Concerns Across the District

04/25/2012

Dear friends,

While my staff (and many others in schools of Philadelphia) were hard at work yesterday focusing on the curriculum of our school and how we are going to interview students for the future, the School District was beginning the process to dismantle itself. Over the past few months we have seen charter networks expand their purview and demand increasing their numbers. Regardless of your political leanings, we should all recognize that this is a major shift in policy.

The public school system was formed in 1850 in Philadelphia and has had a strong hand in equalizing things in this city ever since. With the state takeover in 2001 things started to change (unfortunately, for the worse). Now we have budgets spiraling out of control with no relief in site from the city or state, and our Chief Recovery Officer is saying that we are "not making progress quickly enough." My response: how can we make progress if our resources are regressing?

The people in charge play on the apathy of the populace. The only solution: don't stay quiet. A well-known adage states, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease." We need to make sure that the entire state hears our voice. I am proud to say that I voted in the election yesterday - but we need to do more than that. Attending rallies (like with Nurse Duffey) and taking part in the community budget meetings and School Reform Commission meetings are only a start. Share your concern with your families, friends, and neighbors. Make sure all 1.5 million people in Philadelphia know that we will not keep silent.

"If you will it, it is no dream." - Theodore Hertzl

Comments

Cheryl Shmilovich

05/01/2012 19:06

I am curious as to who is overseeing the charters. In the past I have read about financial misdealings, and about charter administrators who went to trial and then to jail. Also, a friend of mine who works at one tells me that she is not always paid on time. It is not fair to the kids nor to the citizens of this city who pay the taxes that keep these charters afloat. They recieve more per child than the public schools do. As far as closing the 40 schools goes, it is important to remember that the kids who are being uprootred and sent to the better schools (insofar as the averages on the tests are concerned) will first pull down the averages. Also, those who do poorly because of poor behavior or lack of supervision at home will bring those problems with them. In the end, our schools will all be level, low level. It is hard to change habits. I am afraid for the future of our kids. I teach in a terrific school and have taught in some of those non achieving schools. Test prep starts on the first day of school and the kids hate it. There are the words of the day, strategy of the day, TAG, etc. It doesn't help. It has to start at the Kindergarten level and the parents have to be willing to be involved. It helps if they want their kids in school to learn, not because it's a convenient baby sitting service. The teachers I know in the best and worst schools I have worked in are dedicated to doing a great job. We all want our students to succeed. Charter schools are not the answer.

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Author

I am a math teacher in the School District of Philadelphia. I infuse technology and real-world problems into my curriculum in order to prepare my students for the future. I would love for people in Philadelphia to recognize we teachers can't do it alone. If you don't believe me, come visit my classroom!