Spring 2001

Budget crisis: 'More stark than ever' by Paul Socolar

Confronting a fiscal crisis of monster proportions, the School District enters the spring in search of some major new revenue from all levels of government and facing a growing likelihood of new budget cuts.

To balance next year's budget, which includes virtually no money for new programs, the District would have to cut a staggering 12 percent of its total spending.

"Although there are things we can do more efficiently and effectively, I must caution that we can not cut our way out of this problem," said Philip Goldsmith, the interim Chief Executive Officer of the School District.

In their March 6 budget presentation to Philadelphia City Council, District officials said they were currently projecting a budget with an operating deficit of$191 million for next school year. Coupled with an estimated carryover $44 million deficit at the end of this year in June, the total estimated shortfall of $235 million is, in Goldsmith's words, "more pronounced and stark than ever."

A "Financial Update" developed by the District paints a clear picture of a district that has been getting insufficient help from both

'Although there are things we can do

more efficiently, we can not cut our way out of this problem.'

- Interim CEO Philip Goldsmith

state and city in covering its growing costs. The revenues of the District, adjusted for inflation, have grown less than I percent a year since 1995. When enrollment growth is factored in, the School District's real annual revenue per student has actually declined.

Starting in 1993 the state capped its aid formula, and Philadelphia's growth in enrollment brought no new state revenue. Over a fiveyear period from 1993 to 1998, the total increase in state aid per student that Philadelphia received from Harrisburg was just over 12 percent, whereas most other urban districts in Pennsylvania received state revenue boosts of 20-40% in the same period.

Driving up the District budget in recent years have been several growing costs: a rapid increase in the number of ESOL bilingual students, the introduction of universal full-day kindergarten, new special education costs, an expansion of the school police force, and the establishment of charter schools.

School District preliminary budget projections show expenses increasing next year by $150 million (almost 10 percent), with most of the increase due to costs ofthe teachers' contract, non-un ion personnel expenses,

See "Budget" on p. 4

~. ' Teacher shortage: no end in sight

ffl?1f 5 •

Children Achieving by the numbers

o 10-11

Students: fare ~ i1 gst unfair

PHI lAD E l PHI A PUB lit .. . S C H 0 0 l

Improving instruction in reading, math, and science is the District's priority, according to Chief Academic Officer Deidre Farmbry.

Focusing on reading, math, and science • Fannbry says Children Achieving needed clearer priorities.

by Ros Purnell and Paul Socolar

"The District now needs to narrow its focus, re-prioritize based on data-driven needs, build on what works, and ... eliminate noise," says Deidre Farmbry, who now oversees all the educational programs and policies of the School District.

In this issue, the Notebook speaks with current and former District leaders, principals, teachers, and parents about what lessons they would draw from the experience of "Children Achieving," the school reform plan that guided the District for six years.

The school board and District leadership are discussing their evaluation of the District's reform efforts as they make decisions about structure, budget priorities, and who will be hired to lead the District.

The Notebook recently interviewed Farmbry, who assumed the new position of Chief Academic Officer (CAO) at the beginning of the school year, about the strengths and weaknesses of former Superintendent David Hornbeck's Children Achieving agenda in Philadelphia.

'The major obstacle to the agenda was its scope," Farmbry said. She commented that the tenth point of Children Achieving, which urged a comprehensive approach, "drained the energy of people of good will," adding that the District simply did not have the capacity to "do it all at once."

Farmbry said that the District's emerging agenda in moving forward will be anchored by its new Educational Empowerment Plan (developed last fall to meet state demands for improved test scores) and by learning from successful practices in the system.

Since taking office, Farmbry has said that she will be identifying what is working well and trying to replicate it across the system.

Commenting on the goals of her work, Farmbry said, "We should continue directing all of our efforts to heightened student achievement, particularly in reading, math

See "Farmbry" on p. 8

An inside view: Germaine Ingram

12 Teachers do have something nice to say

13 Parents concerned about upper grades

15 Principals look for effective supports

Distrito lucha para colocar maestros cualificados por Aldustus Jordan

"Cuando mi hijo comenz61a escuela intermedia hace dos anos, no tenia maestros - solamente habiilll ayudantes de maestros en el sa16 n. El ano pasado tampoco tenian un maestro permanente", dice Erasema Cruz, cuyo hijo estudia en la Escuela Intermedia Julia de Burgos en el norte de Filadelfia.

"Mi hija estaba en primer grado y tenia maestros sustitutos uno tras otro. Cuando Ueg6 a segundo grado, estaba atrasada un ano completo en lectura", anade uno de los padres en una escuela elemental cercana.

Estos son s610 dos ejemplos de c6mo una

comunidad ha sido afectada por el creciente aumento en la escasez de maesu'os cualificados.

Se espera que los d istritos escolares en zonas de bajos recursos de la naci6n van a necesitar 700,000 maestros nuevos dentro de la pr6x ima decada. Esto se debe aI aumento en el nillnero de estudiantes, aI gran nillnero de maestros que se van a retirar, a la reduccion en el numero de personas que seleccionan el magisterio como profesion, y a la reducci6n planificada aI numero de estudiantes por salon.

En Filadelfia, es un verdadero reto atraer y retener maestros cualificados. En marzo de 2001 el Distrito tenia 133 plazas vacantes de

maestro, mayormente en educacion especial, ciencias, matematicas, espanol, y educaci6n fisica. Las escuelas intermedias son las que tienen el mayor numero de vacantes.

Estos numeros, sin embargo, solamente muestran parte del panorama. Mas de 2,000 de los 12,000 maestros de escuela publica en Filadelfia actualmente trabajan con certificaciones de emergencia. La escasez de maestros cualificados puede agravarse, ya que este ano el numero de soucitudes para ser maestro ha disminuido en dos terceras prutes comparado con la misma fecha e l ano pasado.

"Distrito" continua en fa p. 6

2

NofEEBOOK "Turning the page for change"

Volume 8. Number 3

All independent quarterly newspaper, a voice Jor parents, students, classroom teaclters, alUt others who are working for quality alld equality ill our schools.

Advisory Board Eileen Abrams, Community College of

Philadelphia Kira Baker, teacher Diane Bridges, Hartranft Parent Leadership Team Jane Century. Century Communications Cindy Engst, teacher and parent Keith Harewood Kevin Muszynski, Local Task Force for a Right

to Educat ion Rochelle ichols Solomon, Philadelphia

Education Fund Johannes Pansen, parent Linda Talben, Young Voices in Prim Len Rieser, Education Law Center Debbie Wei, Asian Americans United Debra Weiner, Philadelphia Futures OrgGluzarions for idelllijiCQlion pUlposes only.

Editorial Board for this issue: Helen Gym, Myrtle L. Naylor, Ros Purnell, Amy Rhodes, Sharon Tucker, Debra Weiner, Ron Whitehome Editor: Paul Socolar Design: Paoicia Ludwig Spanish translation: Mildred S. Martinez Art: Eric Joselyn Editorial assistance: Eileen Abrams, Damian Mosley, Len Rieser, Sandy Socolar Distribution: Irvin B. Shannon Printing: Prompt Press

Philadelphia Public School Notebook is a project of the New Beginnings program of Resources For Human Development. We publish four times a year. Send inquiries to:

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PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK _---------SP-RING 2001 ----

NOTEBOOK EDITORIAL

Learning our lessons Almost seven years ago, David Hornbeck

came to town as Superintendent with an inspir· ing slogan - "Now is the time, Philadelphia is the place!" He said Philadelphia would become the ftrst big city school district to get virtual· Iy aU of its students achieving at high levels.

After six years of "systemic reform," despite some progress, there is a sense of dis· couragement in the School District and the broader community - and apprehension, as we wait to find out who and what will come next.

In this time of transition, we must all take stock of the lessons of the Children Achieving period. While there was much disagreement about Hornbeck and his agenda, we can agree that it was an intense period of conflict and change in the schools. In analyzing the expe· rience, we can learn a lot about our schools. That is the purpose of this issue of the NOlebook.

In going forward , it's important that we not re·invent the wheel. This is a critical moment for us to identify the strengths in the current system and build on them. Launching his reforms without an understanding of the strengths as well as the weaknesses in Philadelphia may have been Hornbeck's flISt big mistake.

It 's equally essential to I.Qok at what has gone wrong in these past years and what kinds of changes in approach are needed. Hopefully, we can learn something about how to make change happen in schools and across the system.

A lesson of the recent period is that any plan to move the system forward has to address the very real discouragement and low morale that many of us feel. The conditions in our schools, the indifference of the state government to Philadelphia 's desperate resource needs, the struggles over policy and labor contracts, the mandate to do everything at once - all have taken a toll on our system's staff. Many stu· dents resent an increasingly repressive environment in schools where security staff multiply and the focus is on maintaining order. And many parents still feel schools ask for their help but keep them at arm's length.

To turn things around in this system of over 260 schools, we will need an infusion of funds but also a renewed spirit. We have to some~ how tap the human energy that emerges when there is a spark of hope. A key to change is to draw upon the concern for our kids and harness the capacities of individuals in every school and community.

We have seen that a top-<lown management approach cannot accomplish this. What's need. ed is a management approach that encourages the development of strong, collaborative lead.

ership teams at all levels of the system - bring· ing parents, staff, students, and community together to identify and work toward continuo ous school improvement.

School councils, which have never really gotten off the ground, could be vehicles for building this collective leadership at schools. But councils and their participants will need support, training and authority - and princi· pals who will share power.

Organizations of parents and support net· works for teachers need to be nurtured. Community and faith organizations have been making connections with schools, and this trend should be supported.

Some would argue that we have tried to engage and rally the public under Children Achieving, and this approach failed. It is true that Philadelphia never successfully mobilized thousands to demand more school funding from Harrisburg. Mayor Street and School District leaders have taken a different approach, refraining from public criticism of the gover· nor and negotiating for what they can get with· out demands.

The Notebook believes the strategy of grass· roots mobilization was never given a fair chance. You can 't expect parents, staff, and students to go fight for the school system in Harrisburg when they are upset about not hav. ing a say in decisions close to home.

As we work to renew a movement for change, some significant strencrths from the Children AChieving era need to be built upon, rather than scrapped:

• A strong vision of a public education sys. tem that serves all children - and "All means all!"

• A system of standards and assessments backed up by professional development, that IS movmg teaching and leaming approaches away from drill and memorization toward problem·solving, teamwork, and critical thinking.

• A focus on .literacy in the early years that has resulted ill stgnificant achievement gains m many elementary schools.

.• An emphasis on school readiness _ all chIldren 10 PhIladelphia now get full.day kindergarten (even though the state still won't pay for It).

• The notion of school accountability and the shanng of data about school performance WIth the public, even when the data aren't flat. tenng (ill an earlier era, this independent news.

pap;~~~:~ve been banned from schools). d . B ges faCIng public education are auntIng. ut Philadelphia can still be the I

where a powerful cali ' p ace to work ~ bottOn of forces emerges

or ener public schools.

Whoya gonna call?

pHILADELPHIA PUBLIC OFFICIALS

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

Dorothy Slunners RUSh, Vice President: 215·299·7919

Martin Bednarek: 215·299·7914 Rev. Ralph Bl~U1ks : 215·299·7913 Helen Cunningham: 215·299·7917 Sandra Dungee Glenn: 215·299·7799 Christine James·Brown: 215·299·7454 Michael Masch: 2 15·299·3597 Emilio Matticoli: 215·299·7920 Mwanasha Warrakah (student adVisory member): 215·299·7301

Daniel Wideman (alternate student advisory member): 215·299·7301

City of Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street (D): 215·686·2181

City Council Members·At·Large (elecled citywide) David Cohen (D): 215·686·3446 W. Wilson Goode, Jr. (D): 21.:5·686·3414 James F. Kenney (D): 215·686·3450 W. Thacher Longstreth (R): 215·686·3452 Angel L. Ortiz (D): 215·686·3420 Blondell Reynolds·Brown (D): 215·686-3438 Frank Rizzo (R) : 215·686·3440

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

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge (R): 717·787·2500

State Senators Vincent J. Furno (D): 215·468·3866 Christine Tartaglione (D): 215·533·0440 Shirley M. Kitchen (D): 215·457·9033 Allyson Y. Schwartz (D): 215·242·9710 Michael J. Stack (D): 215·612·0063 Vincent Hughes (D): 215·471·0490 Anthony Hardy Williams (D): 215·748·7811

State Representatives Louise Williams Bishop (D): 215·879·6625 Alan L. Butkovitz (D): 215·335·2521 Mark B. Cohen (D): 215·924·0895 Angel Cruz (D): 215·291·5643 Robert C. Donatucci (D): 215·468·1515 Dwight Evans (D): 215·549·0220 Michael Horsey (D): 215·747·0757 Harold James (D): 215-462·3308 Babette Josephs (D): 215·893· 1515 William F. Keller (D): 215·271·9 190 George T. Kenney, Jr. (R): 215·934·5144 Marie A. Lederer (D): 215-426·6604 Kathy Manderino (D): 215·482·8726 Michael P. McGeehan (D): 215·333·9760 John Myers (D): 215·849·6896 Dennis M. O'Brien (R): 215·632·5150 Frank L. Oliver (D): 215·684·3738 John M. Perzel (R): 215·331·2600 William W. Rieger (D): 215·223·1501 James R. Roebuck (D): 215·724·2227 John J. Taylor (R): 215·425·0901 W. Curtis Thomas (D): 215·232·1210 LeAnna Washington (D): 215·242·0472 Ronald O. Waters (D): 215·748·6712 Jewell Williams (D): 215·763·2559 Chris R. Wogan (R): 215·342· 1700 Rosita C. Youngblood (D): 215.849.6426

D = Democrat, R = Republican

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SPRING ;

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SPRING 2001

New coalition's aim: 'Education for all' by Geralyn Anderson Arango and Diane Nelson Bryen

"Inclusion is a right - not a privilege for a select few." - Judge John F. Gerry, Chief Judge of the US. District Court

for the Third Circuit

Despite Judge Gerry's landmark educational ruling and despite 25 years since the passage of the Education of the Hanrucapped Act, now known as the Inruviduals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA, far too many chi ldren with disabilities continue to

receive their education in segregated classes.

Inclusion continues to be the privilege of a select few. The reasons are many, and the solutions often complex.

Without the proper training and in-class support, efforts at inclusion in regular classrooms are reduced to dumping,

whlch is unfair to both the student and the teacher and not inclusive at all, As Pennsylvania's Bureau of Special Education notes, inclusion is not supposed to be a device to save money, eliminate special supporti ve services, or give regular classroom teachers greater challenges but no more resources.

With support from groups like the PelU1sylvania Developmental Disabilities Council and the Institute on Disabilities at Temple Umversity, the situation is changing for more children in southeastern Pennsylvania. Tills is being accomplished through activities to restructure the way teachers are being prepared, It is being accomplished through proviiling rruru-grants to schools that wish to improve their teaching for all children.

It is also being accomplished because of the efforts of the Education for All Coalition.

In August of 2000, the Institute on Disabilities at Temple Umversity convened the first meeting of the Education for All Coalition. The Coalition seeks to make education in an inclusive setting possible for chlldren of all abilities and backgrounds.

