9 has grown from 55% to 64%.

When you walk in the school, you sense the pride everyone must have in being there. A hand-printed sign proudly proclaims, "Parents and Friends, Welcome to Spring Garden SchooL As you enter, please stop in the school office and sign in. Thank you."

This small, old school, built around 1930 and renovated in the '60s, is clean, even spot­less. There is no evident dust, no bits of paper on classroom floors or in the hallways.

Walk into any classroom and students are learning. Each class is different-the layout is different, the activities are different, but in each case, students appear to be actively engaged and enjoying what they are doing.

During their free choice time, three stu­dents in Gwynne Isaacs' kindergarten class play at a sand pit One sits at a shiny dual

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Delta Osea, who teaches 5th grade at Spring Garden, works with Tasha Wright (left) and Dante Campbell.

floppy IBM computer playing a game while Isaacs watches. Two children are building a fortress. Several are looking at books quietly.

The teachers say they know what a won­derful place the school is. Delta Osea, who has taught at Spring Garden since 1985, calls her school "one of the best kept secrets in the school system."

Claudean Boyd, who has taught there for 25 years, attributes the school's success to three things. "It's really a seasoned staff. Over the years [teachers] learn which strate­gies to use and can pick and choose strate­gies to suit each class. And the community is very supportive."

But data show that Spring Garden did not just recently become an excellent place under me Children Achieving program in Philadelphia.

Dr. Elaine Carty, now a program support teacher at the school, who has been at Spring Garden for mirty years, says "] feel valued here. The school has always been a good place to work."

When she started in 1970 as a first grade teacher, there was a core of teachers who were there to help her, Carty says, and mere is still a strong core of teachers who help new teachers and each omer.

The principal, Eloise Dupree, who started at me school in me fall of 1999, credits me "strong, stable staff" with maintaining me quality of education in the school.

Staff members note mat the school gets strong community support. They cite two

SIIItJ8llA'teaching.sYIltJ8llA'alxlUt their righk

Freedom of Expression School Searches

Discrimination Harassment Censorship

~ ~ KtlwYORJ<Dns ~ iIIo yoor dasmmI or organzamn!

(215/ 592-1513 ext 122 at:!upubetl@ao!.com

A public education progr~m of the

AC1U

nearby churches and a synagogue, as well as the Original Richard Allen Committee, Inc. These are men who grew up in the Richard Allen Homes and want to give back to me community. The group provides mentoring, pays for monthly trips for fIfth graders, awards savings bonds at me end of each year to one student per grade, and more.

Spring Garden, while it lacks me fInan­cial resources of a suburban school , does benefIt from a signifIcant infusion of federal Title I dollars available to schools wim high

There is still a strong core of teachers who

help new teachers and each other.

rates of poverty. The $283,000 received by the school from Title] mis year amounts to an additional $1000 per student.

The school's staff of 14 classroom teach­ers is supplemented by six support teachers and IO aides. Spring Garden is now part of me District'S balanced literacy program, which provides additional personnel to achieve a smaller student-teacher ratio in some classrooms.

There is a lot to learn from me story of little Spring Garden SchooL Across the District, people should be asking, "How did me system's successful schools get to be me way mey are, and how do we duplicate meir success."

In coming issues, Philadelphia Public School Notebook will be laking a closer look at some of the District's neighborhood schools that are al1aining excellent perfor­mance and serving students from low· income families. We invite suggestions and feedback from our readers aboUl high-per­forming schools.

Volunteers welcome! The Public School Notebook depends on

the volunteer assistance we receive in many areas, including: research, writing, proofreading, photography, distribution, fundraising, and advertising sales. If you would like to lend your talents or develop

a skill, please call Paul Socolar at the Notebook office,

(215) 951-0330 xl 07, or email to psnotebook@aol.com.

------ - ------

SPRING 2000 PAGE 6 PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK -Recreation Department summer camps

SUMMERARTCAMP2~ A fine arts camp for young artists which offers classes in painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking and specialty classes in enameling, pottery and silk screen. • Edgley Fieldhouse, East Fairmount Park, near the Dell East and the reservoir. • Four two-week encampments, July 3, July 17, July 31 and August 14,9 a.m. to 2:35 p.m. • Ages 9 to 18. • Fee: $10.00 registrat ion; $80.00 tuition for two-week encampment, includes lunches, snacks, supplies, T-shirt, trips and busing. • Contact: Elaine Evans, 1515 Arch St., 10th floor, Phila. PA 19102. Phone: 683-3666. Applicants need a recommendation from teacher, counselor or recreation leader.

YOUNG PERFORMERS THEATER CAMP For young performers with serious interest in performing and learning more about dance, singing. acting .. • Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut St., July 10 through August 18,9 a.m. to 2 p.m. • Ages 9 to 17. • Fee: $150.00 for six-week encampment plus $60.00 registration fee; $90.00 for optional busing. • Contact: Leo Dignam, 15 15 Arch St., 10th floor, Ph ila. PA 19102. Phone: 683-3670. Applicants need recommendation from teacher, counselor or rec. leader; must pass an audition.

INTRO TO THE ARTS CAMP This program is designed for children with an expressed interest in the arts. A combination of visual and performing arts, including 2-D visual arts, 3-D visual arts, singing, acting, creative movement. Located at various locations around the city. June 19-June 30, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. • Ages 6 to 13. • Fee: $50.00 for two-week encampment. • Contact: Leo Dignam, 15 15 Arch St., 10th fl oor, Phila. PA 19102. Phone: 683-3670. Applicants need a recommendation from a teacher, counselor or recreation leader.

SWIM FOR LIFE ~ A swimming, instructional and leadership camp providing boys and girls ages 9- 16 with an opportunity to improve their aquatic skills, held at neighborhood pools throughout the city. • Seven weeks, June 26 through August 10; 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. • Fee: $75 . • Contact: Ms. Terri Kerwawich, Aquatics Coordinator, 683-3663.

CAMP WILLIAM PENN An overnight and nature based camp located in the Pocono Mountains near East Stroudsburg. • Five-day-encampment - $25 fee; eight-day encampment - $40 fee. • Ages 8 1/2 to 12. • Contact: Roland Chandler, 683-3694, Rosemary Parrott, 683-3695.

1515 Arch Street, 10th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19 102. Call your local playground or recreation center for further infonmation.

2000 GOLF CAMP An Instructional Camp for Beginner Golfers, ages II to 18 • Four separate one· week encampments • July 10 to July 14 Smith Memorial Playground 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. • July 17 to July 2l Smith Memorial Playground 9:30 a.l11. to 2 p.m. • July 24 to July 28 Burholme Driving Range 10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. • July 3 1 to August 4 Burholme Driving Range 10:00 a.m . to 2 p.m. • Fee: $30 per encampment plus $ 15 for optional busing (Smith Memorial Only).

GOLF MINI-CAMP Two sessions only at Burholme Driving Range. Ages 7 to 10. • August 7 to August 10

Session One 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Session Two 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Fee: $15 per session. Contact 683-3686 for more information.

PLAYGROUND GOLF Ages 8 to 12. Introduction for beginners only; located at ten facilities throughout the city. Contact 683-3686 for exact dates and locations.

PHIL-A-KID A history camp that is fun , entertaining and educational. Phi la-A-Kids assume identities of past Ph iladelphians and discover people's everyday lives through various activities. • Atwater Kent Museum, 15 S. 17th Street, Phila. PA 19106. • Three separate one-week encampments; weeks of August 7, August 14, August 21 ; ages 9 to 12. • Fee: $175 per week; a limited number of scholarships are available. • Contact: Bernadette Smith, 922-303 1, ext. 223.

NJTL TENNIS PROGRAM Tennis instruct ion and team play. This program, run by the National Junior Tennis League, is not a canlp. Over 60 locations throughout the city. • Various seven-week programs, weekdays from June 26th through August 10th. • Fees : Individual - $35; Famil y - $50; L imited number of scholarships available. • Ages 8 to 18, Advanced registration or register on the court. • Phone: (2 15) 487-9555; after June 28: 424-5300.

ENvmONMENTAL CAMP An intensive environmental learning experience that includes habitat restoration, vegetable farm· ing, flower gardening, nature crafts, hiking, survival skills, swimming. Each session culminates in an ovemight camp on site. Includes trips to Tinicum Wildlife Preserve and t)1e Fish Hatchery. • Encampments: Three two-week sessions, starting July 10, July 24, August 7. Ages 10 to 14. • Fees: $60 per two-week encampment. Extended Day: $20 per week. Busing $ 15 per week. • Contact: Barbara McCabe, 1515 Arch Street, 10th Floor, 683-3682 or Kim Johnson, 683-3680. • Site: Awbury Recreation Center, Ardleigh & Haines.

CAROUSEL HOUSE DAY CAMP A day camp for mentally disabled, as well as mentally d isabled with physical disabil ities. Includes swimming, arts and crafts, music, organjzed games, trips, and special events. • Carousel House, Belmont Avenue & North Concourse Drive, Phila. PA 191 31. • Three two-week encampments, starting July 10, July 24, August 7; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. • Ages 5 to 2 1. • Fee: $65.00 per encampment; lunch provided. • Contact: Stuart Greenberg or Scott Bowman, 685-0160. Requires an interview before registration.

CAROUSEL HOUSE SPORTS CAMP For mentally disabled, 16 and over, will be held at Carousel House. Lunch and transportation pro-vided. The two-week encampment starts August 21. _

CAROUSEL HOUSE DAY-TRIP CAMP FOR ADULTS WITH ACQUIRED DISABILITIES Dates in the summer to be announced. Daily trips , picnic. Fee to be detennined; includes trans­portation. Contact Scott Bowman, 685-0160

HOUSEMAN DAY CAMP A special needs day camp program for mentally disabled in Northeast Ph iladelphia is held at Houseman Recreation Center, Summerdale and Godfrey. Three-week encampment starts July 3. 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Ages 7 to 21. Fee: $90.00. Contact Carl Holod, 685-1240 or 535-9655.

COMMUNITY DAY CAMPS The Recreation Departmenl has over 100 neighborhood day camps at recreation centers. Call the Community Recreation Day Camp Office at 685-2720 for further infonmation.

All information is subject to change. It is the policy of the Philadelphia Recreation Department not to discriminate against anyone on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age or handicap.

r

an exciting new Philadel~hia charter high_ school opens featuring architecture _an~ deSign

as its theme Il< misSion

Architecture & Design Charter High School

~ Founded by the Philadelphia Chapter . "-American Institute of Architects

, as its Legacy Project 2000

105 S. Seventh Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 Comer of ih & Sansom Streets J

Applications are being accepted for Fall '00 Freshman Class

Several places available for sophomore & junior classes

Small classes Innovative, energized faculty

Safe, new facil ity in Center City

,

Strong code of good behavior ~ design-pr~fessional uni~orms Architecture, design & constructfon themes Integrate cumculum

Strong industry & business collaboration Extemships & mentoring integral to program

High parent involvement Tuition-free, public school of choice & excellence

Call Principal Greg Amiriantz to arrange a visit

or receive application packet.

