~ Mayor faces qF- ~nding crisis ~. The play's

• the thing ~ --. 5

Student voices on safety

12

, A message

• ~ : arrisburg

"Turning the page

for change."

o FALL 1999 Vol. 7, No.1

PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC SCHOOL

NOTEBOOK With all eyes on safety, metal detectors installed at high schools across the city

School District institutes daily weapons searches by Paul Socolar

Philadelphia 's school safety prob­lems took center stage this fall after the shooting of an assistant principal in a scuffle with a Bartram student and the murder of a King High School 10th grader outside school, both in October.

School officials in Philadelphia. like those around the country, were already feeling the urgency of addressing safety issues in the wake of the recent string of school shoot­ings, such as the one at Columbine High School in Colorado.

The most visible response of the School District th is fall was a unani­mous school board decision in Ocrober to order enough airport-style metal detectors, x-ray machines, and ID card scanners to equip all Philadelphia high schools. The esti-

Students wait in line to pass through the metal detectors before the start of the school day at Germantown High School. There are two metal detectors at Germantown: boys are in one line, girls are in another.

mated cost of the equipment and additional staff support is $5 million.

The School District has begun imple­menting the time-consuming, daily weapons search procedures with students, disrupting the morning schedule at a number of high school s across the city.

The long lines of students waiting to be searched each moming - in schools that house mostly students of color - have provoked many reactions like that of City Councilman Angel Ortiz, who commented, "The tragedy is

Photo: Jared Grossman

we're making our schools more like prisons rather than intellectual centers."

With more equipment to order and staff to hire for the remaining high school s, it may be February or March before all the systems are up and running, according to

But in a system desperately struggling to address serious safety problems in and around schools, many students, par-ents, and staff say they are willing to give the mandatory daily weapons searches a try.

Twelve compre­hensive high schools already had metal detectors on the way before the board decision. These schools came on line with their new metal detectors in

Long lines of students wait to be searched every

morning, in schools that house mostly

students of color. 'The tragedy is we're making

our schools more like prisons rather than intellectual centers.'

John J. McLees, executive director of the office of school safety.

While enough eqUlpment was ordered for all the high schools, safety officials including Police Commissioner John Timoney will make the final decisions about where the equip­ment is to be placed.

October. A total of fourteen high schools now require their students to pass through the metal detectors evelY moming.

High schools where there have been few serioLls incidents may be bypassed in order to provide the equipment to middle or high schools where the need is deemed to be greater, District spokesman Paul Hanson said.

Aprendiendo a amar a nuestros nifzos The October board decision to mandate the use of walk-through metal detectors and other new security equipment followed embarrassing revelations that two new metal detector systems had been "gathering dust" for several months at Bartram and were still waiting to be installed when the shooting occurred at the high school.

Destruyendo el mito de la violencia juvenil

Lo que sigue es el extracto de una histo­ria mas IGl ga: "Maestros en eI barrio: crisis eoml.lnitaria y el mito de las pandillas asia/i­cas", tomada del boledn (invierno 1998) de 10 0iganizGei6n AsianAmericans United.

por Debbie Wei

Hace unos afios se present6 ami puerta un grupo de j6venes asiat ico-americanos quienes querfan compartir conmigo sobre su envolvimiento en un os eventos sumamente desagradables oculTidos en el barrio. Sentados alrededor de mi mesa de comedor

hablaron vagamente acerca de la falta de respeto de que eran victirnas por parte de otTO glUpO de j6venes, de vengarse; hicieron referencias indirectas a armas y a tiroteos desde vehiculos en movimiento.

Los escucM con desesperaci6n, rogando a Dios que me diera inspiraci6n. La dis­cusi6n sobre venganza y represalias iba dirigida a j6venes que se les parecfan, j6venes de su misma raza y de similares experiencias y sufrinlientos.

Les pedf que pen saran en el concepto de

"Destruyendo" continua en fa p. 6

While some school board members ini­tially called for further input and planning, board member Andrew Famese expressed his sense of urgency after the experience at Bartram.

"I don 't want my hands with blood tomorrow if something happens in a school," Famese said. "We must do every­thing humanly possible regardless of the money."