Parents, educators, related professionals and other interested people have been meeting monthly ever since to craft a mission, c'reate an action plan and begin carrying out the steps that will help children with rusabilities to be successfully educated in their neighborhood schools within the general education curriculum.

One part of the mission of the Education for All Coalition is to provide innneruate support to farilllies who are often struggling with their local schools to successfu lly include their sons and daughters.

Simultaneously, the Coalition is working to build capacity and create systerillc change so that others can be included withln the general education curriculum without the struggles these families have faced. Tills is being accomplished through the second part of the Coali tion's rillssion: provirung training opportumties for K-12 teachers and institutions of higher education as they prepare teachers to teach diverse learners, including those with rusabilities.

Training opportumties for Act 48 certification (pennsylvania's continullig professional development requirement for teachers) are being developed on topics of inclusion, assistive technology, strategies for accommodations and modifications and more.

The Education for All Coalition maintains an active Internet listserv so that group members and people with an interest in issues of inclusion can commumcate and share ideas, information, techillcal assistance, and other supports. To subscribe to the listserv, go to the web site http://iistserv.temple.edularchivesieducation-for-all.html. Select "join or leave the list," and follow the directions on the screen.

The Education for All Coalition invites people interested in educating all children in supported general education settings to join its monthly meetings. Dililler and "Solution Circles," a group problem-solving technique open to anyone wishlng to discuss obstacles they are facing with a student's inclusive education, are from 5-6 pm. The business meeting is from 6-8 pm, and chlld

care is available.

For information on the Coolition and its meetings, comact Gerry Arango at (215) 204-3031 or [email protected]".

RUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK 3

Inequities persist, but will Harrisburg offer any more?

State's funding role is disputed by Barbara A. Bloom

State officials offer a range of opinions on whether it's their responsibility to tackle the enormous budget deficit facing Phlladelphia pubLic schools.

Without a major additional infusion of funding, the School District will once again be facing a financial doomsday thls May 31, when it must adopt a budget for the corillng school year (see story, p. 1).

Whlle several state office holders maintain the state has done its part, other say the state needs a fairer way to distribute funds to its school districts.

Deal was cut Last May, an eleventh-hour, one-time advance of dollars

and other adjustments by Governor Tom Ridge reduced Phlladelphla's school deficit just enough to eke through thjs year without a cash crisis. Phlladelphla, as part of the May deal, put on hold for 12 months a civil rights lawsuit challenging the state 's funding system. In addition, Superintendent David Hornbeck - who had been doing battle with the Governorstepped down in:uneruately after the deal was announced.

Per-pupil expenrutures in Philadelphla grew to $7,299, still significantly lower than the average per-pupil expenruture of the majority of the surrounding school districts, accoriling to the School District. In Pennsylvania's successful school districts, the per-student costs average $9,457, notes Tim Potts, director of the Pennsylvama School Reform Network.

The financial burden on Pennsylvania's school districts and on local property taxes has grown as state aid has lagged behlnd the increased costs of education. The state once provided 50 percent of K- 12 educational costs. Now it provides 34 percent.

Pennsylvania has been found to lag behind most states in its effort to equalize funding for

schools across the state.

Pennsylvania also has been found to lag behlnd most states in its effort to equalize fu nding for schools across the state, earmng it a grade of D-minus on fu nding equity from the national newspaper Education Week.

Thls year, the Governor is proposing a 4 percent increase in fu nds for basic education, an increase in funds for special education, and a new funrung formula giving more to some rustriclS incluiling Philadelphla in whlch property values and income have declined.

The changes are estimated to give Phlladelphla an adrutional $67 mjilion dollars for the coming year.

''The [proposed] budget does have increased fu nds, and that is good .... It doesn't quite get the job done," comments State Senator Allyson Schwartz, minority chair of the House Education Corumjttee.

Disagreement about state role Opimons vary about how to handle getting "the job done."

City and School District officials say they are hoping the state wi ll help find a solution to the District's chromc deficits. But the Ridge adrillmstration suggests that the rest of the school financing problem is the city's.

Don Langan, press secretary for the state's Department of Education, notes that state fuoru ng favors poor districts, so the poorest rustricts get "upwards of $5,000 per student" and a wealthy rustrict such as Lower Merion gets only $400 per student from the state. Langan says the state is doing its share for Philadelphla.

Republican State Representative John Perzel from Northeast Phlladelphla agrees, saying that the city, not the state, should deal with the funiling shortfall. ''Whenever they [city officials] have something they seem to care about, they can find the money," Perzel says.

Thousands of teachers and others from across the state rallied in Harrisburg March 4 to demand an increase in funding for the state's public schools.

Echoing hls RepubHcan state colleagues is Representative Dwight Evans, a Democrat, who says, "Sixty miltion dollru> was an extremely generous increase. What will the city and schools do now? It is a question of their priorities."

Senator Schwartz is among many state legis lators who think that equity requires more state funiling. She recommends beginillng by speniling some of the state's large surplus. Further funding will requires heightened "political will " including "increasing pressure from local commumties," she adds .

Led by Representative Nicholas Micozzie (R Delaware County), some state legislators are proposing a change.

Seventy-seven of the 203 state representatives are sponsoring House Resolution 42. The resolution would require the appointment of a special corumjttee to propose a "new system offuniling or public education" by September 15, 2001, whlch ensures that fu nrung levels for all schools be based on the speniling level in successful districts.

Last year, two bills, one in the state House and another in the Senate, proposed to ease the burden on local property taxes by increasing the state's contribution to school funding and raising the state income tax to pay for schools. Potts says these bills will be reintroduced thjs year.

Potts says that the political problem of having to increase state taxes can be overcome when st~te legislators "get credit for lowering property taxes." He points out that in 1991, when the legislature raised taxes, "no legislator was punished" in the next election .

''Legislators will do the right thjng when that's what their constituents tell them they want," he notes.

Representative Evans hypothesizes that the only way the state legislature might take on the difficult decision of voting to raise taxes for public education is if an agreement is made similar to the one in the US Senate about military base closings: one whlch required a straight yes-or-no vote on a new funding system.

Lawsuit could resume In the meantime, the city's federal lawsuit that has been

on hold, Powell v. Ridge, still hangs over state officials. Powell v. Ridge alleges that the state is ruscrirninatory in

its funiling of school rustricts with large numbers of minority students. Michael Churchill, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, says that judging from the current fund ing plan from Governor Ridge, "in June, we will be back" in court

''We thjnk the state has deprived Philadelphia of nearly $400 million dollars a year," he says.

Churchlll notes that all of the recent examinations of the District call for "smaller class size, more pre-schools, more teacher training, restoring art and music, making technology available ... all of whlch requires adrutional significant expenditures."

4 PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOdK SPRING 2001 --

Budget crisis continued from p. 1

increased charter school costs, and a new school for disruptive smdents. Officials say they have run out of "one-time fixes" to help balance the budget.

''Without a long-term solution invol ving the city, the state, and the District, we will be unable to provide the type of education the school children of the Commonwealth's largest city need, deserve, and require," Goldsmith said.

Deborah Kahn, Secretary of Education, added that the District and City will do everything possible on their own to reduce the deficit.

"Our actions will include a combination of organizational changes, spending cutbacks, tar

geted use of federal and od,er grant funds, generation of local non-tax revenues, coordination and/or consolidation of functions between the

City and the District, and a willingness to act and think 'outside of the box,'" said Kahn.

Discussions about changing the system of school funding continue at the state level (see page 3), but with litde evidence that any major initiative will emerge this spring. While teachers and others around the state are rallying in Harrisburg to demand more funding, the talk from city and School District officials is about "sitting down with our partners in state govemment."

In Philadelphia, speculation has been ranlpant about a possible reorganization or elimination of the District's 22 cluster offices, established in 1995 to replace the old system of six regional offices. Goldsmith said that he and Chief Academic Officer Deidre FarmblY are evaluating the organizational strucmre.

''The focus has to be on the classroom and how we support that," Goldsmith said. "The point is not the number [of offices), but how do we put people in the classrooms where they are desperately needed."

The savings resulting from eliminating the clusters would amount to only a tiny fraction of the deficit. There are about 200 cluster-based staff. Counting central offices, current District figures show a total of 1515 "nonschool based" or administrative staff. Goldsmith pointed out that even if every one of the administrati ve staff in the District could be eliminated, the District would still face a $100 rnillion deficit.

Student groups have rallied for more funding year after year.

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My First Week of School A Mean Set of Drums ~::r~~~~a~~ac~~~c~o~~es~~!r-A beautifully illustrated In this colorfully illustrated workshops for parents discussing the introduction to kindergarten. collection of rhymes, little Importance of exposing children to This collection of rhymes is Rudy convinces his mother literature as early as possible, The designed to help ease the and a music store owner that workshop includes things that parents transition for ch ildren entering not only is he destined to be a can do to make reading a fun and the formal education process. great jazz drummer, but that he rewarding family activity. This includes

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Eboni and the Dinosaur A baby dinosaur's passion for chocolate helps to teach children that overindulgence of any type is not good.

Making the Parent Connection (For Educators and Parents) Judith Barnes-Claps, a Pennsylvania educator, puts 31 years of education and research into this practical guide to building and effectively utilizing strong parent teacher relationships.

Young Publishers' Program-In thiS seven session project students wiUwrite, edit, illustrate and publish their book as a classroom effort. This project Includes a visit to an actual printing plant. Students wi ll perform a

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Th CEO added that he is not interestedi n ' 'turni~o the District topsy-mrvy." Goldsrruth has said that as an interim leader of the School District, he does not want 10 undertake a major restrucmring. A search is on for a perm:t

Chief Executive Officer, WIth the goal of g the post by September, 200 1. ..

District officials note that the budget cnslS reflects fundamental problems in the pattern of state funding for schools and not a growth of the bureaucracy. They say the figure of 1515 non-school based staff represents a 7.8 percent

decrease since 1995. The, budget crisis leaves the School

Distnct s new Educatlonal Empowennent Plan in limbo. Elements of the plan included reduced class size in gradesK-3, expanded summer school, and actIvatmg the "school sUppa process" at schools where test Scores are lag~ gi ng. To implement the new elements of the plan for the corrung year would cost $75 million, but so far the District has only its $17 million Educational Empowerment grant to pay for dlese programs.

I • Safety strategy sesssions set by Paul Socolar

interim Chief Executive Officer Philip Goldsmith says school safety is a priority issue, and he has announced the formation of a "Safe School Collaborative" 10 help address School District security issues.

The Collaborative, which includes teachers, principals, administrators, the school board, and parents, is meeting monthly this spring to make recommendations to Goldsmith on safety issues.

Goldsmith has been emphasizing the need to streamline procedures and paperwork and the urgency of reporting serious incidents as required by School District policy and law.

He cred its Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) President Ted Kirsch wiili the idea of convening a meeting of a range of stakeholders on school safety.

A focus will be the District's policy for removing disruptive smdents from the classroom and the practical roadblocks to it.

"There are legal, judicial, legislative and agency requirements, not to mention philo-

sophical and policy differences, as well as the bureaucracy itself that creates these roadblocks " Goldsmith says. He hopes dle meetings "cle;Iy identify ilie issues and determine where the common ground exists for their resolution."

The School District has four "alternative" discipline schools for where smdents in grades 6 to 12 can be transferred as part of a discipli_ nary action.

The newest discipline school, Community Education Partners, is now filled to its capacity of 300. The school, run by a for-profit company, will be expanding to handle 1000 students in the fall. The other three schools are ShalJcross, Boone, and Miller.

The PFT argues that there is too much red tape in the transfer process.

District spokesperson Paul Hanson said that the fact iliat iliere are vacant slots at some disci pline schools does not prove that there are big obstacles in the disciplinaty transfer process. Depending on the types of infractions, these may not be appropriate placements for students, he said.

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SPRING 2001

Stru~ by Aldustus J01

"Two years, school for the fll any teachers - on room. Last year 1

teacher either," sa is at Ju lia de BUI Philadelphia.

''My daughter stitute after substi ond grade, she '" yeat·," adds a pa school.

These arejm neighborhood is : age of qualified I

Low-income nation are expect ers over the next srudent enroUme retirements, a choosing the pm reductions.

InPhiladelphi ified teachers are 2001, the Distri, mostly in speci, maties, Spanish, ; schools have the

These numbe the picmre. Mor 12,000 public sel emergency certiJ ified teachers m drop in new teac pared to this tim

The new teal schools more CI

puts in place m~ work force, and for teachers in I clear that more recruitment and

Low teacher exodus of teach, ter 's in educatiol rience, and i 'm s year teachers an a teacher workil

The average Philadelphia tea rounding suburl the new teachel row somewhat,

The tea vacanq Data are for A

133 Vacancies without a teacl c1assroomsstafi

200 long-tern at least a collec have teacher -assigned to fili i viduals are no manent teache classroom.

483 teachers tion programs ti of the state tea

850 Apprenti, are enrolled in meet Pennsyl requirements.

(In addition, the - individuals w cation and are a kindergarten

Philadelphia pOSitions.

IG 2001 -e School :mentPlan ell reduced d summer )1 sUPPOrt es are lag~nts of the ;t $75 milts $17 milrant to pay

well as the uadblocks," :ings"c1ear_ e where the solution." alternative" ltS in grades lfadiscipli_

Community to its capac'-profit comIe 1000 stuschools are

)0 much red

lsonsaidthat at some dislat there are lsferprocess. : tions, these : for students,

192"

I r

SPRING 2001 PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK 5

Struggling to find qualified teachers for all classrooms by Aldustus Jordan

"Two years ago my son went to middle school for the first time, and he did not have any teachers - only teacher's aides in the classroom. Last year they didn 't have a permanent teacher ei ther," says Erasema Cruz, whose child is at Julia de Burgos Middle School in North Philadelphia.

"My daughter was in fll'St grade and had substitute after substitute. When she got in the second grade, she was behind in reading a whole year," adds a parent at a nearby elementary school.

These are just two examples of how one neighborhood is affected by the growing shOltage of qualified teachers.

Low-income school districts throughout the nation are expected to need 700,000 new teachers over the next decade, due to an increase in student enrollment, a wave of expected teacher ret irements, a shrinking pool of people choosing the profession, and planned class size reductions.

In Philadelphia, attracting and retaining qualified teachers are major challenges. As of March 2001 , the District had 133 teacher vacancies, mostl y in special education, science, mathematics, Spanish, and physical education. Middle schools have the most vacancies.

These numbers, however, show only part of the picture. More than 2,000 of Philadelphia's 12,000 public school teachers are working with emergency celtllcations. The shortage of qualified teachers may worsen, given a two-thirds drop in new teacher applications this year compared to this time last year.

The new teacher contract gives individual schools more control over teacher selection, puts in place measures to stabilize the teacher work force, and promises financial incentives for teachers in hard-to-staff schools. But it is clear that more needs to be done to improve recruitment and retention.

LolV teacher salary still contributes to the exodus of teachers from the city. "I have a master 's in education and five years teaching experience, and 'I'm still not making what some firstyear teachers are making in the suburbs," says a teacher working at Pickett Middle School.

