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0 OTEBOOK WINTER 1996 "TURNING THE PAGE FOR CHANGE"

Desperate need for funding unanswered

Budget shortfall looms over schools

by Paul Socolar The School District is facing a mas­

sive budget shortfall for next school year, which threatens to bring the District 's reform plan to a grinding halt and even wipe out some of the programs imple­mented this year. And if Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge has his way, the schools won ' t get relief from the state; Ridge 's February 8 budget proposes freezing Philadelphia 's basic state educa­tion subsidy at this year 's levels.

With no new sources of revenue com­ing from Philadelphia or the state, recent School District financial projections show a whopping $ 190 million deficit for next year, if the District were to fully

funding for programs like increased staff trai ning time, new support networks for parents and staff, conversion of large school s into small learning communities, and full -time nurses at each school.

The $ 190 million defic it represents well over I 0% of the District's total pro­jected expenses for the coming school year. "It's been a long, long time since we've faced a deficit number like this," commented Jack Myers, who heads the School District 's Office of Financial Planning and Analysis.

Myers commented that one measure of the magnitude of the problem is that even if the entire central office adminis­tration could be wiped out wjth a stroke

implement the reform ini- ,-------------, of the pen, the savings

Where's the fat? would amount to only tiatives that have been planned.

Enter the Notebook's

Fund the Schools

Contest

$80 million. Manage-ment and supervisory positions in the District have already been cut by 35% since 1989, and so bureaucratic waste is harder to find .

The projected deficit can be reduced to a still enormous $85 million figure if all new initia­tives planned for next year are dropped, but major cuts in existing programs would still be

Details on page 11.

Superintendent David Hornbeck said the District will have to cut necessary.

More than $100 million in reforms had been planned for next year, including bringing full-day k indergarten into the 27 schools still with half-day programs and reducing class size to 20 in all kindergartens. The budget crisis has forced the District to put on hold its plans to re-organize the almost 200 schools that are not yet integrated into the District's new cluster organization. So far six clusters have been launched, encompassing only 67 school s, with

existing programs and scale back reform plans, but it is a lso trying to drum up additional revenue from the state, city, and private funders to address this enor­mous deficit.

The need for more funding is clear, Hornbeck said, when you look at "the gross gap between what we are able to spend for each student in Philadelphia and the average spent per child in the 62 surrounding districts." That gap adds up

See "Budget shortfall" on p. 11

Will expulsions, handcuffs protect our kids?

VOLUME 3 • NUMBER 2

r,·Protegera a nuestros hijos la expulsion, el arresto?

El acta 26: Ley fuerte por el objetivo de la seguridad

por Mary Gay Scanlon Una ley nueva se implement6 en

Pennsylvania e l 28 de septiembre que requiere la expulsi6n por lo menos de un afio a cualquier estudiante que traiga un arma a la escuela. Bajo el acta numero 26, coma se conoce la ley, un estudiante tiene que ser expulsado por simplemente llevar e l arma, mantenerla bajo llave en el armario o en su mochila mientras esta en la escuela, o en el autobus de ida y vuelta a la escuela. Mientras que la ley

le da a los superintendentes el poder de escoger un castigo diferente en casos individuates, el tamafio del distrito esco­lar de las escuelas de Filadelfia evita que esta altemativa sea una opci6n significa­tiva para la mayor parte de los estudi­antes.

Act 26: Tough law in the name of safety

A primera vista, el acta 26 se percibe por muchos coma una buena idea. La gente quiere enviar a sus nifios a una escuela segura, y las armas no tienen ningun prop6sito legftimo en las escue­las. Sin embargo, el enfoque escogido por la legislatura estatal en el acta 26 meramente ataca los sfntomas del prob­lema fundamental de la violencia en la escuela y la comunidad. Por omitir en

"La acta 26" continua en lap. 7

by Mary Gay Scanlon A new law wen t into effect in

Pennsylvania on September 28 that req uires the expulsion for at least one year of any student who brings a weapon to school. Under Act 26, as the law is popularly known, a student must be expelled for simply carrying a weapon, keeping it in a locker or bookbag while in school, or on a bus going to or from schoo l. While the Jaw gives school superintendents the power to choose a different punishment in individual cases, the size of the Phi ladelphia School District prevents thi s from being a mean­ingful option for most students.

At first glance, Act 26 is perceived by many to be a good idea. People want

their chi ldren to attend safe schools, and weapons have no legitimate purpose in school. However, the approach chosen by the state legislature in Act 26 merely

Act 26 can harm rather

than help the very children it is meant to protect. attacks a symptom of the underlying problems of school and commun ity vio­lence. By failing to take into account the reasons why children bring weapons to school, and by fa iling to tailor an appro­priate pun ishment to fit each child's cir-

cumstances, Act 26 can harm rather than help the very children it is meant to pro­tect. Act 26 raises a number of issue and some opportunities for reform activity.

Prevention Experience and studies have shown

that many students bring weapons to school because they are afraid to travel to and from school without "protection." A poll conducted recently by Lou Harris and Associates found that 38% of stu­dents in at-risk neighborhoods admit car­rying some sort of weapon to school, more than three times the number of stu­dents in other neighborhoods. For stu­dents who are afraid, expulsion does

See "Att 26" on p. 13

What's inside: 1 Eye on Special Ed ........................ 2

What's standards got to do

with it? .......................................... 5

Discussion on discipline ............... 8

School by school test scores ....... 10

Interactive math ......................... 12

Opinion: Privatization a public

nightmare ................................... 15

Dentro Los ojos en educaci6n especial.. .. 6

C6mo obtener acceso a los

archivos de sus nii\os ................... 6

PAGE2

"Turning the page for change" A \'Oicefor parettls, students, and

I classroom teachers who are working for quality and equality in our schools.

Advisory Board Shafik Abu-Tahir, New African Voices

Alliance Coleen Davis, LULAC Education Project Rochelle Nichols Solomon, North Phila.

Community Compact for College Access and Success

Len Rieser. Education Law Center Efrain Roche, Community Focus

ewspaper Wilfredo Roias, National Congress for

Puerto Rican Rights Emily Style, Co-Director, National

S.E.E.D. Project - Seeking Educauonal Equity and Diversity

Debbie Wei, Steering Commiuee, Na­tional Coalition of Education Activists

Mary Yee, Asian Americans United

Working Group Cindy Engst, Kathy Fleming, Helen

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

Philadelphia Public School Notebook 1s a proiect of the New Beginnings pro­gram of Resources For Human Develop­ment.

We publish four limes a year. Send inquiries to School Notebook, 3721 Midvale Ave., Phila., PA 19129. Phone: (215) 951-0330. Fax: (2 15) 951-0342.

Special thanks to . . .

Felicita Feliciano. Ann Harris, Oscar Hernandez, Nancy Hertzler, Sandy Socolar and all of our subscribers, adver­tisers, and the good people who worked on producuon, translation and distribu­tion. Special thanks for this issue are due 10 the Philadelphia Foundation, Bread and Roses Community Fund and CoreStates Bank for financial assistance. ·~ _

"It takes an entire village to fund a school reform

newspaper" -urban proverb

Public School Notebook needs your subscription.

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

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NOTEBOOK EDITORIALS •••

$ Forecast: Deep freeze In hi s ch illing budget address Pennsy l­

van ia Governor Ridge offered a "Budget for the 21st Century" that would march us straight back to 18th Century socie ty.

There is no subtlety to the social vision contained within Ridge's budget priorities. He wants an additional $60 million in business tax cuts (to comple­ment the $286 million in corporate tax cuts e nacted last year). He 's demanding another boost in corrections spending that wi ll put Pennsylvania on track to spend $ I billion by next year incarcerat­

ing Pennsylvanian s. Particular ly a larm­in g is Ridge's inte ntion to fre eze spend­ing on education. Once inflation is taken

into account, thi s freeze becomes a seri­ous slice.

In his first budget in 1995, Ridge did offer minor increases in education fund­ing but it is now apparent that was offered to buy legislative support for his voucher scheme . Having twice lost hi s voucher fight, the Governor has taken hi s

ball and gone home - condemning school districts across the state to either hike local property taxes or slash basic

educational programs. Ridge is accelerating a standing trend

of singling out kids for budgetary abuse. In 1975 Harrisburg supplied 55% of schooling costs in the state. Today, that

level of support has fallen to 40%. This is bad enough, but Ridge has a

junior partner in school neglect right here

in our own Mayor Rendell. Three years ago, Phi ladelphia schools' share of local

tax reven ue was 24%. Today, they only

receive 22%. The Mayor has offered good words but few good deeds to make

up for thi s fall-off. Actions speak louder than words.

These politicians show they have clearly

forgotten that education is a fundamental responsibility of their office. As parents and ed ucators, we demand a full and fair in vestment in our families and our futures.

Snake oil for a sick system Al almost every level of government,

privatization is being touted by poli ti­cians as the way to improve service and save money in the process . Let business do the job, they say, and the profit motive will lead to a more efficient operation.

Recently corporations have been com­ing into our schools with the message that while nobody else wants to rescue public educat ion, business is prepared to come to its aid.

But recent developments in the fo r­

profit education business have show n that the corporate promises are on ly so much snake oil. The last few months

have seen the collapse of Educational Alternatives lnc. 's flagship programs -contracts to run schoo ls in Baltimore and in Dade County, Florida, and the whole school system in Hartford. All three cities have pulled the plug on E.A.l. after the promised turnaround in school quali­ty failed to materialize.

Whi le some ci ties are backing off the experiment with a bad taste in their mouths, other c ities haven't learned these lessons. Now the focus of school privati­zat ion moves is on support services like food, transportation, and maintenance. Privatizcrs arc proceeding on a small scale, rather than system-wide. So

instead of privatizing a whole school, we will sec more rnrtrativcs like Marriott lnternatronal running food services and Sylvan Learning Systems running reme­dial education services.

Prrvatrtation has not hit the Philadel-

phia schools in a big way, but a recent set of recommendations by the District's

Management and Productivity Task Force may change that. They want to start by privati zing school bus service. Superintendent Hornbeck has endorsed the task force proposals.

We'd like to see a more efficient school transportation system, but we aren't so eager to put schoolchildren on

buses run by pri vate companies operated by low-wage workers. Our arguments go

to the heart of the problems with privati­zation:

• It is no guarantee of effic iency.

•Insuring that private companies are accountable is costly; there need to be safeguards again st cutting corners to make a buck.

•Any sav in gs are likely to get pocket­ed as profit.

• The d ispl acement of school di stric t employees who earn decent wages hurts our communities and weakens the tax base.

•Once a contract is signed , it is not easy to turn back -you can't find

employees and equipment and arrange for services on short notice.

The current privatization hype reflects a privatization of govern ment, where monied interests are be in g heard as poli­cy is being made. Our goal shou ld be to keep our government and our schools open, public, and dedicated to the good of us all. not the financia l interests of a few.

WINTER 1996

Who ya gonna call? Listed here are the School District 's six pilot clusters together with the names and phone nwnbers of the cluster leaders and the Alliance Organizing Project S parent organizers.

CASE (Audenreid) Cluster

Leader: Frances Williams, 35 1-7228

AOP organizer: Gl adys Inman, 755- 1014

CHAIN (Washington) Cluster

Leader: Linda Gottlieb, 281-5903

AOP organizer: Alan McHale, 546-1 156

Martin Luther King Cluster

Leader: Alfred Farlino, 248-6684

AOP organizer: Marty Mason, 878-4253

Olney Cluster

Leader: Alice Reyes, 456-5595

AOP organizer: Gordon Whitman, 634-8922

Strawberry Mansion Cluster

Leader: Karen Del Guercio, 684-8980

AOP organizer: Marissa James, 236-1289

West Philadelphia Cluster

Leader: Janis Butler, 47 1-8334

AOP organizer: Kelley Bradley, 386-5757

Following is a partial list­ing of local educational advocacy organizations:

Asian Americans United Contact: Ju li Kang, 925-1538 Focuses on equity issues involving Asian American students and staff. Promotes multi­cultural , anti-raci st education.

ASPIRA Contact: Delia Reverson, 923-27 17 Informs and involves parents and students in school reform and the education equity process

Delaware Valley Association of Black School Educators (DVABSE) Contact: Mart in Ryder, 473-1 925 Local chapter of nati onal organization com­mitted to rais ing the achi evement of minority youth.

Educational Quality Contact: Cindy Engst, 329-2687 Membership organization of parents, teach­ers and community activists. Committed to

action for schools that work for all students.

Educators' Roundtable Contact: Robert Frazier, 689-4408 Works to insure promotion of Blacks with in school system and to address the concerns of minority students.

National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights Contact: Wilfredo Rojas, 425-6150 Unites with other groups to promote educa­tional opportunities for African Americans,

Asians, Latinos, women, and working class whites .

Parents' Union for Public Schools Contact: Sarah Gilliam, 546-1166 Informs, educates and helps parents become active participants in school reform process. Offers parent resource center

Pennsylvania School Reform Network Contact: Jan Hoffman, (7 17) 238-7 17 1 Works with parents, community groups and schools around the state to develop school reform projects.

PIT Community Outreach Committee Contact: Ron Whitehorne, 342-6926 Union initiative to build a teacher-communi ­ty al li ance.

Philadelphia Parents of Down's Syndrome Contact: Hana Sabree, 242-8577 Network of parents who meet to share infor­mation, resources on Down's Sy ndrome and provide support for parents around inclusion and IEP issues.

Philadelphia S.E.E.D. Project (Seeking Ed ucational Equity and Diversity) Contact: Myrt le Naylor, 248-4834 Parents, reachers, school staff and communi­ty members working towards the creation of a multicultural curricu lum and school cli­ma1c.

Teachers' Learning Cooperative (TLC) Contact: Betsy Wice, 732-8875 Weekly meeting of teachers and orher inter­ested people 10 discuss teach ing, chi ldren and their work.

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WINTER 1996

EYE ON SPECIAL

EDUCATION

by Hana Sabree

There is a song that goes, "Everyth ing must change. Nothing stays the same," and that is how it was at the end of 1995 . Hassan had just turned 16 years old, and we engaged in a rite of passage process that all sixteen year old males eagerly seek: the covet­ed driver's license. But Hassan wi ll not be wearing a T-shirt that reads, 'Tm 16. Give me the keys to the car." He did receive a PA non-driver's photo ID. Besides making him feel like a big shot, it can be used to identi­fy him if (God forbid) he gets lost or is in an accident, to cash checks, and to register to vote when he turns 18. Acquiring Hassan 's non-dri ver 's ID completes one of the goals on hi s tran­sition plan.

What is a transition plan? According to the Parent Education Network

(PEN) , "a transition plan is a coordinated set of ac ti vi­ties based on individual students' needs and interests. These acti vi ties shou ld lead to a smooth movement from school to adult living. The transition planning process helps your daughter or son build upon skill s leading to a greater level of independence in the areas ofrecreation and leisure, living arrangements, hi gher educat ion or techni cal training, and employment."

Basically, a transition plan is a written document developed along with your chi ld 's IEP (Individual Education Plan) which is designed to prepare your child for adult li fe after high school. Federal law insures that your child is entitled to receive education­al services unti l age 2 1. However, when your child graduates from hi gh school , he or she must be estab­lished as eligible in order to receive adult services. The transition process is guaranteed for your chi ld under federal law.

The Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1990 (IDEA) mandates that your child's IEP include a state­ment for transition services for him or her beginning no later than age 16 and, when determined appropri­ate, beginning at age 14 or younger. The sooner the better. At sixteen one has less time in which to pre­pare.

The law also requires that s tudents be in volved in their transition planning meeting, so their interests and preferences are voiced. Many times thi s is the first time they are included and empowered. This can increase their motivation to stay in school and instill in them a belief that they have a fu ture.

Where does one begin? The process begins at the school your ch ild

attends. When your son or daughter is in the e ighth grade or turns 14, you should be contacted by a special ed ucati on transition coord inator. Your child will be given a vocational assessment, and you wi ll be given in formation about vocational programs and high schools. It is also the schoo l's responsibility to contact other community adu lt agencies who wil l assist yo u and your child in preparing for life after hi gh school. Now is the time to request information about travel trai ning, because as an adu lt there will no longer be a yell ow school bus.