215·351·2900 or 215·351·9653

GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR

AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS

The School District of Philadelphia, Family Resource Network,

in collaboration with Phi/adelphia Citizens for Children and Youth,

will be accepting applications from non-profit community organizations, including commun ities

of faith for NEW and EXPANDING after-school pr:>grams which will begin in the Fall, 2000, serving children attending Philadelphia's 259 public schools.

a one time $10,500 grant for NEW after-school programs for school­aged ch ildren or a one-time $5000 grant f or an EXISTING program which IS expanding the number of ch ildren they are serving.

for the School Year 2000-01 w il l be ava ilable after Apnl 1. Dead lines for the first round of appl ications will be August 15, 2000. For more Information or to rece ive a grant appli­cation, contact Vicki Ellis, Advisor, Family Resource Network, School Distri ct of Phi ladelphia, 215-299-7326. For more infor­~atlon about t hese or other Family Resou rce

etwork programs visit our web site at www.phlla.k12.pa.us.loffices. frn

f-

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SPRING 2000 PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK PAGE 7

Local teachers gear up to fight vouchers by Rachel Mausne/ '

Recent court rulings rejecting school voucher plans in Florida, Cleveland, Ohio, and nearby Delaware County are just the lat­est skirmishes in a growing national debate over whether to spend government money to send srudents to private and religious schools.

"The teaching profession is on a respira­tor in intensive care" because of the voucher threat, according to Florida State Representative Tony Hill, who spoke recent­ly in Philadelphia.

Florida was the first state to adopt a statewide' voucher plan. That plan was ruled unconstirutional March 14, but it is still in place, pending the results of an appeal.

AddreSSing a workshop for voucher opponents organized by the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFf) and the PFT Black Caucus, Representative Hill said that a spreading movement supported by corpo-

Representative Tony Hill said vouchers in the long run will decrease educational opportunity for African American and latino children by harming the public school system.

rations and right wing foundations is fund­ing privately run voucher programs and lob­bying for voucher.legislation.

According to Hill, these corporate forces , are also exploiting low-income families of color by sponsoring public relations cam­paigns to stir up apparent "grassroots" sup­port for vouchers and other privatization measures. But he argued that these measures in the long run will decrease educational resources and quality for African American and Latino children by dismantling the pub­lic school system.

While Pennsylvania's legislarure has nar­rowly defeated several efforts by Governor

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Tom Ridge to set up a voucher program, Hill and his allies in the Florida legislature were unable to stop the statewide voucher plan that became law there in June 1999. This program has been cited as a model for the national school voucher plan backed by Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush.

In Florida, all public schools (but not pri­vate schools) are graded from "A" to "F' based on student scores on a state-mandated aptirude test. Under the controversial vouch­er program, once a school has scored an "F' twice, the state pays a set fee for any child attending that "F'-rated school who wishes to transfer to a private school.

Vouchers are available to any child from the "failing" school regardless of the child's family income or academic standing.

According to the Florida-based Citizens' Committee for Public Information on Vouchers, the law says that voucher funds can be paid to any private school, and there is no state oversight of those schools ' acade-

mic standards or student achievement. Since most of Florida's private schools are sectari­an , most of the voucher funds are likely to go to support religious education. In addi­tion, for-profit companies have the opportu­nity to establish new schools to capture voucher monies.

Florida has about fifty students using vouchers in private schools this year. But if the plan survives the court Challenge, school grades being released in June could expand the program to cover as many as 78 "F"­rated schools and 60,000 Florida students.

In the face of the growing voucher threat, Hill exhorted teachers and other citizens to become political activists, even to leave their jobs and run for office if needed to wage an effective fight against voucher legislation.

Janet Ryder, conference organizer and political director for the PFT, said that the PFT is prepared to help voucher opponents spread the word in their communities.

Ryder reminded participants that opposi­tion to vouchers is not limited to those with

a direct stake in the funding of the public

schools. Other national organizations, including the NAACP, League of Women Voters, Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Congressional Black Caucus. and National Coalition of Black Churches, are active in building anti­voucher coalitions.

For more information on opposition to school vouchers, contact: • Janet Ryder, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, 1816 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, (215) 587-6784.

• larry Franke l, Executive Director, American Civil liberties Union of Pennsylvania, PO Box 1161, Philadelphia, PA '19105-1161, (215) 592-1553 xlll8.

• People for the American Way, 2000 M Street, Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20036, (202) 467-4999, pfaw@pfaw.org, http://wvvw.pfaw.org.

ADVE RTISEMENT r - -- -------- - - -- -- - - - - - - -- -- - - - - - -------- - --- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ---- - --,

A Parent & Community Survey What does the teachers' contract mean to me and my child?

The teachers' contract with the Philadelphia School District expires in August. The contract lays out hours, wages and the terms and conditions teachers work under for the next four

I years. The School District and the Ph iladelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) - the teachers' union - have already begun discussing the next contract.