The average gap in startiug salary between Philadelphia teachers and those in the four surrounding suburban counties is $3,000. Under the new teachers' contract, that gap may narrow somewhat, as the District puts into place a

The teacher vacancy situation Data are for March, 2001

133 Vacancies - This number for classrooms without a teacher assigned does not include classrooms staffed by long-term substitutes.

200 long-term Substitutes -Individuals with at least a college degree, who mayor may not have teacher certifications and have been assigned to fill long-term vacancies. These individuals are not required to work towards permanent teacher certification to remain in the classroom.

Teachers operating with emergency certifications (data are for November, 2000):

483 teachers who completed teacher preparation programs but have not yet passed a portion of the state teacher certification examination.

850 Apprentice Teachers - Individuals who are enrolled in a certification program and meet Pennsylvania alternative certification requirements.

(In addition, the District has SOO llieracy Interns - individuals who are working towards certification and are paired with a veteran teacher in a kindergarten or first grade classroom.)

Philadelphia has about 12,000 teaching positions.

new incentive pay schedule. But the competition for

teachers is growing, as reflected in a national trend toward offering a wide range of financial incentives to prospective teachers. Typical ly, perks come in the form of signing bonuses, tuition assistance for advanced degrees and certification, college loan repayment, and special mortgage programs.

To offset lower starting salaries, Philadelphia offers a $4,500 signing bonus that is paid out over three years. The signing bonus is a plus, but teachers point to other issues that often negate the incentives offered by the District.

One of these is the requirement that teachers be (or become) city residents. Recent surveys conducted by the Philadelphia Education Fund found that

A math class at Olney Elementary School. Teaching positions in mathematics, science, Spanish, special education, and physical education have been hardest to fill in Philadelphia.

new teachers frequently cite the residency requirement as one of the biggest barriers to employment.

The Philadelphia Education Fund has come out in favor of elimination of the residency requirement.

Bureaucratic obstacles also persist. A prospective teacher expressed the frustration of many who have sought employment in the District: ''I wanted to teach in Philadelphia, but a subUIban school made me an immediate offer, and no one here seemed interested in me or able to tell me whether or where ]' d be able to teach."

Another issue that may be contributing to the recent drop in applications is the tense contract negotiations between the teachers' union and school board in the fall of 2000.

"The threat of a state takeover of the schools and the disunity between the city, school boand, and union made the District look like it could not take care of its kids," comments a graduate student from the University of Pennsylvania.

Others say that the Mayor's unilateral imposition of contract terms last fall gave the impression of a District that was not supporti ve of its teachers.

Promising approaches Promising practices from cities around the

country point to some possible ways forward for Philadelphia. Some are using recruitment strategies that do not place a major financial burden on districts: career fairs, lntemet recruitment, international recruitment, school tours, small group discussions with prospective teachers, and programs preparing middle and high school students to become teachers.

Both Los Angeles and Baltimore have partnered with the federal HUD office to provide t~chers with significantly reduced purchasing costs of homes, at no cost to the districts.

Elsewhere, districts are creating opportunities for "non-traditional" teachers with strong experience in other professions. These opportunities typically include some form of alternative certification, intensive teacher training prior to entering the classroom, and stipends and flexible strategies for completing course work.

Waging a media campaign, New York and Chicago have attracted teachers from through-. out the counay, by advertising their incentives through District web sites, television and newspapers.

Computerizing the entire hiring process is another measure that could lead to greater efficiency here and allow for quicker teacher hiring notification and school assignments.

Although a complete overturn of the residency requirement may not be feasible or desirable, a moratorium might be - at least for hard-

to-staff areas. One model is Pittsburgh, which has a residency requirement, but both the union and the human resources department have the ability to waive;t under certain circumstances.

Losing 40 percent Improved strategies for retaining new teach

ers are also critical, given that as many as 40 percent of new Philadelphia teachers leave the District after the flISt year, according to data from the teachers' union.

The Clark County School District in Las Vegas retains as many as 96 percent of newly hired teachers after the flIst year; they attribute their success to a coordinated effort in partnership with the business community, emphasizing pre-employment contact and community orientation.

Here in Philadelphia, the Literacy Intern Program may hold some lessons about staff retention. The program, which puts prospective teachers in primary classrooms to assist experienced ones, offers tuition assistance for certi-

fication, an intense summer practicum. and onand off-site adjunct faculty support. More than 80 percent of program participants remained in the District after their flISt year.

Bold efforts will be needed to improve the situation here in Philadelphia.

"If our kids mattered, if they were a priority, things wouldn't be like this. The politicians would work it out. The School District officials would find the money. And we'd have teachers for our kids," said Michelle Quarles, parent leader with the Alliance Organizing Project.

"In the meantime, we as parents have to organize and put pressure on them to do right by our children," she added.

A report on the teacher shortage will be issued this spring by Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY) and the Alliance Olganizing Project (AOP). For mare inJol717a

tion, call PCCl' at 215-563-5848. For inJormarion on AOP's citywide campaign 10 address the teacher shortage, call 215-625-99J6

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PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK 6 SPRI NG 2001

Distrito lucha para colocar maestros cualificados . . ui nadie todo el proceso de contrataci6n a traves d

continua de la p. 1 Para contrarrestar los salarios bajos ini- me hizo una oferta mm~dl ata J ~~cirtne si computadoras. e ciales, Filadelfia ofrece un bono de contrat- pareci6 interesru;.se en d:;~'~u 0 Aunque quizas no sea factible 0 deseable El nuevo contrato para maestros les da a

las escuelas mas control sobre la selecci6n de maestros, implanta medidas para estabilizar la fuerza laboral de maestros, y promete incentivos monetarios para los maestros que

aci6n de $4,500 que es otorgado en pagos por lba a poder ensenar 0 d tar contribuyen- eliminar por completo el reqUlsJtO de residen_ un total de 3 anos. Este bono de contrataci6n Otro asunto que pue e Jjes tud s fueron las cia, una moratoria si 10 sea - al menos para las es atractivo, pero los maestros sen alan los re- do a la baJa reClente en so Cl t entre la uni6n areas en que es dificil conseguir maestros. Por quisitos que a menudo impiden que ellos tensas negOClacJOnes de contra 0 e ejemplo en la ciudad

acepten posiciones en las escuelas para las que es dificil conseguir personal. Pero es obvio que se neeesita hacer mas para mejorar el reclu-tarniento y retenci6n.

Los salarias bajos todavia son un factor que conu'ibuye al exodo de maestros de la ciudad. "Tengo una maestrfa en pedagogia y cinco anos de experiencia en la enseiianza, y todavfa no gano 10 que algunos maestros ganan en su primer ano trabajando en los suburbios", dice una maestra de la Escuela Intermedia Pickett.

La diferencia

Fato: Harvey Finkle

de Pittsburgh (que tiene un requisito de residencia), la union y el departamento de recursos humanos tienen la habilidad de diferirlo bajo cienas clfcunstancias.

Se pierde un 40% Tambien muy

importantes son las estrategias mejoradas para retener maestros nuevos, ya que de acuerdo a los datos de la uni6n de maestros, casi el 40 por ciemo de los maestros nuevas en Fi ladelfia dejan el Distrito luego de su primer ano.

EI Distrito

promedio de salario entre los maestros de Filadelfia y aquellos que trabajan en los cuatro condados suburban os que Ie rodean es de $3,000. Bajo el nuevo contrato para los maestros esa dife-

Las plazas de maestro de ciencias, matematicas, espanol, educacion especial y educacion fisica han sido las mas dificiles de cubrir.

Escolar del Condado de Clark en Las Vegas retiene a veces hasta el 96 par ciento de los nuevos maestros por mas de un ana; ellos atribuyen su exito a un esfuerzo coordinado en conj unto

rencia puede reducirse un poco cuando el DistrilO ponga en efecto una nueva escala de salario a base de incentivos.

Pero la competencia por maestros esta aumentando, y se refleja en una tendencia nacional a ofrecer una amplia gama de incentivos monetarios a los posibles maestros. Tfpicamente, estos incentivos son en forma de bonos de contrataci6n, becas para completar estudios avanzados 0 para conseguir la certificaci6n, pago de prestamos de educaci6n existentes y programas especiales de pago de hipoteca.

reciban este incentivo del Distrito. Uno de estos requisitos es que los maestros

residan en (0 se muden a)]a ciudad. En encuestas recientes del Philadelphia Education Fund se encontr6 que los nuevos maestros a menudo citan este requisito de residencia como uno de los impedimentos mayores para aceptar empleo.

Tambien persisten otros obstaculos burocraticos. Un candidato a maestro expres6 la frustraci6n de muchos que han solicitado empleo en el Distrito: "Yo queria ensefiar en Filadelfia, pero una escuela de los suburbios

Escasez de maestros en Filadelfia

Datos correspondientes a marzo de 2001

Filadelfia tiene aproximadamente 12,000 p lazas de maestro.

133 Plazas vacantes - Este numero de dases sin maestro asignado no incluye aquellos salones en los que hay un maestro sustituto asignado a largo plazo .

200 Sustitutos a largo plazo - Personas que poseen por 10 menos un grado univers itario que pueden 0 no tener certificacion y han sido asignadas a cubrir una plaza vacante a largo p lazo . A estas personas no se les requie re conseguir certificacion para permanecer en el salon de clase.

Maestros que ensenan bajo certificaci6n de eme rgencia

(Datos correspondient es a noviembre de 2000)

483 maestros que han completado sus progra mas de prepa racion pero que todavia no han aprobado parte del examen de certificacion del estado.

850 Maestros principiantes - Personas que estan actua lmente matriculad as en un p rograma de certificacion y que cumplen con los requisitos de certi f icaci6n alte rna del estado de Pensilvania.

Ademas, el Distrito cuenta con 500 Auxiliares (Literacy Interns) que trabajan como asistentes e n e l salon de dases- personas que actual mente estan estudiando pa ra conseguir su certificacion y que se asignan a trabajar en pareja con maest ros de experiencia dentro de los grados Kinder a Seg undo.

de maestros y la junta de educaci6n llevadas a cabo en el otono del 2000.

''La amenaza de que el estado iba a tomar el mando de las escuelas, unida a la desuni6n entre la ciudad, la junta de educaci6n y la uni6n, hicieron ver al Distrito como uno que no se iba a poder encargar de sus niiios", comenta un estudiante de posgrado de la Universidad de Pensilvania.

Otras personas dicen que la imposici6n uniJaterai de los terminos de contrato por parte del alcalde el olono pasado di6la impresi6n de que el Distrito no daba apoyo a sus maestros.

Propuestas prometedoras Las pnicticas prometedoras de ciudades de

todo el pais seiialan posibles camillos para mejorar en Filadelfia . Algunas usan estrategias de reelutamiento que no representan un gran costo para los distritos: feri as de empleo, reclutamiento por internet, reclulamiento interna

,cional, visitas de las escuelas. pequenos grupos de discusi6n con los candidatos a maestros, y program as que preparan a los estudiantes de escuela intermedia y superior para ser maestros.

Las ciudades de Los Angeles y Baltimore se han unido a la Oficina de Vivienda y Desarrollo Umano federal (HUD) para brindarIe a los maestros la oportun idad de comprar casas a un precio reducido, y sin costo alguno para los dlstntos escolares.

En otros lugares, los distritos estan creando oportunidades para maestros "no tradiclonales" que tienen amplia experiencia en otras profeslOnes. Estas oponunidades tfpicamente mcl uyen alguna forma de cenificaci6n alterna,capacitacion intensiva en pedagogia antes de Ir al sal6n de clases, y eSlipendios y estrateglas flexibles para completar los cursos.

A tra ves de una campana publicitaria, Nueva York y Chicago han alrafdo maestros de todo el pafs. Sus incentivos han sido anunclados e~, paginas de intemet de los distritos, en teleVISion y en peri6dicos.

. Otra medida que puede Conducir a una n~dyor eficlencla y permitir que se emilan mas rap~do las notlficaci ones de contrataci6n aS I~naclOnes a los maestros es llevar a cab~

con los comercios de la comunidad, que enfatiza el contaclO previo al empleo y orientaci6n del maestro sobre la comunidad en la que va a trabajar.

Aqui en Filade lfia, podemos aprender varias cosas sobre retenci6n de personal del Programa de Auxiliares (Literacy Intern Program). EI programa, que coloca a futuros maestros en salones de clase de grados pri-

Los safarios bajos todavia son un factor

que contribuye al exodo de maestros

de fa ciudad.

marios para ayudar a olros maestros de expe· riencia, Ie ofrece a los auxiliares becas para la cenificaci6n, una practica intensa de verano, y servicios de asesoria dentro y fuera de la escuela por pane de profesores de magisterio.

Se van a necesitar grandes esfuerzoS para mejorar la situaci6n aquf en Filadelfia. .

"Si nuesu'os ni fi os fueran importantes, Sl fuesen la priOlidad, las cosas no sedan asi. Los politicos figurarian las cosas Los oficiales del Distrito Escolar encontrarfan los fondos. Y tendliamos maestros para nuestros ninos", dijo Michelle Quarles. una de las madres Ifderes que trabajan con el Alliallce Olgallizillg Pmject.

"Por el momento, nOSOO'05 como padres teo nemos que organizamos y presionru'los pru-a q~e hagan 10 con'ecto por nuestros ninos", aoadlo.

Las oroan izac iones Philadelphia CitizellS

for Child;ell alld YOlltll (PCCY) rAlliallce

Orgallizillg Project (A OP) publ icaran :~: pnmavera un informe sobre la escase

maestros . Para mas in fo rmaci6n, llame, ~ PCCY al 2 15-563-5848. Para informaclD sobre la campana de AOP para encarar ~a escasez de maestros.llame al215-625-991 .

Tradllccioll por Mildred S. MarliJle:

SPRING 2001

Mae por Ron White,

EI pasado Sl David Hornbeck reforma Childre de controversia y maestros de Fila,

EI nuevo sistt do primordiaimel estandarizados, I cional, y la perce los maestros ni d importaban mue critica al superin

Ahora que H dente y que part siderando 0 abm ofrecieron evall aspectos de la re

Impacto en el s: Lo que midee

rna educativa e: ensenanza y el a~ EI programa Ch "ensenanza imr "evaluaci6n de dt za que enfatiza I conceptos espee conocinnientos , Un programa ell estructuras nuev mentales para pr

Aunque los senalaron qUi desbalanceado, ensenanza habia

Algu, dijero1i en lap extime desani

vaci6n E

Ben Sears, UI y activista del si Philadelphia H este periodo h: ensenanza a uno una verdadera enmsiasmo de s

Baleita Fiele Julia de Burgos programa de des movia la ensenru influencia positi

Varios mae Notebook que estrategias de e tructivistas, y ce dicen que los a evaluan pOSiti v1 mas facilmente

AJ mismotie que el enfasis el a menudo desa ensenanza.