Two excellent sou rces of in formation to help pre­pare a child for life as an adult are:

Parent Education Network 333 East 7th Avenue York, PA 17404 (800) 522-5827

Parents Union 3 11 South Juniper St. Phi la., PA 19107 (2 15) 546- I 166

Just remember, our chi ldren are constantly chang­ing and growing. As they enter adolescence, we must become even more diligent in seeking information to prepare them for life after hi gh school.

Become info rmed, begin to con tact and vis it ad ult agencies, and if you have questions, call the aforemen­tioned organizations for help . Don't forget, "Every­thing must change," and it will at the age of 21 for ou r

ch ildren. To submit information or updates to "Eye 011

Special Education," call the Notebook at 951-0330 or mail to Phil adelph ia Public School Notebook/RHO, 372 1 Midvale Ave., Phi/a. PA 19129-1532.

PAGEJ

Photo: Fred Engst

Charter schools may be coming to Pennsylvania. Are they a route to privatization or to community control?

Competing visions cloud outlook for charter schools in Pennsylvania

"Charter schools" have been a hot topic of debate in Harrisburg this winter. Pennsylvania lawmakers are now working on a bill that wou ld allow parents and teachers to set up their own schools, which could receive state and local money but would be indepen-dent of state and school district regulations. .

The idea behind charter schools is that a local group can be awarded a "charter" to start and run an innova­ti ve public school - granting it freedom from the day­to-day interference of the local school board and from certain state mandates.

In the past five years, almost 250 charter schools have opened nationwide. In New York City, another I 00 alternati ve public school s operate within the school system but with similar freedom from regula­tions .

The charter school movement is snowball ing. New Jersey just adopted a law allowing for 135 charter schools in the state, and President Clinton endorsed the charter school concept in his January State of the Union message. Abou t half the states have now autho­rized charter schools, and the Pennsylvania state House is now looking seriously a t the concept.

The charter school movement is really several movements with different agendas. A conservative wing includes advocates of vouchers and privatization who have now turned to charters; they see charters as a way of c reating quas i-private schools that will escape regulation or promote a "free market" in education. On the other hand , some advocates of community control

in education support charters as a way of creating innovative and diverse schools that respond to the diversity of community needs. These different groups have different visions of charter schools and of what ki nd of legislation should be adopted .

The Pennsylvania House Education Committee has been debating several key questions about the charter school plan proposed for the state:

•Should local school boards or the state have the final say on whether to grant charters to schools?

• Should teachers have to belong to the local teach­ers' union , or could they form their own bargaining unit or be non-union?

•Should charters be free from state regulations on issues li ke class size and curriculum, or should they be required to apply to the state for waivers of specific regulations?

• Under what ci rcumstances would charters be revoked?

According to news reports, the Education Com­mittee has reached agreement on a few key issues: charters will not be granted to for-profit corporations, and charter schools may use academic standards (but not sex, race, ethnicity, or handicap) to exclude certain students from admission.

The legislation, tied up in committee for months, is likely to move toward a vote in February. While the governor and members of both parties support the gen­eral concept of charter school s, it is unclear what kind of bill will emerge out of the wrangling in Harm.burg.

Harlem Restaurant (1920s) Parents Union's

I sit on stage performing the jazz show, I ask myself a question, the answer I don't know. Should I really be up here performing for the whites·' Have their lies blinded my eyes to the point I don't have sight. Maybe I should leave. perform for my own kind, Instead of the whires that whipped my dad 's spine. I can play on stage bur I can't sit in the audience and attend, They smile in my face but they're not my friends. l have pride in myself, I guess that's why I do my job, And no martcr how they treat me, my pride can't be robbed. Hate and happiness arc two feelings inside. Orher feeling is love from my family which helps me get by. So to my questions I have many answers. They are spread over my environment like a cancer. So I' II keep on playing because my family depends on me. And I'll be the best damn jazz player I can be.

Carlton Bowen, 10th grade, Parkway School, N. W

Resource Center welcomes parents to

visit our library

Come find out about your school

311 S. Juniper St.

Rm.602 Philadelphia, PA 19107

(215) 546-1166

PAGE4 SCHOOL NOTEBOOK

New program engages families

Parent participation up at Heston School

by Chip Smith Parent participation at the Heston

School increased significantly in recent years due, in part, lo parent organ izing independent of the existing Home and School Association. These gains will be tested this spring and next year as the Fels Fund phases out its support of Parents Union organizer Habibah Abdus­Shahid and a special activities budget al the school. Abdus-Shah id spoke with the Notebook about the activities she and her predecessors organi zed at the K-5 school, whose student body is 99% African American and over 90% from low-income families.

The Parents Union project sponsored family nights, parent outings to plays and discount shopping centers, special chil­dren's programs - talent and fashion shows, as well as an essay contest - put on with parents' help, and a "Parent's Comer" in the school where parents can feel at home and be ava i !able when teachers req uest assistance. Parents also have been mobili zed to stop traffic al 52nd and Lancaster to obtain a crossing guard as well as to attend City Council and School District meetings to press fo r pol icy changes.

Tensions with the established Home and School Association were unavoid­able, even though there was a rough division of labor where the Home and School raised funds for major purchases like copying equipment and worked to see that parents were infom1ed of school activities. Now, how-

in princ ipal became possible. A leave of absence due lo ill ness

resulted in an interim principal whose warmth and willingness lo meel and work with the community convinced parents and their leaders that a perma­nent change was essential. The principal on leave was persuaded not to return , and this past November her replacement was confirmed in the new pos ition. Habibah Abdus-Shahid poin ted out that thi s change took place regardless of the fact that the new principal is wh ite, while his predecessor is African American.

Abdus-Shahid sees the organizing process building tigh t relationships among the parents who are becoming active in the school. "Peop le have come to rely on one another. When someone's utili ti es get shut off, everyone goes together to get them turned hack on. When a part-time job becomes available, it 's spread among the parents whenever poss ible."

The school has become much more a center of community activity, now remaining open unti l 8 o'clock each night fo r sports, Scout and other club acti vities. Parents who were not active in the Home and School have now become members. And Home and School meet­ings have become more lively, with schoo l staff bringing up ideas and com­munity organizations taking part.

An added dimension of the increased parent engagement at Heston is the spark it provided for broader mobi li zing

throughout the ever, these lingering tensions are being resolved as the Home and School

The organizing process builds tight relationships

has picked up spon-sorship of parent among the parents.

Overbrook Cluster during last winter and spring's public meet­ings around the School District's Children Achieving

outi ngs, and activists in the Fels-funded project have become active in the association.

An important change in climate at the school occ urred over the past year when parent input played a key role in chang­ing the principal. Confl icts with the for­mer principal had undermined the effec­tiveness of two previous parent organiz­ers working oul of the Carroll Park Neighbors community organization. In 1993 these organi zers led successful par­ent and community mobilizations lhal forced Licenses and Inspections lo tear down abandoned houses across the street from the school that had posed a danger lo the students. Only years later, howev­er, after the successful functioning of the project inside Heston - via the Parent 's Corner and its activit ies - did the situa­tion develop lo the point where a change

program. Evidence of this on-going ground­

work was this December's protest march lo the School Board by several hundred parents and comm unity people from the Overbrook Cluster. Demonstrators objected to the politically-insp ired removal of Floyd Alston from the Board President's position, called for a thor­ough investigation of Counselor James Bowles' firing at Overbrook High School, and demanded action to improve education throughout the district. A fol ­low-up demonstration on Monday, January 8th, was canceled by the "bli z­zard of '96."

Organizing conti nues, however, and there is an important lesson to be learned here that successful mobilization builds on parent relationships developed at the school level.

African American history offered at Fels High School

by Ed Roberson Beginning in September, 1995, Fels

High School started to offer an African American His tory course. For the first lime students will have the opport unity to part1c1pate in a class that studies in­depth the contrihut1ons that African Americans have made to society.

The course focuses on the cu lture or African Americans and their achieve­ment> in medicine, science, agriculture,

engineering, sports, literature, enter­tainment , and educati on. It is hoped that thi s curriculum offering will help bridge the gap of understanding that ex ists among many of our students.

Supporters of the course allribute its implementation to the joint efforts of the Fels Home and Schoo l Assoc iation; William Williams, Fels' principal; and Mrs. Corbin. the African American hi s­tory teacher.

Photo: Fred Engst

Access to your child's records is a basic right.

Opening up the files

How to gain access to your child's school records

Reprinted below is an excerpted ver­sion of a letter f rom the superintendent prepared by the District for general dis­tribution. The Notebook is reprinting it to support the administration s efforts to inform families of their rights pertaining to students records.

Dear Par en ts: We wish to inform you that Federal

and State laws provide that parents have the right to inspect and review the school records of their chil dren. In keep­ing with the spirit of the law and with our own desire for parents to partic ipate in the educational process, we in vite you to review the progress of your children by inspecting some or all of the records.

These records are kept for all stu­dents: Achievement Records [s uch as report cards], Attendance Records, Test Records and Medical Records.

These records are kept fo r some chil­dren enrolled in regu lar ed ucation class­es, as needed: Counseli ng Records, Psychological Records, and Discipline Records.

Add itional records are kept for stu­dents enrolled in Special Education classes, for example: Counseling Records, Ed ucational Records, Psycho­logical Records, Psychiatric Records Physical and Occupational Therapy ' Records, Speech Records, Hearing Records, Vis ion Records, and Neurological Records.

We also wish to inform you that you have the following additional rights:

_You must be allowed to see you r chil d's records within a reasonable peri­od of ti me but not later than 30 days after the school has received your request.

You may request an explanatio n or interpretati on of the records by school personnel. Please all ow the principal rcasona_ble time to schedule personnel to meet with you.

_Yo.u may obtain a fi rst copy of your child s educational records without charge.

After you have in spected your chi ld's records, if you believe somethin g in them is not correct, you may request a

meeting with the principal or hi s/her des ignee and try to resolve the matter; if matters are not resolved, you may request a formal hearing with the region­al superintendent/cl uster leader or hi s/her designee.

Special Educational student records hearings are cond ucted by the Executive Director of Special Education, or the Director of Special Educati on for Technical Support Serv ices or their designee .

Poli cy statements re levant to the access and release of student informa­tion appear in the School District's Student Handbook. Yo u may obtain copies of these documents fro m the prin ­c ipal of your school.

If you have any concerns regardi ng compliance with the law or access to and correction of your ch ild's educational records, you may fil e a written com­plai nt with the Fami ly Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., Wash ington, DC 20202-4605.

HOUSE OF OuROWN

Specializing in Contemporary, Cultural, Social and Political Issues

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WINTER 1996 SCHOOL NOTEBOOK PAGES

"What's standards got to do with it?" Families need a real measure of what's learned

by Rochelle Nichols Solomon At present, interested community­

based organizations and individuals are joining with the School District to devel­op education standards for the city's schools. The author, director of the North Philadelphia Community Compact and a long-time defender of public education, views standards as "a Long-term process aimed at raising expectations and achievement in [Philadelphia] public schools. Standards are not magic, but they do offer a powerful strategy for transforming schools for all children."

Development Project: • Standards are statements about the

expectations held for students at various points in their educational experience -at grade 4, 8, and 12, for example.

• Content standards tell what students should know and be able to do.

• Pe1forma11ce standards describe how well students should know material or be able to demonstrate what they know -for example: proficient, exceeding profi­cient, approaching or failing to meet pro­ficiency.

• Opportunity- to-learn standards reflect the community's commitment to provide resources that will allow all chil­dren to ach ieve at the expected high lev­e ls.

On a Saturday morning two years ago, more than fifty North Philadelphia par­ents, students, and organi zation and com­munity leaders came together at Temple University to analyze student achieve­ment data from North Philadelphia and to

Some of the reasoning that motivates ardent supporters of standards is provided by professor and author Asa Hillard. He

exp lore slrate- ---------------­states, "Our

Pholo: Shelley Bcmian

Parents, educators and community members are participating in an ongoing process to write the new district-wide standards for all Philadelphia students.

gies for changing ach ievement outcomes. At the c los in g general ses­sion of this

The standards -setting process helps us to begin to identify the floor and the ceiling. It asks if we truly believe

current cei ling for students is really much closer to where the floor ought lo be." The stan­dards-setting process helps

tion. But the question is what does this student need if she is going to have the choice to move past the entry level, giv­ing shampoos? What kinds of mathemat­ical and problem-solving sk ill s will she need to know to order supplies, pay her taxes , figure out what prices to charge and salari es to pay? Does she need to be able to read and understand the chemi­cals listed on dyes and relaxers? Failure to be able to do so could easily cost some unfortunate person a head of hair, and

"Everybody all children can learn at high levels. Counts" forum sponsored by the North Phila­delphia Compact, a parent stood up and angrily expressed hi s frustrations with public schools .

H is daughter, he shared, was graduat­ing from high school that year. She was a good student, did her homework and had good attendance. He and hi s wife had not onl y made sure the ir daughter d id her school work, they had been active in her school as well. And yet, now they had learned that their daughter's test scores on the SAT's (Scholastic Aptitude Tests) were so low she mi ght not be able to get into a four-year college. Visibly upset, the father wondered aloud if hi s child had gotten a quality education and ended by asking, "Can't you give us some kind of test that we [parents] can give our kids to make sure the schools are teaching them?"

This story is an all too common experi­ence. T he search for an answer to this father's question has moved many from skeptic ism to strong advocacy for educa­tion standards. It is one strategy for dra­maticall y changi ng our pub lic education system, now beleaguered by low expecta­tions and gross failure.

us to begin to identify the floor and the ceiling. It asks if we truly believe all chil­dren can learn at hi gh levels - and then builds on this belief.

Furthermore, the standards-setting process is (or should be) an inclusive one,

the unlucky employee her or his j ob. Similarly, what kinds of skills will the

Some arguments that standards advocates must be prepared to answer:

• Aren't standards just another trap for poor Black and Latino kids? • Standards are just another bureaucratic strategy to undermine the local

school governance and decision-making powers people have worked so hard for.

• Oh - now that our kids are being successful, they are going to come up with something else to keep them out!

• Teachers have been working hard to develop curriculum that works: teachers, not the system, know what their students need.

• Isn't this just another top-down thing?

involving not just teachers and school adm ini strators, but parents, higher educa­tion faculty, business and community leaders, and others. All members of the community need to be involved in delib­erating about what students neeq to know, at what levels, and when they need to know it.

you ng person need to pass the appren­tices hip test for e lectrician, carpenter or automobile mechani c? What kinds of ski ll s will many college students need in order to gai n the part-time and full-time jobs they will need to pay for their col­lege ed ucation? And, given the rapid changes in technology, what kinds of ski I ls wi II be need-ed that will allow

• Engagement of all sectors of the community. Transforming education is a dynamic process that requires the on­goi ng partic ipat ion and commitment of the communi ty and its key stakeholder groups.

• Standards-based professional devel­opment for teachers. To have the opti­mum impact in the classroom, trai ning of teachers and others directly tied to chil­dren's learning is essential. Standards are not a prize held hi gh over the heads of students who arc then si mpl y told to "jump." Standards are a tool. Teachers compare students ' work to the standards; and then, by continuously evaluating their individua l and collective teaching strateg ies a nd the sc hoo l enviro nment, they assess what each student, or group of students, needs to reach the standard . This approach is radically different from the one most teachers use now.

• Commitment to opport11nity-to- /earn standards. Adequate materials, trained professionals, time for teacher collabora­ti ons, effecti ve communication wit hin and across schoo ls, avail ab le courses, support services, added schoo l hours or even an ex tended school year -many of these supports arc necessary to ensure that students have a n adeq uate and eq ui­table ed ucatio n at high levels. In addi-ti on, the enti re community w ill need lo actively support standards -defining them , helpin g children to achieve at high leve ls, holdi ng sc hoo ls accountable, a nd advocating for resources for public

schools. An initial di scuss ion of standards is aided by a few basic defi nitions. The fo l­lowi ng are borrowed from Ruth Mitchell - author, national expert in the field of standards, and director of the Compact's nat ional Standards-Based Professional

Such deliberations lead in many direc­tions. One parent, for example, shared the fact that her daughter wanted to be a cos­metologist and, therefore, did not need the higher level math or science courses typ ically associated with college prepara-

training, retraining Standards can be a powerful and retraining

again , as jobs tool for trans! orming public

Standards can be a powerful too l for transforming public education. Philadelphia, with its ambitious and

High standards will push teaching and learning forward.

change? These con-

versat ions are des- education in Philadelphia. peratel y needed so that students can make the connecti on between school and the ir future abil it y to demand , get and keep decent jobs.