Parents of the Alliance Organizing Project (AOP) have been researching how the contract affects our chil-dren's education. AOP is a city-wide organization of parents acting together to improve our public schools by strength-

~~~f t~U:n~~;~et~~ts~~~~~t~~~~~~~ b~ga~~;I~~~~~~~i~~~~e~~~~~n~~~ J:~i~~~~~' t~~it"~lfea~~h~~ ~1s~\~~s!~aJ~hs~ ~ make regarding our children's education. Here is a chance to make your voice heard. Please take a few minutes to fill out this survey and return it to: Alliance Organizing Project (AOP), 511 N. Broad St., 3rd FI" Phi/a., PA 19123. Phone (215) 625-9916 Fax (215) 625-9116

1. Parents and community members should partic ipate in the decisions that affect their children and public schools. _ _ Strongly Agree __ Agree __ Disagree _ Strongly Disagree

2. The Philadelphia School District and the teachers' union (PFT) should take specific steps, like holding town meetings or forming committees, to ensure that parents' and community members' opinions and ideas are considered. _Strong ly Agree _Agree _Disagree _Strongly Disagcee

3. Each individual public school should be ab le to decide whom to hire as their principal. _Strongly Agree _Agree _Disagree _Strongly Disagree

4. Each individua l public school should be able to hire qualified teachers to meet their 'particular needs and goa ls. _ Strongly Agree _Agree _Disagree _ Strongly Disagree

5. The Philadelphia School District should provide parents with training opportunities to learn more about

I education issues such as school curriculum, tests, teaching methods, school staffing, and school budgets. _Strongly Agree _Agree _Disagree _ Strongly Disagree

I

1

6. Public school teachers are underpaid and deserve a raise. _Strongly Agree _Agree _Disagree _Strongly Disagree

7. Public school teachers' salary should be connected to children's achievement levels. As children improve, so should teacher's salaries. _Strongly Agree _Agree _Disagree _Strongly Disagree

8. Parents, teachers, school principals and administriltors should be partners in the education and development of our chi ldren. They shou ld respect each other and share decisions and information . _Strongly Agree _Agree _Disagree _Strongly Disagree

9. At your school, d.o you feel you have enough opportunities to express your ideas, give your input or ask questions about your chi ld's education? ' _Usually _Sometimes __ Rarely Never

Comments, Suggestions _____________________________ _

: Your voice counts, Please let us know how you want to be involved. i _YES, I w~nt to le~rn.more about the Allian~e Organizing Project (AOP). Add me to the mailing list. i _YES, I Will help distribute surveys at my child's school.

i NAME: ADDRESS: _ ___________________ _

i PHONE: . CHILDREN'S SCHOOLS:' DATE: I

I , I ~-- --- - :: ---- - ':'===-.- - - -= = =-------.-..::.- - - - - - - -- - -- - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - _________ ...J

PAGES PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK SPRING 2000

Las escuelas urbanas y suburbanas a traves de los ojos de una principal • Una principal c~mpara s~s experiencias en las mtermedlas Pepper y Abington.

continua de fa p. 1

dos consejeros, !reS secretarias, cinco asfs­tentes no docentes, y dos agentes de seguridad.

Mi papel como Ifder educativa era muchas veces secundario a las demandas diarias de superv isi6n, administraci6n de medicarnentos, brega con la disciplina, pri­oridades del "cluster" y de la oficina central y las preocupaciones de los padres. La falta de un adecuado personal administrativo Y de apoyo robaban tiempo a mi concentraci6n en la instrucci6n.

La Escuela Intermedia Abington esta localizada 3 millas al norte de Filadelfia en un espa­cioso campus de 45 acres. La escuela est!! rodeada por campos de juego. EI edificio, el cual alberga a 1700 estudiantes, abrio en 1964.

En Pepper, muchas veces me vefa forza­da a sacrificar los planes de observar a los maestros en el sal6n de clases porque yo era la dnica en el edificio que estaba disponible para procesar referimientos disciplinarios, reuniones con los padres, conferencias del!.

ANUNCIO - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - --- - - - - - - - - -- - - -- - -- - - -- - - - - - - ---- ----- - - -- - ----- - - - --- - - - - - --,

Encuesta para Padres y la Comunidad JQue significa el contrato de la union de maestros para mi y mis ninos? EI contrato entre los maestros y el Distrito Escolar de Philade lphia expira en agosto. EI contrato denota las horas, salario y los terminos y condiciones bajo las cua les los mae-

~~0:~~~~~~rt~il~d~~~~Tal(~tno(7~~~~~~~~~~sn~sae~ir~!r;~~!~C~~a;,e~;:d~e~di~~~7r ~T proximo contrato.

Padres de EI Projecto de Alianza Orga nizativa ("AOP") han estado investigando como afecta e l cont rato de maestros la educacion de nuestros nin~s. AOP es una organizacion de padres de toda la ciudad actuando juntos para mejorar nuestras escuelas publicas haciendonos escuchar en las decisiones de la escuela y construyendo fuertes lazos con los maestros. el principal y los administradores. Queremos asegurarnos de que los padres y la comunidad tengan una voz en las decisiones que el Distrito Escolar y la PFT toman acerca-de la educacion de nuestros nin~s. Esta es una oportunidad para que se escuche su voz. Favor de tomar unos minutos para Il enar esta encuesta y devue lva lo a: Alliance Organizing Project, 511 N. Broad St., 3rd Ff., Phi/a., PA 19123 Phone: (215) 625-9916 Fax: (215) 625-9116

1. Los padres y la comunidad deben part icipar en las decis iones que afecta n a sus ninos en las escuelas Publicas. _ Com pi eta mente de Acuerdo _ de Acuerdo Desacuerdo _ Completo Desacuerdo

2. EI Distrito Escolar de Philadelphia y la Union de Maestros deberfan dar pasos especfficos, como formando comites y teniendo reuniones publicas, para asegurarse de que la opini on de los padres y de los miembros de la comunidad es tomada en cuenta . _ Completamente de Acuerdo _ de Acuerdo Desacuerdo _ Completo Desacuerdo

3. Cada escuela deberfa de poder decidir a quien emplear como principa l. _Completamente de Acuerdo _ de Acuerdo _ Desacuerdo _ Completo Desacuerdo

4. Cada escuela deberfa poder decidir como gastar el dinero en su presupuesto. _Completamente de Acuerdo _ de Acuerdo _ Desacuerdo _ Completo Desacuerdo

5. Las escuelas deben invitar y entusiasmar a miembros de la com un idad a que participen en las decisiones. _ Completamente de Acuerdo _de Acuerdo _ Desacuerdo _ Completo Desacuerdo

6. Cada escuela publica deberfa tener la pot estad. de e mplear maestros ca li f icados para satisfacer sus necesidades partlculares. _Completamente de Acuerdo _ de Acuerdo _ Desacuerdo , _ Completo Desacuerdo

7. EI Distrito Esco l ~r de Phi~ade l phia d.ebe proveer e~trenam i ento a padres para que aprendan asuntos educa­tlVOS como cUrriculo, examenes, metodos de ensenanza, personal y el presupuesto escolar. _ Completamente de Acuerdo _de Acuerdo _ Desacuerdo _Completo Desacuerdo

8. Padres, maestros, pr incipa les y administradores deberfan de ser socios en la educaci6n y desarrollo d nin~s. Ellos deben respetarse mutuamente y compartir dec isiones e informaci6n. e nuestros _ Completamente de Acuerdo _de Acuerdo _ Desacuerdo _Completo Desacuerdo

9. LEn su escuela, cree usted que hay suficientes oportunidades de expresar sus ideas dar su 0 . " h ' preguntas sobre la educacion de sus hijos? ' pinion 0 acer _ Completamente de Acuerdo _ de Acuerdo _ Desacuerdo _Completo Desacuerdo

Comentarios, sugerencias ====-__ ----------------------~-

Su voz cuenta. Favor de dejarnos saber c6mb quiere envolverse. _ Si, quiero saber mas sobre Alliance Organizing Project (AOP). Aiiadame a la Ii t d _ Si, ayudare a distribuir encuestas en la escuela de mis ninos. 5 a e correo.

I I

NOMBRE: _ _____________ DIRECCION_________________ 1

TELEFONO: ESCUE LA FECHA 1

L - --- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --- -- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - -- - - - -- --- - -- - - - - - - ---- --- - - - - ________ _ ___ __ _ _ ___ -:- _ _ J

E. P. Y bregar con los problemas. La falta de suficiente personal secretarial significaba que yo escribfa los memorandos en la com­putadora, los duplicaba y los distribufa a los diferentes buzones de los maestros.

En Abington, por contraste, yo contaba con tres asfstentes de principal , muy capaces y experimentados. Cada asfstente de princi­pal tenfa una secretaria que Ie ayudaba con los expedientes de los estudiantes y a man­tener contacto regular can los padres. Seis consejeros daban servicios a los estudiantes. Tambien estaban disponibles un psic610go a riempo completo, un psiquiatra visitante, un coordinador de escuela y comunidad y lin consejero del programa de asfstencia al estu­dianle a tiempo parcial.

EI departamento de orientaci6n tenfa un director con su propio personal secretarial. Nuestras dos enfermeras contaban con el apoyo de un asfslente clerical en la sala de enfermerfa. Un asfstente clerical y un secre­tario asfstfan a los dos bibl iotecarios. Veintiseis ayudantes, a tiempo completo y a tiempo parcial, trabajaban en el edificio con­trolando la actividad en los pasillos, el comedor, los autobuses y supervisando las clfnicas de area, las cuales estaban disponibles a traves del dfa y despues de la escuela para aquellos estudiantes que nece­sitaban ayuda adicional .

La verdad es que el Distrito Escolar de FiladelfUl opera un

programa muy flaco en comparacion con otros distritos escolares del

estado. Como re'sultado" los estudiantes no

reciben los servicios educacionales ni el

apoyo necesario para triunfar y competir en

la economia global.

En terminos del apoyo administrativo y de orientaci6n, Abington tenia dos veces y medio el nivel de apoyo a los estudiantes que en Pepper. La proporci6n de personal de apoyo a los estudiantes presentaba la misma dis pari dad. En Abington habfa un empleado de apoyo para cada 39 estudiantes. En 'Pepper la proporci6n era de uno a 79.

En Abington podiamos combinar exi­tosamente el concepto de "pequenas comu­nidades de aprendizaje" con un prograrna academico muy riguroso a tone con las necesidades intelectuales y soCiaies de los

continua en fa p. 9

leual es su opinion? Las bienvenidas del

Public School Notebook a su correspondencia,

las crfticas, U openiendo puntos de vista.

Por favor envfelos al

Philadelphia Public School Notebook

3721 Midvale Avenue Phila., PA 19129

Fax: 215-951-0342 psnotebook@aol.com

"" J.:..

PRING 2

Hi studiantes quipos de: lidades de ,erfodos at ,reparaci61 iempo sob uales cono ,reparaci61

En Pep ' uroeste de rabajabam 'ara establl pequefias Lidades de ;!" e innun

ornites. Si :0, era imp ,ncontrare lara reurtir, ,Idia. EI fl ionamient Ie los equil lependia d, 'osici6n de ,io tiempo, lurante el! lesignados

lecursos Abingto

,ennitfan a extos mas ,resupueto les y equil .cercaba a lanados en II distrito e 'or cada es a escuela.

En Pepp HUai era er ,or texto, It

liffciles en In ana con ngles para 'ada maestJ 'n cada sail tro inventa linero sufia nas recient, studiantes 'arse a la Ci

,artidospOi En Pepp

·studiantes. lequefias a

,upervisiol Abingtol

amen to qm educido y ( stas de arel ,arte del eq ales, tenian

.os on la Escuel; :omputadOi lando. 5u 0

2000 --as tal 'altade :aba .com­'aa los

llaba :apaces )finci­a Con man­Seis liantes. ;Iogo a lte, un y un al estu-

lia un arial. n el lade secre-

~to y a io con­I o las

de la nece-

-en ~os

lei

do"

ra rm r.

ivo y :es y ,tes mal de nisma )Ieado

:xi­omu­una s , los

PRING 2000 PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK PAGE 9

Historia de dos escuelas: ciudad y suburbio continua de la p. 1

studiantes. A los maestros asignados a los quipos dentro de las "pequeiias comu­,idades de aprendizaje" se les concedfan dos 'erfodos adicionales por semana para ,reparaci6n y ayuda a los estudiantes. Este iempo sobrepasaba los requisitos contrac­uales concemientes a los perfodos de 'reparaci6n.

En Pepper, al uroeste de Filadelfia, rabajabamos mucho

los maestros y proveer apoyo. Ellos adminis­traban el desarrollo del personal dentro de sus depaItmnentos, sostenfan reuniones mensu­ales de depanmnento, revisaban el currfculo y compraban libros y materiales. A traves del trabajo de siete jefes de depanmnento y tres asistentes de principal podfmnos observar for­malmente a todos nuestros 115 maestros cua-tro veces al ano.

En Pepper, donde yo tenia 75 maestros y un solo asistente de

,ara establecer cuatro pequenas comu­Lidades de aprendiza­e" e innumerables omites. Sin em bar­:0, era inlposible ncontrar el tiempo 'ara reunirse durante ,I dia. EI fun­.ionamiento eficiente Ie los equipos

En Pepper cada clase tenia 30 0 mas

estudiantes. Abington tenia clases mas

pequeiias a traves de toda la escuela.

principal era muy diff­cil hacer las observa­ciones de clases mandatorias anuales.

Aun cuando podiamos realizar las observaciones no era posible para nosotros pro veer las critjcas especificmnente

lependia de la dis-'osici6n del personal para sacrificar su pro­,io tiempo, antes 0 despues de la escuela, lurante el almuerzo 0 durante los perfodos lesignados para preparaci6n.

~ecursos

Abington contaba con los fondos que les 'ermitian a todos los estudiantes tener los extos mas recientes para cada materia. Mi ,resupueto operacional para textos, materi­les y equipo audiovisual tfpicmnente se .cercaba a los $250,000. Los libros viejos 0

Ian ados eran reemplazados rutinariamente .. ~I distrito escolar proveia una calculadora 'or cada estudiante para usar en la casa y en a escuela.

En Pepper el presupuesto operacional nual era entre $60 y $70 mil. A $30 0 $40 'or texto, teniamos que hacer decisiones liffciJes en cuanto a nuestras prioridades. In ano comprmnos suficientes antologias de ngles para toda la escuela para permitirle a :ada maestro tener una colecci6n complera 'n cada sal6n. Otro ano suplementamos nue­tro inventario de matemaricas. Nunca habia linero suficiente para comprar las ediciones nas recientes para todas las materias. Los studiantes recibian libros viejos para lIe­'arse a la casa. Los libros nuevos eran com­,artidos por cinco clases diariamente.

En Pepper cada clase tenia 30 0 mas 'studiantes. Abington tenia clases mas 'equeiias a traves de toda la escuela.

iupervision instruccional Abington tenia siete directores de depar­

amento que ensenaban en un horario educido y que funcionaban como especial­stas de area dentro de la escuela. Ellos eran ,ane del eq uipo administrativo, y como ales, tenian la responsabilidad de observar a

relacionadas con la materia y la ori­

entaci6n que comtlnmente ofrecian los jefes de depanamento.

Programas ofrecidos En Abington los estudiantes altmnente

motivados tenfan acceso a un programa de honor muy riguroso en cinco disciplinas comenzando en el septinJo grado. Los estu­diantes se ayudaban los unos a los otros a traves de un exitoso programa de mediaci6n y a traves de iniciativas de turorfa entre los mismos estudiantes. Los estudiantes que necesitaban intervenci6n academica eran asignados a pequeiios grupos de tutoria en clinicas de humanidades, matematicas, lengua extrajera, ciencias y educaci6n espe­cial. Las clfnicas eran manejadas por asis­renres 0 por maestros certificados.

Las oportunidades para envolvinliento y exito se extendian mas alia del sal6n de clases. Abington ofrecia 28 deportes interescolasticos, un progrmna atletico intra­muros con actividades no tradicionales y una gran variedad de clubes y organiza­ciones. Con autobuses para actividades despues de la escuela nos asegurabmnos de que todos los estudiantes paniciparan aun cuando los padres no estuvieran disponibles. La instrucci6n en interpretaci6n musical se incorpor6 al progrmna de instrucci6n. Aproxinladamente 880 estudiantes participaban en la banda, la orquesta y el coro.

En Pepper el progrmna ofrecia instruc­ci6n en cuatro areas mayores y en lectura. No se proveia instrucci6n en lengua extran­jera. Un pequeno ntlmero de estudiantes (menos de 25) recibfa instrucci6n en mtlsica instrumental. Habfa seis equipos atleticos interescolasticos (tres para nmos y tres para nmas) y un progrmna intramuros y club.

.0 5 estudiantes preparan presentaciones en uno de los ci~co laborato~ios de computadoras '" la Escuela Intermedia Abington. En Abington. cada salon de c1ase t,ene por 10 menos una :omputadora conectada a la Internet. Pepper t iene un laborato~io de computadoras func,o­lando. Su otro laboratorio fue in undado el ot,?iio pasado y esta .por ser renovado.

La escuela intermedia Pepper esta localizada en la Calle 84 en el suroeste de Filadelfia. Sirve a mas de 1100 estudiantes. EI edificio abri6 en 1974 y constituye una de las escue­las mas recientes del Distrito Escolar de Filadelfia. (Fotos: Fred Engst)

EI personal profesional La escala de salarios para maestros y per­

sonal administrativo permitfa a Abington alraer un personal profesional altmnente cualificado. Un por ciento significativo de la facultad tenia sobre 25 anos de experiencia. Este mvel de estabilidad del personal con­trasta con 10 que ocurre en la mayor pane de las escuelas intermedias de FiJadelfia. En la gran mayoria de las escuelas existe un tremendo problema de cambio constante de personal y Pepper no era una excepci6n.

Debido a la buena reputaci6n y al salario atractivo los nuevos maestros buscaban el distrito de Abington y como resultado podfmnos emplear profesionales j6venes y excelentes. Podfamos ser selectivos debido a la gran cmlti-

candidatos que no son precisamente la primera selecci6n de los distritos escolares suburban os. EI trabajo de los estudiantes

Las comparaciones entre los resultados de los examenes revelan grandes diferencias en niveles de aprovechamiento entre las dos escuelas.

Yo no me converti en una mejor principal cuando me mude a los suburbios, sino que recib! las herramientas necesarias para pro­ducir mejores resultados para los nmos. Creo que con los recursos que yo tenia en Abington los estudiantes de Pepper podrian hacer trabajo academico comparable con aquel de los distritos suburbanos.

Como residente de la ciudad, sigo viendo el mejoramien­to de nuestro dad de solici­

tantes. Comparacion de personal sistema educa-

Pepper Abington tivo ptlblico como la clave

Asistente de principal 1 determinante

Jefes de departamento 0 7 de nuestra

Consejeros 2 6 futura posici6n

Psic61ogos 0 1 de gran

Secretariosloficinistas 3 14 metr6polis. Mi

En Pepper generalmente yo recibfa una lista de los nuevos mae­stros que habfan selec­cionado mi escuela sin haber temdo yo la oportu­nidad de estu­diar sus cre-

Asistentes de pasillo/comedor 8 15 experiencia me dice, no

Asistentes de instrucci6n Agentes de seguridad

denciales en relaci6n a las necesidades de la escuela.

Mi experiencia como profesor adjunto en Drexel ha sido que la mayorfa de los estudi­antes estan buscando empleo en los subur­bios. Comentarios tales como: "Si no puedo conseguir un empleo, enseiiare en la ciu­dad," refuerzan la noci6n de que las escuelas en las ciudades son la segunda altemativa de

0 11 obstante, que 2 0 aun los edu-

cadores mas comprometi­

dos no pueden transformar las esuelas de las ciudades sin la infraestructura de apoyo que existe en los distritos escolares a traves del estado.

Nancy J. McGinley es direc/ora ejecuriva del Fondo Educacional de Filadelfia.

Traduccfon por Milagros Irizarry

PAGE 10

On these pages are excerpts of a budget guide produced by Greater Philadelphia First in 1998. Some data have been updated for publication in the Notebook. The complete guide is available on the Web at: http://www.gpfirst.comlbudget-guide

When we speak about "the school budget," we're really talking about several budgets that are combined (0 cover the cost of operating public schools, charter schools, and services to non-public students. Money for schools comes-from many different sources, such as taxes, grants and school bonds. But much of it can only be used to pay for specific things. For instance, funds that are borrowed to construct school buildings cannot be spent on books.

School District of Philadelphia Budget Revenue 1998-99 .

Operating Budget Revenues $1.46 billion total

INCLUDES:

General Fund: ($1.34 billion)

Grants Fund Budget $190.0 million

The main operating fund that receives city. state and federal funds to cover the cost of day-to-day activities in schools

Also called the. "Categorical Budget." Grants from government agencies (mostly federal) and foundations that are targeted to spe<:ial pro­grams and services 10 Intermediate Unit Fund: ($52.4 million)

Provides funds for special education programs

Debt Service f.und: ($73.8 million) I ~ccumulates funds to pay back the L- 00 ... ,,,hoo'''''''

, schools. Some examples: , T itle I. National Science

fioundation. The Annenberg Foundation. National School-to-Work Opportunities Act.

F.ood Services $61 .0 million

Federal funds and income from selling meals. which reim· burse the School District for 100% of food costs.

Print Shop $2.3 million

The cost for central printing and dupli· cating services to various School District divisions which are fully reimbursed by those divisions.

Capital Projects Fund Budget

• $148.0 million

Provides funds for major school renovations. addi· tions and construc­tion of new schools and equipment. Funds come from the sale of school bonds (loans that are repaid with

• interest)

W"~~~dO~S SC"OO( f~~dl~' CO~~ f~o~? Many people are surprised (0 learn that most money for public schools comes from city and state government, and not from Washington. The chart below shows how much Philadelphia receives in governmental and other funding, when you combine the revenues from both the Operating and Grants Fund Budgets.

Source: ~chaol District a( P~i/adelphia 1998-99 Amended Operating Budget and Gronts Fund Budget Note: When these budgets are combined, mmor adjustments are reqwred to account (or transfers among (unds and budgets and to eliminate duplication

PUBLIC SCHOOL NOirEBOOK • SPRI

i

Source: Pennsylvania ?~partment o(Education,data (or./997_ . avera e Phi/Odej $1,900 more per pupil m 1997-98 thonPhilodelPhiodid) 98 (Note. The g

A growing funding gap across the st Ever since the state placed a freeze on its f.onnula for education of Philadelphia has had to divide the state's slice of the educatio poorer students. It has done so while mounting an ambitious ef improve test scores, reduce class size in early grades, provide fi teacher training and make schools accountable for improving s

Hundreds of rural and urban school diStricts in Pennsylvania fa)

to do more with less. Because wealthier districts can make up ~ more funds in property taxes, a widening gap has arisen betweE children in wealthy and poor districts.

What difference would more school fi If Philadelphia public schools could afford to spend as muc

average school district in Pennsylvania-an additional $67~ would add up to $20.000 for a classroom of 30 students . . purchase one or more of the following:

o Additional teaching support and smaller class size: o More teacher training o New up-to-date textbooks and teaching materials o Modern computers, educational saftware and Intern, o Enrichment programs in languages and the arts o Tutoring services, after-school programs, and summ

Can Philadelphians r~;se more local mon

Some state officials believe that Philadelphia should do more to inc cost of its public schools. To enlarge the local "slice" of the educat current system, Philadelphia would have to raise property taxes or services. Economists believe that doing that would harm efforts to I health of the city and region. Here are some of the reasons why:

Property Tax. Currently, about 76 percent of the city taxes colle property taxes from homeowners and businesses. Unfortunately, the Philadelphia has not risen as fast as it has in the rest of the state. Si estate in Philadelphia grew by only 9.2 percent, while it went up by across the state.' The city also has a large number of government-O' which are tax-exempt.

Population, Jobs and Wages. Between fall 1989 and fall 199 in Philadelphia went up dramatically by 24,500. But the overall pop down. More than 100,000 residents moved out of the city-more ~ ing that period.' Until recently, the city was also losing jobs at an al~ reverse that trend in the 1997-98 school year. Personal income roSI Philadelphia from 1990·95 compared to an average boost in incom state residents.'

Families in poverty. From 1993 to 1998: th; number of poor I Pennsylvania dropped by 19.1 percent, willie tIl hiladelphia the nu increased by 8.6 percent, stretching the resources of city programs.

Local ta~ burden. Philadelphia residents already pay more of t than reSidents anywhere else in pennsylvania-far more, in fact, th, Boston Washington D.C. Chicago or Los Angeles. City reSidents pay taxes, ;elative to their in~ome, as the average r~sldent of tlle four Pc

f " doll:us from a shrinkin the city.3 With increasing demands or u'IX d g there is little chance Philadelphia citizens c:tI1 evote more local ,

~ ~!n~::~~ad~~~~rtment a( Education data all Aid to Fomifres

with Dependent Children (AFD(

] D.C Department orFinance and Revenues

SCHOOL NOil"EBOOK • SPRING 2000

icts in Pennsylvania spend per pupil