Lance Roug ano en Julia de parte porque cn expectati vas p: enfrentar las ex su primer ano d muy abstracto" los maestros nee partir las mejor, las estructuras pudieran hacer n del plan Childl,

Ben Lariccia en la Central E: enfasis de Chile participaci6n d, tos en el sal6n

IJG 2001 -los 1 traves de

o deseable deresiden_ lOS para las lestros. Por ,n laciudad lurgh (que 'equisito de a), la uni6n :tamentode

humanos labilidad de bajo cienas ncias.

eun40% ,ien muy lies son las is mejoradas ler maestros ya que de a los datos uni6n de

;, casi el 40 Gto de los ; nuevos en ia dejan el luego de su iio.

Distrito leI Condado rk en Las tiene a veces ~ I 96 por e los nuevos ; por mas de no; ell os :n su exito a ~rzo coordin conjunto :omercios de Hacto previo stro sobre la LT.

os aprender personal del racy Intern xaafuturos ~ grad os pri-

-zjos actor eal tros r.

;troS de expebecas para la sa de verano, y fuera de la Ie magisterio. sfuerzoS para Idelfia. nportanteS,SI ~lian asL Los IS oficiales del os fondos. Y )5 nifios",dijo ladres Ifderes lliZillgPmject. )mo padres telarios pru1l que ifios", afiadi6. Iphio Citizens Y) ." Alliance ,blicaran esla la escasez de :i6n, Ila01e a 1 informacion lra encarar In 15_625-9916


Maestros evaluan a Hornbeck, 'Children Achieving' por Ron Whitehorne

EI pasado superintendente de escuelas David Hornbeck y su ambicioso programa de reforma Childrell Achieving fueron el centro de controversia y a veces indignaci6n entre los maestros de Filadelfia.

EI nuevo sistema de responsabilidad basado primorctialmeme en resultados de examenes estandarizados, la nueva estructura organizacional, y la percepci6n de que las opiniones de los maestros ni del liderato de su sindicato no importaban rnucho fl1eron todos motivos de crftica al superintendente.

Ahora que Hornbeck no es el superintendente y que pru:tes de su plan se estan reconsiderando 0 abandonando, algunos maestros ofrecieron evaluaciones positivas de ciertos aspectos de la refonna Children Achieving.

bnpacto en el salon de c1ases La que mide definitivamente cualquier refor

ma educativa es el impacto que tiene en la enseiianza y el aprendizaje en el salon de clases. EI programa Children Achieving promovi6 la "enseiianza impulsada por estandares" y la "evaluacion de d~mpeiio" - 0 sea, la enseiianza que enfatiza que los estuctiantes aprendan conceptos especificos y que demuestren sus conocimientos en situaciones de la vida real. Un programa de desarrollo para maestros y estructuras nuevas de cumculo fueron instrumentales para promover este modelo.

Aunque los maestros que entrevistamos seiialaron que este proceso estaba desbalanceado, muchos dijeron que su enseiianza habia mejorado.

Algunos maestros dijeron que el enfasis en fa preparacion de examenes a menudo desanimaba fa inno-

vacion en fa enseiianza.

Ben Sears, un maestro veterano de historia y activista del sindicato que enseiia en la West Philadelphia High School, dijo que durante este periodo habia cambiado su estilo de enseiianza a uno basado en proyectos y que vio una verdadera diferencia en el ni vel de entusiasmo de sus estuctiantes.

Baleita Fields, una maestra de la escuela Julia de Burgos Middle School, inctico que el programa de desarrollo para maestros que promovia la enseiianza mecliante servicio tuvo una influencia positi va en su forma de ensenar.

Varios maestros dijeron a la revista Notebook que obtuvieron mas apoyo para estrategias de enseiianza innovadoras, constructivistas, y centradas en el estudiante. Ellos dicen que los administradores reconocen y evaluan positivamente este tipo de ensenanza mas tacilmente allOra que en el pasado.

AI mismo tiempo, algunos maestros ctijeron que el enfasis en la preparacion de examenes a menudo desanimaba la innovaci6n en la enseiianza.

Lance Rougeaux, un maestro en su tercer ano en Julia de Burgos, vino a Filadelfia en pru:te porque cree en el mensaje de tener altas expectativas para los estudiantes. "Pero al enfrentar las exigencias de ser un maestro en su primer aiio de ensenanza, todo parecfa ser muy abstracto", ctijo Rougeaux. Anadio que los maestros necesitabrul mas tiempo para compartir las mejores estrategias y para "ctigerir" las estructuras de curriculo antes de que se puctieran hacer realidad las metas educacionales del plan Children Achieving. ,

Ben Lariccia, maestro Y lider en tecnologJa en la Central East Middle School, dijo que el enfasis de Children Achieving en promover la participacion de la comunidad ha renctido frutos en el sal6n de dases. "Se ha VISto una

los maestros dicen que bajo el programa Children Achieving obtuvieron mas apoyo para estrategias de ensenanza innovadoras y centradas en los estudiantes.

diferencia con los programas de enriquecimiento como Urban Bridges, que establecio residencias para artistas en escuelas del grupo escolar Olney Cluster", ctijo Lariccia.

Mientras muchos maestros sienten cierta inquietud sobre la justicia y eficacia del sistema de responsabilidrul de Children Achieving, tambien reconocen que politicamente se necesitaba alg11n sistema si el Distrito Escolar querra que oyeran sus exigencias por mas fondos. Segun Sears comento, "Estos examenes que ponen tanto a riesgo depenctiendo de los resultados, no fueron invento de Hornbeck."

Pero todavia los maestros cticen que siguen sin convencerse de que los resultados de los examenes son un incticativo confiable del progreso de una escuela 0 una mectidajusta de su habilidad para enseiiar.

Los grupos escolares (clusters) La reorganizacion de las escuelas en elusters

es una meclida que muchos maestros vieron como un mal usa de los escasos recursos existentes.

Dennis Bamebey, maestro y representante de edificio en la Germantown High School, describio la implantacion de los elusters como "empujar el barco hacia alta mar y preocuparse despues de como construirlo".

Pero Lariccia mantuvo que elliderato de los clusters habia traido energia y enfoques nuevos a las escuelas, y que esto es posiblemente un refJejo de la gran inversion hecha por el Distrito en la primera "banda" de seis cillste rs.

Una agenda incornpleta Todos los maestros entrevistados por

Notebook toman muy en serio el principio central de Children Achieving: que todos los 1liiios pueden adquirir un alto nivel de aprendizaje si

;,ena} es sn opinion?

La revista Notebook quiere saber 10 que usted piensa. Si desea expresar alguna critica, halago 0 un punto de

vista ctiferente, envie su correspondencia a

Philadelphia Public School Notebook

3721 Midvale Avenue Phila., PA 19129

Fax: 215-951-0342 [email protected]

se les da el apoyo adecuado. Pero aiiactieron que este apoyo, en su mayoria, no existe en las escuelas de Filadelfia.

Estos maestros Ie dan erectito a Hornbeck por establecer el kinder de dia completo y por esrar clispuesto a luchar para conseguir todos los fondos necesarios para su programa. Algunos citaron que su negacion a limitar las reformas 0 a irnplantar estandares de promocion de estuctiantes sin darles el apoyo adecuado es muestra de su fuerte liderato moral.

Estos maestros Ie dan credito a Hornbeck por estar dispuesto a luchar para conseguir todos los fondos necesarios para su programa.

Pero Hornbeck perctio la bataUa para exprimirle mas recursos al estado, ctijeron los mastros.

SegUn el punto de vista de muchos maestros, Hornbeck cometio un grave error al no acercarse a los maestros y no formar alianzas con su sindicato. SegUn Sears, su fracaso en "no darle crectilo a los que laboraron antes que el ppr las cosas que lograron" distancio a muchas personas. La manera en que la Olney High School

quedo como "Keystone school" (cuando se cambia todo el personal de una escuela para reconstituirla) hizo que las debilidades del estilo de liderato de Hornbeck quedaran expuestas.

Lariccia aiiactio: ''Tener la razon no es suficiente ... cuando se va a la guerra, mas vale tener municiones".

Pero estos maestros tambien senalaron que la derrota en la lucha por fondos no fue responsabilidad exclusi va de Hornbeck - la Federacion de Maestros de Filadelfia fall a aI no unirse con Hornbeck en esta causa. Los maestros tam bien criticaron al alcalde y aI liderato del ctistrito por abandonar el campo de batalla con la administracion Ridge a cambio de un aumento en fond os que todavia no son suficientes para cubrir el deficit masivo que encara el Distrito.

Resumiendo la mision del Distrito Escolar ahora que Hornbeck no es superintendente, Baleita Fields comento: "Necesitamos reconocer 10 que funciona y fue positivo y construir sobre eso - no comenzar de nuevo".

Pero Regina James, maestra veterana, saco a colacion el punto de vista com partido por muchos de que es esencial tener mas recursos. Sin "c1ases mas pequeiias y mas recursos como ayudantes en el salon", lograr avances reales y a largo plazo no es muy factible, clijo ella.

Traducci6n por Mildred S. Martinez

School District of Philadelphia

Office of Language Equity Issues

ESOL & BILINGUAL PROGRAMS

21 sl and the Parkway • Room 302

Philadelphia, PA 19103

(215) 299-7791 • Fax: 299-7792

8 PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK SPRING 2001

Farmbry: focus on reading, math, and science continued from p. 1

and science." The District's Empowerment Plan focuses on improvement in these three subject areas.

She said the District's goal should be "stu-

dent self-sufficiency" - successfully guaranteeing students access to "productive activity" after high school.

New community partners found Farmbry, who was Roxborough cluster

The old plan and the new The 10 points of the Children Achieving program, adopted in 1995, were as follows:

I. Set high expectations for everyone.

II. Design accurate performance indicators to hold everyone accountable for results.

Ill. Shrink the centralized bureaucracy and let schools make more decisions.

IV. Provide intensive and sustained professional development to all staff.

V. Make sure that all students are ready for school.

VI. Provide students with the community supports and services they need to succeed in school.

VII. Provide up-to-date technology and instructional materials.

VIII. Engage the public in shaping, understanding, supporting and participating in school reform.

IX. Ensure adequate resources and use them effectively.

X. Be prepared to address all of these priorities together and for the long term -starting now.

Some of the major points of the District's Educational Empowerment Plan adopted in November 2000 include:

• Forming a District committee to "develop a uniform curriculum to be ... mandated throughout the District."

• Maximizing the time devoted to the" core subjects" of reading, math, and science at all schools.

• Reducing class size to 17 in all K-3 classroom~

• Providing summer classes and extended time to all students at risk of failing in grades 2, 3,4,7,8,9,11, and 12.

• Phasing in K-8 programs at more elementary schools and converting some middle schools to K -8.

• Developing a District school safety plan and procedures for minimizing the impact of "chronically disruptive students."

• Developing a teacher recruitment and retention plan for implementation.

• Exploring the creation of new magnet schools and providing more student transportation.

• Revising the guidelines on composition and responsibilities of school councils and developing local school councils at all schools with low test scores.

• Activating the "School Support Process" at schools where test scores are lagging, using a team of District staff and community representatives to assess needs and develop a plan.

ALLY SAFE SCHOOLS NETWORK A Program of

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Every year, more students come to our high schools and talk about being

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For more information, call: Danny Horn. 215 -563-0652 Marcy Boroff. 215-351-7643 or your cluster's Equity Coordinator!

The Ally Safe Schools Network is sponsored by the Office of Standards EqUity and Student Services and the Fomily Resource Network

leader during Hornbeck's administration , said the most positi ve aspect of the Children Achieving plan "was the extent to which nontraditional partners such as the religIOUS lI1Stltutions answered the call to become involved with public education."

"Another positive aspect was its open acknowledgement of diversity and programs to support sensitivity and a 'no excuses' platform for all children achieving," she added.

Farmbry cited as significant changes in Philadelphia during the past six years the ones made to advance the Children Achieving plan. The District changed in "its organizational structure, collaborative outreach, array of instructional options and focus on professional development," she said.

Assons from

Children

achieving

The CAO commented tllat the District's 22 clusters provided "more articulated services to schools" in the areas of instructional support, community outreach, equity and special education monitoring, and school-ta-career coordination.

Inside of schools, she cited the development of small learning communities, which broke schools into smaller units and supported "strategic planning and student evaluation through a process called the comprehensive support process or CSP."

Chief Academic Officer Farmbry is the former Roxborough Cluster Leader.

The new developments in instruction she highlighted were "the growth of English language learners and the mandate for inclusion." She also noted ''the drive dwing the past six years for every school to adopt a research-based refonll model or to develop a 'home-grown' model."

She added that through the Teaching and Learning Network, "more tailored professional development was offered at the cluster and school level, including individual classrooms through coaching."

"The summer months became more significant over the six years as one key time for districtwide professional development," Farmbry said. Many of the topics covered in swnmer institutes were aimed to support use of the District's new Cuniculwn Frameworks, she said.

Farmbry's views will playa key role as the School District grapples with how to balance its budget, makes its transition to a new structure - with a new CEO and a CAO - and considers new ways to organize its supports for schools.

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SPRING 2001

Departil

Ingr; Germaine I

District as head joilled forme Hornbeck's EXI spen.t four yea r: as District Chie

With the Di~ ture, the Office disbanded. Ing District till lun CEO," withafe teachers' contra, balanced litera, desegregation Q

spoke with Not! in February ab Achieving " refa

Notebook: ' the major elfec period on the ~ and negative?

Ingram: Is Children Achi, moving to a dif innplementation that Children A

In its mos Achieving is a $I

district serves a lies. I would he would continue structure and Ie

Notebook: Children Achi. current period

Ingram: Sa have been a par focus on rigorm dards for all chi ed instruction, for children to can't start with different standa

'WeCi an as~ there

sta differ,

Another innp do prograrnmat orous research. evaluating whaJ to determine w practices. We sl and evaluating are doing to deD ducing achieve.

Another inn] shared respons~ tive. A whole c( ing that there 3l

and families ha' ports that create to school ever)

Notebook: Children Achil ability system of using rewa about school c

Ingram: E~ ability at multiI I think that we) to create and s tern, and we ce

::; 2001

ry is the ler.

lction she Iglish lannclusioll ." stsix years sed refonn model."

ching and >fOfession:Iuster and lassrooms

)fe signifine for dis· " Fannbry mmerinstieDistrict's id. role as the to balance newstruc- and conIpports for

rms lum

;it


Departing chief of staff offers a view from the central office

Ingram: 'Children Achieving' is a set of values for schools Germaine Ingram came to the School

District as head of the legal office il1 1994 and joined former Superintendent David Hornbeck's Execltlive Committee. She then spent four years in a key leadership position as District Chief of Staff, beginning i111997.

With the District's new leadership struc. ture, the Office of the Chief of Staff has been disbanded. Ingram is staying on with the District till June as "Special Advisor to the CEO," with a focus all implementation of the teachers' contract, reduced class size, the early balanced literacy initiative, and the District's desegregation and funding litigation. fngram spoke with Notebook writer Rachel Mausner in February about the District's "Children Achieving" reform plan.

Notebook: What do you see as some of the major effects of the Children Achieving period on the School District, both positive and negative?