Throughout the country the move toward setting hi gh and rigorous stan­dards for public school systems has gath­ered momentum and turned into a move­ment of sorts. Philadelphia, w ith its ambitious Children Achieving reform agenda, is one of many ci ties where stan­dards arc a key strategy for transforming public schools. Many advocates for the children hi storicall y denied opportunities for quality education arc convi nced that thi s movement 1s of major importance. At the same time they cauti on: standards are not a quick fix. Rather, standards arc

Pho10: Anuro Ho one piece of a long-term process that must include the foll owing:

comprehensive reform plan, grounded rn standards, has a c hance. But it wil l not be s im ple, ea~y. or quick. Picture Tina Turner wa iling, "What's standards got to do, got to do with it ?" - and a grow rng chorus re­sponding, "EVERYTHING!"

For more i11for111atio11 about the Compact Sra11dal{/s-Based Professio11al Developme11t Project, co/I/act Rochelle Nichols So/0111011 at (215) 739-9340, fin (215) 739-8550; or at The Lightho11.1e. 152 West Le/ugh Ave11ue, P/11/adelp/11a, PA 19133 The Compacr is a program of the Philadelphia Ed11catio11 h111d It iI 011e of St.\ Co11111111nit) Compacts fm St11de11t S11ccess, a national 1111ttat1ve coordinated by the Ed11cation Trust and supported by The Pew Charitable Trust.5

PAGE6 SCHOOL NOTEBOOK

Los 01os EN

EDUCATION ESPECIAL por Hana Sabree

Hay una canci6n que dice, "Todo ticne que cambiar, nada queda igual". Asf fue como pas6 a fines del aiio 1995. Hassan acababa de cumplir 16 aiios, y nos empeiiamos en los ritos usuales que todos los varones de 16 aiios ansios­mente buscan: la cod iciada licencia de manejar. Pero Hassan no usara una cam1silla que diga, "Tengo 16 aiios, dame las llaves del carro". Recibi6 una tarjcta de identificaci6n de PA. Ademas de haccrlo sentirse importante, la puede usar como 1dentificaci6n si sc pierde o ttcnc un accidentc (que Dios no lo per­m1ta), para cambiar cheques, y para reg­istrarse para votar cuando cumpla 18 aiios. El adquirir su tarjeta de idcntifi­caci6n complcla uno de las objetivos en su plan de transici6n.

Que es un plan de transici6n? De acuerdo a la Cadena de Educaci6n

de Padres (PEN), un plan de transici6n cs un grupo coordinado de act i vidadcs basado en las neccsidades e interescs ind1vidualcs del estudi ante. Estas activi­dadcs deben traer c iertos resultados y a un movimienlo uniforme de la vida esco­lar a la vida ad ulta. El plan del proceso transic ional ayuda a su hijo o hija desar­rollar habi lidades conducentes a un nivel mayor de independencia en las areas de recreo y di versi6n, de vivienda, edu­caci6n a nivel alto o entrenam iento tecni­co y empleo.

Basicamente, el plan de trans ici6n es un documento escrito desarrollado a la par con el plan educativo individual del niiio(a) que sc diseiia para preparar al niiio(a) para la vida aduha despues de la escuela secundaria. La ley federa l le garantiza a su hijo(a) el derecho a recibir scrvicios educat ivo hasta la edad de 21 aiios. Sin embargo, cuando su hijo(a) se gradue de escuela secundaria tiene que establecerse para recibir servicios coma adulto. La Icy federal le garanti za a su hij o(a) este proceso de transici6n.

El Acta de Indi viduos con Imped i­miemos del 1990 (IDEA) ordena que e l plan educativo de su niii o(a) incluya una declaraci6n de servic ios de transici6n para el o e lla comenzado a no mas tardar de las 16 aiios, y cuando apropiado a los

14 aiios o mas temprano. Micntras mas pronto mejor. Hay menos tiempo para prepararse a las 16 aiios.

La Icy tambien requiere que las estu­diantes estcn envueltos en las reuniones de planificaci6n transicional para que pucdan expresar sus intereses y preferen­cias. Muchas veces esta es la primera vez que se les incluye y se les da poder. Esto puede aumcntar su motivaci6n para per­manecer en la escuela e instilar en ellos quc tienen un futuro.

D6nde se empieza? El proceso empieza en la escuela que

su hijo(a) asiste . Cuando su hijo(a) este en el 8 grado o cumpla los 14 aiios, el coordfnador de educaci6n especial tran­sitoria se debe poner en contacto con usted . Se le dan\ a su hijo(a) una cvalu­aci6n vocacional, y se le dara a Ud. informaci6n acerca de los programas vocacionales y escuelas secundarias. Es la rcsponsabilidad de la escuela de po­nerse en contacto con otras agencias adu ltas de la com unidad que le asistiran en planificar y proveer asistencia para preparar a su hijo(a) para la vida despucs de la escuel a secundaria. Ahora es la hara de pedir informaci6n acerca medios de transportaci6n ya que una vez adulto no se le provee un autobus escolar.

Hay mucha informaci6n y conoci­mientos que hay que saber para preparar a su niiio(a) para la vida como aduho despues de la escuela secundaria.Pueden comunicarse con estos recursos exce­lentes para recibir informaci6n: Parent Educalion Network Parents Union 333 East 7!h Avenue 311 South Juniper SI. York, PA 17404 Phila., PA 19107 (800) 522-5827 (215) 546-1166

Recuerden que nuestros niiios estan siempre cambiando y creciendo. Segun entran en la adolescencia, neces itamos ser mas di ligentes en la busqueda de informaci6n para la vida despues de la escuela secundaria.

lnf6rmece, haga contactos y visite las agencias de adultos, y si tiencn pregun­tas, llamen a las agencias antes men­cionadas para ay uda. Nose olvide "Toda Cambia", y cambiara a la edad de 21 aiios para nucstros niiios.

Traducci6n por Miguel Rivera-Diaz

Recuentos tragicos de la guerra de Vietnam

La clase graduada del 1965 de la escuela Edison en pelicula

En el 1965 en la csc uc la secundaria de Ed ison en Filadclfia, los cs1udiantcs pus1eron en csccna "El Mundo de Shakespeare"; y cjcrcieron " Rio de la Luna" en su fiesta de grad uaci6n; y obscrvaron c6mo una caravana de carros trajo al Prcs1dentc Lyndon B. Johnson al rnero frcntc de la cscucla.

Esc aiio cl Presidcntc Joh nson sc prc­ocupaba cnv1ando miles de tropas Amcricanas a Vietnam, a pesar de las protcstas a traves de toda la naci6n. Los resultados fueron desastro10s para los e>tud1antes de la escucla sccundaria de Edison. 66 J6vencs de las clasc graduan­da de 1965 de la cscuela sccundaria de Edison muncron en la guc rra de Viet­nam. inguna ot ra cscucla pcrdi6 tantos cstud1antcs como la cscuela Edison.

La clasc dcl "65" cs un documcntario aharncntc aclamado quc cuc nta la histo­na de"" cstud1antcs de la cscucla sccundana de Edrson. Como fuc quc tan-

Los de esa clase term inaron en Vietnam y e l terrible impacto que la gucrra tuvo en sus vidas? El "Yearbook" se transmitira cl sabado 2 de marzo a las 4 p.m. en la em isora WTXF-FOX en Filadelfia (Canal 29).

El "Yearbook" da una mirada a las vidas de estos j6venes que nunca pudieron regresar de Vietnam - a traves de relatos quc cuentan las fami lias, las am igos y maestros - y a sus com­paiieros que pclearon y sobrev ivieron pero que todavfa estan sufriendo los pro­fund os impactos que la guerra tu vo en cllo . Este impacto todavfa se reOcja en Edison ya travcs de Filadelfia.

El "Yearbook" es un documentario de 75 minutos, producido localmcntc, librc de comerciales, producido y dirigido pa r Steven Jimenez. Jimenez espcra tencr cste documentario en video mas Larde en cl aiio.

Tmducci611 pnr Miguel Rivera-Dia'-

Abriendo los archivos

Como obtener acceso a los archivos de sus hijos

A seguir, se encuentra un extracto de una carta preparada por el distrito esco­lar para distribuci6n general. "The

Notebook" encuentra de gran significa­do el que la administraci6n este toman­do medidas para informar a las familias sabre sus derechos de ver los registros de sus niiios.

Queridos Padres,

Queremos informarles que !eyes fed­erales y estatales estipulan que las padres tienen el derecho de rev isar las registros escolares de sus hijos. Dado nuestro deseo en que las padres participen en el proceso educativo y para segui r Ia ley, les mvitamos a que revisen el progreso de su hijo repasando parte o el reg-1stro completo. Mantenemos las sigu­iente reg istros para todos las estudiantes: progreso academicos (las notas), de as isten­cia, de examenes y reg­istros medicos.

Los siguientes reg­istros sc mantienen para alguitos niiios en clases regu lares, segun se neces nen: de consejerfa, psicol6gico, y de discip li na.

Se mantienen registros adi-cionalcs para estud iantes de educac i6n es~ec1a l , par ejemplo: registros de conse­Jena, ed ucativo, psicol6gico, psiquiatri­co, de terapia ffsica y ocupac ional, del ha~la: de audicfo n, de visi6n, y neu­rolog1co.

. Tarnbicn queremos in forrnarles que t1enen _las siguicntes dercchos: debcn perm1t1rle ver las regi stros dentro de un pcnodo raLUnablc a no mas lardar de 30

di as desde que las escuela recibi6 su pedido.

Puede pedir un a explicaci6n o inter­

pretaci6n por parte de l personal de las escue la. Favor de perrnitirle suficiente tiempo al princ ipal para que pueda coor­dinar la cita.

Puede obtener la primera copia del registro ed ucativo de su niiio s in costo algun o.

Puede pedir una c ita con e l princ ipal de las escue la o su representante s i no esta de ac uerdo con algun a info rmaci6n en el registro de su ni iio. Si no esta satis­fecho, puede pedir una audiencia formal con e l superintendente reg ional, un lfder del "cl uster" o uno de sus representantes.

El director ejec uti vo de educaci6n espec ial, el d irector de

apoyo tecn ico para edu­cac i6n especial, o uno de sus representantes estan encargados de aud iencias sobre estudi­antes en educaci6n

especial. E l reglamento sobre

acceso de inforrnaci6n estud iantil aparece en el Ii bro de estudiantes del d istrito escolar. Puede obtener una copia de

este documen to par media del princ ipal de su escue la.

Se liene algun a pregunta sobre el cumpl imiento de esta Iey o e l acceso o recti fi caci6n de l registro ed ucativo de su ni iio, favor de env iar un a queja par escrito a: Family Policy Compl iance Office, U.S. Department of Ed ucat ion,

600 Independence Avenue S. W. , Washington, D.C. 20202-4605.

Traducci6n por Iris Losada

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WINTER 1996 SCHOOL NOTEBOOK PAGE7

El acta 26: Ley fuerte por el objetivo de la seguridad Viene de lap. 1

tomar en consideraci6n las razones por las cuales los niiios traen armas a la escuela y por omitir tomar las medidas apropiadas para acomodar las c ircum­stanci as particulares de cada nifio, el acta 26 puede hacer mas daiio que ayuda a los nifios que la ley quiere proteger. El acta 26 pone en pie un numero de temas y la oportunidad para una actividad de reform a.

Prevenci6n La experiencia y los estudios han

demostrado que muchos estudiantes traen armas a la escue la porque tienen miedo de viajar desde y hasta la escuela sin proteccion. En un estudio conducido recientemente por Louis Harris y sus asociados encontraron que el 38% de los estudiantes en vec indades a riesgo admiten cargar cierto tipo de armas a la escuela, tres veces mas el numero de estudiantes en otras escuelas: Para los estudiantes que tienen temor, la ex pul­si6n no hace nada para arreglar el prob­Jema de llevar la seguridad a la escuela y a veces castiga a los estudiantes que ya son victimas.

El acta 26 puede hacer mas daiio que ayuda a los niiios.

En vez de estas medidas se le debe requerir a las escuelas que desarro llen programas significati vos para prevenir la violencia, incluyendo mediacion entre compaiieros y servic ios de consejerfa para los estudiantes , entrenamiento para los maestros sobre e l manejo de los salones de clases, y otros metodos para tratar con con fl ictos en la escuela. Ademas, deben desarro l! ar programas de "pas illos seguros" en donde el niiio se pueda sentir seguro de camino a la escuela y a su casa, y programas en la comunidad para tratar con los problemas en la escuela.

Muchos otros niiios llevan armas debido a presiones de familia, problemas mentales, u otros impedimentos. El expulsar a estos nifios no intercede a favor de sus problemas individuales y s implemente mueve el problema de la escuela a las calles. En vez de excluir al nifio de lo que pueda ser su unico acceso a alguna ayuda, se deben ex tender a los estudiantes Servic ios que pueden ayudar­los, y se debe demandar a las escuelas que busquen estos servicios.

Fi nal mente, un gran numero de estu­di antes fallan el acta 26 porque simple­mente exhibieron curiosidad o poco juicio que se espera de los jovenes. Simplemente, ya sea el ni iio o los padres no saben acerca de! acta 26. Algunos ejemplos de estos son:

•El nifio de 7 aiios que cargo una cuchilla que su mama coloco con su almuerzo para que pudiera cortar la fruta ;

•Una nifia de 12 aiios que tenfa un l!avero el cual cotenfa un cuchillo

pequefio; •Un niiio de 16 afios que dejo una

herramienta de su trabajo despues de la escuela en el bolsi ll o de su abrigo.

La policia La Icy es extrema e imprecisa al

definir Jo que const ituye un arrna. Los cfectos son de criminali zar a Jos cstudi­antes por Jo que constituye un artefacto comun en la csc ucla como un co mpas o un par de tijeras. La ex puls ion no es la reacc ion adecuada para estas si tuaciones.

El tratar a nuestros estudiantes justamente y hacerlos sentir seguros debe de ser nuestro prop6sito

El acta 26 demanda que Jos distritos de escuelas locales reporten cualquier acto de violenc ia (que es una ofensa criminal de menor cuantfa) a la policfa. En Filadelfia los directores ll aman a la policfa tan pronto que se descubre un arrna sin esperar ponerse en contacto co n Jos padres. Esto ha resultado en que los niiios, en un caso uno de once afi os y uno hasta de ocho, sean removidos de la escuela por parte de la policfa, muchas veces con esposas, sin el apoyo y pres­encia de los padres. Estos niiios esperan en la estacion de policfa o en un centro de detenci6n de jovenes por mas de ocho horas mientras procesan los cargos Como ha de entenderse, ellos terrninan traumatizados por esta experiencia.

Nada en el acta 26 requi ere que la escuela reporte al niiio a la po licfa antes de notificar a sus padres. La seguridad de la escuela no es afectada porque por definici6n estos estudiantes solamente han cargado el arma, no la han usado. La escue la tiene el poder de confiscar el arrna y suspender al estud iante. Por lo tanto, el implementar una regulaci6n que requiera que la escue la notifique a los padres primero, ali viarfa el trauma de un arresto para estudiantes que puedan ser bien jovenes, y no afectarfa la seguridad de la escuela. Es digno notar que un adulto que comete un delito menor tiene la oportunidad de entregarse por sf mismo. Los niiios deben de tener la misma oportu nidad. Por lo menos no deben ser ll evados al cuartel de policfa s in un respaldo de un adullo. Las esc ue­Jas de Nueva York requieren que la escue la en vie un adulto responsable con

;, Coal es su opinion? Las bienvenidas de! Public School

Notebook a su correspondencia, las criticas, u oponiendo puntos de vista. Por favor envfelos al School Notebook, 3721 Midvale Ave. Phila. PA 191 29.

Riege las noticias Ayude a distribuir Philadelphia

Public School Notebook. Usted puede ser parte del equipo que distribuye School Notebook a traves de la ciudad. Cop ias estfo disponiblc para la dis­tTibuci6n en su escuela, lugar de traba­jo e iglcsia. Estan dispon ible para un evento publico, una reuni6n en la escuela o en un cen tro comunal.

Favor de Jlamar a l School Notebook, 95 1-0330, si esta intercsado en formar parte de! cqu ipo.

e l niiio, s i los padres no se pueden Jocalizar an tes de not ificar a la policfa.