~~~~de1;~~ ~~.~997.98 (Note: The overage Philadelphia suburban school disuia spent almost.

'ng gop acrOSS the state I freeze on its !i>nnula for education funding, the School District ~vide the state's slice of the education pie among more and ~ so wlJile mounting an ambitious effort to raise standards, class size in early grades, provide full-day kindergarten, expand :chools accotmtable for improving student performance.

n school distrtcts in Pennsylvania face a sinJilar dilemma: how se wealthier districts can make up the difference by collecting s, a widening gap has arisen between what is spent to educate r districts.

would more school funding make? ols could afford to spend as much on each student as the Pennsylvania-an additional $673 more per ch ild-that for a classroom of 30 students. This added funding could the following:

;upport and smaller class sizes Ig books and teaching materials ducational software and Internet access 5 in languages and the arts ~r-school programs, and summer school

~ise more local money for schools?

Plilladelphia should do more to increase its local share of the­arge the local "slice" of the education funding pie under the uld have to raise property taxes or cut funds from other city t doing that would harm efforts to rebuild the overall fiscal re are some of the reasons why:

ut 76 percent of the city taxes collected for schools comes from 'S and businesses. Unfortunately, the value of property in t as it has in the rest of the state. Since 1990, the value of real my 9.2 percent, wlille it went up by an average of 32.1 percent IS a large number of government-owned buildings--all of

res. Between fall 1989 and fall 1999, public school enrollment cally by 24,500. But the overall population of the city went mts moved out of the city-more than any city in the U.S. dur­Ie city was also lOSing jobs at an alamting rate. It began to 3 school year. Personal income rose by only 7.4 percent in pared to an average boost in income of 30 percent for all other

1993 to 1998, the number of poor families living in the rest of ercent, while in Philadelphia the number of poor families ling the resources of city programs.2

)llia residents already pay more of their income in local taxes pennsylvania...-far more, in fact, than residents of New York, ,0 or Los Angeles. City reSidents pay twice as much in local ; the average reSident of the four Pennsylvania counties around Is for taX dollars from a shrinking population, many believe 1 citizens can devote mOre local taxes to public schools.

dow on Aid [0 Fomirres with Dependem Children (AFDC)

PAGE 11

W~IA( do W~ Sp~~d o~ (~~ IAV~YIA'~ ~(~""~~(1A7 pkp"(? One way to see how money gets spent is to divide the entire budget by the number of students and come up with the average amount that the School District spends "per-pupil." This number can be nlisleading, however, because certain services, such as transportation, only apply to certain children. In addition, it costs more to educate a high school stu­dent than an elementary pupil, and considerably more for students in special education classrooms. And finally, because schools now have the authority to make many budget decisions on their own, one school may choose to provide a ser­vice that another school nlight not. Keeping all this in mind, here is a rough idea of what the School District spent on an "average" elementary student in the 1997-98 school year.

$61 Librarians or Library Assistants (some schools have none)

$60 Books and Instructional aids (Average cost ora textbook is $40 to $60)

$37 Accommodation Room* «(or time-out & discipline)

$33 Materials and supplies $23 After-school tutoring,

cultural, safety patrols* $14 Contracted services $11 Equipment

$2 Teacher training

$2 Education for homebound students *

$0.10 School stipends! scholarships

, Note: Thesepgures combine expenditures (rom I 997-98 Amended Operating ondGronts Fund &Jdgets. ThislOoo/djffersffomthestatepgureon page 7. which includes the School Distrid's costs (or Debt Service, Adult Education, Early Childhood L.;"'-=c....=-"':':'---"J r.:...::.:=,-,,== Educotion and Charter Schools

~ Signifies wages and benefits only.

$568

$2,448

Extra services, education programs and teacher training made possible through the Grants Fund Budget

Basic classroom instruction* (including art,science,music and physical education)

Custodian, maintenance and engineering services, contracts and supplies

Administrative and cluster support services

Principal, Asst. Principal and School Secretaries*

Special Education support services*

Average per-pupil cost' (/997-98' for:

Elementary Student. . . $5,680 Secondary Student. ... . $5,986 Special Education Student ...... $16,930

W~o d~(ld~S ~oW W~ Sp~d S(~Oo( fk~dS? Many people, including: • The principal, staff and school councils who make budget decisions at your local school. • The Superintendent and other School District staff who draw up the budget each year and present it to . • The Board of Education, which adopts a Proposed Budget and presents it to . • Philadelphia City Council, which decides how much local money to allocate to schools. " • The Pennsylvania General Assembly and Governor, who decide how much state money to spend on schools, how to

allocate that money to districts, and what conditions apply. Since more than half of school funding comes from the state, their role is more important than many realize.

• The U.S. Congress and President, who deCide how much federal money to spend on education, how to divide it up among states and distriCts, and what conditions apply.

• Citizens, who elect all of these public officials.

HlAv~ IA SIAl Successful schools are everybody's business. Every citizen can have a say in school budget decisions. If you are a public school parent, you can participate in elections of your Local School Council, and learn all you can about budget deci­sions at your own school. All citizens can participate in elections for city and state elected officials and learn about how they stand on school funding. To obtain information about the Philadelphia Board of Education's school budget process or find out when public meetings are being held, call (215) 299-7850. For the schedule of City Council budget hearings, call (215) 686-3410, and for infonnation on state education policy and budget, call the PA. Department of Education in Harrisburg at (717) 783-6788.