Ingram: I start from the perspective that Chi Idren Achieving isn ' t over, that we are moving to a different phase, hopefully, of the implementation of the focuses and the values that Children Achieving articulated.

In its most essential form, Children Achieving is a set of values about how a school district serves and honors children and families. I would hope that those essential values would continue and be reflected in whatever structure and leadership the District has.

Notebook: What specific strengths of Children Achieving are continuing into the current period?

Ingram: Some of the important things that have been a part of Children Achieving are the focus on rigorous standards, and rigorous standards for all children. It may take differentiated instruction and different amounts of time for children to reach those standards, but we can ' t start with an assumption that there are different standards for different children.

'We can't start with an assumption that there are different

standards for different children.'

Another important element is that we should do programmatically what is supported by rigorous research, that we should be constantly evaluating what's happening in the entire field to determine what are the best and promising practices. We should be constantly monitoring and evaluating the impact of the work that we are doing to determine what is effective in producing achievement in children.

Another important element is that there is shared responsibility for making schools effective. A whole community has to SUppOlt insuring that there are adequate resources, that kids and families have the social and the health supports that create a context for chi ldren conung to school every day ready to learn.

Notebook: What are the lessons of Children Achieving in terms of the accountability system for schools and the strategy of using rewards and sanctions to bring

about school change?

Ingram: Establishing a sense of accountability at multiple levels is a perpetual process. I think that we have done an enormous amount to create and support an accountability system, and we continue in that effort.

Photo:5chool District of Philadelphia

Germaine Ingram served as School District Chief of Staff from 1997 until January 2001.

The last teacher contract was part of the continuing effort to deepen the roots of the accountability system. The enhanced compensation system will provide the District capacity to give substantial rewards to teachers who demonstrate increased knowledge in content and in instructional practice.

We have certainly seen an impact of the Performance Index. It has focused schools on the importance of school improvement planning, looking at student work, evaluating data, and targeting resources in ways that support effective instruction.

Notebook: What is your vision for the District?

Ingram: The District is in the process of defining what the focus and the mission will be going forward. One of the things we need to do is focus on figuring out how to "leave no child behind." We need to figure out how we can accelerate the learning of those children who are at risk of failing to meet the standards that the District has set.

We've done that in the past by reinstituting summer programs, through transition programs and other ways of creating additional time for students. We need to do more in finding ways to increase our repertoire of instructional skills that teachers can use in order to reach every child where he or she is.

We need to tighten our instructional focus, to focus on improving literacy. When I say literacy, I mean tllat in the broad sense, of students having the capacity to read and comprehend what they read, to write effectively,

to speak effectively. What that means is investing resources at

the early childhood level, reducing class size combined with early balanced literacy to make sure that our youngest students establish strong literacy skills by the time they're in third grade.

We also need to continue that literacy focus across the whole continuum of grades. The conventional attitude is that high school teachers don't teach reading, that they teach subject maner - science, math, literature. But many of our students get to high school not being competent and capable readers, and for that reason they don ' t have the capacity to benefit

from the content maner that they receive. We need to make sure every teacher has the capacity to use subject maner to support the development of literacy in our students.

We need to figure out more effective ways to make our schools safe and more conducive environments for teaching and learning. We need a broad array of strategies; it can't just be isolating or expelling kids who are disruptive. We need strategies of classroom management, instructional engagement that prevent the kind of disruptions that lead us to want

.to exclude kids. When we talk about school safety and

school climate, it has to start with engaging instruction. One testament to that is what we hear back from some principals who are effectively using reduced class size and early balanced literacy in the early grades. Principals have said, "I don't need an accommodation room any more," because the change in the nature of the instruction and the change in the relationships between children and teachers has changed those climate issues.

Another area where we need to become more effective is our focus on delivery of professional development across the whole span of staff. That's how you reform a district - by providing the level, the continu ity, the coherence of professional development that makes teachers, principals, and leaders continuous learners. That has to do with creating communities of learners.

There 's been too much adherence to the convention that every teacher is a separate unit and he or she goes in his or. her classroom and closes his or her door. We've got to open those doors. Creating opportunities for co llaboration enhances our abili ty to have effective discussions about what students are learning and what we need to do to increase their leartting.

Notebook: In the legal pursuit of equitable funding, what are your recommendations for the District?

Ingram: We pursued three pieces of litigation in recent years with regard to funding. Because the litigation at the state level could never get a hearing, we pursued a lawsuit in federal court. That litigation is in a state of hia-

tus right now, pending discussions that I assume are going on between the leadership of the District, the leadership of the city, and Harrisburg about what additional funding will come to Philadelphia.

I hope that the litigation can be part of tlle leverage that gets Harrisburg to provide a level of funding for the students of this District that will ensure that they have the educational opportunities they need. The best thing that could happen is that we never have to pursue the litigation to conclusion . The litigation would serve as one of the ways of having the kind of substantive discussions that need to happen around funding.

Notebook: What are your hopes for the School District over the next few years?

Ingram: It's not just my hopes for the School District. It's my hopes for the who le Philadelphia citizenry and how it responds to the issue of public education.

Thinking back to the Education Summit a few years ago, my greatest hope was that it would have been an opportunity for a broad base of Philadelphia citizens to be involved in informed discourse about what we want in public education, what we are prepared to do to support that, and what we are prepared to demand of the people who would be our leaders. We had some of that discussion, but we need to figure out how to sustain that discussion.

The business community, community-based organizations, faith communities, parents - we all are responsible for making this system work effectively, and we all are in danger to the extent that it doesn' t.

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--::::=.-=----=---=-~=-=-=----~- ----------Are we doing better? A look at the numbers

These pages contain an assortment of data through which the system's progress under the Children Achieving plan can be gauged.

Through its "Professional Responsibility System" and a "perfonmance index" for schools. the School District measures student perfonmance on a number of indicators: SAT-9 test scores, student and staff attendance, and promotion and graduation rates. The perfonmance index is the centerpiece of the School District's accountability system.

The SAT-9 test was first administered to all students in 1996. SAT-9 data from that year and information about attendance, promotion and graduation rates were used to construct a baseline for gauging school improvement.

A large number of students did not take the test in 1996. This is one reason the School District's performance index has many critics. Some argue that the baseline data for 1996 was artificia lly low because the District had not prepared schools for the testing program and had not yet provided a curricul um was aligned with the new test.

Hence, the meaning of test score gains has been subject to debate. Critics say scores were bound to rise after repeat exposure to the system. Others argue that test score gains reflect both increased familiarity with the test and a narrow focus on test preparation.

Overall, student perfonmance on the test has improved since 1996, evidenced by higher percentages of students in 2000 scoring Advanced, Proficient and Basic (see accompanying table, right). Gains in test scores were greater in the first two years, and have slowed since.

SAT-9 test score gains have been steadiest and strongest in the elementary schools. The percentage of fourth-graders scoring Below Basic has steadily declined, despite a higher proportion of students completing the test. With each year, more fourth graders scored Proficient or Advanced.

Eighth grade test scores and attendance decl ined from 1998 to 2000. High schools have made the smallest test gains, but attendance and graduation rates improved.

The percentage of students in each grade taking the tests has steadily grown since 1996. Philadelphia's performance index includes a strong incentive to give all students the SAT-9 test -schools get a "0" for each untested student.

In contrast. Pennsylvania requires only that 80 percent of eligible students at a school take its statewide test for results to be considered valid.

Recently, this standardized test given by the state, the PSSA, or Pennsylvania System of School Assessment, has assumed increased importance for Philadelphia, where most scores fall well below the state average.

Under the state's Education Empowerment Act, a law passed last year, Philadelphia has until 2003 or 2004 to reduce below 50 percent the percentage of students falling into the bottom quartile on the PSSA, or a state takeover of the schools is triggered. Philadelphia is discontinuing the SAT-9 in readi ng and math for grades 8 and 11, allowing students in those grades to focus on the PSSA exam.

Since 1996, Philadelphia's PSSA scores are up in both reading and math for fifth and eighth grades, but scores for eleventh graders have dropped.

Teacher attendance peaked in 1998 and has dropped slightly.

60%

40%

% of teachers 20% present 95%

of days or more

Source: School District

of Philadelphia

1996 1998 2000

1996-2000: What happened with performance of Phila 4th arade

~arade 1996 1998 2000 20( 1996 1998

Attendance 47.0% % of students with areater than 95% attendance 44.1% 51.1% ~.O% 30.6]

% of students with less than 90% attendance 30.0% 26.1% 29.0%~ 47.~ ~6.2% -I- -SAT-9 Readina Test

2.0% 4 .0% 3.80/;-~ Advanced 11.2% 17.0% 17.80/;-~ Proficient 30.3% 35.9% 38.00/;-~ Basic ).? O% 37.3% 42.~

Below Basic 41.8% 36.2% 35.7% ~ Untested 14.8% 6.9% 4.8% 23.2% 9.2% 7,51 -SAT-9 Math Test - J Advanced 1.5% 3.2% 3.8% - 0.8 0.6% 1.1% Proficient 7.3% 11.8% 13.1% ~ 8.3% 6.1 Basic 26.1% 32.7% 34.6% 15.4%. 22.2% 21.51

Below Basic 48.7% 45.7% 43.7% 49.3% 56.0% 59.9 Untested 16.4% 6.6% 5.0% 29.6% 12.5% 11 .7i

SAT-9 Science Test Advanced 0.3% 1.1% 1.9% 0.3% 1.1% 1.1 Proficient 5.3% 11.1% 14.7% 3.8% 8.0% 6.0 Basic 33.8% 42.7% 47.2% 18.9%- 27.5% 25.8 Below Basic 45.2% 39.0% 31.9% 47.1% 51.3% 56.4 Untested 15.4% 6.1% 4.3% 29.8% 12.2% 10.]

I

Pennsylvania System of School Assessment 5th grade 8th grade Averaqe readinq score Average math score

About the SAT-9 The SAT-9 (Stanford Achievement Test Ninth Edition)

is a standardized test that has been administered districtwide in Philadelphia each spring since 1996. It is used to measure both school success and student attainment of the School District's performance standards. Each of the three sections of the SAT-9 (reading, math. and science) consists of multiple choice and "open-ended" questions.

On each section. students get a numerical score which determines whether they are categorized as Untested (failing to take the test or respond to a bare minimum number of questions), Below Basic (showing little mastery of the material). Basic (showing partial mastery). Proficient (showing solid performance), or Advanced (superior performance). For Philadelphia. the testing company has

Assons from

1090 1100

Children

.s;;[chieving

1090 1140

broken down the Below Basic score further (into Below Basic I, II, and III); for space reasons, we have collapsed

1140 1080 1120 11 1140 1070 1120 11

those three scores into one in this table. We show what percentage of students' scores fall into each category at each of three grade levels.

SAT-9 scores and other school performance data are available for each school on the School District's web site at www.phila.k12.pa.uslschools. or from the principal. Each student who takes the SAT-9 (administered to students in grades 2. J, 4. 7. 8, 10, and 11) receives a detailed report on hislhersmres in the fall.

About the PSSA The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment

(PSSA) is a statewide, standardized test used to mo nitor school performance and students' success at attaining state academic standards. The test is administered each

The School District now offers universal full-day kindergarten.

Graduation rates have climbed steadily since 1996

15,000

10,000

5,000 Students

enrolled in full-day

kindergarten

Source:

1994 School District

2000 of Philadelphia

60%1-+

LU111

--.-l---1--+1-.--tI---r-5

:

9 54.7

52.2

48.9 49.2

40%1--+---i---t--r--i

.. ". .. - . - -------20%

----;9~0 1996 1997

Percent studen1

complete set

-=-SCHOOL NO .OOK . SPRING 2001 ~8 ______ _

~rmance of Philadelphia students

lOGO 8th q rad e 11th gra d e

~9S 2000 1996 1995 2000

7:0% ~O% 30.6% 14.3% 14.9% 18.3%

~ ~.2% 47.6% 68.2% 69.0% 66.3%

- 1- _

~ e---

~.O% 3.4% 1.5% 0.9% 1.3% 1.0%

~ ~18.9% 16.2% 5.5% 7.2% 8.4%

~ 32.0% 37.3 % 42.8% 19.5% 25.6% 29.3%

~ ~o 32.0% 3 1.6% 46.0% 43.3% ~.8% 23.2% 9.2% 7.5% 42.4% 19.8% 18.0%

- --3.8% 0.6% 1.1% 0.8% 0.5% 0.8% 0.9% 3.1 % 5.1% 8.3% 6.1% 4.4% 5.2% 4.7% ~.6% 15.40/;'- 22.2% 21.5% 7.1% 10.5% 11.6% L3.7% 49.3% 56.0% 59.9% 38.1% 57.2% 57.3% l5.0% 29.6% 12.5% 11.7% 49.9% 26.2% 25.6%

1.9% 0.3% 1. 1% 1.1% 0 .0% 0.1% 0.1% 4.7 % 3.8% 8.0% 6.0% 0 .9% 1.5% 1.6% ~7.2% 18.9%- 27.5% 25.8% 4.3% 7.0% 8.8% 11.9% 47.1% 51.3% 56.4% 39.9% 63.8% 67.1% t4.3% 29.8% 12.2% 10.7% 55.0% 27.5% 22.5%

l 8th grade 11th grade

1140 1080 1120 1120 1160 1140 1130 1140 1070 1120 1130 11 70 11 20 11 60

lose three scores into one in this table. We show what ercentage of students' scores fall into each category at 3ch of three grade level,

spring in reading and math to all Pennsylvania public school students in grades 5, 8, and 11 . Tests consist of both multiple choice questions and questions that require a written answer. The table above does not show results of the PSSA writing assessment, which is given in grades 6,9 and 11.

SAT-9 scores and other school performance data re available for each school on the School District's web te at www.phila.k12.pa.uslschools. or from the princial. Each student who takes the SAT-9 (administered to tudents in grades 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, and 11) receives a etailed report on his/herscores in the fall.

~bout the PSSA The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment

'SSA) is a statewide, standardized test used to monitor chool performance and students' success at attaining tate academic standard, The test is administered each

The scores shown above for each grade and test are the School District's "average scaled scores" on the PSSA. The average statewide score on each of the tests is about 1300, with scores usually ranging from a low of about 900 to a high of about 1600.

PSSA results for each public school in the state are available on the state Department of Education web site, www.pde.psu.edu. lndividualstudentscores are provided to their school only.

The District's Latino enrollment has grown rapidly since 1994, while the percentage of white students has dropped ...

4.6 % Asian American

4.9% Asian American

but African American and Latino students continue to be underrepresented at 5 selective admission high schools.

figures are for enrollment at Bodine, CAPA, Carver, Central, and Girls. Source: School District of Philadelphia.

Philadelphia still far exceeds the state average in percentage of students who are low-income.

Philadelphia ____ - .... =...Pennsylvania

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education, data for 1999.

lation rates have climbed steadily since 1996

More schools have reduced the number of students who score poorly on the SAT-9 tests . ..