El planear Un consorcio de partidarios de escue­

las locales se ha estado reuniendo desde el otoii o pasado para identificar proble­mas que han salido a relucir debido al acta 26, para proponer soluciones, y para convencer al di strito que tome accion. Para e l credi to del consorcio, alg unos oficiales del distrito escolar han recono­cido los efectos rigorosos de! acta 26 y han estado discutiendo c6mo tratar esta Jey, mas notable es el desarroll o de una propues ta para poner a estos niiios en escuelas de remed iaci6n o "remedial" en vez de expulsarlos por completo.

Desafortunadamente, ha habido poca inforrnac i6n sobre donde sc puede cnviar a estos estudiantes o que tipo de progra­ma dichas cscuelas pucdan ofrecer.

Personas interesadas en estos asuntos pueden ponerse en contacto con su escuela local, oficiales del dis trito esco­lar, miembros de la junta educativa, y miembros de! concejal municipal de la cuidad , para preguntarles lo que estan haciendo sobre la violencia escolar yen la comunidad que esta afectando a Jos estudiantes. Tambien pueden ponerse en con tacto con el centro de ley educativa al 238-6970 para mas inforrnaci6n accrca de! acta 26 y otras preocupaciones o recomendaciones de pane del consorcio.

Trad11cci6n par Miguel Rivera-Diaz

ILDIFIE DJESSSSONSS: • .. ·:·. : . African Myths, legends & Rituals · ·: : . : · .

A series of new films from Africo, presented in collaboration ' with the Franklin lnstitute's new exhibit, AFRICA. ' ' ' ' '

~@~J\,i0i: P@ _ _y.~n~u1n:.~·

by Moussa Sene Absa

A bittersweet coming of age slory, in Senegal, likened to an African version of

American Graffiti or Crooklyn.

Sun Feb 4 at 6:00 & Wed Feb 14 at 9:00 pm

Keita: The Heritage of the Griot

by Ousmane Sembene, master storyteller and Senegalese filmmaker

The unusual story of Pierre Henn Th1oune (called Gt1e/waar, the Noble One) -

political ac1ivist, p hila nde ring patriarch and pillar of the Christian community.

Wed Feb 21 at 9:00, Thurs Feb 22 at 7:00 & Sun Feb 25 at 3:30

Three Tales from Sene9al The Franc by Djibril Diop Mombety little Bird by Monsour Soro Wade

Fary, The Donkey by Monsour Soro Wade

Three short films from • Senegal that adap t the .

ancient African storytel ling tradition.

Wed Feb 7 at 7:00 & Wed Feb 14 at 7:00 ·~

WOME:N: WORK AND RITUAL THESE HANDS by Flora M'mbugu Schelling

A day in the life of Mozambican women refugees working in stone quarnes.

MONDAY'S GIRLS by Ngoz1 Anwurah A look at a Waikiriki initiation ceremony

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in Nigeria.

Sun Feb 18 at 6:00 & Thurs Feb 22 at 9:1 5

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• extraordinary a deep. powerful and nveungly complex study of Tiana men· Nt>Thttk

This documentary by Carma I lmlon anti Richard Gordonisacompclhng1aleabout1hcmnc1workmgli or the "democracy movement" in Chma in 1989 and thcrcasonsforusfailurcandthc rc!iultm~mas1.auc

From the presenters of the Ph1ladelph1a Festival al World Cinema May 1-12. 1996 For 1nlormal10n call 1·800-WOW PFWC

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PAGE8 SCHOOL NOTEBOOK WINTER 1996

A classrooill for schools Discussing discipline:

by Ron Whitehorne

Albert Shanker, the longt ime head of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), tells the same story every time he speaks on the subject of discipline. It is about the kid who in the second grade does something horrendous in the class­room. A hushed si lence falls as all the other kids wait for a terrible punishment to be visited on the boy. But nothing much at all happens. An important les­son is learned. You can pretty much get away wi th ignori ng and even challengi ng school authority. Unti l students are he ld accountable in a serious way, our schools wi ll continue to be plagued by disrup­ti on.

But there is another speech I have heard from parent and community activists many times. It goes something like this: If teachers knew how to teach, if they respected our children and their capacity to learn, and if they stayed in touch with parents, then there wou ld be little disruption of school in the first place. The answer to the disorder in our schools is to make teachers acco untable.

These points of view represent two poles in a sharpening discussion of the whole question of discipline in our schools. It 1s a discussion that the move­ment fo r education reform cannot ignore. There is little question that, in the mi nds of both teachers and parents, school cli­mate and safety arc centra l concerns. Polling data show that parents rank Jack of discipline along with vio lence as lead­ing problems. Polls also show that over half of high school and middle school students believe that misbehavior by other students interferes with their own learning. No program that claims to offer real change in ed ucation can ignore addressing these concerns.

Repression versus change At a general level the debate over the

response to student misbehavior parallels the argument over how to deal wi th crime. Do we focus on repression, on catching and incarcerating those who violate the Jaw, or do we concentrate on eliminating the social and economic roots of crime?

In the context of education, there are many ways that the schoo l environment in nuences student behavior. Schools that are overcrowded, understaffed and inad­equately supplied with instructional materials are incapable of meeting the needs o f all stu-

success. A one-s ided focus on stiffer sanctions for student misbehavior side­steps the fundamental problem and ends up blaming the victims.

But this is the starting point and not the end of the discussion. We are a long way from gaining the resources and the institutional supports that could provide a successfu l school experience for the children who are now fail ing. Whi le we must fight to make our schools places where all children can achieve, this is going to be a Jong and difficult struggle. In the meantime, as parents and teachers we need to make the schools as effective as possible given the resources at hand. Furthermore, even with reformed schools, the soc ial conditions outside the school will continue to produce anti­soc ial behavior that wi ll find expression in the schools. In thi s framework we need to look at what steps can be taken now to make our schools safer and improve the climate for learning.

Kids confront raw violence The most serious violations of school

rul es are behav iors that result in physical harm to others, assaults on staff or other students being the most common exam­ple. The problem of violence in the schools has grown worse over the years. The perception of the schools as violent places is one factor that has Jed to dec lin­ing support fo r public education. And, while the public perception can exagger­ate the problem, the reality is bad enough. Particularly in the middle and high schools, students' fear of gett ing "rushed" (beaten up by a group of hostile students) is commonplace, and assaults in or around school are routine.

Part of the answer is certa inl y more serious consequences for students who commit these acts . Students need to be shown clearly that they wil l be he ld accou ntable for their actions. The District's decision to open alternati ve schools in each region for this purpose is a positive step. However, rehabi li tative measures alone will not solve the prob­lem. Effective school-based programs that teach students how to resolve con­flicts without resort ing to violence and that challenge the cultural norms that promote aggression and intimidati on are also necessary. Many programs of this kind ex ist in the schools, but there has been no systematic effort to identify those that reall y work and then institu-

tionali ze them dents. Those students who need extra help typicall y are shortchanged. As they fa ll fur­ther and further

Polling shows that parents rank lack of discipline along with violence as leading problems.

throughout the system.

Related to the question of vio lence in the schools is the

behind, these students often express the ir frustrat ion by defying school authori ty and disrupting instruction. While occa­sionally the heroics of a teacher or a counselor turn a studen t around, more typically these students spend much of their school career excluded from c lass, suspended from school and being trans­ferred from one school to another, al I the while exacung a price from teachers and their fellow students when they arc in the classroom.

If schools were provided with the needed resources and orga1111ed around the needs of all students, 11 is likely that many, t I not most, of the students who currently arc labeled as chronic behavior problems would be able to experience

whole issue of weapons. Several shootings over the las t few years have led to the employmen t of metal detectors on a selective basis and a "get tough" posture by the School District. Possess in g a lethal weapon in school is grounds for expul sion. The prob lem is that not just predators carry weapons. One day I found a book bag that a student had left in the lunchroom. J opened it up to determine who it belong­ed to, and a steak knife with a 5-inch blade tumbled out. (Possess ion of a knife with over a 2- inch blade is a criminal offense and students are subject to arrest.) The girl who brought thi s knife to schoo l was an honor roll student with an u.nblcm1shcd record of behav ior. She earned the knife to school because she

was afraid - and she is not alone. T he issue of weapons cannot be addressed in isolation from the larger iss ue of vio­

lence in the schools.

When teaching stops As serious as the whole question of

violence is, in the minds of teachers it is equaled if not surpassed by behavi or that disrupts and undermines instructi on and the authority of the teacher in the class­room. Included here are behaviors that when taken in isolation are petty, but when chronic and pervasive become serious. Examples are calling out, inap­propriate talking, leav ing one's seat, eat­ing and drinking, chroni c lateness and coming to class unprepared. Also incl ud­ed are behaviors that more overtl y show a lack of respect for the teacher's author­ity, such as cursing or maki ng insulti ng

ic minor offenders, are similarl y hard­pressed.

School District poli cy requires due process fo r students. Technically that means that before students are suspend­ed, they must, at a minimum, be told the reasons for the suspension and be allowed to respond . O ften e lementary fa irness requires time-consumin g inves­ti gations to determine the facts of a given situation. As a res ul t, many refer­rals to the disciplinarian, generally the less serious ones, are either dealt with in a token fas hi on or well after the offense took place. Or at times an arbitrary deci­sion is made that then alienates students and parents who rightfull y expect some standard of j ustice.

Along with consequences for misbe­havior, there is a need for a remedial plan to help the student correct the prob-

Photo: Fred Engst

Students' conduct cannot be separated from the environment in which they are to learn.

comments or threats. These behaviors demorali ze teachers - and many stu­dents and parents as well.

Here too the School District Jacks an effective policy to deal with the problem. There is a district-wide code of behavior, and every school has its own set of rules as well . The problem is not a lack of rules but a lack of consistent and judi­cious enforcement. The policy of pro­gressive discipline, in which conse­quences escalate with the number or seri­ousness of the infraction, requires a uni­fied, intensive effort on the part of the whole school community. Like their ad ul t counterparts, most students calcu­late their chances of getting away with a v1olat1 on of the rules. If they thin k the chances of getti ng punished are sli ght, they go ahead. By contrast, if they bel ieve they are likely to be punished, they tend to show restrain t. Unfortun­ately, students can frequently violate the rules with impunity or with on ly minor consequences, and when punishment is enforced It is uneven.

Part of the reason for this situation is that the discipli nary system is si mply overwhelmed by the dimensions of the tas k. The. classroom teacher is expected to .admin ister consequences for most minor.violati ons. Many teachers hold detentions and ca ll parents; but some teachers may have upwards o f 500 stu­dents on .their roll and have troub le keep­ing up wtth the volu me. Disc ipli naria ns who handle seri ous infractions or chron '.

!em. Under the best of circumstances a student is referred early on to the school's Student Support Committee, including a counselor and teachers. This committee deve lops a plan and involves the student and parents in the process . But all too often students are not refer­red, or if they are, the committee is unable to give the student more than token attenti on.

Who's behind the wheel Princ ipals and school adm inistrators

pl ay the major rol e in shaping a school's di scipli nary policy. Disciplinarians, teachers and other staff w ill tend to tailor the ir actions to the standard set by the admini strat ion. School staffs want to see adm in istrati on back them up by enforc­ing conseq uences for student mi sbehav­ior. But adm in istrators are also under pressure to reduce suspensions rates and serious incident reports. Adm ini strators are also susceptible to pressure from par­ents who believe the ir child was wrongly pu nished.

T he Central Admin istration also plays a ro le here in shap ing the context in which the principals act. The District uses suspension ra tes and number of seri ous incident reports as indi ces of school c li mate. But looking at these things in isolation provides no reading at all o n c limate . For example, al some schools where widespread prob lems existed with cutting class, a policy of

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WINTER 1996 SCHOOL NOTEBOOK

teacher suggests real steps to address a real problem hall sweeps was adopted in wh ich stu­dents fou nd in the halls without permis­sion after classes had begun were sus­pended for one day. While one might take issue with the means employed, the result in every case I am aware of is that school cl imate (i.e. cutting, students roami ng the halls) has been substantially improved. In th is case a higher rate of suspension was accompanied by an improvement in school climate.

Last year the Inquirer published data showing that Ph il ade lphia suspended more students than other districts, and some schools had substantially higher suspension rates that other schools. The impli cation was that good school climate went with low suspension rates. Thi s assertion went unanswered by the School District.

struggled when she made the transition from elementary to middle school.

Teachers do need more and better training on classroom management and related skills. Most un iversity schools of education fail to place much emphasis on this topic, even though it is the source of the greatest frustration and anxiety for new teachers. Much of the train ing that is offered to teachers has been le ft to pri­vate purveyors of one or another "sys­tem" that claims to be the last word on the subject. The School District attempts to address the subject in its induction program for new teachers, but one ses­sion is invariably going to be inadequate. Many teachers have complained that the methods advocated in these sess ions are at odds with what admin istrators demand of them in their buildings. For example, I attended a School Distri ct-sponsored workshop in wh ich the presenters advo­cated ignoring di sruptive behavior on the grounds that drawing attention to it on ly would make it worse. Foll owing this course of action during an observation

The administration has to be willing to provide the support that will enable schoo ls to prov ide consistent conse­quences for violating the ru les . Al lowing a school's teacher allotment to include teachers to run in-house suspension pro­grams and accommodation rooms, and provid ing alternative settings for disrup­tive students who have not responded to efforts to correct their behavior at the schoo l level , are examples of material support that the present admi nistrat ion, urged on by the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT), have take n. Clearly, a school's different constituencies - staff, admin istration , parents and students -need to agree on a coc!e of student behavior, the cons~yuences for violating the code, and a system for equi table en forcement.

by an adm ini strator would result in an un satisfactory evaluation in most schools.

Training, rather than foc using narrow­ly on techniques for control, needs to provide an understanding of the develop­mental and cultural forces that shape stu­dent behavior. It should also encourage teachers to look critically at their own behavi or and understand that, as in any relationship, what they do impacts on how their students respond.

Pho10: Arturo Ho

Consistent enforcement of fair standards of justice improve a student's sense of security and the overall climate for learning.

Holding teachers accountable

One of the most effective programs for improving the skill s of new teachers is providing a mentor, an experienced and accomplished teacher who will meet with the new teacher on a weekly basis. I know of several

tially hi gher in predominantly minority schools, it is necessary to ask if di sci­pline is appli ed equitably in our school s.

Al the very least, the higher rates of serious incidents and suspensions at racially isolated school s are part o f the fabric of institutional racism. Minority students are disproportionately victim­ized by soc ial conditio ns that inhi bit learning. Then they are subjec ted to seg­regated and inferior schools. It is reason-

able to ass ume Some would argue that effective

teachers don't have significant problems with classroom disruption and, therefore, the solution lies in higher expectations and more accountabili ty for teachers. It is true that some teachers are much more effective than others in reducing class­room disruption. As a disciplinarian, most of the referrals I received came from a small number of teachers. While one teacher sent a steady stream of chil­dren to my office, another almost never fo und it necessary to send a student out of her classroom . Students who were out of control in other classrooms were a model of c ivil ity in hers.

cases where the mentor relation­ship prevented a new teacher fro m quitti ng in frustration and where the new teacher went on

The higher rates of serious inci­dents and suspensions at racially isolated schools are part of the fabric of institutional racism.

th at these expe­riences wi ll pro­duce a di spro­portionate num­ber of frustrated, angry students who are alienat­ed from the school culture. ·-·

Does this mean the other teachers were all incompetents who should be sacked? Hardly. Teachers, li ke any other profession, are uneven in experience and have different strengths and weaknesses. The teacher c ited here was a teacher-of­the-year candidate approachi ng three decades of experience. And even she

to success in the classroom. Thi s approach could also be used with veteran teachers who are hav­ing serious problems. Unfortunately the funding for mentors has been severely curtailed.

ls discipline color-blind? Underly ing the whole debate over di s­

cipline is the question of race. Given the history of racism and segregation in our schools, given a d istrict teaching staff that is majority wh ite and a student body that is majority African American and given that suspension rates are substan-

Effectively managing a class While every teacher must find the ir own style of management and disci­

pline, based on my own experiences and observations, I would offer the fol­lowing as elements in the approach of most effective teachers:

• The teacher models the behavior he or she expects from the students. • The teacher is as clinical as possible in reprimanding students and

avoids confrontation. • Good behavior is recognized, praised and rewarded. • Particular encouragement and recognition is given to those that demon-

strate improved behavior. • Consequences for violating classroom rules are enforced. • The teacher is willing to listen to students and negotiate with them. • Parents are engaged as partners in improving students' behavior.

