I am currently sitting toward the back of a very large circle which includes the members of the School Reform Commission, the Interim Superintendent, members of the community, as well as the Mayor who was sitting here for at least an hour. This is an auspicious occasion not just because of the information being shared regarding the Safe Schools Initiative, the report entitled "Widening Our Circle" crafted by the Philadelphia Commission on Human Rights. The fact is: this meeting was open and accessible to many more people than its type ever has before.
Firstly, the meeting began at 6pm. For years I have been unable to attend any of the SRC meetings from the beginning because they began at 2pm - not only during the work day but during the school day. It seems that this SRC group really does want parents, students, teachers, and the community to be involved.
Secondly, the entire group of stakeholders here is sitting in a circle, facing each other. While it may not seem like much, my personal experience has shown me that room arrangements define whatever procedure and process will take place. I organize seats in my classroom into rows and columns for tests, keep them in groups for team activities, leave them in a forum/circle style for conversations, etc.
Lastly, Lorene Cary is amazingly compassionate and sincere. I appreciated her gentle words during the meeting and how open and honest she was with every decision she was making to run the meeting as well as how to respond to individuals concerns. I have already seen Pedro Ramos on the Livestream take questions when former SRC groups have never had the inclination to do so and I can't wait to see more of this.
I am not saying this is the perfect organization for organizing education in Philadelphia. What I have noticed distinctly is that this SRC is much more open to everything and I look forward to seeing how they can change things for the future.
Secondly, the entire group of stakeholders here is sitting in a circle, facing each other. While it may not seem like much, my personal experience has shown me that room arrangements define whatever procedure and process will take place. I organize seats in my classroom into rows and columns for tests, keep them in groups for team activities, leave them in a forum/circle style for conversations, etc.
Lastly, Lorene Cary is amazingly compassionate and sincere. I appreciated her gentle words during the meeting and how open and honest she was with every decision she was making to run the meeting as well as how to respond to individuals concerns. I have already seen Pedro Ramos on the Livestream take questions when former SRC groups have never had the inclination to do so and I can't wait to see more of this.
I am not saying this is the perfect organization for organizing education in Philadelphia. What I have noticed distinctly is that this SRC is much more open to everything and I look forward to seeing how they can change things for the future.
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