"/I Ciozen's Guide" produced by Greater Philadelphia First, written and edited by Jane Friedman Centu." . Graphic design by Kart)'!' Rosen Ai res. IU ustratioas by Linda Dalick.

SPRING 2000 PAGE 12 PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK

District· faces struggle to keep schools open

Continued from p. 1

million by June 2001. But the anticipated deficit is even larger for two reasons.

First, when the District adopted its new, tougher promotion and graduation require­ments, it also committed itself to providing some basic supports for students that are not yet in place: for example, summer school in all grades, extra help for students who need it, lower class sizes in kindergarten through third grade, ex panded prekindergarten pro­grams, and librarians and nurses in every school. The School Board is proposing to phase in these "Fair Opportunities to Leam" proposed by Superintendent Hornbeck over several years.

Second, the District's budget doesn't account for the District's contract

Superintendent's program of "Fair Opportunities to Learn."

Asked about the possibility of a state takeover, Governor Ridge's spokesperson, Tim Reeves, was critical of the School District for "spending more than what they have," and maintained that Philadelphia itself was the party responsible for its own inadequate funding of the schools. He asserted that the city and School District "lack credibility" in Harrisburg.

But he added, "We have no desire to run the School District of Philadelphia or any other." He agreed that there is time to fmd a solution but said the governor was prepared to implement the takeover law if the District does run out of money.

Some local edu-cation advocates

Parents discuss their concerns with Mayor Street after his Feb. 16 "Friends of Public Education" meeting at Lincoln High School in Northeast philadelphia.

negotiations with the teachers' union this summer. Mayor Street says he wants to address the problem that teachers' salaries in Philadelphia are lagging further behind their subur­ban counterparts -one factor behind a

The actual cash crisis could come in July,

when the District may not have enough cash on hand to pay all the obligations

that come due.

are hesitant to sup­port the mayor's assertive posture toward the state. Teachers' union president Ted Kirsch said he sees "a major con­frontation coming" between the Mayor and the Superintendent on

Mayor Street urges audiences to insist on quality education by Debra E. Johnson and Paul Socolar

"Once the people of this city - the edu­cators, the parents, the students - decide in a real way that you want more from the schools, we politicians will get the message."

Philadelphia students are being short­changed academically, Street said, because the School District doesn't have the money to provide enough computers and technolo­gy, textbooks, top-notch teachers, and small­er class sizes.

growing teacher shortage in Philadelphia. "We're going to be fair to our teachers," Street has repeatedly said.

The actual cash crisis could come in July, when the District may not have enough cash on hand to pay all the obligations that come due. According to the District's chief finan­cial officer, Thomas McGlinchey, "A lot can happen between now and July, but that's our current projection."

What happens if the money does run out is unclear. If it happens in July, it may be at a moment when the national spotlight is on Philadelphia: Governor Ridge 's Republican Party is coming to town for their convention.

Takeover threat The state's takeover law, adopted in

199&, allows the governor's Secretary of Education to intervene in cases of fmancial distress. It gives the Secretary sweeping powers to reorganize the District, replace the Superintendent and school board, renegoti­ate union contracts, contract out services, hire uncertified staff, and work free from nearly all state laws and regulations.

School District and city officials say they do not want to bring on a state takeover. "Why would we even talk about a state takeover of a school district that has been making significant strides in its perfor­mance?" District spokesperson William Epstein commented.

Epstein noted that there is an ongoing dialogue with state officials: for example, Street has made two recent trips to Harrisburg to meet with the governor and ~ with Philadelphia-area legislators.

Debra Kahn, recently appointed as Secretary of Education by Mayor Street, noted that the new administration and new school board need more time to work on solutions to the crisis. Five new board mem­bers were appointed March I. "We can't provide hard answers for people yet, and that can create a lot of anxiety," she acknowledged.

School board President Pedro Ramos said the new school board will try to fmd a way to keep the schools open but that they won't cut school-based programs and that some funds will be allocated for the

one hand and the Governor and state

This was the cen­tral theme that

"You can't have a world-class city

legislators on the other. "The two sides have to be able to sit down and negotiate a solu­tion," Kirsch said.

But many others like parent Zemoria Brandon, a vice-president of the Home and School Association at the High School for Creative and Performing Arts, say they are planning to be part of the mayor's effort to mobilize mass pressure on Harrisburg. Speaking at the mayor's community meet­ing in the Furness cluster, she commented, "We have to take a stand as parents. There is strength in numbers, and people do respond. When the Spectrum is filled up with 18,000 parents [demanding fair funding] , people will have to listen."

Mayor John Street delivered again and again as he laid out his response to the School District 's funding crisis at "Friends of Public Education" meetings in' each of the 22 clusters in February and March.

Street said the system is going to run out of money - the school '

with a second-class education system," Street reminded his audiences.

Street put the blame for the District's funding woes clearly on the state: "There 's not a sufficient com­mitment to public education in this Mayor Street

board is not willing to make drastic cuts in

educational programs to balance the budget.

argued passionately that people need to raise their expectations of government for providing quality education and to "send a message" to their elected officials.

Two bills would "close the gap" There are now two proposals in the state legislature to overhaul com­

pletely the way Pennsylvania funds its public schools. Both bills would reduce the resource gap between poor and wealthy school districts in Pennsylvania. Both .have growing lists of sponsors, Republican and Democrat.

One is in the House, sponsored by Rep. Nick Colafella, the Democratic chairman of the House Education Committee. It is called KEEPS, the Keystone Equity and Educational Performance System. The other is in the Senate, sponsored by Sen. James Rhoades, the Republican chairman of the Senate Education Committee.

The Rhoades proposal (Senate Bill 1283) and the KEEPS proposal (House Bill 2106) both substantially raise the state's share of the total cost of public education by raising the state income tax.

Both bills give local communities the opportunity to dramatically reduce and even eliminate local school taxes. Both provide the greatest level of state aid to schools in economically struggling communities. They would ultimately increase total state aid to Philadelphia schools by different amounts - but in both cases by about half a billion dollars annljally.

The bills differ in. the formulas for determining aid, in the total increase in state spending, and in how quickly the changes are phased in.

Shelly Yanoff, Philadelphia co-convener of the Pennsylvania Campaign for Public Education, noted that many state legislators from Philadelphia have not signed on as sponsors of these bills. Neither Governor Ridge nor House Majority leader John Perzel (Republican-Philadelphia) has responded positively to the bills.

For information on efforts to build support for the bills, contact Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth at 215-563-5848.

Commonwealtb to make sure that we

have the resources we need." He noted tbat other poor districts in Pennsylvania are also hurting.

At each meeting, Street bluntly said that Philadelphia's school system is going to run out of money in the near future, because the school board is not willing to make the drastic cuts in educational programs tbat would be necessary to balance the budget.

When the money runs out, Street said, tbe people of Philadelphia will have to unify to face Pennsylvania state officials and "demand what we need and want."

He urged his audiences to put aside other concerns and criticisms in order to focus on demanding adequate resources.

In the end, if we don 't make an orga­nized stand to Pennsylvania officials, we will have failed the children of Philadelphia, Street said. One concrete action step was offered: sample letters to elected officials were distributed as the meetings and audi­ence members were urged to write.

Most of the mayor's meetings drew crowds of a few hundred, and several drew overflow crowds. At meetings where seats were empty, Mayor Street challenged audiences to talk about what it would take to ftII up the room for a meeting on public education.

The mayor repeatedly stressed tbat he will need the support of tbousands to press the demands for adequate resources. He reg­ularly asked his audiences whether they were prepared to help bring out thousands of people in tbe near future to rally for qual­Ity publIc education - and he drew cheers.

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SPRING 2000 PAGE 13

Top left: a math class at Abington works out a

probability problem. Top right: students in a

Pepper math class solve a word problem.

Bottom left: One of Abington's five comput­er labs. Every classroom at Abington has at least

one computer wired to the Internet.

Bottom right: Pepper's computer lab has some brand new iMacs, some older equipment, and a hodgepodge collection of furniture. A second

computer lab was flooded last fall and is

due to be renovated.

A principal's tale of two schools: city and suburban Continued from p. 20

school had over 25 years of experience. This level of staff stability is in direct contrast to the staffmg picture in most Philadelphia middle schools. In the overwhelming major­ity of schools, there is a tremen-

new teachers who had selected my school without the opportunity for me to assess their credentials in relation to the needs of my building.

My experience as an adjunct pro­

vast differences in achievement levels between the two schools.

I did not become a better principal when I moved to the suburbs, but I was given the tools necessary to produce better results for children.

and organizations. After-school "activity" buses ensured that all students could partici­pate regardless of parent availability. Instruc­tion in performance music was incorporated into the instructional program. Approximately 880 students participated in band, orchestra, and chorus.

At Pepper the program offered basic instruction in four major subjects and read­ing. Instruction in foreign language was not provided. A small number of students (fewer than 25) received instruction in instrumental music. There were six interscholastic athlet­ic teams (three for boys and three for girls), and an intramural and club program.

dous problem with teacher turnover, and Pepper was no exception.

Because of the district's reputation and salary

fessor at Drexel has been that the major­ity of students are seeking employ­ment in the suburbs. Comments such as "1fT can't get a job, I'll teach in the city," reinforce the notion that city

It is my belief that given the resources I had in Abington, students at Pepper Middle School could be performing at academic levels that are comparable to those in subur­ban districts. Because of the

district's fme repu­tation and atrrac­ti ve salary pack­age, new teachers seek out Abington School District,

package, new teachers seek out Abington School District. We could afford to be selective in hiring.

As a resident of the city, r continue to view the improvement of our public school system as a key determinant of our future status as a world-class metropolis. My expe­rience tells me, however, that even the most committed educators carmot transform city schools without the infrastructure of support that exists in districts throughout the state.

Professional staff The teacher and administrative salary

scale enabled Abington to atrract highly qualified professional staff. A significant percentage of the faculty at the junior high

and as a result, we were able to hire excellent young professionals. We could afford to be selective in hiring because of the large num­ber of applicants.

At Pepper I generally was sent a list of the

Research for Action

• What can schools do to support girls through the difficult middle school years?

~ Are your children learning the science and math they need for the 21st century?

• How do you know if your Local School Council is working?

Are you interested in these questions and others? Research for Action conducts research on

public education in Philadelphia and across the country. . . Write or call for our publication list and to learn more about how Research for AcnoD IS

Working to improve your schools.

Research for Action d o International House 3701 Chestnut Street Philadelph ia, PA 19104

2158232500 215823251 0 (fax) . rfa@ Iibertynet .org (email) www.researchforaction.org

schools are the sec­ond choice of candidates who themselves are not the fITst choice of suburban districts.

Student performance Comparisons of student test scores reveal

Nancy 1. McGinley is Executive Director of the Philadelphia Education Fund

School District of Philadelphia

Office of Language Equity Issues

ESOL & BILINGUAL PROGRAMS

21st and the Parkway· Room 302

Philadelphia, PA 19103

(21S) 299-7791 • Fax: 299-7792

PAGE 14 PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK SPRING 2000

-i·Ig!{,·';ig'!ih.ii,i._

Pennsylvania flunks test of school funding fairness Education Week, the nation's newspaper

of record about basic education, has released its annual "QUality Counts" report card on the nation 's schools, and the news isn 't good for Pennsylvania.