There are no data on the extent to which minority students are overtly dis­criminated against in the admi nistration of di scipline. For example, are the conse­quences for the same violations the same across rac ial li nes? How often might a student of one race be given the benefit of a doubt, while a student of another is "taught a good lesson" fo r do ing essen­tially the same thing? Even with good intentions, stereotypes and prejudices influence our behavior.

There is no quick fix for thi s problem. Keeping data by race on discipli nary actions might generate some useful in for­mation but in and of itself is not very meaningful. It is also an easy matter to underreport problems by hand li ng them informall y. The bottom line is that administrators, di sciplinarians and teach­ers need to take seri ously the di strust that man y minority parents and students have toward the system because of past di s­criminat ion. A new re lationship mi ght then be poss ible where di scipl ine is car­ried out from the standpo int o f racia l equity.

Doing it right Currentl y the School Distri ct has

taken steps like opening accommodati on rooms, setting up alternati ve schools fo r children with serious behav ior problems,

and inc reas ing security in many schoo ls. It has not, however, put forward a com­prehensive approach to improving d isc i­pli ne in the context of the Children Achieving program. On the uni on side, the "Bill of Rights and Responsibi lities" being promoted by the PFT is fine as a general statement , but it needs to be con­cretized and placed in a co ntex t where it is linked to the struggle for more resourc­es for instruction and s tudent services.

While no comprehensive, system-wide change is evident, many schoo ls have taken initiatives of the ir own lo improve student behav ior. Often these schoo l­based efforts not only have positi ve immediate results but also provide lessons for other schools in how to tackle the problem.

At my school last year, nearly ha lf the staff spent a week over the summer ham­mering out a discipline policy. In the fall the whole staff refined this work in a series of meetings. Because we had time to go into the problems in depth and because the principal made clear th at he would respect the co llective will o f the staff, we came away from this process not only with a more realistic and com­prehensive po licy, but with one that the whole staff took greater respo nsibility for enforcing.

This kind of process needs to go on not on ly with staff, but with parents and studen ts as well. And it needs to take into account more than the puniti ve side of discipline. Attention must be pa id to pre­vention in the form of positive remforce­ments for good behavior, improved class­room management sk il ls, earlie r and more intensive intervention by coun­

selors, increased part1c1pa11 on by outside agenc ies, and a more cooperat1 vc re la­ti onship be tween the school and paren ts.

This kind of plannmg and d iscuss ion at each schoo l will not ">Ive a ll the prob· lems, but it will so lve some. And it wil l pl ace in sharper rehef those problems that, given our present leve l of resources, arc beyond the reac h 1f school-based measures.

Ron \Vh11e/10me 1s a teacher m Julia

De Burgos IJ1/111g11al M1ddlt• School,

ll'here he serl'ed as /louse Director and disciplinarian for six years .

f

WINTER 1996 » -PAGE 10 SCHOOL NOTEBOOK

While a few schools make gains, most stagnate in basic skills test for grades 4 to 8

change Poor test scores show need for tC

MATHEMATICS READING These are the Citywide Test scores MATHEMATICS READING % students' scores in % students' scores in tt % of students' scores in % of students' scores in Upper which the School District made public in Lowest Upper Lowest

H Lowest Upper Lowest Upper Quarter Half November. They show the 1995 school- Quarter Half Quarter Half Quarter Half ir by-school results of the test, called the School (% improvement '94 to '95) (% improvement '94 to '95) School (% improvement '94 to '95) (% improvement '94 to '95)

CTBS-4, for grades 4 through 8 in two 36.1 (+0.4) 29.6 (-2.9) Marshall 63.4 (-3.7} 18.3 (-1.2) 66.7 (-12.6) 13.1 (-10.3) st Adaire 40.8 {·2.3) 277 (-1.6)

Mayfairt 17.4 (+0.4) 53.3 (-6.3) 18.5 (-0.6) 51.0 (-1.5) categories - reading and mathematics Allen, Ethel' 57.3 (+2.3) 16.4 (-0.9) 63.6 (-10.8) 11 .8 (-13.4)

24.0 (+4.3) 48.0 (-1.2} 22.3 (+4.5) 50.2 (-3.4) H - and the change from the previous Allen, Ethan 28.3 (-2.1) 38.7 (-3.2) 25.9 (-0.8) 47.2 (+3.4) McCall

54.1 (-2.1} 22.4 (-1.8) McKinley' 63.p (+7.0) 12.5 (+4.1) e• year. No test scores for high schools are AMY-5 36.5 (-7.0) 33.2 (·6.1) 37.0 (·2.3) 31.8 (·2.0)

McMichael' 69.4 (-11.1) 9.5 (·5.0} 66.0(·13.9) 12.1 (-13.1)

1 AMY-6 North 37.7 (+1.7) 23.4 (-5.8) 49.3 (+3.5) 18.1 (+3.0) 62.5 (+3.8) 20.2 (+3.6) included. Anderson' 36.3 (+3.1) 30.8 (+0.1) 44.5 (- 10.4) 33.0 (-8.7} Meade' 61.5 (+10.2) 17.3 (+4.5)

The results do not include the 67 31.1 (-5.7) 40.4 (-5.6) 29.7 (·0.5) l ~

schools in the "first cohort" of clusters Bache-Martin 32.9 (+3.0) 38.0 (+3.7) 37.2 (0.0) 38.7 (+0.7) Meehan 37.7 (-8.2) 19.1 (-1.8) 52.5 (-8.1) 14.5 (+3.4) 63.5 (+3.2)

- those schools feeding into Washing- Seeber MS' 36.7 (-6.7) 31.5 (-4.6) 41.7 (-4.0) 29.2 {· 1.5} Mereditht 39.0 (+4.9) 23.2 (·3.5)

Belmont' 61.9 (+2.0) 9.5 (-2.4) 58.5 (-0.9) 13.2 (-4.8) Mifflin 43.4 (-6.7} 20.7 (·9.6) ton, King, Olney. Strawberry Mansion, Miller, E.S.' 76.5 (-4.5) 5.9 (-2.1} 84.6 (-11.3) 0.0 (-3.3} Audenre1d, and West Philadelphia High

Bethune· 62.4 (·0.6) 9.6 (-5.1) 53.7 (-2. 1} 19.1 (-3.9} 78.6 (·6.0} 4.0 (·3.2) 73.4 (·6.2) 11.7 (+0.1)

Blankenburg· 55.6 (+0.6) 15.4 {·1 .3) 48.7 (+3.4) 23.1 (-2.7) Mitchell' Schools. Students in the elementary and Bluford' 54.9 (+8.4) 15.0 (+0.7) 48.8 (+13.3) 27.3 (+9.4) Moffet 46.6 (+6.2) 18.3 (+2.8) 36.9 (+4.5) 29.2 (-0.9)

middle schools in these clusters took a 27.8 (-0.3) 40.0 (-2.4) 29.6 (-1.4) 40.3 (-6.6)

Boone' 84.0 (+1.2} 4.0 {·0.9) 87.9 (+0.8) 3.0 (+1.1) Moore different test, called the Stanford 9, and 51.7 (+15.1) 26.2 (+ 14.8) 50.0 (0.0} 28.2 (+6.1) Bregy 56.8 (·0.2} 17.3 (·5.6) 58.0 (0.0) 18.5 (·2.0) Morris'

results and comparisons to previous Bridesburg 31.7I+12.9) 33.7 (+9.6) 27.0 (+19.1) 35.0 (+6.3) Morton 62.5 (-2.9} 15.4 (+2.1) 55.3 (-9.1} 21.4 (-3.0)

years were not yet available to the Brown, H.A. 57.4 (·2.7) 14.8 (-5.2) 59.4 (·17.4) 14.1 (·21.0} Nebinger' 60.0 (+5.6) 14.2 (+1.9) 55.6 (+2.3) 22 2 (+4.9)

Notebook at press time. Brown, J.H. 30.8 (-0.8) 43.1 (+1 .9) 34.5 (·3.2) 40.7 (-3.4} Overbrook Ed.t 3.8 (+4.4} 77.3 (+10.0} 10.7 (+1.9} 64.9 (+5.2)

A statement Camell 30.6 (-6.5) 42.6 (·7.9) 27.7 (·6.8) 48.8 (-3.6) Palumbo' 75.8 (+3.2} 11.7 (+6.0) 74.8 (+2.1) 8.4 (+2.7)

~loMOOby>~ ~ Catharine 30.1 (+1.3) 37.6 (+0. 3) 24.5 (+1.4) 51.1 (-3.7) Patterson 39.5 (-4.0) 22.0 (-13.3) 31.2 (-1.0) 41.6 (-0.2) School 13.6 (·8.0) 57.9 (-8.7) 20.8 (-5.1) District along :'\ <' Clymer· 71.1 (+5.3) 5.2 (·1.1) 75.3 (·4.9) 8.8 (-1.5) Peirce, T.M.' 58.5 (-7.8)

Conwellt 7.8 (-2.4) 66.8 (+1.9) 6.8 (·1.6) 73.7 (·0.8) Penn Treaty 70.9 (·5.8} 8.5 (·2.1) 64.3 {·3.0) 11.5 (-0.3) with the (J\ Cook-Wissah. 40.2 (+14.8} 22.1 (+3.2) 42.9 (+7.3) 30.2 (+5.2) Pennell' 62.4 (-25.0) 8.0 (-24.1) 60.4 {-23.8) 19.5 (·17.6)

scores com- Cramp· 50.4 (+16.0) 9.9 (·1.4) 35.0(+12.0) 31.7 (+6.6} Penrose 38.3 (+4.0) 33.3 (+5.2) 49.1 (·7.4) 27.1 (·3.8)

mented, "These Creighton 44.5 (-2.1) 25.2 (+ 1.9) 41.3 (-1.7) 29.1 (·0.8) Pepper MS 58.2 (· 13.0) 17.1 (-7.0) 55.1 (-3.9) 17.6 (-0.3)

scores demonstrate Cross ant 17.2 (+0.5) 62.1 (+8.5) 12.6 (+11.2) 69.0 (+14.3) Pickett MS' 49.3 (+4.7) 18.5 (+2.8) 62.5 (-5.7) 12.9 (-2.3)

the pressing need for Daro ff' 51.5 (+6.6) 19.5 (+5.5) 62.0 {·11.5) 21.4 (·4.6) Pollockt 18.1 (+4.7) 53.6 (+6.3) 15.9 (+6.4) 59.4 (+5.8) Children Achieving: scores [are] far De Burgos· 73.0 (-4.3) 7.8 (+0.6) 75.9 (-5.1) 4.6 (+0.2) Potter-Thomas'82.6 (·12.3) 4.2 (-5.7) 73.6 (·6.3) 7.4 (-5.6)

below the national average; [there is] Disston 28.1 {·0.5) 37.3 (+0.4) 34.7 (+7.4) 30.9 (+3.7) Powel 30.8 (·7.8) 42.3 (-15.5) 40.8 (-12.7) 36.7 (· 13.5)

stagnation across a four-year baseline." Dobson 38.1 (·5.3) 29.3 (-2.8) 43.5 (·9.5} 27.1 (-10.4) Pratt,A.B.' 72.4 (-3.6} 6.5 (-1.5) 68.3 (·0.6} 8.9 (-2.7)

The statement also cautions, "The Drew, Chartes' 58.0 (-9.0) 16.1 (·8.7) 60.1 (-9.9) 17.8 (-7.5) Reynolds' 64.9 (·10.4) 16.0 (·4.2) 59.1 {-17.6) 25.2 {·10.4)

Stanford 9 scores for the schools in the Duckrey· 76.0 (·5.6) 10.5 (+0.3) 66.7 (-3.6) 15.8 (-0.4) Rhawnhurstt 22.1 (+4.4) 50.4 (+4.5) 11.5 (+7.7) 65.4 (+7.3) First Cohort of clusters can be expec ted Dunbar' 46.3 (+21.2) 19.4 (+11.4) 50.5 (+7.3) 22.9 (+9.7) Rhoads' 59.5 (+2.5) 17.9 (+ 1.9) 51.1 (+10.1) 24.2 (+2.1) to present an even grimmer picture, Edmunds, H. 28.0 (· 1.4) 43.4 (+0.6) 38.3 (-7.5) 34.3 (·6.5) Rhodes MS' 65.0 (-1.4) 12.6 (-1. 1) 71.1 (-2.0) 7.3 (+0.2)

because the students will be compared to Elkin 68.0 (-4.1) 5.9 (·7.2) 60.2 (-2.8) 19.3 (·0.6} Richmond 41.0 (+5.8) 26.7 (+2.4) 36.3 (+0.3) 41.3 (+3.SJ

a higher standard." Elverson, M.' 65.8 (-8.0) 10.0 (-1.0) 75.6 (·5.8) 5.2 {·0.5) Roosevelt MS' 54.3 (+2.2) 17.6 (+3.5) 60.1 (+5.3) 12.7 (+3.2) Emlen· 46.1 (-7.8) 26.7 (-4.2) 45.4 (-11.4) 33.5 (-6.3) Shallcross 70.0 (·11.4) 12.5 (+2.2) 80.0 (-12.1) 0.0 (-7.1}

How to read the scores Fairhill' 65.8 (-4.6) 8.4 (-4.6) 69.9 (-7.7) 8.4 (-7.7) Sharswood 39.0 (+5.0) 29.2 (+3.2) 39.5 (-1.1) 41.6 (+8.7) The standardized test scores compare Farrellt 17.1 (-0.9) 56.4 (-0.2) 19.8 {·1.9) 55.6 (+1.8) Shawmont 13.9 (+6.5) 54.8 (+3.3) 25.5 (+2.3) 45.2 (+0.4)

performance of students in Philadelphia Fell 46.3 (-5.5) 25.0 (+1.0) 37.5 (-2.4) 36.3 {·3.3) Sheppard' 46.3 (+22.4) 19.4 (+9.9). 52.9 (+0.9) 8.6 (- 10.0)

to students across the country. For both Ferguson· 74.1 (+8.4) 6.5 (+3.8) 73.4 {·4.0) 8.6 (·2.5) Sheridan 50.3 (+5.1) 19.8 (·0.1) 35.6 (+1.6) 29.4 (-5.7) Finletter 32.8 (+0.7) 31.9 (·3.3) 32.9 (+1.5) 38.4 (+1.8) Shoemaker' 63.1 (0.0) 11.0(+1.0) 67.3 {+1.1} 9.6(+1.6}

reading and mathematics, the data show Filler 28.9 (+6.0) 36.0 (+2.2) 35.8 (·1.9) 35.4 (·3.5) Smedley 52.9 {·0.8) 15.0{·6.3) 46.4 (+3.0) 29.1 (+1.3) what percentage of the children at a school fall into the lowest performing Fitzsimons· 64.4 (·6.1) 13.8 (+0.9) 53.3 (·2.2) 16.8 (-0.6) Solis-Cohen 24.3 (+6.9) 35.5 (-1.6) 23.9 (+3.1) 52.6 (+3.2)

quarter, and what percentage of students Forrest 25.5 (+9.2) 36.2 {·1.7) 20.9 (+5.9) 55.4 (+3.2) Southwark 42.0 (·1.6) 26.7 (-2.4) 29.6 (+1.8) 40.1 (+1.4)

are in the top half (perform ing at or Fox Chase 23.3 (+6.2) 49.6 (+1.5) 26.4 {+11.8) 48.8 (+12.2) Spring Garden'53.7 (-4.0) 21.0 (+2.3) 51.6 (-10.3) 24.2 (·5.9) Franklin 19.2 (+0.7) 46.7 (-4.3) 26.9 (·1.2) 41.4 (·4.3) Spruance 19.4 (+4.0) 49.1 {+3. 1) 22.9 (+1. 1) 50.1 (-0.9)

above the national average score). A Fulton' 56.0 (+3.3) 15.6 (+3.1} 55.0 (+6.5) 17.4 (+4.0) Stanton, M.H.' 71.4 (-2.9) 5.6{·6.2) 73.1 (·15.7) 12.3 (-5.6) school that was average for the U.S. Gillespie' 66.6 (·1.9) 10.2 (·2.4) 69.7 (-0.9) 9.2 (·0.5) Stearne 48.1 (-0.5) 15.5 (-9.1) 43.9 (-6.8) 30.3 (·2.3) would have 50% of the students in the top half and 25% in the bottom quarter. Girard 25.5 (+15.5) 45.9 (+ 13.5) 23.4 (+20.8) 55.4 (+19.6) Steel' 62.2 (-3.2) 11.3 (-4.9) 62.0 (·4.7) 15.4 (·3.7)