Both the teachers' and principals' unions supported the proposal to put the new equip­ment in all high schools.

"Students, parents, and school employees

feel more secure with metal detectors oper­ating in schools," said Philadelphia Federation of Teachers vice-president Jeny Jordan, who supported metal detectors as part of a seven-point program for addressing school safety.

Before the board's decision, members heard reports on what was described as a successful piloting of the security equipment last year at two schools: Ben Franklin High School and E.S. Miller, a small, discipl.inary

Foct's 01\ SAFE SCHOOLS

high school. Weapons have not been found inside those school buildings since the installation, officials said.

But the logistical issues involved in shep­herding students through metal detectors were simpler at these schools. Franklin is one of the city's five smallest comprehen­sive high schools.

Nationally, many school safety experts emphasize stronger community-building efforts rather than pol icing tactics and are skeptical about the benefits of metal detectors.

See "Weapons" on p. 8

Creating school anti-violence programs

10 Edison parents, students make safety gains

11 Dispelling myths of youth and violence

13 Resources for safe schools

Eye on Special Ed, p. 3 • In the classroom, p. 5 " Espaiiol, p. 6 • Opinion, p. 15~ , "

PAGE 2

"Turning the page for change"

Volume 7. Number I

A )'oice for parents, students, alld class­room teachers who are working Jor quality and equality i ll our schools.

Advisory Board Jane Century, Cen tury Communications Ci ndy Engsl, parent and teacher Jared Grossmann. srudent Kev in Muszynski , Local Task Force for a

Right to Educat ion Len Rieser, Ed ucarion Law Center Rochelle Nichols-Solomon, Philadelphia

Education Fund Ron Whitchorne, Philadelphia Federarion of

Teachers, Comm unity Outreach Comminee Debbie Wei, As ian Americans United Organi:ations for identification pllIpOSes only.

Ed itorial Board Paul Socolar (editor), Helen Gym, Eric Joselyn, Myrtlc L. Naylor, Ros Purnell , Ron Whitehorne Design: Patricia Ludwig Spanish translation: Milagros Irizarry Art: Eric Joselyn Proofreading: Elayne Bender, Chip Smith, Sandy Socolar Printing: Prompt Press

Philadelphia Public School NOiebook is a project of the New Beginnings program of Resources For Human Development.

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PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK

NOTEBOOK EDITORIAL

School safety:

There's no quick fix There are people who applaud the recent

school board decision to equip every Philadelphia high school with airport-style metal detectors, X-ray machines, and addi­tional school police to run them, to the tune of $5 million. But in a cash-starved district, this was an unfortunate, knee-jerk reaction - an attempt to grab a quick fix to a prob­lem that doesn't have one.

Every student needs a safe place to learn. School safety means not just free­dom from weapons, but freedom from vio­lence, harassment, and fear. School safety is an issue that extends beyond the school walls : students must feel safe traveling to and from school. We share the Board's sense that safety is one of our most urgent school problems.

But even if you like the idea of metal detectors and more police, you have to wonder about how much thought was given to this security plan and the possible . logistical n,ightmares in implementing it.

At 12 schools where the metal detectors were installed in October, some staff are expressing doubts about the feasibil ity of the program, after seeing students spend up to an hour in line in the morning. Many of these schools are finding it impossible to check all their students without taking a huge bite out of the morning's class time.

There is no massive and open rebellion of students yet, but for those who are con­scientious about getting to class on time, waiting in line means the school day has been lengthened by a decision over which they had no say.

What happened to the idea that the peo­ple at the school site are the best judges of what tl1eir school needs? There are a num­ber of schools th at already seem to be doing a pretty good job of preventing seri­ous incidents. Schools with low rales of incidents and arrests include not only some special admissions schools, but also a few comprehensive high schools.

The authoriues may bypa;s a lew of these schools and put the new security equtpment m mtddle schools where the need is greater. But why not let the schools themselves decide whether they want the metal detector systems, if there is satisfac­tIOn wtth the curren! practice of randoml "Spot-checking" students with hand-held

Y

detectors? And why not leave some discre­tton to school s about how and When the

metal detector systems are used? The bigger question is, "Does this real­

ly make us safer?" The school police force had already grown by 50% over the past three years, with not a lot to show so far besides a gradual reduction in the number of weapons in schools. The number of

. assaults in schools has risen slightly during that period.