Using the method of evaluation Education Week has used in previous years, the state scored a C-minus for school funding equity. But using a new and more comprehensive system that the report will adopt next year, Pennsylvania fell to a D-minus.

In its report, Education Week said it is moving to the new evaluation system because, "newer measures of equity can examine whether a state is doing its part to help property-poor [school] districts keep pace with wealthier districts."

Under the old system, scores were based solely on the size of the difference in spend-

ing per pupil among all of a state's school districts. The new approach, authored by a panel of six school finance authorities, looks at three factors:

o Whether, with state assistance, school districts that make the same local tax effort are able to provide roughly the same quality of education for their students. On this mea­sure Pennsylvania earned an F.

o The extent to which each district's edu­cation funding is related to property wealth. On this measure, Pennsylvania earned a C.

o The gap between what the bottom half of school districts spend and the amount spent by the school district in the middle of the spending range. On this measure, Pennsylvania earned a D.

The only state whose system earned straight A's under both evaluation systems is Hawaii, which is a single school district.

There the state pays 97.4 percent of the total cost of public education. The next highest­rated state under the new system is New Mexico, which had an overall grade of A­minus. In New Mexico, the state pays 83.5 percent of the total cost.

Using 1995-96 data (the most recent available for all states), the "Quality Counts" report lists PeIIDsylvania as paying 41.5 per­cent of the total cost. According to the Pennsylvania School Boards Association,

the state now pays about 35 percent of the total cost of public education.

For a detailed description of the "Quality Counts" methodology and data, visit www.edweek.org.

This article is exce/ptedfrom the Public School Advocate, the Pennsylvania

School Reform Network newsletter. PSRN, 317 North Front Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101, 717-238-7171, www.psrn,org.

What percent of income do you pay.in local taxes if you live in these counties?

Pennsylvania school funding: Questions and answers Reprintedfrom the Public School Advocate, newsletter of the Pennsylvania S,hool Reform Network.

Q: How unfair is Pennsylvania's system?

A: Ours is one of the most inequitable sys­tems in the nation. The gap between the Radnor Township School District - the highest spending (and very successful) district - and the Shamokin Area School District - the next to lowest-spending district - was $190,125 for every classroom of25 students in 1997-98. That's $190,125 less invested in the children in every Shamokin classroom every year.

Comparing spending in the 48 school dis­tricts with the best results on the state's tests of reading, writing and math with the medi­an-spending school district (Canton Area in Bradford County), the gap was $45,200 in 1997-98.

This means that the "gap" in the invest­ment in children was even greater than $45,200 per classroom in another 250 Pennsylvania school districts that fall below the median! And the gap has continued to widen since then.

Astonishingly, state officials defend this system as "fair" to all children and have not proposed to change it.

Q: Who is hurt the most by Pennsylvania's unfair system?

A: Rural commun;ties and cities are hurt the most. To afford schools that meet bare mini­mum standards, these communities must levy taxes that are so high they scare busi­ness away. TItis, in tum, forces young peo­ple to leave their hometowns when they graduate in order to fmd good jobs.

'Q: Why should the statefix the system?

A: There are many reasons: o Foremost are the children. Children shouldn't have to live in a select few commu­nities to get an excellent public education. o Only the state has the money it will take for communities to cut their taxes while improving their schools. With $3 billion in budget surpluses over the past five years, the state can finally afford to make every school a good school. o The Pennsylvania Constitution makes the General Assembly solely responsible to pro­'vide for the system of public education.

Q: How can the General Assembly fix the system?

A: There are various proposals for a new system. Each proposal is vastly better than the system we have now.

I. A funding proposal from the Pennsy 1-vania Association of Rural and Small Schools (Senate Bill 1283). This proposal would require the state to pay a guaranteed founda­tion amount per student, based on the actual amount that all schools spend for instruction.

2. A funding proposal called KEEPS, the Keystone Equity and Educational Performance System (House Bill 2106). This proposal \\,ould require the state to pay an amount per student based on what the 50 highest performing districts spend.

3. A number of proposals for incremental change, targeting new state spending on schools in economically struggling communities.

Q: What can I do to help every child get the education he or she deserves?

A: Let your state Representative and Senator know you want them to solve tltis problem (see phone numbers on p. 2). Ask them to make a commitment to support reform pro­posals. Ask them to co-sponsor one or more of the proposals. And offer to work with them toward enacting a real solution.

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PAGE 15

Is PAfunding discriminatory?

Federal court to hear bias case

Are the civil rights of students here being violated by Pennsylvania'S underfunding of Philadelphia public schools?

That is the charge made in a school fund­ing lawsuit ftled by the Philadelphia School District - a case that is now proceeding in federal district coun.

This novel lawsuit argues that Pennsylvania's school funding formula ille­gally di scriminates against school systems like Philadelphia 's that have large numbers of minority students. The suit alleges that the state spends less per pupil in Philadelphia and in other districts that are mostly minority than it spends in school dis­tricts that have similar poveny levels but are predominantly white.

Plaintiff 's attorney Michael Churchill of the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia (PILCOP) says that the case will establish "that there is bias in the state funding system." Churchill notes that . Pennsylvania has 12 other school districts besides Philadelphia that are mostly minori­ty and affected by the biased funding sys­tem, including Allentown, Chester, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Reading, and York.

The suit was ftled in 1998 on behalf of Philadelphia students, community organiza­tions, and Philadelphia public bodies and officials, including the Mayor, the Board of Education, and the Superintendent of schools.

The suit is based on the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrim­ination based on race, color, or national ori­gin in any program receiving federal fman­cial assistance. The U.S. Depanmem of Education is one of several federal agencies that has issued regulations under that act that address not only intentional discrimination but "disparate-impact bias," in which a pro­gram with a pattern of discriminatory effects can be ruled illegal.

Philadelphia, as well as otber POO( school districts in Pennsylvania, has pressed Pennsylvania state courts for years to change the state's system for fmancing pub­lic schools, but their state court cases have been unsuccessful. Pennsylvania courts have ruled that it is up to the state legislature to establish a fair school fmancing system.

Few states have had their school funding systems challenged in federal courts.

The U.S. Supreme Court, in a December 1999 ruling, threw out a challenge to the case ftled by Pennsylvania Governor Ridge and allowed the case to proceed to' trial. The trial could begin in late October 2000.

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PAGE 16 SPRING 2000

New Jersey: A state making progress on funding equity by Sharon Tucker

To fmd a state that has begun to tackle the problem of unequal spending between school districts, one can simply look at our neighbor across the ri ver, New Jersey.

As in Pennsylvania, the majority of New Jersey 's educational funding still comes from the local property tax. Property tax rates for many New Jersey residents are higher than rates in other states. However, the burden of school funding paid for by local property tax has been decreasing, from 64% in 1980 to 58% in 1998. This percentage is still higher than the national average for states, which was approximately 45% in 1997.

State aid, while still providing a miJ10rity share of school spending, has been growing in New Jersey. Through the income tax and sales tax, New Jersey now provides 42% of all funds for education (in Pennsylvania, the state's contribution has dropped to 35%).

The majority of the state's aid for regular education is distributed to districts according to their amount of property wealth - the poorer the community, the more state aid is allocated. State aid is targeted in this manner to allow poorer districts to spend amounts com­parable to wealthy districts, without increasing tax rates to overly burdensome levels. _

The state also sets a minimum amount that each district has to spend per pupil on regular education. For the current school year (1999-2000) that amount is $6,729 for elementary, $7,536 for middle, and $8,075 for high school. Per pupil spending in New Jersey's poorest school districts is much higher than in Pennsylvania, where some

poor districts are still spending as linle as $6,000 per student.

Federal aid, a smal l contributor to the total cost of public education nationally, pro­vides about 2% of all funds in New Jersey for programs like Title I for low-income stu­dents and IDEA for students with disabilities.

Court action forced change Legal actions demanding funding equity

have forced significant changes in New Jersey's funding system in recent years. In the 1990 court case Abbott v. Burke, students from low-income districts such as Camden and East Orange claimed that the 1975 fund­ing system did not provide an equal educa­tion for all students. Because the system relied heavily on community wealth, poorer urban districts had less money for education than wealthier districts.

The New Jersey Supreme Court agreed with the students, ruling that the 28 low­income districts should receive the same amount of education funding as high-income districts. The state was also required to pro­vide these "Abbott" districts additional educa­tional services to help their students achieve.

After the Abbott v. Burke decision, the number of Abbott districts rose from 28 to 30 of the state's 616 school districts. These 30 districts will experience three changes within their schools: 1) "Parity aid," which insures that these districts receive the amount of funding that successful New Jersey districts receive, oh average; 2) full-day pre-school for three and four-year-olds; and 3) extra funding even beyond the parity aid so that

r-------------------------------------------, : Did you miss something? Order back issues!

: ~NOTEB(rOK. Check boxes to order o Winter 2000: Interview with Mayor

Street and School Board, lead in drinking water, stopping gay-bashing.

o Fall 1999: Metal detectors, school anti­violence programs, myths of yough and violence, high-stakes testing.

o Spring 1999: Pullout College Resource Guide, Small Learning Communitie.s, cri­tique of vouchers, SAT-9 scores.

o Fall 1998: New academic requirements, eval­uating your school's technology program, Penn's new schoo~ bilingual education.

o Summer 1998: A day in the life of a stu­dent, harassment of gay/lesbian students, racial taunting, State Rep. Dwight Evans.

o Spring 1998: Reading skills, multicultur­al books, Paul Robeson, SAT-9 scores.

o Fall 1996: Accountability plan, map of clusters, broken bu ildings, principal selec­tion process.

o Summer 1996: Funding protests, merit pay, Chinatown Parents' Association, con­tract talks.

o Spring 1996: Smallleaming communi­ties, wrap-around services, school council powers diminished, racist team names.

o Winter 1996: Act 26, discussing disci­pline, implementing standards, Million Man March.

o Fall 1995: Task Force on Management and Productivity, social justice unionism, voices from Furness HS, fu ll-day kinder­garten.

o Spring 1995: Youth United for Change, o Fall 1997: New forms of parental in- Title I, school budgeting, Junior ROTC.

volvement, school councils, how to watch 0 a class, peer intervention for teachers.

Winter 1995: Children Achieving plan, SEPTA fares, new Clemente school, vio­lence and lack of supervision. o Summer 1997: Edison parents organize,

charter schools, reinventing teacher unions, Library Power.

o Spring 1997: Keystone schools, Olney and Audenreid, understanding the perfor­mance index, Alliance Organizing Project.

o Winter 1997: Your school 's budget, new SAT-9 test, test scores, new standards.

o Fall 1994: Educational panel blasts District, interview with new superinten­dent, teaching about holidays, special ed apartheid.

o Spring 1994: Judge Smith 's ruling, bilin­gual teachers, multicultunalism and Policy 102, school-based management.

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these districts can devote extra staff and resources for school reform programs.

More dollars for city schools The city of Trenton has experienced

many of these changes already. "Trenton is at the front of the line," says the city's schools Superintendent James "Torch" Lytle. Trenton schools have received $1,000 more per stu­dent from the state for the current school year as a result of the Abbott case.

They will receive an additional increase

of $2,000 per student next year. "It couldn 't be any better than this," says Lytle.

Problems still remain, however, for some low-income districts that were not part of the Abbott ruling because their needs were gauged to be less severe than the Abbott dis­tricts' needs. Many of these districts do have resource needs similar to Abbott districts, but do not receive additional funding.

Although change within the entire system may take time, New Jersey has taken impor­tant steps toward educational equity.