Press coverage of Philadelphia public schools has increased.

aft' 1.2

Percentage of students who

completed high school in

4 years

Soulce: School Distrkt

of Philadelphia

Number of

1996 5 schools where

3/4 of students score " Basic"

1998 or better

2000 36

but fewer schools met their targets for improvement last year.

both 8 years 1

L-~------------

Number of schools that met

their two-year performance

targets

Source: School District

of Philadelphia

7001------------------

6001------r"71----------r ...........

500

400

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Total number of stories in Inquirer and Daily News referring to Phi ladelphia Public Schools

Source: www.philiynews.com

11

SPRING 2001 12 PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK

Teachers assess Hornbeck, Children Achieving by Ron Whitehorne

Former Superintendent David Hornbeck and his ambitious Children Achieving reform program stirred controversy and sometimes outrage in the ranks of Philadelphia teachers corps.

A new accountability system based primarily on standardized test results, a new organizational structure, and a perception that the views of teachers and their union leadership did not count for much - all gave rise to criticism of the superintendent.

A,ssons from

focus on test preparation often discol)raged teaching innovation.

Lance Rougeaux, a third-year teacher at Julia de Burgos, can1e to Philadelphia in part because he believed in the message of high expectations for all students. "But faced with the demands of being a first-year teacher, it aU seemed pretty abstract," Rougeaux said. He added that teachers needed more time to share best practices and flesh out the curriculum frameworks if the instructional goals of Children Achieving were to be realized.

Ben Lariccia, a teacher and technology leader at Central East Middle School, said that Children Achieving's emphasis on

But with Hornbeck gone and parts of his plan being reconsidered or abandoned, some teachers offer positive assessments of aspects of the Children Achieving reform.

;:~:~~i;!nt choa~m:On~~ Former Superintendent Hornbeck and teachers' union President Ted Kirsch. Teachers said Hornbeck made a serious mistake in not reaching out to teachers and forging alliances with their union, but some also

fruit in the classroom. faulted the union for not making common cause with Hornbeck on the issue of funding . "Enrichment programs like

Impact in the classroom The bottom line in measuring any educa

tional reform is what impact it has in the classroom on teaching and learning. Children Achieving promoted "standards-driven instruction" and "performance assessment" - namely that instruction focus on students' learning specific concepts and sldlls and demonstrating their understanding in real-life situations. Staff development and new curriculum frameworks were instruments for promoting this model.

While teachers we interviewed pointed to unevenness in this process, many said their teaching had changed for the better.

Ben Sears, a veteran history teacher and union activist at West Philadelphia High School, said he moved to a project-based style of teaching during this period and saw a real difference in his students' level of engagement

Baleita Fields, a teacher and SLC coordinator at Julia de Burgos Middle School, cited staff development that promoted service learning as a positive influence on her teaching.

Several teachers told the Notebook they got more support for innovative, constructivist, student-centered teaching practices. They said administrators were more likely to recognize and positively evaluate this Idnd of teaching than in the past.

At the same time, some teachers said the

Urban Bridges, which established artist residencies at schools in the Olney Cluster, have made a difference," Lariccia said.

Accountability and clusters While many teachers have concerns about

the fairness and effectiveness of the Children Achieving accountability system, they also acknowledge that some system was politically necessary if the School District was going to get a hearing for its demands for · increased funding.

As Sears observed, ''Hombeck didn't invent high-stakes testing."

Still teachers said they remain unconvinced that the test results are a reliable indication of school progress or a fair measure of their teaching prowess.

The reorganization of schools into clusters is a step that many teachers saw as a poor use of scarce resources.

Dennis Bamebey, teacher and building rep at Germantown High School, characterized the launching of the clusters as "pushing the ship away from the dock and then worrying about how to build it."

But Lariccia maintained that the cluster leadership had brought fresh approaches and energy to the schools, perhaps a reflection of the greater investment the District made in the first "cohort" of six clusters.

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An incomplete agenda Teachers interviewed by the Notebook all take seriously the core principle of Children Achieving that aU children can learn at high levels, given the proper supports. But they added that these sup-

Lariccia added "Being right isn't enough .. . If you're going to fight Pharaoh, you'd better have some weapons in your bag."

But these teachers also pointed out that the defeat in the battle for fundi ng was not

Hornbeck's exclusive

ports, for the most part, remain absent from Philadelphia schools.

Hornbeck got credit from these teachers for establishing full-day Idndergarten and for his willingness to fight for full funding for his

'We need to recognize what works and build on that - not start

all over again.'

responsibility - the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers failed to make common cause with Hornbeck on this issue. And teachers criticized the Mayor and District leadership for retreat-

- teacher Ba leita Fields

program. His refusal to cut back on reforms or to inlplement promotion standards without the proper supports for students were cited by some as strong moral leadership.

But Hornbeck lost the fight to wrest more resources from the state, teachers said.

In the view of many teachers, Hombeck made a serious mistake in not reaching out to teachers and forging alliances with their union. His failure, as Sears put it, "to give credit for things that were done by others before him," alienated many. The manner in which Olney High School was "keystoned" brought these weaknesses of Hornbeck's leadership style into sharp focus.

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ing from battle with the Ridge administration in exchange for an increase in fu nds that still leaves the District facing a massive deficit.

Summing up the School District's mission in the post-Hornbeck era, Baleita Fields commented, "We need to recogni ze what works and what was positive and build on that - not start allover again."

But Regina James, a veteran teacher, put forward the widely shared view that more resources are essential. Without "lower class size and more resources like classroom assistants," real, long-term gains are unlikely, she said.

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SPRING 2001 --Pare] uode • Criticism; failure to se, give parents school decis

by Myrtle L. Na

Designed to I

around, the Chi Idr mer Superintend given grades aver. of publiC school : Notebook.

Parents' highe: for standards-drive day kindergarten, ment, and comm atnibuted the prog! dards, the introdl grams, and pro sional developme

Cecilia Jame parent organize: Welsh Elemen School with Alliance Organi; Project, said she professional deve ment as key to refoffi1 effort.

"Professional development is most inlportant til You have to i teachers the tool be successful and for the students. I

teachers can no lo! write on the b01 learn," she said.

While ackno" inlprovement, sh students in Phila the levels of their

Despite what ~ elementary school cern at what happ the whole, the paJ

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( made a ,me also

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Parents note modest gains under Children Achieving • Criticisms include the failure to secure funding and give parents a greater voice in school decisions.

by Myrtle L. Naylor

Designed to turn Philadelphia schools around, the Children Achieving agenda of former Superintendent David Hornbeck was given grades averaging a C-minus by a group of public school parents interviewed by the

Notebook. Parents ' highest praise for the agenda was

for standards-driven classroom instmction, fuUday kindergarten, increased paJ'ental involvement, and community partnerships. They atuibuted the progress in classrooms to the standards, the introduction of new literacy programs, and profes-sional development.

a major change in the middle and high schools. Oue parent pointed to problems in restruc

turi ng high schools into smaillearnino communities (SLCs). Henry Stafford is aOparent of seven children, whose last child oraduated from Overbrook High School this ~ast year. He said what he saw taking place at Overbrook with SLCs was more of a "smokescreen."

"If the idea was to keep the kids together to help them learn, then that is what should have happened. How can you have them in one place one year, one place for half of another year and then back to where they were in the first place? The whole thing made no sense and it just turned into a game of musical chairs. It might have not been that great a place before, but it only seemed to get worse," Stafford said,

Whereas efforts to promote increased parental involvement got high marks, attempts

(0 establish local deci-sion-making were

Cecilia James, a parent organizer at Welsh Elementary School with the Alliance Organizing Project, said she saw professional development as key to the reform effort.

Despite what was viewed as progress at the elementary school level, parents indicated

called ineffecti ve by parents. While welcoming the chance to be involved in schools at a different level, parents said that for the most part they found schools still shutting them out and pushing them back into the roles of fundraisers and hall monitors.

"Professional development is the most inaportant thing. You have to give

concern at what happened after those grades.

teachers the tools to be successful and to be able to do what is best for the students. Coupled with the standards, teachers can no longer just go into a classroom, write on the board and expect chi ldren to ., learn," she said.

While acknowledging that there had been inaprovement, she expressed frustration that students in PhiJadelphia were still not up to the levels of their suburban counterparts.

Despite what was viewed as progress at the elementary school level, parents inclicated concem at what happened after those grades. On the whole, the parents interviewed clid not see

Volunteers welcome! The Public School Notebook depends on

the volunteer assistance we receive in many areas, including: research, writing, proofreacling, photography, distribution, fundraising, and advertising sales. If you would like to lend your talents or develop a skill, please call the Notebook office,

(215) 951-0330 x107, or email to [email protected].

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With the call being made for everyone in

the system to be held accountable, parents stated that they need to be included in decisionmaking. There is strong sentiment among these Qarents thatJhe administration should have been more forceful in inaplementing and supporting school councils, with parents having a real say as to what took place at their schools.

Diane Bridges, a Home and School president and School Council member at Hartranft Elementary School, commented, "Every school has ir.dividual needs. Now is the time for councils to be up and effective - where there are genuine partnerships with parents

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A Kearny School parent arrives with her children. Parents expressed praise for some of the Children Achieving reforms, induding full-day kindergarten, expanded professional development, and efforts to increase parental involvement. But overall evaluations were mixed.

and school staff. Parents need to have a voice at that table and be a part of all areas that affect our children."

While the parents interviewed said some schools experienced some success, they felt that most schools made little or no progress. They expressed a number of theories about the obstacles: the power of the teachers union, the fact that the message was not communicated clearly or received by all , or failure to do the proper "homework" to insure everyone was using the same program.

Parents pointed to one critical failing of the former Superintendent and the plan: the inability to secure adequate funcling sources, which would have allowed schools to attract the most qualified certified teachers, upgrade instructional materials, repair and maintain buildings, and reduce class size.

Despite some strong criticisms of Children Achieving, parents cautioned not to scrap everything. All agreed that this is a starting point and a place to begin building to move forward.

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A principal describes how the SAT-9 test affected his decision-making

How schools respond to accountability system Thefollowing article details a 1997 inter

view with Joel DiBarlOlomeo, who \Vas then principal at Bartram High School. He described the impact of Children Achieving's "Professional Respansibility System," which rates each school's peljonnallce on all illdex based 011 standardized test scores, alTendance, and plVmotion and graduation rates.

Joel DiBartolomeo, a high school principal, provided insight into how a school can organize to respond to the accountability mandates imposed by the Professional Responsibility System and thoughtfully questioned its impact on educational practice.

At flfst, he said, he and many other high school principals did not fully comprehend the signi ficance of the performance index, as demonstrated by the low participation rate of eleventh graders in the first testing round. Many principals did not understand that the performance index counts every child in the school population, not just those who take the test. A child who does not take the test results in a zero for the school. At this principal's school, only 58 percent took the test in the flfSt round, but 95 percent took the test in the second round.

DiBartolomeo claimed that, in fact, his school staff did a lot of work on learning how the SAT-9 was devised and what it measured. Then they developed and taught general testtaking strategies that would help srudents perform well on the test and increase his school's performance index score.

His school acrually developed a plan for each component of the test. The SAT-9 measures math, reading, and science. His school devised a separate plan for each subject.

Photo: School DistrictofPhiiadelphiafTommy leonardi

Many school staffs work on developing strategies that will help students perform well on the SAT-9 test.

''By the time the kids got the test, they were reasonably fan1iliar with the kind of items they would encounter," he noted. 'We made sure that everything we did at the school resulted in a better performance index. It was a decision we made and it wasn't a comfortable decision-and that's the tension when you're involved in a system like this, because you're dealing with an aggregate whole and you tend to lose sight of individual children. But that's the system and it's part of my job to make sure that the school does well, and if the school does well, then kids and staff feel good about their school and so can parents."

This observation led to his second point: "I don't think that [the index] necessarily leads

to good practice." He felt that some of the intangible elements of successful schoolsleadership, parent and community involvement, collaboration based on an ethos of continuous lean1ing-are not measured by the performance index. He noted that the Professional Responsibility System doesn't encourage risktaking; in fact, it does just the opposite. In his opinion, the system encourages a return to more traditional approaches. Risk-taking, however, is an essential ingredient in a learning organization-which is what schools are.

DiBartolomeo gave another eXaD1ple of how the performance index was affecting resource selection. Before the index was introduced, his school had been moving in the

direction of eliminating department heads and investing completely in teacher coordinators who would be leaders of their small learning communities.

"Now you have a perfomlance index which measures perfoffi1ance in reading, science, and math. Well, if that's important, I'm going to go out and get English, science, and math department heads. If I'm going to do better on the test in the short lUn, I better have a subject-area expert who can break it down to kids [0 do bener on the test. Before, everybody was anti-department. Everyone thought that small lean1ing communities should be the entity from which all this stuff would spring. But that 's not going to happen now."

These candid statements reflect one school leader's pragmatic view on the effect of the perfoffi1ance index on his school's organization and practice. This particular principal was in no way being reactionary. On the contrary, he fully recognized the broader set of imperatives being addressed by the accountability system and acknowledged the inherent tensions.

"Which master do you serve?" he asked. "If I serve this performance index, then I'm going one way. If I didn't have to pay attention to that, then I'd do something else."

Reprinted from the book Beyond Finger· Pointing and Test Scores (1999), by Lauren E. Allen and Anne C. Hallell. Beyond Finger Pointing and Test Scores is available from the Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform by phone or mail. To order. call (312) 322-4880 or write: 407 South Dearborn St. , Suite 1500, Chicago, 1L 60605

SPRING 2001 -Prio

The Notebool and weaknesses, grOUP of presel Excerpts of the di

Charles High

Strawberry Mans ly started workinl Development Hi Hanna was prin Willard element, administrator in Deborah Jumpp, at the Center. ~

Beeber Middle ~ interviewed by DI

Notebook: L< and contrasting nificant change! Children Achie\

Highsmith: Achieving was to program to be par Were it not for H probably woul, Development as Strawberry Man~

Hanna: The · doors and welco taking over at Sh{ were banging dov GED for parents, ing until 6 or 7 at ing on the news c ing in an auditor screaming, sayin: our kids, which is diately [Hornbecl ing teacher, mad, late. That was ve

The challeng, CODlfnunity eng Achieving: "shm you're doing, inv thestaffitwasd' some negative e; nily. They had op< stabbed in the ba we aU worked to:

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Principals:, schools need more effective supports The Notebook spoke about the strengths

and weaknesses of Children Achieving with a group of present and former principals. Excerpts of the discussion are below.

Charles Highsmith served as principal of Strawberry Mansion High School, and recently started working as afacililator of the Talent Development High School program. Tomas Hanna was principal of Sheppard and then Willard elementary schools and is now an administrator in Education for Employment. Deborah lumpp, former director of Students at the Center, was appointed principal at BeebeI' Middle School last year. They were interviewed by Debra Weiner and Paul Socolar.

Notebook: Looking back five or six years and contrasting it to today, what are the significant changes that happened during the Children Achieving era?

Highsmith: The charge of Children Achieving was to get a national research-based program to be part of your instructional efforts. Were it not for Hornbeck's decree to do that, I probably would not have had Talent Development as the model that we chose [at Strawberry Mansion].