In Philadelphia, only 12 of the 159 Gompers't 13.1 (+18.9) 54.6 (+20.9) 21.8(+10.0) 51 .9 (+5.9) Stetson 68.9 (-8.9) 10.6 (-5.8) 75.4 (·7.3) 6.4 (-4.2) Greenfieldt 20.7 (+4.6) 54.1 (+3.2) 13.3 (+9.0) 63.0 (+9.4) Stoddart-Fleis.'66.8 {·5.0) 12.5 (+0.8) 73.6 (-2.2) 5.1 (-1 .4)

schools shown outperformed the nation- Hackett 34.1 (-1.4) 31.2 (·3.8) 22.6 (+9.1) 54.0 (+14.4) Sullivan 30.6 (+2.2) 31.9 {·0.2) 44.9 (-13.3) 32.0 (-9.7) al average on the CTBS-4. Harding 45.7 (-4.2) 24.1 (-1.7) 45.5 (-10.8) 25.1 (·7.7) Sulzberger' 65.4 (·21.7) 10.8 (· 16.8) 74.3 (·8. 1) 5.8 (-4. 1)

With each of these scores, there is Harrison' 77.3 (·1.7) 5.9 (-0.7) 62.4 (+3.8) 18.8 (+3.6) Taggart 50.6 (·6.0) 21.0 (·3.1) 44.4 (+6.3) 24.0 (+0.8)

~'°•m~"" Harrity' 67.1 (-6.5) 11 .6 (-5.8) of the change 73.0 {·3.3) 9.2 (·3.4) Thomas 44.3 (-8.7) 23.1 {·6.3) 47.4 (-8.9) 22.8 (·5.2) Hartranft' 78.5 (-8.5) 5.1 (-3.9) 73.4 (-11.2) 6.2 (·9.5) Ti lden MS' 66.6 (·4.5) 9.0 (-1.8) 75.3 (-6.6) 5.4 (·3.0) in that score Henryt 19.9 (+5.8) 59.6 (+7.7) 21 .7 (+6.0) 58.2 (+8.8) Turner' 46.4 (-1.5) 20.7 {·2.4) 58.9 (-5.4) 15.0 {·2.3)

from the pre- Heston' 56.5 (+1.8) 17.3(+0.1) 51.1 (+7.4) 21.8 (·0.1) Vare,A. 33.3 (-6.6} 38.8 (-4.6) 29.4 (-2.9) 40.3 (-6.8} vious year. Holme 42.4 (·5.0) 26.4 (·4.8) 38.2 (·5.5) 31.2 (·9.7) Vare, E.H. 64.1 (- 11.3) 12.2(·4.4) 55.9 (-3.0) 16.5 (-3.3) Improvement Hopkinson 44.0 (+0.7) 26.0 (+1.4) 45.3 (·8.8) 24.3 (-10.2) Vaux MS' 67.8 (-3.6) 11.0 (·1.6) 73.0 {·3. 1} 8.6 (+0.2) (fcwerstu- Houston 31.7 (+2.5) 36.3 (+1.0) 39.6 (+2.8) 31 .3 (+1.1) Walton' 69.1 {·8.9) 8.2 (-10.6) 60.0 (-1.3) 14.5 (·1.3) nts in the bot- Hunter" 52.3 (+ 16.3) 10.8 (+0.5) 42.2 (+11.6) 26.6(+10.8) Wanamaker' 67.3 (·5.5) 8.8(-3.1) 68.8 (-11.3) 7.4 (-4.4)

q rter or more stu- Jackson 36.4 (-5.1) 34.4 (+0.8) 35.1 (-3.7) 31.1 (-5.7) Waring' 71.2 (·9.1) 10.6(-3.5) 58.5 (-0.7) 16.9 (-1.8) dents in the top halt) is indicated by a Jenks, A 21.6 (+1.1) 37.2 {·11.1) 29.4 (+0.8) 45.1 (·6.1) Washington, G'36.6 (+19.2) 30.7 (+12.5) 39.2 (+3.2) 27.0 (·0.2) positive percentage change, and decline Jenks,J.S. 15.0 (-4.6) 59.2 (·8.1) 27.7 (·9.9) 49.7 (·9.9) Washington, M'56.4 {-9.0) 13.6(·5.8) 62.2 (-9.9) 12.4 (-7.0) (more students in the bottom quarter or

Jones 60.8 (·6.1) 15.0 {·1.2) 49.7 (·5.6) 20.5 {·4.8) Webster 50.9 (+3.4) 16.4 (·3.4) 53.5 (-5.8) 20.8 (·3.9)

fewer students in the top halt) is indicat- Kearny' 52.8 {-10.6) 17.6 (-15.0) 54.9 (-26.2) 24.2 {·19.1) Welsh' 55.0 {·1 .5) 10.0(- 11 .5) 45.1 (+4.5) 27.4 (+5.8) ed by a negative percentage change. Kelley, W.' 58.3 (+5.9) 10.2 (-3.3) 54.6 (+9.8) 25.0 (+9.5) Whittier' 76.4 (·21.8) 3.3(-16.6) 83.1 (-27.6) 5.6 (-20.0) Thus the data show performance and Kelly, J.B.' 47.3 (-0. 1) 25.7 (+3.4) 42.5 (·8.0) 32.9 (-6.2) Willard 60.1 (+8.0) 14.8 (+3.8) 48.3 (+6.9) 23.6 (+0.8) progress for both high-scoring and low- Kenderton' 65.8 (-4.6) 11.6 (-8.3) 66.0 (·8.3) 16.0(-7.8) Wilson, W. MS 26.3 (-0.6) 45.3 (-0.8) 26.2 (+4.3) 42.0 (+2.3) scoring students. Key 40.8 (·17.5) 19.1 (·21 .6) 24.0 (-7.1) 46.0 (·18.1) Wister' 50.0 (+7.7) 17.9 (+3.7) 52.9 (-3.1) 18.8 (-7.3)

Kirkbride 48.3 (·8.7) 23.4 (·2.0) 27.4 (+8.3) 44.0 (+2.4) Wright' 57.9 (+5.7) 17.0 {+5.3) 51 .2 (+1.4) 15.5 (-8.4) While standardized test scores are Zieg le rt 16.0 (+6. 0) 52.0 (+6.6) 12.7 (+ 11.6) 54.7 (+7.0) only one measure of a school's perfor- Lamberton 31.0 {·0.7) 40.9 (·0.3) 29.6 (+2.9) 39.1 (·2.1)

mance, the information provided here Lawtont 13.1 (+5.3) 65.8 (+8.1) 8.1 (+0.9) 76.2 (+8.9) Five schools showing the most progress across both reading and math: can help start a discussion about what is Leidy' 47.7 (+ 14.8) 15.9 (+0.9) 49.1 (+ 10.5) 18.9 {·0.3) Girard 25.5 (+15.5) 45.9 (+13.5) 23.4 (+20.8) 55.4 (+19.6) working in our schools and where Levering 29.5 (+3.4) 38.8 (+4.4) 27.7 (+1.2) 44.9(-0.1) Gompers't 13.1 (+18.9) 54.6 (+20.9) 21.8 (+10.0) 51.9 (+5.9)

Lingelbach' 40.0 (-12.5) 27.2 (-16.1) 41 .1 (-9.5) 33.9 (·13.9) Dunbar' 46.3 (+21.2) 19.4 (+11.4) 50.5 (+7.3) 22.9 (+9.7) school· are failing; where and how posi- Locke' 63.6(·11.1) 10.1 (-7.5) 62.2 (·17.8) 13.4(-15.3) Bridesburg 31.7 (+12.9) 33.7 (+9.6) 27.0 (+19.1) 35.0 (+6.3) live change 1s happening and where the Hunter' 52.3 {+16.3) 10.8 (+0.5) 42.2 (+11 .6) 26.6 (+10.8) educational quality is deteriorating. Logan· 68.5{·12.3) 10.9 (·5.2) 64.0 (·5.9) 14.0 {·5.3)

Longstreth' 64.7 (-10.1) 14.5 (-7.5) 69.3 (-17.6) 13.9 (-12.5) Five schools whose scores dropped the most across reading and math:

Key to symbols used in table: Lowell 44.0 (-1.8) 25.6 (-0.3) 34.6 (+7.7) 36.8 (+6.3) Pennell' 62.4 (-25.0) 8.0 (-24.1) 60.4 (-23.8) 19.5 (-17.6) Ludlow' 69.4 (-8.2) 12.2 {·3.7) 67.3 (-9.3) 8.2 (·9.3) Whittier· 76.4 (·21.8) 3.3(-16.6) 83.1 (-27.6) 5.6 {·20.0) • Racially i'olated school MYA 32.0 {·6.5) 37.1 (·4.4) 39.2 {·10.4) 34.4 (·8.1) Kearny· 52.8 (· 10.6) 17.6 (·15.0) 54.9 (-26.2) 24.2 (·19.1)

~Scored higher th~nallonal norm Mann' 53.3 (·6.6) 20.0 (-5.4) 54.0 (-6.6) 25.2 {·4.9) Key 40.8 (·17.5) 19. 1 (·21.6) 24.0 (-7.1) 46.0 (·18.1) Lingelbach' 40.0 (-12.5) 27.2 (·16.1) 41.1 (-9.5) 33.9 (-13.9)

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WINTER 1996 SCHOOL NOTEBOOK PAGE 11

School budget shortfall looms Continued from p. 1

to $45,000 more spent per classroom each year on students in the suburbs than their counterparts in Philadelphia, Hornbeck noted. The city-suburb spend­ing gap is growing.

"I don't understand why the City and state have permitted that to continue," Hornbeck said . "It's both wrong and economically stupid. It affects the basic health of our region."

Mayor Rendell has agai n promised to lobby hard for school funds in Harris­burg. Last year he made the same promise, but whether from lack of effort or ineffectiveness, the s tate all ocated pretty much what the Governor had plan ned a ll along.

The School Di stric t first submits its budget to the City in February, and this must be reconciled with avail able rev­enue to arri ve at a balanced budget by the end of May. This year, the process promises to be one of whittling away at educational programs.

One target for savings is likely to be the District's non-instructional opera­tions, including facilities maintenance, transportation, and management in for­mation systems. A task force of Phi la­delphia business leaders released a report in January that concluded the District cou ld ul timately save $45 mil­lion a year by making changes in areas like bus service and building mainte­nance. But the report noted that many of the sav ings require an initial investment in training and technology. In other cases, savings would require changes in union contracts or the Pennsylvania school code.

Superintendent Hornbeck has endorsed the report, which call s for making greater use of private bus com­panies, replacing many bus attendants

at~$1$~ $t$1~ ~ ~8~i!IB ~e!Wl~ ~ Where's the fat? Where's the dough? ~ r:{~ Public School Notebook wants to tap into your knowledge of the f•~~

$"" schools to help suggest wa ys to allevia te the budget c ris is facing ""ar· Ii' our school system. We're giving awa y prizes fo r the best sugges-

,.. lions.

,~rs While the District has been. belt-tightening as lo ng as most peo- .a ~~ :I', $ pie can remember, there 1s still bo und to be some "fa t" o r waste in ~~: (t(0 any system a s big as this . Can yo u identify a ny of the waste ful ~-(,.D

~ areas? Send your tho ughts to us in a le tte r or postcard. {.1J 1

We're a lso looking for ideas on how to generate mo re revenue ~ - through taxe s o r other sources - fo r the schools . P hiladelphia ,, , spe nds less per pupil than nearly al l of the s urrou nding suburban . '

""- districts . Where can the s ystem fi nd itself some more dough? '¥ ~'2 ~ Send your ideas on where to find the fat a nd where to find the ~ '.!'; l/ dough to: Public School Notebpok, Depart ment W, 3721 Midvale $ .',~ "a(. Avenue, Philadelphia , PA 19129. The best ideas, as selected by <'.:

the pa pe r's edito rial committee, will be printed in our Spring issu. e $ and forwarded to Superintendent Ho rnbeck. We'll be awarding a a ~ gift certificate for Baskin Robbins ice crea m to the best suggestion CT; $

f$ on find ing the fat. The best s ug ge s t io n on where to find the do ugh '~c;N ') will win a gift certificate for Pizza Hut.

~r ~ Entries must be received by April 1, 1996. No fooling . S ,~ &i~~l~~ m~~l~~$~1;'<t'$' ~~i'<t'~ffi 'I":.~~~~·~: IP' ::~~~ t;~' } ~ ~~ ~:: ... =~· ~ ~:J)~ ~.: t:it

with video cameras, cutting out some bus routes, and staggerin g school open­ing times so buses can make more than one trip a day. But even if full y reali zed , the savings suggested would meet but a fraction of the District's budget needs.

Several factors further compl icate the financial picture for next fall:

•The District's contract with the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers ex pires thi s summer, and deficit projec­tions do not include the costs of financ­ing a new teachers' contract. Teacher salaries continue to lag behind those

offered in suburban di stricts. •Cuts in federal funding for the

schools, through programs li ke Title I, desegregati on, and school lunches, are all but certai n because of the fervor to eliminate social programs in Congress. These funds are not part of the School Distri ct's core operati ng budget, but they sustain vital e lements of the educati onal program at many schools.

•Uncertainty about the outcome of current budget negotiations in Washing­ton has made it impossible for states to plan on how much federal money they

School funding may get its day in court As the School District struggles to balance its budget

over the next few months, a state judge may provide advocates for Philadelphi a 's public schools with an important forum to make the case for increased fund­ing. Pennsylvani a Commonwealth Court Judge Doris Sm ith may hold hearings on the school system's fund­ing needs as soon as early spring.

However, Churchill pointed out that poli tical pressure from supporters of public educati on around the anti c ipat­ed hearings could play a criti cal part in the budget process. "Hearings would reveal the tremendous need of the School District for additional funds," he noted.

According to Churchill , the gap in spending per student between Phi ladelphia and the average of the surro und ing 62 suburban di stricts is now $ 1759 and is grow in g; Philadelphia is falling further behind. " It 's amazing that Philadelphia legislators have permitted the funding gap between Philadelphia and the surroundi ng school dis tricts to grow larger," he added.

will receive and how they will be required to spend it. In this context, even the Governor's opponents in the Pennsylvania legislature are likely to budget more con­servativel y.

• The economy is stagnant , and layoffs and plant closings arc taking the ir toll on wage earnings and hence on potenti al c ity and state tax revenues.

In March, each school will get a firs t look at how the budget picture affects its particular site when it receives prelim i­nary budget in formation for next year. For the past fou r years, schools have had the ability during thi s budget process to make tradeoffs in how they all ocate this budget. This year, schools may find themse lves hav ing to cut , but with some limited dis­cretion over where to make those cuts.

Myers commented that schools will be gettin g a memo explai ning what kmds of tradeoffs are all owed and can be made at the school level. In the past, the teachers' union has res isted taki ng part in the painful and potent ially d ivisive dec isions about how to cut school budgets. But Myers' counters that "if you wait to do school-based management until you get adequate resources, you' ll be waiting ti ll all our kids have moved on."

Several organi zati ons are foc using their attention on mounting politi cal pressure for adequate school fundin g to avert dras­tic cuts. One focus of organizing is City Counc il 's upcoming public hearings on the School Distri ct budget, slated for Wednesday, March 6; Thursday, March 7; and Saturday. March 9. These hearings at City Hall, and particularly the Saturday session (scheduled from 10 a.m. to I

p.m.), are an excellent opportunity for large numbers of parents, staff, students and community members to speak to the critical fi nancial needs of the schoo l sys­tem.

Judge Smi th has been honing in on the iss ue of how to fund the refom1s needed to end generations of fu nd­ing disparities along racial lines and provide an equal education to all students in Philadelphia. Judge Smith presides over a 23-year-old suit against the School District of Philadelphia about racial segregati on in the schools.

In a November ruling, Judge Smith said that both the state and the c ity must address the issue of whether any add iti onal funding is necessary to pay for the reforms she has ordered to end inequali ty in Philadelphia schools - and if so, who is responsible for coming up with the money.

If events in Commonwealth Court help to inspire a public mobili zation for increased fund ing for the schoo l system, then perhaps city and state offic ials may take noti ce and feel compelled to find a legislative solution to the iss ue of in adequate funding fo r the schools.