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Activism around the city

AOP works to develop 'Power through Partnerships' by Ros Purnell

More than sixty enthusiastic parents and community supporters came to hear about the victories and obstacles parents have encountered while tIying to make changes in their schools, at the February citywide meet­ing of the Alliance Organizing Project (AOP), held at Welsh Elementary School, 4th and York Streets. The theme of the meet­ing was "Power through Partnerships."

Teams of AOP parents at Welsh and at nearby Hunter and McKinley Elementary have been working hard - some for a num­ber of years -to expand parents' roles and make much-needed changes in their schools.

Parents at McKinley have been organiz­ing for four years on what parent leader Gladys Ortiz characterized as a kind of "roller coaster." Despite the lack of stable administration - four principals in as many years - parents have had important victo­ries. Ortiz pointed to students having "more reading time, a bilingual teacher, and a beautiful mural outside the library area."

Ortiz mentioned that parents have the support of cluster leader Eddie Torres. She also noted that McKinley parents were awarded funding this year for their after­school homework club.

But parents at McKinley are most inter­ested in solidifying their relationship with the new principal. "We hope that Dr. McGee will stay," said Ortiz.

Cecilia James, a grandparent and leader at Welsh, spoke on the year-long campaign to get a crossing guard at Welsh, a struggle that ended in a victory for the parents.

Tracie Bolden, the parent of a third grade student at Welsh, acknowledged the impor­tance of parents' establishing a positive part­nership with their principal, Steve Alper.

PAGE 17

"We need more principals [like Mr. Alper] to

back us and welcome the parents with open arms into our schools," Ms. Bolden said.

The parent team from Hunter Elementary has been organizing for only a year, but par­ents Norma Diaz and Norma Pagon spoke on the parents' victories: getting a crossing guard at a dangerous comer and attain ing funding for an after-school initiative.

Parent teams at all three schools -Hunter, Welsh, and McKinley - have received funding from Philadelphia Safe and Sound and the Philadelphia Education Fund for parent-run after-school programs.

A shared concern of the AOP parent groups was how to gain a voice for parents on issues that will be negotiated during con­tract talks this year between the School District and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. Parents expressed frustration that the District has not sought more parent input on contract issues. AOP is developing a campaign to dialogue with the District, the teachers' and principals' unions, and the mayor on the teachers' contract.

Pressure mounts for lower SEPTA fares

SEPTA is under growing pressure to fmd a way to lower fares for the 20,000 students who pay $9 a week for tokens.

According to Shelly Yanoff, director of Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth, a breakthrough came with the recent revelation that SEPTA provides a 5 percent discount on tokens to the University of Pennsylvania and other businesses, but not to the School District, its largest customer. Yanoff, an advocate for lower fares, said that just offering that discount could save Philadelphia students $1 million a year.

The School District now buys tokens from SEPTA at full cost and sells them to students for only 90 cents.

City Councilman W. Wilson Goode, Jr. has called for Council hearings to resolve the fare issue. Councilman David Cohen has suggested that SEPTA's subsidy from the city should be withheld until they work out a way for students to travel to school more cheaply.

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PAGE 18 PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK SPRING 2000

------------------•. mmt.". Two 'harmless' conversations that continue to haunt ...

What gets said about our kids is not okay

You can't have anything but a one-way conversation when you're lying on your back with wads of cotton in your mouth and a dental drill spinning toward your face.

"So you and your husband both work for the public schools? Don't you hate it?"

I shake my head, no. After the dentist lets me spit out, I say,

"Well, we can't stand the bureaucracy, but we really love the kids. It's hard because there 's so much funding inequity. I wish we had more resources." Then I sit back into the chair, once again helpless to comment.

"You can't fix those schools by throwing money at them." Her fingers are probing my molar. "You don't send your kids to the pub-lic schools, do you?" .

I nod my /lead, yes. "Well, you're the exce·ption. Most of

these teachers who scream abOut more money don 't even send their kids to the pub­lic schools. I can't say i Dlame them though. I would never send my kids to thos'e schoOls. You can only do but so mu~h with these kids

and families. They have too many other problems. I can't even get their parents to make sure they brush their teeth. So why waste the money, know what I mean?" . The drill sounded, and I lay back in silent anger. What I had just heard was a funda­mental belief about who is considered expendable in this city. The absolute certain­ty that I would share in this opinion left me feeling sad and empty.

Several months later, my husband and I both found ourselves planted in a church pew out in the suburbs waiting for a concert to begin. My father in his retirement has taken to singing in church choirs and likes us to go to hear his concerts. An elderly woman moved into the pew next to me. We smiled in greeting to each other.

"Oh, and what do you two do?" she asked.

I smiled. "We're both teachers." "How do you like your job?" she asked.

'You can only do but so much with these kids and families,' she said. 'I can't

even get their parents to make sure they brush their teeth.'

"We both really like teaching. We really enjoy ·the kids."

A mother's response to injustice

"You're so lucky to be in a good school system," she said. "I have friends whose children work in the Philadelphia public schools, and they hate it. They really would leave if they could, but you know, they are waiting for their pensions and retirement and everything. The kids are just awful. They hate their jobs, and they can't wait to get out."

I paused and looked directly into her eyes. "We both work for the Philadelphia public schools."

The-woman looked startled, and then per­haps a little embarrassed, but only for a moment. "Oh, you must be in exceptional schools. Well, I'm glad you enjoy your work." She turned away and the music start­ed.

The implications of these conversations still haunt me. 1 think about what it means to feel confidence in the universal nature of an opinion that the children of Philadelphia can be so easily dismissed. This confidence is so deep that conversations with relative strangers allow the opinion to be thrown out with ease.

It is in these seemingly harmless, off-the­cuff conversations that the truth about our inequity sits. It is not a problem that peopl~ do not see the inequity. The problem is that people accep(it as the natural order· of the universe.

In all of this is an aSSumption of complic­ity based on an assumption of equality. As an educated professional, I am viewed as "safe" for the sharing of this code of speech.

In truth, I believe if I were African American, these comments would be less readily shared. My Asian American self . made it easier to imagine compl icity in these

opinions. Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink. I won­der what would be said about immigrants in

my absence? There is a code of behavior that allows

conversations such as these to flourish in the safety of a closed circle of assumed equals. If you break the code, like John Rocker did, there will be a storm of outrage. But if you can keep within the confines of the code, you can express tliese beliefs with abandon.

If you break the code, like John Rocker did, there will be a storm

of outrage. But if you keep within the confines of the code,

you can express these beliefs with abandon.

Maybe by refusln'g to nudge and wink . back - by pulling the layers of complicity back and puti~g this down on paper, the conversations will stop haunting me. Or maybe we just need to speak truth· in this city. It's about tn.n~.

Debbie Wei is Asian American Studies curriculum specialist in the School District's Office of Curriculum Support, and is on tem­porary assignment with the Philadelphia Folklore Project.

'I ·wanted to say: l'lll Black! Don't shoot' me!' by Susan Karol Martel

I wanted to paint my face black. I wanted to scream and protest. I wanted to carry around a sign on my back saying: ''I'm Black! Don 't shoot me!"

I'd have to be very convincing - 52, five-foot one-inch, white, and female .

I had just heard the verdict in the killing of Amadou Diallo by four white New York police officers. I wanted mothers of Black sons to go to bed at night feeling their sons would be as safe on the streets as mine.

Instead, I put a sign on

the back of my vehicle saying just that.

Instead, I wove a small braid of black, white, brown, and tan ribbon and wear it on my outer clothing as a sign of solidarity with Black mothers. Instead, I tied a long, large, braided ribbon to the antenna of my car.

This began the MOTHERS' RIBBON PROJECT. It is a way to show Black moth­ers that wh ite mothers share their outrage over our society's treatment of their sons, husbands, and brothers. It is a way for Blacks and whites to connect on the street, on the train, or walking through a doorway. It is a bridge for eyes to meet and for the possibly of exchange - a hello, a smile, or

brief greeting, maybe even a conversation, possibly a first.

And it is very simple. It means buying ribbon for well under a dollar, braiding it, pinning the top and tying the bot-tom, wearing it on a shin or jacket.

Keep a spare in your pocket for the .

inevitable person showing interest. Or give them two, one to

pass on to a friend. This is a project ideal for groups: making

The Ribbon Project is a way to show

Black mothers that white mothers share

their outrage over our society's treatment of their sons, hus­

bands, and brothers.

ribbons and sharing the information through various computer list.serves or faxes. It is a way for women in the suburbs, where there

are fewer Blacks, to connect to other like­minded souls, breaking the isolation many feel living in what is often called protected communities--{;ommunities where affluence serves as a temporary distraction from fear of the inability to deal with life in the raw.

Whether in the streets of Philadelphia, Lower Merion (PA), New York, or Any Town, USA, human beings are being violat­ed through disrespect, with guns, clubs, and

boot tips, and lives are being taken. Join us! , Say it now: Enough!

THE MOTHERS' RIIfBON PROJECT is sponsored by The Think Tank at Awbury, which addresses social justice issues through creative philanthropy. Call 215-844-7772 or email !orourcommongood@aol.com.

Center City (215) 238-8381

Northeast Philadelphia (215) 722-7728

~f SYLVAN L&1/ LEARNING

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SPRING 2000 PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK PAGE 19 - _.fflmi.". Seeking common ground on PFT contract, funding crisis The teachers' contract and our children: Let's build partnerships through dialogue by Lucy Ruiz, Audrey Correll, and Kelley Collings

HoW does the teachers' contract affect our children's education? That's what par­entS of the Alliance Orgamzmg Project (ADP) have been wondermg.

The teachers' contract with the Philadelphia School District expires in AuguSt. The contract lays out bours, wages and the terms and conditions teachers work under for the next four years. The School District and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) - the teachers ' union - bave already begun discussing the next contract.

AOP is a citywide organization of par-ents acting together to improve our public schools by strengthening our voice in school . decisions, and building strong partnerships with teachers, principals,-and administrators.

For the first time, parent voices were heard by the School District regarding teacher contract

issues. This was a good first step.

-.. ADP's goal is to work in partnership with the School District and the PFT to ensure that parents and the broader community have a voice in the decisions that affect our children's education.

Since the spring of 1999, parents of the ADP have been researching how the teach­ers' contract affects our children 's education. We have met with the School District and the PFT in an effort to open dialogue among parents, teachers, administrators, and the larger community about the contract. Those discussions have yielded some resul ts.

Parents representing the Home & School Council, Parents Union, and AOP served on a "Consultative Comminee" (or focus group) for the School District in their information­gathering phase of the contract negotiations. For the first time, parent voices were heard by the School District regarding teacher con-

tract issues. This was a good first step. An initial meeting between parents and

the PFT leadership has yielded an agreement to hold further discussions around specific Issues, for example, par-ents' and teachers' roles in local school decision­making. These discus­sions are designed to involve a broader number of parents and teachers. This, too, is a step in the right direction.

It is this kind of dia­logue that AOP believes will help build trust between teachers and par­ents. Relationship-build-ing and trust are needed in order to tackle some of the more difficult issues in the teachers' contract that affect our children. This trust will allow us to collectively ensure that the teachers' contract works for our children.

AOP parents are holding a "Listening Campaign" - continuing till April 12 - to see how the teachers' contract affects our children, to open dialogue between parents and teachers, and to begin to build that much-needed trust. The "Listening Campaign" is designed to reach hundreds of parents, teachers, community members, school administrators, education advocates/activists, and public officials aod to listen to their opinions about the contract. The "listening" will happen through group discussions among all stakeholders, dozens of individual meetings, and the circulation of surveys.

Please take a moment to complete the survey [po 7] entitled "What does the teach­ers' contract mean to me and my child?" To get the details on group discussions near you, call ADP at (215) 625-9916. ADP invites everyone to work in partnership with parents, teachers, administrators, and the larger education community to shape our children's future.