Hanna: The whole notion of opening the doors and welcoming the community. I was taking over at Sheppard at a time when parents were banging down the doors saying, 'We want GED for parents, we want access to the building until 6 or 7 at night." I' ll never forget seeing on the news coverage one evening, a meeting in an auditorium with parents crying and screanning, saying we want the same thing for our kids, which is excellence . . . and then immediately [Hornbeck] appointed a bilingual reading teacher, made sure the building was open late. That was very attractive to me. r--- ~- - - - - --

teachers also felt the level of comfort. I would say that the "smaller is better" part

of the clusters - and having a strong cluster leader - was important to us.

Jumpp: I really love the standards. I think it's a way of leveling the playing field, of making sure that the students that I work with are being exposed to and learning the same things that students who are more affluent are leaming and experiencing.

I also love the community aspect. It's just very difficult and complex to work with that.

I came into a school that did not have a Home and School. And so my first couple of months I got together a Home and School. I had maybe three parents that would come to the meeting. Then in September, we got more parents. And now I'm holding elections to have a school council. I have a really active Home and School, and parents that are a part of Home and School are real astute. They work with the community in ways I was not able to do at all.

We have partners in the community. So now, when I walk around the community, businesses know me. We talk about the community.

Hanna: One of the things that Children Achieving got us to do is to look at numbers. We found that in geometry and math, we were weak, the writing was difficult. So we ratcheted up in these areas.

These are the Below Basic III [students], what are you going to do about it? Here are the funds you have. So we start Saturday schools. You filled Saturday schools using data you got from downtown that said this percentage of kids are Below Basic. These are the ones, if you push, their scores are going to go up. And 10 and behold ... we can do this!

Notebook: One of the critid<;ms of Children - Achieving was that it didn't pay enough atten-

~---." lion to principals. Is that legitimate?

The challenge was sticking to that whole community engag~ment piece of Children Achieving: "share the wealth, tell folks what you're doing, invite them in." And initially for the staff it was difficult because they had had some negative experiences with the community. They had opened up and felt like they were stabbed in the back. We were fortunate in that we all worked together and made sure that the

Highsmith: Consideting that nothing is perfect, that was probably a legitimate rap. To this day many principals feel unattended to. And while Torruls spoke very nicely about his cluster leader and I can say the same about mine, there are clusters that are unable to relate to and or assist ptincipals.

I can get 20 hours of service from [Talent Development staff], and I cannot even begin to tell you that I can get 20 hours of service from [cluster and District staff]. There's a problem with that. It's tough when you see all this other activity that can not or does not impact.

But if people are talking about getting rid of the networks and clusters - I don't think any principals have been involved in any discussion about what is working for us and who we think is servicing us.

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Pictures adorn a stairwell at the Welsh School. Principals said that addressing the condition of facilities was an area where much support is needed.

Notebook: So there's a chunk of the bureaucracy that does not directly service the staff in schoolS?

Highsmith: They don't service them, and they haven' t been to the schools. That's the worst slap of all. There are people in serious positions who haven't been inside your building and won't be coming any time soon. There are some cluster leaders that don't even go into schools. Of course, there are principals who don't go out in their hallways.

But there is a goad new breed of principals who know that it's important to be visible. And that's part of our new wave of challenges. How do we build this capacity to help each other? The way it's been built so far is not really effective.

Hanna: A piece that just blew me away when I became a principal was The condition of the facilities. Someone from Facilities says, 'What's wrong with it?" at which point I say, 'Would you send your kid to this school?"

You would hope to have 260 building principals who get upset enough to get this stuff fIxed. I think it's gotten a little better. But do we have to wait for tables to fall- for basketball hoops to break - for us to move?

Notebook: In the next stage of school reform here what modifications in the agenda would add to the principal's effectiveness?

Jumpp: Curricula We have standards. They are beautiful because they gi ve the teacher a lot of freedom to teach materials as long as kids are achieving the standards. However, the reality is that particularly in middle school, we have a lot of new teachers. As they struggle, I struggle to provide all kinds of supports for them.

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What works well a lot of times is a script -something that's prescribed. And that piece is taken off of their shoulders.

Another piece is paying attention to the principalship, and the degree to which the principal is involved in ongoing, consistent professional development.

Highsmith: It sure would be nice to be able to hire some of the staff. It still upsets me greatly that people walk in there and tell me they're assigned to my building, so we are robbed right away when we don't have an opportunity to interview people.

At least send us three of them. Let the person have to impress me to get ajob. You do that everywhere else in the world.

Notebook: What other resources are you most desperate to get?

Highsmith: Teachers. One year I had 18 vacancies. I still have maybe eight subs.

We say the kids have to take more Spanish now, but we don't have any Spanish teachers. But you've got to live in the city. So that 's a block right there we put out for oursel ves.

So now I'm in the predicament where it doesn't even make sense in the budget to ask for another Spanish teacher even though I need one - because I'm not going to get one, and then I'll end up with a sub who is no value to me. I might as well get something else I can use, and then be real creative as to how and when I offer the years of Spanish the kids must take.

We raise our standards without the foresight to figure out where we will get the people to teach [ to them].

Sharon Tucker provided editorial assistance.

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16 PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK

Fight highlights high school inequities

A racially charged cafeteria fight at George Wash ington High School in Northeast Pruladelprua has raised issues of institutional rac ism and brought attention to a range of prob lems of uneq ual treatment of African

American students A recent in vesti gation by the District

Attorney's office of the January fight found

SPRING 2001

Racism in special education placement? ' : African Amerlcan ciliJdren are almost three times as likely as white ciliJdren to be labeled as mentally retarded and placed in special education classes, according to a new set of reports released by the Civil Rights Project at Harvru-d

University. Researchers com m.issioned by the Ci vil

Rights Project also found that African American boys

ev idence of repeated racist statements and whi te supremacist activity by two white Wasrungton students who

News Inprief

who lived in weal thier communiti es with more white classmates were at greater risk of being labeled

police had claimed were the victims in the

fight. The investigation, launched in response to

community protests, a lso found that one African American student who was jailed for fighting had in no way been involved.

When the fight broke out at the school in January, three P. , ican American males were

arrested. The three students were incarcerated for

their roles in the fighting (one was charged with attempted murder), but no charges were brought against two wrute males. The NAACP intervened in the case on behalf of the African American students, charging that the po lice and the School District treated them unfairl y, and also arguing that felony charges were inappropriate in a fi stfight.

Adding to the ev idence of unfair treatment were revelations that the fight grew out of tensions from a rustory of racial slurs and taunts aimed at African American students at Wasrungton . There were many reports that a group of wrute students at the school openly identified with racist or neo-Nazi hate groups.

African American parents at the school also raised the concern that their chi ldre(l are sparsely represented in the more advanced and challenging classes at the school.

After demonstrations at City Hall about the handling of the case, the District Attorney's office agreed to reinvestigate. Five weeks later, noting the rustory of racial harassment, they agreed to drop all charges against the African Amerlcan students.

The student body at Washington is 54 percent white, 27 percent African American, 13 percent Asian American and 6 percent Latino.

The School District has expanded its training efforts around diversity issues at the school.

With ongoing evidence of racist slurs on tables and lockers and with unresolved problems about unequa l access to challenging courses, issues of racial equity at Wasrungton High School - and other schools - will need further attention.

mentally retarded and assigned to special education than those in low income conu11unities with fewer wrute classmates.

The reports suggest that because of racial bias or poor training: many students of color are being inappropriate ly labeled mentally retarded, and that once they are placed in special education they end up with less than they need.

In Pennsylvania, African American students are nearly twice as likely as whites to be labeled mentally retarded. Hispanics are 1 1/2 times more likely to get trus label.

Reseru-chers noted that the students of color who were assigned to special education classes were less li kely to be returned to regul ar classes than their wh.ite peers.

"Special education is a civil rights issue; minority treatment witrun special education is a civil rights issue," commented Gru-y Orfield, co-director of the Civil Rights Project.

15 schools to select their teaching staff

Fifteen schools ru-e now using a new sitebased teacher selection process for filling vacancies - a significant provision in the new teachers' contract.

At these 15 schools, a school-based personnel committee that includes the principal, teachers, and a pru-ent will interview and select teachers to fill vacancies for the coming school year.

In the rest of the system, teachers continue to have their pick of job openings in order of the teachers' seniori ty.

The new ruring system is de>igned to perm.it schools that want it to gain greater control over their staffing.

Any school could opt into th e new sitebased selection process, but at least two-thirds of the school's staff had to approve the change prior to a December 31 deadline, in a vote that was supervised by the PiliJadelprua Federation of Teachers (PFT).

See " Teacher" on p. 18

RFB&D Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic

.> As volunteers we joyfully put textbooks on tape for our more than 70% Dyslexic borrowers.

);> Helping reading-disabled from elementary through post-post-graduate .

.> We start by learning to record - then on to actua~ reading, ~ith more jobs associated, such as: bookmarkmg, checking, duplicating, office support - OH MY!

Come look over our Philadelphia Studio, out in Bryn Mawr.

Call (610) 527-2222.

SPRING 2001 ---Sc Admin

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~-.1

SPRING 2001 PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK

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Pick up a Science in the Summer brochure and registration form at your local public library.

17

Activism around the city

Mansion students win improvements

In recent winte rs, students at Strawberry Mansion High School have had to wear coats, hats, scarves, and gloves in some of ilieir classrooms, But iliis year students decided not to put up wiili iliese conditions any more.

Student activists from the Strawberry Mansion chapter of Youili United for Change cYU.c.) have successfully organized to wi n inlprovements in their building.

YU.c. brings togeilier students to identify cornman concems at ilieir schools and ilien take collective action. Last fall , ilie YU.c. chapter at Strawberry Mansion, concerned about inade

quate heating, learned iliat ilie school ha' four boilers, but only two were working.

Students met wiili Thomas McGlinche ilie School District's Chief Operating Officel and they secured a promise to repair the bwken boilers and to tour the facility to look at other problems. In subsequent meetings, students won a commitment to replace all ilie windows in ilie school. fIx leaks in ilie roof, paint bathrooms, and complete additional repairs.

At a January assembly celebrating ilieir victory, YU.c. students also asked ilieir fell ow students to take better care of ilieir building.

yu.c. member Eboni Roberts said she was glad students had gotten togeilier to deal wiili ilie building problems, but added, "Fixing iliis kind of stuff should be automatic."

She said she hoped to tackle additiona! issues through YU.c., such as getting enoug:l computers and computer teachers at ilie schoc I

For nwre in/omwtion on Yourh United/llr Change, call 215-423-9588.

New school funding system sought for PA

The Pennsylvania Campaign for Public Education, a statewide coalition iliat is active in Phil adelph.ia, has been meeting with state legislators to urge iliem to support legislation for a more equitable funding system for public education in Pennsylvania.

There are a few relevant bills under discussion this session in Harrisburg. House Resolution 42 would create a select committee, wh.ich would recommend a new funding system by September 15. State Senator James Rhoades and Representative Nicholas Colafella are each re-introducing bills iliat would change ilie way that public education is funded: baili bills shift away from reliance on local property taxes and increase state education funding by raising ilie state income tax.

PCPE members are also monitoring state legislation aimed to address ilie teacher shortage.

For infol7nation, call 215-563-5848.

Demanding 'Education, Not Incarceration'

"Education, Not Incarceration" is ilie ilieme of a conference being organi zed by ilie Philadelph ia chapter of the Black Radical Congress and co-sponsored by ilie American Friends Service Committee.

The event is part of a national campaign linking problems in public education and what conference organizers call ilie "crisis of criminal justice - racial profIli ng, police brutality, ilie crinlinalization of Black and Latino youili, and ilie mass incarceration of over one million African Americans wiiliin the U.S."

Debbie Bell, conference coordinator, pointed to tile "polarizing effects wirnin U.S . society of creating substandard schools for young Blacks and urban poor and ilien placing a h.igh percentage of ilie same population imo jails."

The conference is March 31 fro m 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at ilie Friends Center, 1501 Cherry St.

For more in/o/1rlQtion, call 215-242-9066.


Protesting the high price of going to school Studellls from the Philadelphia Studellf

Unioll rallied alld testified ill City Council on March 7 urging city action to address the burden of paying for school tokens. Here are excelptsfrom the commellts of two students.

My name is Tara Colston, and r am a sophomore at Simon Gratz High School.

I am faced with the issue of getting to schoo l due to token cost. My parents spend $37.00 per week - that is $148.00 per month - to get my siblings and me to and from school. I feel that school is already challenging enough, deal ing with the lack of books, teachers, school supplies, etc. Why do SEPTA, the school board, city, and state fee l another challenge is necessary?

Although my family is not poor by School District standards, there have been a few times where r have had to stay home from school be:ause we did not have money for tokens. I

Teacher selection continued from p. 16

Between the late contract settlement in the fall and the need for the District and union to develop guidelines for implementing the new contract language, schools were left with a

, window of just a few weeks to fami liarize themselves with the new hiring process and organize a vote before the deadline.

Most schools are taki ng a wait-and-see attitude toward the new process. Schools can adopt school-based hiring for the 2002-03 year by voting between now and December 31, 200 l.

would like to say through personal experience that it has a drastic effect on truancy. I have many friends who miss school on a regular basis because they don't have tokens. r suspect that between 30 and 50 students miss school every day at my school because they can't afford tokens.

I COMMENTARY I

If you don' t believe me, call my principal. The assistant principal and several teachers at my school spend money out of their own packets to give out tokens every day, because they recognize that students need tokens to get to school. I don' t ever recall that being part of a teacher or principal 's job description.

For many students, whether or not they have a token is the primary issue in whether they go to school. It is a huge burden. It should

According to the PFT, at more than 30 schools staff voted down the new system. At ten additional schools that are considered hard to staff, the District invited principals to bring their schools into the process as pilot schools; these were cleared to participate without a faculty vote, but only the Lea School agreed to take part.

The 15 schools include three middle schools - AMY (Alternative Middle Years) at James Martin, AMY Northwest, and Clemente Middle School - and one high school - Franklin Learning Center. The other schools are Adaire, Bluford , H.A. Brown, Cassidy, Dobson , Henry, McClure, McMichael, and Overbrook Elementary Schools, and Overbrook Education Center.

mentor (men' tor), n. 1. a wise and trusted

friend. 2. provider of support,

counsel, friendship and constructive example.

3 . provider of consistent and regular contact on an individual or small group basis.

DID A MENTOR MAKE A DIFFERE~CE IN YOUR LIFE?

ARE YOU A MENTOR?

SCHOOL D ISTRICT OF PHI LADELPHIA FAMILY RESOURCE NETWORK

The Greater Philadelphia Mentoring Partnership at UnitedWayA OI~~"

mo~ ALVA e:t)t~ot<.

Htt1H SCf{OOL

not be this way. Many students are ashamed to go around begging for tokens. They shouldn 't have to beg to get to school.

I understand that many of you are working to find new and creative ways to pay for the tokens, but this has been going on for many years and nothing has changed. Meanwhile, I am losing out. This is my education and my future at stake. I want to go to school and I want to learn, but I need your help.

My name is Jeremy Kaplan. I am a senior at Mastennan High School and a fTlember of the Philadelphia Student Union.