Photo: Fred Eng~t

In response to the needs of the schools, parents have organized around the city. Here a citizen speaks out at a

Both the state and the c ity have chosen to appeal her ruling to the state Supreme Court, rather than take up the opportunity Judge Smith has offered to go through School District financial records and attempt to show that the District has enough money.

Publi c in terest attorney Michael Churchi ll , who rep­resents the main intervenors in the discriminat ion suit against the School D istrict, said he is optimistic that the appeals by the city and state will be rej ected by the Supreme Court. If the appea ls are denied, the next step in the case wou ld be hearin gs before Judge Smith on the fin ancial needs of the District, Churchill said .

Even if both appeals are denied and heari ngs are held , lawyers in the case do not believe Judge Smith wi ll adopt a ru ling on the money issue in time to ha ve an impact on thi s spring's school budget process. Moreover, any ruling would be subject to further appea ls.

West Philadelphia community fo rum.

PAGE 12 SCHOOL NOTEBOOK WINTER 1996

Promising results are adding up

Interactive math makes for active learners by Colleen Hebding

Math has always seemed co me like Crying to climb an unconquerable moun­tain. I still remember my most horrific day in elementary school - in my third grade math class. The teacher randomly elected a student to answer our daily

flash card drills. On that fateful day, I was the chosen one. With a flip of the flash card, I was asked to solve "3 x 9." Upon careful consideration, I gave my answer.

When the gasps and giggles finally ceased, I reali,i;ed the answer was not 28. My punishment, which I perceived co be a third grader's death sentence, was to repeat multiplication tables in front of the entire class until the answers were perfecc. At the tender age of eight, I real­ized it was the beginning of the end of my mathematical career.

My math phobia continued throughout high school. I remember frantical ly run­ning to my 10th and I Ith grade math cla ses in order to claim the last seat in the last row co avoid being called on. I survived high school mathematics through avoidance techniques chat I had been perfecting since the third grade. As odd as my experiences may seem, the sad face is that too many students suffer from some form of math anx iety.

The bread ch of chis problem is borne out in math test scores . U.S. students are

near the bottom when compared co other countries. In the second Internacional Assessment of Educational Progress (1991), 9 and 13 year-o lds in the United States scored below similar students in Canada, France, the Soviet Union and South Korea. In urban areas such as Philadelphia, math achievement scores are of particular concern. Less than three out of ten ninth grade students in Philadelphia's 22 comprehensive high schools pass algebra or geometry.

Many math educators have long rec­ognized the need co change the tradi ti on­al way of teaching mathematics if today's students are to be competitive in the global marketplace of tomorrow. In 1989, after years of work invol ving thou­sands of math educators from aro und the country, the National Counc il of Teachers of Mathematics published the report, "Curriculum and Evaluation Standards."

The "NCTM Standards" won criti cal acclaim throughout the education com­munity. They call for a radical revision in the content, teaching and assessment of mathematics. By bu ild ing upon the "basics" of arithmetic, the NCTM Standards have enlarged the concept of today's "basic math" co include large­scale problem-so lving, use of technolo­gy, stati stics, probabi lity, and communi­cation and reasoning ski ll s.

Building a new nation, building new schools

By emphasizing math applications first , the NCTM Teaching Standards call for teachers to change their delivery of material from a lecture and "drill -to-kill " approach to a method employing stu­dents work ing in teams us in g mathemati­cal models of the real world to achieve a deeper understanding of the power of math's "big ideas."

The Interacti ve Math Program (IMP) is the first full high school curriculum lo be developed that embod ies the NCTM Standards. The IMP curriculum has been extensive ly field-tested over a four- year

period. Jn 1993 Philadelphia won a $ 1 million

grant to pilot IMP in Philadelphia schools. The first Philadelphia schools to use IMP were Central, Philadelphia High School for Girls, Carver High School of Engineering and Science, Dobbins AVTS I Randolph Skills Center, Gratz and Strawberry Mansion High Schools.

Or. Sheldon Pavel, pri nc ipal of Central High School, describes IMP as "a revolutionary way of looki ng at math­ematics." With IMP in its third year at

Continued on p. 13

FINAL GRADES FOR 1994-95 ACADEMIC YEAR • IMP Number of IMP students= 333 Number of non·IMP students = 3083

72.0%

MATH ENGLISH

• non-IMP

68.9% 69.1%

SOCIAL STUDIES SCIENCE

The students represented by this data are algebra-ready students. These students were randomly selected within and across charters in five comprehensive high schools: Bartram, Ben Franklin, Germantown, Gratz, and Strawberry Mansion High Schools.

Phila. teacher brings home lessons from South Africa by Karel Kilimnik

It's wonderful to visit a cou ntry where people are shaping their future. I spent five weeks last summer traveling with 12 other teachers through South Africa, meeting with organizations, unions and school teachers who were working very hard to build a democratic South Africa.

As we landed in Johannesburg, I was speechless and teary-eyed. Here I was in South Africa, a pariah state we had boy­cotted for years, until finally in April 1994 the apartheid regime was forced out. The apartheid regime had imple­mented a total separation of races, with all the power and resources in the hands of the whites.

The challenges facing South Africa are enormous, but there is a sense of hope and purpose as people come together to build a "rainbow" country, as President Nelson Mandela consis­tently descnbcs it. They are attempting to build a democracy that includes a range of voices.

Building a new education system is central to this process. Pnor to the 1994 elections there were 19 Departments of Education, all divided by race. In a haunting echo of Ph1laJelphia schools, resources dt,proporuonately went to the white schools. Schooltng for Blacks and other people of color was not compulso­ry. The emphasis was on making su re that people of color under,cood they would never be equal co whttc' and chat they would only work as un,ktlled labor.

The present Government of National Unity secs cducauon as a pnonty for everyone. A thread running through c\erything "developing a culture of learning that includes everyone. We have much to learn from chem.

How to achtC\C cquil) among schools "the maJor challenge. We vl\ttcd for-

merly white schools chat reminded me of private schools here, uni formly well­equipped and wi th small class sizes

The township schools for chi ldren who are Black and Colored (two of the former racial categories) were overcrowded (class size ranged from 40 to 80) and ill­eq uipped, often conducted outside or in temporary structures wi thout plumbing or electricity.

South African educators face the major challenge of

of instruc-tion. There now arc 11 official lan­guages. Previously, all instruction was in English or Afrikaans. Now many Black, Colored, and some progres-

language

sive white educators are exploring first language, "mother tongue," instruct ion and its implications.

For this nation, illiteracy remains another enormous problem. Schooling was d isrupted for the past 18 years, as student> were in the forefront of the liber­ation struggle, often shutting down

schools to protest apartheid policies. As a result they received very erratic school­ing. We visited several non-government organ izati ons whose specific focus was on providing education for both young and older children not in school.

I have taught first grade in the Phi la­de lphia public school system for nine years and never have I seen the over­whelming sense of hope and purpose that I saw and heard in South Africa during my brief stay. It was the South African people who brought down the apartheid regime and held the country's first demo­cratic elections ever in 1994, resulting in the election of President Nelson Mandela.

Public discourse centers around the legacy of white supremacy and its hor-

rors, whereas in the U.S. issues of race and white supremacy are either buried or distort­ed. We have yet to air these issues and grapple with

them in a productive process that can lead us forward. South Africa's vi tal sense of

hope is absent among my students here in Philadelphia and in

()

large urban cities across the

U.S. They feel fr.ustrati on and despair that things wi ll never change. There is a lot of frus­tration and impatience with

the pace of the changes in South Africa as wel l, but this is coupled with a shared hope that everyone can hang in there until thin gs are worked out. This hope is borne of their struggle and the unity that goes into ac hi ev in g equ ity. People of co lor in South Africa have suf­fered and struggled tremendously over a long period of time. Here, too many of us want ochers to do it for us and co do it quickly.

My years of teaching in Mantua and

North Philadelphia have shown me that equity is needed in our school s, but we have not yet succeeded in build ing a powerful movement to put all of our chi l­dren's educational needs at the top of the funding list. This means we shortchange the needs of our nation.

Booking it from Philadelphia to Soweto

Friends of SOMAFCO (Solomon Mahlangua Freedom College) is spon­soring an educational project to col­lect and ship books to two primary schools in Soweto, South Africa. This provides an opportunity to connect students in your classroom with people and events in this emerging free nation.

Books are needed for preschool through fifth-13grade students. All books should be in new or excellent condition. Positive books about African-Americans and Africa, ABC books, science and nature books, chi l­drens' dictionaries and atlases are all needed.

Another possibility is to conduct creative fundrai sing events and pro­vide donations to help with shipping costs.

This project will run from Black History Month to the second anniver­sary of the first democratic elections held in South Africa, April 27, 1996.

For more information or to get involved in the organi zi ng of this pro­ject call 215-848- 1806.

Checks can be made out to SOMAFCO; 623 Park Lane #1;

Philadelphia, PA 19144-3712.

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WINTER 1996 SCHOOL NOTEBOOK PAGE 13

Act26 Continued from p. 1

nothing to address the problem of get­ting safely to schoo l, and often has the effect of punishing children who are already victims.

Instead, schools should be required to develop meaningful violence prevention programs, including peer mediation and counseling services for students, class­room management training for teachers, and other methods for dealing with con­flict in the schools, as well as safe corri­dor programs, and community resource development to deal with problems in the school community.

Many other chi ldren carry weapons in response to family pressures, mental health issues, or other di sabilities. Expelli ng these child ren does not address their individual problems, and simply moves the problem from the

Interactive math Continued from p. 12

Central, juniors have outperformed their non-IMP peers there by 44 po ints on their most recent PSAT scores.

Administered out of La Salle Un iversity in partnership with Beaver Coll ege and the Office of Senior High Schools, IMP is now in eight compre­hensive and four magnet high schools. Last year's final grade report for IMP students in comprehensive high schools showed nearly a 20 point difference in math passing rates. But because the IMP curriculum involves extensive writing, communication and problem-solving skills, IMP students also showed a 32 point difference in English and a 17 point difference in science pass ing rates.

The six other schools using IMP are Bartram, Ben Franklin, Edison , Furness, Germanto ..:Vn and Uni versity C ity High Schools. Nearly all the schools have shown that IMP students are performing better in the four major subject areas of Math, English, Social Stud ies, and

schools Lo the streets. Rather than excluding a child from what may be his only access lo help, services to help stu­dents should be ex panded, and schools should be req uired to seek out such ser­vices.

Finall y, a signifi cant number of stu­dents run afoul of Act 26 because they simply ex hi bit the curiosity or poor judg­ment one might ex pect from a youngster, or they or their parents simply did not know about it. Examples include a

• 7-year-old whose mother packed a kni fe in his lunch box to cut some fruit·

• 12-year-old girl carrying a key cha0

in which, incidentally, had a small pen knife attached lo it ;

• 16-year-old boy who accidentall y left a work tool for his after-school job in his jacket pocket.

The law 's get-tough posturing has led lo an extremely broad and vague defini ­tion of what constitutes a weapon. The

Science for the first marking period of this new year.

Part of the reason for the increased achievement is increased student moti­vation and interest in mathematics. Most students say working cooperatively in groups helped them feel more comfo rt­able about asking questions in class because of peer support. Students no longer fe ll alone in class . In addit ion, students fee l that thi s curriculum helps them see the usefulness of mathematical ideas.

The IMP curriculum provides them with real life problems that they are challenged to solve. Students who take on th is chall enge soon discover that the curriculum relates to other discipl ines . IMP al so integrates different areas of mathematics such as algebra, geometry, trigonometry, probability and stati stics.

IMP encourages students to develop problem-sol ving and critical thinking skills cooperati vely. Students work in groups and present solutions to prob­lems, a process that enhances social and communication skills.

effect can be to criminalize chi ldren for carrying such standard school items as a compass or pair of scissors. Expul sion is not an appropriate response to these situ­ations.

Police Act 26 requires local school dis tricts

lo report any violation of the Act (which is a misdemeanor) to the police. In Philadelphia, principals generall y call police immediately upon discovering a weapon, without wait ing to contact the child's parents. This has resulted in chil­dren as young as 11 , and in one case an eight-year-old , be ing removed fro m school by police, often in handcuffs, without the support or guidance of their parents. These children often wait at police ~'.ations or the Youth Detention Center fo r 6 or 8 hours whil e they are processed. They are understandably traumatized by the whole experience.

Key to IMP's success are its 45 teach­ers. IMP teachers undergo 240 hours of training over fo ur years, in volvi ng fre­quent after-school meetings and numer­ous in-classroom visits by IMP teacher mentors.

In addition to instructi onal strategies, teachers are trained to use vari ous forms of assessment, such as portfolios, long­term problem solving, and group presen­ta ti ons. By using varying assessment tools, more students' learning sty les are be ing addressed.

IMP also fosters a greater parent­teacher-student relati onshi p. In October some 300 parents and children at tended an IMP Family Math ni ght at La Salle Uni versity. IMP enco urages parents to become involved wi th their students' ni ghtly homework, a crucial step to stu­dent success.

For more information about IMP, please call 951-1 987. Colleen Hebding is a graduate assistant at La Salle Un iversity. She wishes to thank IMP Director Joe Merlino for his help in preparing this article.

Nothing in Act 26 requires a school to report a student to the police before the student's parents are called. School safe­ly is not affected because, by definition, these students have only carried, but not used, a weapon. The school has the power to confiscate the weapon and sus­pend the student. Therefore, implement­ing a policy which requires the school to notify parents first, would alleviate the trauma of arrest to students who may be qui te young, wi thout any detriment to school safety. It is worth noting that an adult charged with a misdemeanor is given the option to turn himself in. Ch ildren should be g iven the same opport unity. At the very least, they should not be carted off to the police sta­tion without any adult support. Even New York City requires its schools to send a responsible adult with a child if the parents cannot be located before pol ice are contacted.

Planning A consortium of local school advo­

cates have been meeting since last fall to identify problems raised by Act 26, pro­pose solutions, and convince the District to take acti on. To their credit, some District officials seem to recognize the overly harsh effects of Act 26 and have been d iscussing how to deal with it, most notabl y by developing a proposal to place children in remedial schools rather than expell ing them entirely. Unfortun­ately, there has been lillle information about where students would be sent or what ki nds of programs these schools woul d offer.

Those concerned about these issues shoul d contact your local school, School District offi c ials, members of the Board of Education, and City Council members to ask what they are doing to address school violence and community violence affect ing students. You can also contact the Ed ucat ion Law Center (238-6970) for more information about Act 26 or the concerns and recommendations of the advocates' group.

Become a part of

PjI:>jQ~ TVCT 10 000 A Childre~ A <:hieving ~ t.f_I..:J ' Agenda Imtat1ve

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Recruit and Match 10,000 New Volunteers with Schools

HANDlliHAND Come support the

School District. of Philadelphia at the City Council Hearings: •March 6 (lOam - Spm) • March 7 (1 pm - Spm & 6pm - 9pm) •March 9 (lOam - lpm)

PARENTS • SCHOOLS • COMMUNITIES UNITED FOR KID S

For more informat ion contact The PROJECT 10,000 Office at 299 - 7774 The School District of Philadelphia 21st Street & The Parkway, room 31 l Philadelphia, PA 19 l 03

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PAGE 14

Facts and figures that take a closer look at our schools and society • Chances that a first grader in the

District will not meet the criteria to move on to second grade: nearly 1 in 4

• Percent of student respondents to Report Card on the School that stat­ed their schools fail to provide a safe environme nt : 70%

• Percent of the school work orders accounted for by vandalism: 11 %

• Percent of Philadelphia's 258 schools designated "racially isolated": 52 %

• Percent of the District's gifted staff allocated to racially isolated schools: 25%

• Amount paid by the District for municipal services, such as water, sewer, garbage pick-up (unlike most urban school districts): $4.1 million

• Chances that an African American male participated in the Million Man March: 1 in 12 READERS RESPOND

• Out of 258 school buildings, number classified in "good" condition: 22

•Among the 134 racially isolated schools, num ber of buildings classi­fied "good": 8

• Among the 134 racially isolated schools, number of buildings classi­fied "poor": 21

• As of 1994, percent of ninth graders that enrolled in and passed Algebra I: 30%

• Estimated value of new equipment stolen from Germantown High School over the summer during construction: $14,000

• Number of principals district-wide: 283

• Number of Latino principals: 9

• Number of Lati no studen ts district­wide: 23,000

• Number of bil ingual special ed c lasses that use native language instruction: 0

• At current rates, the year when an absolute majority of African American males between the age o f 18 and 40 will be in prisons or penal camps: 2012

• umber of schools included in the District's first clusters brought on line: 6 high schools, 14 middle schools, 47 elementary schools

Vet on JROTC: Been there To the Editor:

Militarism is defined as a "predomi­nance of the military class or its ideals" and as an "exaltat ion of military virtues and ideals."