Lucy Ruiz is an ADP Parent Leader at Julia de BUlgos Middle School. Audrey Correll is anADP Parent Leader at Cook­Wissahickon. Kelley Collings is assistant director of AD?

Can we turn the education crisis into an opportunity for unity?

by Ron Whitehorne and John Braxton

This could be a landmark y~ for public education in Philadelphia. Never has interest been greater from elected officials and the

general public. At crowded town

meetings around the city, the new mayor has laid out hi s priorities: cut class size, raise teacher salaries, involve the community. He also has been blunt: "We are going to run out of money."

This is also a year of unprecedented challenges for the public schools. As frustrated parents scram­

ble to fmd alternatives for their children and the funding gap grows, the state threatens to take over the School District and run it their way.

In these circumstances, the groups that care about and need quality pubiic schools have the potential power to bring real progress to the schools. These include par­ents' students, and the people who work in the schools-represented by their union , the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT).

If the union and the community can fmd common ground, we could form a coalition with the power to bring surprising changes. The urgent need for smaller classes is the best example of shared interests. Good working conditions for teachers create good learning conditions for students.

Take another problem: the high number of teacher vacancies. Increasing salaries in Philadelphia schools so they approach the salaries in the surrounding suburban schools would directly benefit teachers, and students and parents would benefit by anracting per­manent teachers to fill vacancies.

Solving the education crisis will require a united, long-term effort to persuade elect­ed officials to make public education a pri­ority as never before.

If we are not successful in building this movement, the price could be great: direct state intervention by Harrisburg. This could set the school system back years, with edu­cationally poor conditions such as even larg­er class size. The present limit of 33 stu­dents per class and 30 in the early grades

was only won after much effort and sacrifice by PFT members years ago. We all know the class size limit should be lower, but the advocates of a state takeover would certain­ly make a priority of raiSing the class size limit.

Goals of a pro-public school coalition should include:

• Full funding for Philadelphia schools at a level comparable to surrounding scbool districts (The KEEPS and Rhoades bills would dramatically increase state funding while shifting the furiding burden from local 'property taxes- a major source of unequal funding- to the state income tax).

• Significant reductions in class size, especially in the early grades.

• Paying school employees competitive salaries to encourage them to stay in the system.

• A fair contract for the PFT in 2000. . Such a coalition could start through a series of discussions between students, par­ents' and the PFT. Historically there have been differerices between the PFT and some community-based education groups over the

If the union and the community can find

common ground, we could form a

coalition with the power to bring

surprising changes.

role of parents, teacher assignment and eval­uation, and other issues. These differences need to be the subject of honest dialogue if unity is to be built. But they should not pre­vent the coming together around the ques­tions of school equity that are at the heart of the present crisis.

Philadelphia Area Jobs with Justice is a new coalition of unions and community organizations that hopes to help bridge the gap between students, parents, and workers in the schools. We invite anyone interested in solutions to the education crisis to contact Jobs with Justice at (215) 735-6350.

Letters to the Editors (Ron Whitehome teaches at Julia de

Burgos Middle School, and is an active member of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. John Braxton is a staffpersonfor Jobs with Justice.)

Antiviolence programs: Focus on training, counseling To the editors:

I read with interest the Fall 1999 Notebook that focused on safety issues and VIolence prevention programs in the Philadelphia School District. I agree that it is v::~Uy important that attention be paid to

;UCh ent!On as well as to safety measures sas metal detectors m schools.

An . mce 1991 , counselors from the Student of ~~Violence Education program (SAVE) Ph' Anl!-Violence Partnership of len~~delphia (AVP) have provided anti-vio- . 10 tram~g and counseling to nearly W,OOO Philadelphia public school students. th:n~~k each week with students at more

pUbhc schools, primarily elementary

and middle schools in West and Southwest

Philadelphia. SAVE is based on the public health strat-

egy that violence is a leamed behavior and that altematives to violence can also be learned through a barrage of prosoclal mter­ventions sustained over time. SAVE coun­selors meet for sixteen weeks with classes of students grades 3 through 8, facilltatmg ses­sions on topics such as conflict resolutlon, anger management, bullies, weapon safety, and effects of media violence. They also provide counseling to students identIfied as needing more intensive help m smal ler, less

formal settings. VE A VP's clinical staff supplement SA .

ITainin with therapeutic counselUlg and cn­sis res;onse to students traumauzed by VJC-

timization and other issues relating to vio­lence. We also provide professional develop­ment and parent workshops in schools on topics relating to violence and its effect on children.

When every day seems to bring a new and horrific story about violence by or against chi ldren, it is heartening to know that Philadelphia public schools are offering so many programs and activities designed to provide healthy and positive alternatives to our youth .

Jlllie Good, MSS, MLSP Executive DirectOl; Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia

What's your opinion?

The Public School Notebook welcomes your letters,

critiques and point of -view. Write us at:

Philadelphia Public School Notebook

3721 Midvale Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19129

Fax: (215) 951-0342 email: psnotebook@aol.com

PAGE 20 PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK SPRING 2000

A principal's view of Pepper Middle School and Abington Junior High School

A tale of two schools: city and suburban by Nancy 1. McGinley Photos by Fred Engst

When T left my job as a middle school principal in the School District of Philadelphia to become principal of a subur­ban junior high school , the first major differ­ence appeared in the form of a $20,000 increase in my annual salary.

I had spent 19 years in Philadelphia as a teacher, researcher, central office adminis­trator, and middle school principal. I had taught education courses at Drexel Universiry. Still I was unprepared for the degree to which the level of school fund­ing impacts upon the operation of schools and the quality of education in city and suburban schools.

Both Pepper Middle School (Philadelphia) and Abington Junior High School (Montgomery County) serve racial­ly and ethn ically diverse middle level student populations. Both schools are large, 1140 and 1700 students respectively.

capable and experienced assistant principals. Each assistant principal had a secretary to hel p monitor student records and maintain ongoing contact with parents. Six counselors served our students. Also available were a fu ll-tinle psychologist, a visiting psychia­trist, a school-community coordinator, and a part-time student assistance program coun­selor.

The guidance department had a chairper­son and its own secretarial staff. Our two nurses had the support of a health room clerk. A clerk and a secretary assisted the two full-time librarians. Twenty-six full and

part-time aides worked in the building to monitor the hall­ways, supervise the buses and lunchroom, and provide supervi­sipn in subject area clinics, which were available throughout the day and after school for students who needed additional support.

In terms of admin­istrator/counselor sup­port, Abington had two and a half times the level of per-stu­dent support available at Pepper Middle School. The ratio of Because of the

contrast in poverty rale berween the two schools, student needs vary. Still, it

Abington has first-rate athletic faci lities, support staff to stu-such as these exercise bikes. The school dents illustrates a simi-fields teams in 28 sports. lar disparity. At

has been my experience that adolescents, in both the city and the suburbs, pass through the same stages of development, pose simi­lar challenges for educators, and, most importantly, have the same dreams for suc­-cessful, productive lives.

What awaits students when they walk through the school door varies greatly. The difference in funding levels between the city and suburbs creates significant differences in programs, materials, resources, staffmg levels, and to a certain degree, the quality of personnel holding various positions.

The truth is that Philadelphia's school district operates a "bare bones" program in comparison to school districts throughout the state. As a result students may not receive the educational serv ices and sup­ports they need to succeed and to compete in a global economy.

Administrative support In Philadelphia my school had an 85 per­

cent poverty rate (compared to 9 percent in Abington). I was assigned one assistant principal, a nurse four days per week, two counselors, three secretaries, five non-teach­ing assistants, and two security officers.

My role as instructional leader was often secondary to the daily demands of supervi­sion, issuing medications, dealing with dis­cipline, cluster and central office priorities, and parent concerns. Lack of adequate administrative and support personnel stole time away from my focus on instruction.

At Pepper I often was forced to sacrifice plans to observe teachers in classrooms because I was the only one in the building available to process disciplinary referrals, meet with parents, sit in on I.E.P. confer­ences, and respond to problems. Lack of adequate secretarial support meant that I wrote the memos, typed them on my com­puter, duplicated and distributed them in teacher mailboxes.

In Abington, by contrast, I had three very

Abington, there was one support staff for every 39 students. At Pepper, the ratio \lias one to 79.

At Abington, we successfully blended the concept of "small learning communities" with a rigorous academic program to create a program attuned to both the intellectual and social needs

Pepper Middle School, on 84th Street in Southwest Philadelphia, opened its doors in 1974, making it one of the newest schools in the Philadelphia system. Three miles north of Philadelphia, Abington Junior High which opened in 1964, is surrounded by playing fields on a spacious 45-acre campus.

of students. The teachers who were assigned to teams within the learning commu­nities were given an additional two periods per week for planning and student support. This time was over and above the teachers' con­tractually mandat-ed preparation periods.

$30 to $40 per textbook, we had to make dif­ficult choices about our priorities. One year

we bought a suffi­cient number of English antholo-

What awaits students when they walk through the school door varies

greatly. The difference in funding levels between the

city and suburbs creates significant differences.

gies for the entire school to enable each teacher to have a fulJ class­room set. Another year we supple­mented our inven­tory in mathemat­ics. There was never enough money to have current books in all subject areas. Students were

given older books to carry home. The newer classroom sets were shared among five class­es per day.

At Pepper, every class had thirty or more students. Abington had lower class sizes across the school.

department meetings, reviewed curriculum, and ordered books and materials. Through the work of seven department chairpersons and three assistant principals, we were able to formally observe all of our 115 teachers four times per year.

At Pepper, with 75 teachers and only one assistant principal, it was difficult for me to complete the required two observations per year. Even when we were able to carry out the observations, it was not possible for us to provide the rich, discipline-specific cri­tiques and advice that routinely are commu­nicated by department chairpersons.

Program offerings At Abington a rigorous honors program

was open to highly motivated students in five disciplines beginning in grade seven. Students were involved in supporting each other through a highly successful peer mediation program and student-to-student tutoring initia­tives. Students who needed academic inter­vention were assigned to small group tutoring

in our humanities,

At Pepper Middle School, in Southwest Philadelphia, we worked hard to establish four small leaming communities and a myri­ad of school committees. Meeting time dur­ing the school day, however, was impossible to fmd. The effective functioning of staff teams depended upon the willingness of staff to give up their own time before or after school, at lunch, or during their prepa­ration periods.

Instructional supervision

Comparing the staffs mathematics, foreign language, science, and special education clin­ics. Clinics were staffed by aides or by certified teachers. Resources

Abington enjoyed funding which enabled all students to have current textbooks for every subject. My building operating budget for textbooks, materials, and audio-visual supplies typically approximated $250,000. Old and damaged books were routinely replaced. The school district provided each student with a calculator for use at home and in the classroom.

At Pepper, the yearly operating budget totaled between $60,000 and $70,000. At

Abington Junior High had seven department Chairper­sons who taught a reduced schedule and functioned as subject area special ists within the building. They were part of the administrative team

Asst. Principal Dept. Chairs Counselors Psychologist Secretaries/Clerks Hall/Lunch Aides Instructional Aides Security Officer

and, as such, had responsibility for conduct­ing teacher observations and providing sup­port. They managed staff development with­in their departments, held monthly

Pepper 1 o 2 o 3 8 o 2

Abington 3 7 6 1

14 15 11 o

Opportunities for involvement and achievement extended beyond the classroom walls. Abington offered 28 inter­scholastic sports, an

intramural. athletic program featuring non-tra­ditional activities, and a wide variety of clubs

Continued on p. 13