The price of school tokens is a major obstacle to getting an education for many students in this city. Thousands of families across this city are burdened by these costs. This is not right,

and we demand that something be done about it New York, Pittsburgh, Erie and many other

cities all provide free public transportation for their students. Students in Boston and San Francisco pay one-third and one-fourth, respectively, of what we pay in Philadelphia. Meanwhile we are paying $9 per week to get a public education.

We tell students that it is crucial that they go to school every day, which it is. But then we leave them on their own to fi gure out how to pay for it.

We know that the money is out there. The city has a large budget surplus and is spending far more than this on stadiums. We know that when City Council makes up its mind to do something, you can get it done. Our education and our future are at stak,e.

~ PARENTS • SCHOOLS • COMMUNITIES

United for Kids

Become a part of

PROJECT 10,000 A Children Achieving Agenda Initiative

Recruit and Match 10,000 New Volunteers with Schools

For more information contact

The Project 10,000 Office , The School District of Philadelphia

21st Street & The Parkway, Room 505 Philadelphia, PA 19103

(215) 299-7307 or (215) 299-7461

........................................................................................ Yes, I want to devote time to the Philadelphia Public School

students and I want to be a Project 10,000 volunteer.

N~e ____________________________________ ___

Address ______ ___ _ ___ Zip Code __ __

Phone ~) ________________ ____ _

SPRING 2001 -------Ho~ Hombe( by Dina portn

In 1987-88, ! c onnie Clayton people to consi schools and the students were be

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How a ,movement to reform high schools withered Hornbeckfalled to tap those who had built small learning communities by Dina Portnoy

In 1987-88, former school Superintendent Connie Clayton invited some local university people to consider the comprehensive high schools and the fact that over 60 percent of tile students were being held back or dropping out.

folios, and exhibitions; and 4) professional development should be designed and implemented by teachers.

continue it. He declared that now everyone would have to do it - as if mandating it would make it happen, as if "one size fits all. " Embedded in his actions, I believe, was a dis-respect for teachers.

I don 't believe that he would ever under-

professional development that had ever existed in the city - PIUHSIPRISM and PSC - was abandoned in favor of the new Teaching and Learning Network (TLN).

Now, the teachers in classrooms, who were doing the work. were not the ones develop

[GUEST OPINIO

This heralded the birth of the Philadelphia Schools Collaborative (PSC), Philadelphia 's first effort to break up comprehensive iligil schools into small leanning communities, (originally called "houses," ulen called "cilarters").

Like other attempts at change, this restructuring of the high schools ran into a number of problems: a failure to Sufficiently involve administrators and the PhiJacielphia Federation of Teachers (PFT); the PFT's refusal to consider the positive aspects of developing small schools-within-schools; the resistance of some teachers to change; the resistance of administrators to giving teachers more of a voice in schoo ls; and finally, Hornbeck's arrival as superintendent in the middle of the process.

It 's hard to argue with Hornbeck 's deep belief in the need to make education better for poor children in Philadelphia. And I supported his stand that the state funding for education in Philadelphia is insufficient and racist

stand th is as disrespect. Hornbeck embraced the national standards movement and the testi ng that went along with it. He argued that teachers were very much engaged in developi ng the

When it comes to urban kids, if we

don't see big changes right away, people

say it's failed.

ing and leading professio nal development. Rather, a new layer in the bureaucracy was created , teachers were taken out of the classroom, and they were made

The PSC used data from Philadelphia as well as national studies to develop its fundamental ideas: 1) small schools are bener, and intimate settings where teachers and students know each oUler will support student achievement; 2) curriculum should be developed by those who teach it and should be interdisciplinary and rigorous; 3) assessment shou ld take multiple forms, including projects, port-

But when he arrived in Philadelphia, he immediately began to act as if nothing had gone on before he came here. So although he embraced small learning communities, he never fully engaged the people who had been doing this work in developing ways to

Philadelphia standards. And, indeed, they were.

But all the previous work of the PSC, where teachers, along with college professors, community people, parents, and students, had engaged in long-term development and study of curriculum, texts, and school organizational designs - all this was abandoned. The best

Everyone w'1nts s(1fe '1nd orderly schools. How C(1n we cre'1te them?

Parents, teachers, students and administrators agree: education reform cannot succeed unless our schools are safe and orderly.

So, how can we make all schools safe and orderly places where teachers can teach and students can learn?

Children learn from the rules we set. When students curse, threaten or assault students and staff without consequence, they learn that rules don't matter and that they will not be held responsible for their behavior. It doesn't take long for other kids to catch on, and the school climate to deteriorate.

That doesn't have to happen, if parents, teachers administrators and the community are on the same page on discipline.

Under the new PFT contract, every school must have clear, consisten.t rules of conduct.

Admin istrators, staff and parents should discuss these rules with students and let them know we expect appropriate behavior. We must enforce the rules fairly and uniformly, with appropriate, uniform and consistent

, negative consequences for violators,

. . d the ma'ority of children come to school eager to learn. Most public schools ARE safe, an Jd f ecisely that reason we must provide alter-0' t' t d t small minority an or pr . ,

Isrup Ive s u en s are a , '. d tion without ruining learning for the maJority. native schools so they can continue their e uca .

Together, we can make schools saFe, orderly and successFul

Philadelphia Federation of Teachers 816 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, P~ 19103 .

1 0 www pft.org Ted Kirsch, preSident 215/587-675 .

responsible for "doing" professional

development "to" teachers. TLN may have an inlpact on some schools

and classrooms, but rarely in the high schools. Many of the teachers in high schools who

were re-energized and excited by the PSC and the original development of sma ll learning CODl1l1unities are now discouraged or have left the system,

The small learning communities, although Hornbeck "supported" them, were slowly abandoned in real ways. Part of this, I think, was an unwillingness to gi ve any kind of control to the teachers invol ved in these programs. Hornbeck insisted on administrative controls, and on the purchase of large national "refonm packages."

Empowering teachers to re-consider curriculum and instruction - to see themselves as folks who can and shou ld develop curriculum, assessment and interdisciplinary work - was halted in favor of specific content area testing and curriculum, along with reform programs from the outside.

Furthermore, rather than decenlTaliz.ing the system, there were more layers of control within the system, and most of the people selected knew nothing about high schools. For the years of Hornbeck's tenure, no one with years of high school experience held any visible. responsible position. (Thankfully, the Chief Academic Officer now, Deidre Farmbry, was once a high schoo l teacher and principal.)

Change in -schools takes a long time. That's why I'm discouraged that the high school restructuring started by the PSC didn ' t have sufficient time to "work." Similarly, I believe that Children Achieving would have required many years to work. But when it comes to urban kids, if we don't see big changes right away, people say it's failed,

Many high schools are now focused on controlling their students through weapons searches, security guards, and putting students in uniforms. In contrast, my high school , University City, is evidence that small learning communities, when real, can create a school environment that is safe and humane.

But small learning communities can only be real if the teachers in the schools have a significant voice in them. The kind of school structures which would enable this were not a focus of the Children Achieving years.

What's your opinion? The Public School Notebook

welcomes your letters,

critiques and point of view.

Write us at:

Philadelphia Public School Notebook

3721 Midvale Aven ue,

Phi ladelphia, PA 19129

Fax: (215) 951-0342

email: [email protected]


What have we learned from 'Children Achieving' experience? PubUc School Notebook invited brief com

mellts on the following question: What lessolls slwuld we draw from our experience with the School District's "Children Achieving" reform program about how to make meaningful improvements in the Philadelphia public schools? Here are some of the responses we received.

A major lesson from Ch il dren Achieving is that in a very large school system, reform should focus initiallyon the classroom.

A major error in that program was using large amounts of time and energy reorganizing the managerial structure of the system. Difficulties were created for the players to become familiar with and understand the new positions being created and their relationships.

The ti me, energy and mo ney spent in adjusting to all the details of the reorganization could have been better spent in reform in the classroom (for example, dealing with class size, teacher preparation, basic educational supp lies, plans to cope with disruptive students. summer school, fu U-day kindergarten, after-school day care, etc.).

Assons from

Children

achieving

While the basics of the classroom were being put under control, task forces might have examined the organizational structure of the District and made recommendations. Reorganization, however, should have been undertaken only after appropriate public hearings.

- Erv Miller, volunteer, One Giant Step Program at Peirce and Whittier schools

The work of educators who teach youth in the public schools is a tremendous undertaking, deserving a great deal of praise. But many

chi ldren attending Philadelphia public schools stiLi fall short of entering into positive and productive citizen roles. Children are not prepared to fit into society on society'S terms; therefore, they take other, less desirable routes.

Many nonprofi t corporations provide positive youth activities and programs augmenting what is taught in the public school system. These are helpful in the character-building and development of youth. What is still lacking, despite Children Achieving, is the fruitful partnerships between nonprofits and the pu bl ic school system. There is a lack of communication between two entities attempting to achieve the same result with children.

The lack of access to media by nonprofits limits effective communications, through which each entity could have the opportunity to leam about what is being achieved by youth both in and out of school. Our schools should be a proponent for public access television to be activated immediately in Philadelphia.

-Irvin B. Shannon, Executive Director, Harmonious Volunteer Center

viewed Children Achieving from my perspecti ve as a parent. social service program clirector within the schools, and local minister.

In meetings with the then new superintendent, Dr. Hombeck, a coalition of Northwest clergy identified some basic problems:

• Children Achieving was underfunded by $60 million even before it started. Hornbeck proposed to fund parts of the system fully and not other parts, unless the state gave more money, which we knew would not happen.

• Hombeck needed the teachers' union to support his plans to reassign staff to allow for his cluster model, but we knew the union wouldn' t have that.

• He admitted the greatest problem he faced was racism, which prevented an equal distribution of resources and staff to allow the neediest schools to get the help they required.

The Children Achieving plan had never been tested anywhere and seemed doomed to fail. Any drastic changes require staff reorganization and therefore union cooperation .

Now the most effective staff are assigned to wealthier schools. More challenging schools

r-------------------------------,

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P/~~:~~~~:fo~'~/~~g;h~~~:rO~~~i~~ ~~;i~~::f~~na~~ l~e;~~~~~i~~~r%I~'::~~ ~~;c~P:~~~i~~~cr~'o~l1~~~s:;~~~~~~~~il~i~ IC Dcpanmcm of State by calling to ll free, 1-800-732-0999. Registration docs not imply endorsement

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mainly have staff who are new or unab le to

get out. Tn business, the sharpest persormel are sent

to resolve problem spots. But the union fights this pa'radigm of teacher reassignments, accountability, and pay commensurate with the difficu lty of assignments.

- Reverend LeRoi Simmons, Mt. Airy United Fellowship

Does anyone remember Judge Doris Smi th's nlling?

The . Pennsy lva nia Human Relations Cbmmission entered a legal suit against the Philadelphia Public School District in 1970. The complaint addressed the school district's noncompliance with federal desegregation laws. The implementation of school councils was a focal point of Judge Smith in her 1994 decision regarding the 30-year-old desegregation case.

Dr. Hornbeck, former Superintendent of Philadelphia schools, offered a promise to parents in the areas of parent in vol vement and empowerment through the development of school councils. But the Philadelphia School District has not complied with Judge Smith 's ruling, as it has failed to implement councils in a majority of the schools.

The largest obstacle to the successful implementation of councils is that the ex istence or absence of a council is not one of the measures used to evaluate a school's perfom1ance under the Children Achieving accountabi lity plan.

A similar model for councils was successfully inlplemented in Chicago in 1992. Training for parents participating in school-based decision-making in Chicago is offered by the district and mandated for council members .

Locally, training for parents needs to be mandated, and it should be tied to the task of policy development or shared decision-maki ng.

- L ucinda Post, parent, School District Parent InvolvementAdvisor

We should expect our children to excel in any area that requires an educated mind. We cannot achieve this end, however, if we have burned-out teachers being chastised by fearful administrators who make excuses for the "misguided child."

I came to PhiladeLphia when we implemented the Children Achieving initiative. The Children Achieving initiati ve held great ideas but left many questions. For example. whi le teachers are held accountable, most of whom try to teach, there remain few consequences for students whose behavior prevents teaching and leaming. I'd like a response from administration other than, "If a student disrupts, teachers are not keeping him actively engaged."

Do we have teachers who are not effective? Of course. But are there also students who are incorrig ible? Definitely.

We cannot use blanket statements to persecute teachers whi le not offering support in dealing with that one student who just cannot be reached. It's little wonder this child's 32 classmates are not "Children Achieving."

- Ronald B. Paulus, E.H. Vare Middle School

Clarifying our vision for Philadelphia schools

The Children Achievillg plall contailled a clear vision for what our schools should be accomplishing. With the School District IlOW in a transition period, The Notebook i nvited comments on the following questiOIlS: What should be our vision for public education in Philadelphia? What should our schools be striving for?

Racism and class ism have been the root causes of government policies allowing cities and their school systems to deteriorate. The "Bell Curve" mentality concludes that African American and other students of color and poor students have limited intelligence and therefore need only limited education.

Research has proved repeatedly that all children can learn in the appropriate environment. But Philadelphians have accepted less and less. What we need now is a movement to save and advance public education for every student, not just the few. The entire community - including parents, educators, the PFT and organized labor, elected officials - must organize around quality public education.

New schools must be built in order to reduce class size to 15-18 students per classroom teacher. Caring teachers who are knowledgeable of their subjects, their students, and child development are needed in every classroom. Updated books and supplies, science, mathematics and computer laboratories fOr every student are needed in every school. A modem IMC and fu ll-time librarian, a fulltime nurse, community coordinator and counselor are needed in every school.

In the wealthiest nation in the world, quality education could be a reality. All we have

to do is organize - organize and demand it. - Rosita B. Johllson, retired teacher; sec

retory, Philmlelphia Blflck Radical Congress

OUf schools should be striving to be places of relaxed conversation - in other words, places of social thought. As this occurs, all else will follow.

- Ed Goldberg, volunteer tutor, Lingelbach School

Excellence is our goal for every Philadelphia school and every student. To achieve that goal , our schools must be equipped to educate every child, regardless of family income, education level or zip code.

• We must set high standards for achievement and provide an equal opportunity for all children to reach them. Philadelphia children should not bear the brunt of teacher shortages, clilapidated schools, crowded classrooms, outdated books or technology and lack of basic materials.

• All children should attend high-quality pre-school programs, and class size should be reduced across the board, starting with grades K-3 and schools where achievement is low.

• Every child deserves a qualified teacher and a rigorous curriculum aligned with the tests by which their performance will be measured. More money shou ld be channeled clinectly into classrooms for proven educational programs with track records of success.

• Philadelphia children also need the same life-enrichi ng experiences - health education, art, music, sports and culture - that suburban children take for granted.

• Our schools must be designed and staffed to nurture minds, bodies and souls. They must develop adults prepared to make healthy personal choices, think critically about issues and ideas, and participate creatively, intellectually, politically and economically in our democracy.

-Ted Kirsch, president, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers

-------- -- -------------~

"

Spring 2001

Documents

district budget

district officials

school year

budget crisis

years budget

budget presentation

new state revenue

growing costs