I am writing on behalf of my organi­zati on, the Philadelphia Area Chapter of Veterans for Peace (VFP), to express our appreciation for the articles and letters in School Notebook concerning the intru­sion of Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp (JROTC) units into the pub lic high schools of Philadelphia. They have informed and strengthened our opposi­tion to the presence in the schools of what we would term a course in Basic Militarism IOI.

We are veterans who served duri ng World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. We experienced the pri­mary objecti ve of military training -teaching recruits strict obedience to the authority of the chain of command while bei ng taught the violence of war-mak­ing. We experi enced the fact that the mind-set drilled into us whi le preparing to be warriors is at odds with the need lo learn how lo think critically and develop

Voucher def eat "deja vu" Governor Ton~ Ridge ungraciously con­

ceded defeat, December 13, in his attempt to push tu Ilion voucher lcg1slat1on through the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Ridge's .. KIDS 2" bill would have provid­ed grants lo some Pennsylvania families lo cover a portion of the

possibly more, to pass his education pack­age in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. And nobody could pre­dict what wou ld have occurred in the Senate."

" I believe that this latest setback for vouchers can truly benefit

tuition at private or reli­gmus schools. 1l1c lcgisla­t10n was not fom1ally brought up hccause there were insuffie1cnt votes to pass ll

Commenting on these dcvclopmcnLs, Larry f-rankcl, lcgisla11vc director

Brief update on a

story from last issue

pub lic education if it means that serious propos­als for reform wil l now be considered," Frankel con­tinued. "Parents, students and teachers have offered lots of good ideas for

of the American Civil L1bert1cs Union of Penns) l-.m1a, said, .. First, be aware that only Governor Ridge believes he Mts one rntc short All of the legislators, staff and reporters I have talked to think thai the Go•cm r needed at lea.st five more votes,

improving our public schools. It 's been hard for

the legislature to consider, debate and move forward on any of those ideas dur­ing the intense strugg le over vouchers. With vouchers out of the way, the serious work of refonning public education can begin."

problem-solving skill s. We agree with the well-documented

evidence, as stated in Harold Jordan's recent letter lo the Notebook which shows that the Junior ROTC program is part of the mili tary's recruiti ng efforts, now starti ng with kids in middle schools and 14 year-old first year high school students.

As JROTC programs proliferate, we are very concerned about the devastating cutbacks in non-m ili tary high school programs such as marching bands, music and art classes, after-school spec ial interest clubs, juni or varsity sports, etc.: activities that reinforce positive fee lings of self-worth, self-discipline, ful fi llment and the joy of learn ing.

The quiet acceptance of Junior ROTC in our high schools by the school author­ities should not continue unchallenged . How many more units will start up next September? There needs to be informed publ ic discussion on this issue.

Members of the Philadelphia Area VFP have become part of a coalition that is working to publicize this issue and to have an open evaluation of the program and its stated objectives before any more un its are started. Your readers who are interested in joining this e ffo rt can con­tact me at 229 West Upsal Street, #104, Philadelphia, PA 191 19; or at (2 15) 844-333 1 for more information.

Eugene Bloomfield, Secretary, Phila­delphia Area Chapte1; Veterans for Peace

Charity case To the editor:

Having attended Catholic school for twelve years, I feel obligated to speak out against Governor Ridge's school voucher plan. I speak out not on ly because the plan is unconstitu tional, but because it wou ld continue a trend of large sums o f publi c money be ing trans­ferred into private hands.

The Const itution of the United States calls for separation of church and stale. Religious ins tituti ons arc granted the favorable not-for-profit tax status, whi ch

What's your opinion? School Notebook welcomes your

letters, reviews, or opposing view­points. Please send to Public School Notebook, 372 1 Midvale Ave. Phi la. PA 19 129.

excuses them fro m pay ing their fa ir share of real esLate taxes. This is seen as a fair exchange for doi ng charit able work. Unfortunate ly, the Archdi ocese of Ph iladelph ia has not been all that chari­table lo pari shioners in poorer ne ighbor­hoods, who in recent years have seen their schools and churches closed due to " lack of fu nds ."

School voucher plans not onl y cripple the public schools, but in the long run hurt all taxpayers, includ ing the parents of parochial school children. T he Ridge voucher plan offers only an illusion of re lief to these parents because it onl y minimally lessens tuition and does not eliminate the burden of pay ing real estate taxes.

What we need is real reform for the fu nding of our educationa l system, reform that will benefit everyone.

Rich Cro, Mayfa ir

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WINTER 1996 SCHOOL NOTEBOOK PAGE 15

GUEST OPINIONS J

Privatization: A public nightmare

by Debbie Bell Since the inception of public educa­

tion, it has had its detractors. For many of today's political leaders, the theory is that the longer and the harder you blame public schools for not educating our chil­dren, the holier you are. The more you perpetrate a 1 ie, the detractors hope, the truer it becomes.

The view that publi c school s are to blame is the basis of the current school

American ch ildren and other students of color in their schools.

At a national level, the Contract on America touted by the right wing is also a contract on public education. These days, big business has determined that only a few intellects and trained people are needed. Therefore, why educate everyone? The long-preferred tool to divide the population and undermine the commitment to public education for all

is racism. privatization move­ment, which advo-

cates letting private What privatization really companies run public schools. This blam- means is that Someone is ing has created an

Outside of Philadelphia, school districts have been targeted for pri vati­zation that have large African American, Latino

atmosphere where going to make a profit. parents have to apol-ogize for sending their children to public schools. But what privatization really means is that some­one is going to make a profit, whether or not our children get an education.

In Pennsylvania we have had two suc­cessive governors who decry the abysmal quality of education and the horrific conditions of our schools, but whose response is to slash fu nding for public education or to promote vouchers for private ·and religious schools. We also have a state legislature that divides the paltry education budget in a partisan manner to penalize the urban areas. They are quite conscious that thi s sacrifices the largest number of students in the Commonwealth, and that these urban districts have a preponderance of African

Community speakout

and Asian popula­tions - Baltimore, Hartford, and Milwaukee. These communities are largely poor, and they have a weak poli t­ical voice. These communities also offer education companies a chance to make a big profit.

The movement to privatize public education is sophisticated and well-fund­ed. Big business has preyed upon the desires and aspirations of the African American community for their children to receive a quality education. A burning desire for all youth to have the opportu­nity to lead a more successful and fulfill ­ing life than their parents makes the African American comm unity a ready target for privatizers' promises.

One of the first initi atives to pri vatize

Setting standards: What kids should know

The School District, in partnership with the Philadelphia Education Fund, is in the process of writing the new stan­dards for all public school students. This is not a standardized curriculum but guidelines for what all students should know by the time they graduate from high school. What would you like to see included in these standards?

Roy Newhart, caregiver, Pastorius: "I wo uld li ke to see all kids get a chance at being successfu l. Right now some teachers just pick and choose wh ich kids they think can make it and don't bother to teach to any others. These standards might give a ll the kids a fair chance."

Pamela Sullivan, parent, Martha Washington: "Teaching students the basic abiliti es, like being able to read and write well. Most of the time by 12th grade they can barely read at the 4th or 5th grade level. "

Laurie Johnson, parent, Longstreth,

Central and University City High: "What 1 would like to see included in the standards is the know-how for all chil­dren to be able to compete in our rapidl y changing world. Let's face it: there are no more factories, and America's chi!-

. dren are not prepared to compete. Th is is especially true of minority children. The schools have been neglectful in keeping

up Hattie Jackson, community mem­

ber: "I am happy to hear the School Distri ct is tak in g some type of action to remedy the si tuation of child ren not learning. I guess by standards they mean ideals. If so, children need to know more about everyth ing, but they also need to be able to read, write and do math well and thi s shou ld be the basis. If peop le can read, write and do math, then they can do any thin g. We need lo be sure the childre n arc learn ing and not just being passed on."

Pholo: Fred Engs<

Profiteers see our kids as their ticket to big bucks.

public education in Pennsy lvania came in Wilkinsburg, PA- a poor, predomi­nantly African American school district in the western part of the state. The Alternative Public School (APS) won the right to adm in ister the Turner School in Wi lkinsburg.

A spokesperson for APS commented, "We in the African American communi ­ty never receive a tangible commitment to excellence." This is correct. However, education profiteers cann ot be seen as the benefactor and savior of the African American community. Privatization sim­ply means that corporations wi ll seek profits by exploiting the education of America's youth .

The legacy of privat ized school s is already well establi shed:

•Corporate privatizers have taken millions of doi'Iars from the taxpayers. For example, in Baltimore, the com pany EA!, Inc. took $2.6 million , IO percent of its first-year payment from the city for runnin g several schools.

•Funding for public schools suffers. Every penny that is granted to the pri­vate corporation or private school is deducted from the fundin g for public education.

•There is no accoun tability to the public. That includes funds, decisions and curri culum content.

•Class sizes soar, si nce cert ified teachers are cut due to downsizing.

When the dust settles, the fact remains that pri vatizing pub lic schools has not worked in a single place it has been attempted.

For parents and teachers demanding better schools, what we must learn is that it is not necessary to pri vati ze schools to effect a change.

Change comes from organ ized activi­ty and pressure. For example, in 1995 Ph il adelphia parents of at least three ele­mentary schools picketed or withheld their children in protest for change. The Junior Varsity sports program was recently reinstated because of communi­ty pressure. Our politicians and school boards know the problems in our school s, but because of financial con­stra in ts and the political climate they wait , inactive, unti l many of us start to complain.

The old adage that the squeaky wheel gets the grease is st ill a truism. It sti ll takes a coalition of parents, teachers, students and community to insure that public educat ion can serve its historic role of educat ing the entire populace.

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PAGE 16 SCHOOL NOTEBOOK WINTER 1996

Students, parents, school staff reflect

A look back at the Million Man March Last October over one million African Americans gathered in the

nation 's capital for what was called a day of unity and atonement. This crowd included thousands of Philadelphia public school stu­dents, parents and staff members. People working in our schools could not help but notice the level of excitement and anticipation felt by many of the young African American men in our classrooms.

On the day of the march, attendance was very low, particularly in the comprehensive high schools in predominantly African American neighborhoods. This reflected the large number who

The Million Man March was the most important symbol and the most powerful example of collec­

tive manhood for thi s forty-three year old man who happens to be African American. Growin g up in Phi ladelphia, there were adequate pos iti ve role model s fo r me to emulate, but rare ly did I see uni ted action initiated, organi zed and executed by Afri can American men.

As an African American man, I have oft en fe lt like a runner-up in this com­pet it ive, soc iall y consc ious, upwardly striving culture. I was good but not quite good enough, and although my self­esteem is re lativel y hi gh, I occasionall y struggle with those feelings. Many ti mes I've fe lt terribly alone.

Partic ipating in the Mi ll ion Man March was one of the few times that I fe lt like part of a collective whole of people, and spec ifically men, who by and large looked like me. I was tru ly with my brothers. For once, we were all

together in body, mind and spirit. We became transcendent.

More than three months later, many are still united in mind and spirit, but not necessari ly in our abi lity to mobil ize col­lective act ion. But that's okay. Change always takes time, and contrary to the opinion of some, time is not running out.

The Million Man March is a symbol , and yet for some it is the first step in developing real partnerships; for others, strengthen ing ex isting ones - partner­ships at home, in schools, at work, in churches, in neighborhoods and beyond. Most of these ear ly attempts are invisi­ble, and many don ' t work initially, but we must persevere. We will succeed.

The most important thing about the Million Man March for me is that I don't fee l quite as alone any more.

Thank you, my brothers. Anthony "Racko" Holloway, parent,

Roosevelt Middle School and Pennell Elementary

attended as well as a sizable crowd who chose to stay home on that day.

The Notebook sought to examine the impact that the largest march in the history of our country had on the individuals who par­ticipated. We contacted several people connected with our schools who traveled to Washington, D.C., on that day and asked them to reflect on the question:

"Looking back three months after the March, what do you find you have carried with you to this day?"

!recall myself fee ling so joyful to see the people of my culture come together li ke that. People from all over were there to represent different neighborhoods, cities and states. The

weather was nice, but that wasn't it. T here was a host of speakers - the maj or ones were Rosa Parks and Loui s Farrakhan, and they each talked about the past and how a ll the people should respect each other.

Thousands of people were sell ing M ill ion Man March partic i­pant passes, T-shirts, key chai ns, hats, sweatshirts, and bags . Money was sitting all over the place but no one ever even looked at it twice. T here also were people serving food (free of charge) to whoever stopped past to taste and see some real home cooking.

Around five o' clock Farrakhan was closing his speech and he asked if anyone would donate a dollar fo r many uses . The crowd was running with the word (yeah), and before you know it, the men in uniforrns had .trash bags collecting . The day was full of rejoicing, camera flas hing and love.

Dwayne Ross, William Penn High School

Ihave carried with me the need and responsibi li ty that older Black men have in reclaiming our youth during our lifetimes. This reclamation may be in terrns of one-on-one relat1onsh1ps as well as group-to-group ; those who have "made it" to

those "who have not made it." John M. Blanchard, parent

!think I carried with me [the idea of] atonement. I think because of the Mill ion Man March the crime rate went down fo r some Blacks. I th ink the Mi lli on Man March reall y changed some people.

I' ve carried with me that everyone should be responsible, that everyone should be good to one another, that they should try to do all th ings that will be better and not do the thi ngs that will hurt them.

Masi Blaylock, William Penn High School

As an A. frican American, I reali zed our desti ny is i.n our own hands. Each person must do what they can to make our com­munities productive. Parents who have students m the

Philadelphia school system need to come together and get in volved in their child 's education. We need parents to help create a vision for our schools.

Jon Grayson, teacher. Central East Middle School

Tragic results of Vietnam War retold

Edison class of '65 on film In 1965 at Edi son High School in

Phil adelphia, students staged "Shake­speare's World ;" swayed to "Moon Rive r" at the prom; and watched as a Presidentia l motorcade brought Ly ndon B. Johnson ri ght past their school's front lawn.

That year, President Johnson was busy deployi ng hundreds of thousands of American troops in Vietnam, despite protesL~ across the nation. For stude nts at Ed ison High School, the res ults \\ ere tragic: 66 young men from Edi son's cl ass of 1965 died in the Vietnam War, the most of any high sc hool in America.

"Yearbook: The Class of '65" is a hi ghl)" acclaimed 1995 documentary that te lls the story of Edison High School s tudents in that class, how it

was that so many of them ended up in Vietnam, and the terr ible impact the Vietnam War had on their li ves. "Yearbook" will be aired Satu rday, March 2, at 4 p.m., on WTXF-Fox Phi ladelph ia (Channel 29).

"Yearbook" looks at the lives of young men who never returned from Vietnam - through stories told by their families, fr iends and teachers -and at classmates who fought and sur­vived but still experienced the war's profound impact. That impact is still felt at Edison and across Phi ladelphi a.

"'Yearbook" is a 75-minute, locally produced, commercial-free documen­tary, produced and directed by Stephen Jimenez. Jimenez expects his fil m to be avai lable on video later this year.

The full impact of the Million Man March has not yet reached our soc iety.

In re trospect, we are still feeling the const itutional, economic, and educa­tional changes of the fin al march on Washington, D.C., by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

My hope, dream, and aspiration is that the same impact will affect the mi nds of the people of th is country and around· the world - to give them a bet­ter understandin g of the Afri can American male and hi s role in society.

Understand that changes will come

about only as we em brace those ideals that combine a ll people regardless of race, creed and color. We must work together for the common good and con­structive change that will benefit all people .

The march emphasized voter regis­tration and jobs. The educati onal value of thi s march has to be identified in American and A frican Ameri can histo­ry. Parents , teachers , admini strators, and leg islators have a combined duty to see that thi s is accomplished .

Ed Roberson, parent, Fels High School

"Yearbook: The Class of '65" will air Saturday, March 2, at 4 p.m. on Channel 29.