Perhaps for $5 million these devices will succeed in keeping most weapons out of high schools. But we've also made our high schools a little more like prisons, and made many Philadelphia high school kids feel like suspects. We have added another impersonal, authoritarian element to a school experience that already feels arbi­trary and demeaning to many students.

After working hard to divide up large high schools into smaller, more personal ·communities, we now resort to lining up and herding thousands of students en masse through these machines.

In this issue, the Notebook examines some of the alternative approaches that are being put into place across the city to make our schools safer, more caring places with­out further clampdowns .

Some of the common elements of these approaches include:

• researching and analyzing safety prob­lems both in the school and in the sur­rounding community;

• building the capacity of schools to deal with issues beyond their walls and to tap the resources of the community.

• tnvolving students and parents in col­laborative approaches to developing and lmplementUlg safety measures;

• gettulg away from blamulcr "bad kids." Our kids have to grow u; in a vio­lent and Oppressive world , and desperately need school to be a caring community.

These effo rts don 't make for splashy headlines and are harder to implement and mamtatn but go much farther to creatincr lasting schoo! chan cre b

. Considerable sta~e'and federal funding tS comtng to the district fo r school safety efforts. Let's hope that schools will look beyond walkie-ta lkies and Off-the-shel f antt-v tolence packages and devote serious effort to coming together with their stri­dents and their surrounding communities to butld las tll1g, meaningful responses to VIO lence.

Family Resource Network Coordinators (by cluster)

Audenreid: Sandra Hollie, (215) 351-7228

Bartram: Barbara Still, (215) 727-5780

Edison: Delia Reveron, (2 15) 291-5680

Fels: Karen Coverdale, (215) 335-5037

Frankford: Ernest Peacock, (215) 335-5043

Franklin: Bettye McAllister, (215) 351-7405

Furness: Gail Sosnov, (215) 351-7445

Germantown: Harold Freeman, (215) 248-6691

Gratz .' Diana Mc~eil, (215) 684-5132

Kensington: Angie Pabon, (2 15) 291-5696

King: Diane Satterthwaite, (215) 248-6684

Lincoln: Vernita Blocker, (215) 961-2066

Northeast: Terrence Dillon, (215) 728-4l34

Olney: Theresa Frazier, (215) 456-5595

Overbrook: Robert Christian, (215) 58 1-5898

William Penn: Jackie Taylor, (215) 684-8487

Roxborough: Amy Maisterra, (2 15) 248-6217

South Philadelphia: Joyce Dukes, (215) 351 -7034

Strawberry Mansion: Ernest Lowe, (215) 684-8980

University City: Jean Waites, (215) 471-2271

CHAIN (Washington): Michael AndrewS, (2 15) 281 -5903

West Philadelphia: Barbara Johnson, (215) 471-8334

Central Office: Vernard Trent (Safe Schools), (215) 299-7461

Organizations . . I rkino on ContaCllfl/ormarlOn/or grOl.ps ,, 0 . 0

issues 0/ school safety is listed rhroug/lOlir this issue. Oilier groups to call rncillde.

Philadelphia Home and School council:

(215) 299-7965

Philadelphia Anti-Drug/ ;wti-Violen~:is Network: (215) 851-1900. provlde~~rrain' intervention sen'ices, rap group~ , sta ing, and preventi v~ eclucation.

Philadelphia Student Union: 'IS to (215) 546-3290 supports student effot have a voice i.n ~choo l decision-tJlaktng.

Philadelphia Safe and sound: ogra01S (215) 226-250 l, has anti-V tOle~~l:n~ty at three high schools and a can oIth central capacity-buildlllg tlltltaltve tn N Philadelphia.

FALL 1999

Lean and~ by Barbara

Parel1fs GI

this mean, GIl

, What are the rhe placemen

Learning generally cia one of four t, Reading Dis, Mathematics Written Expr Disorder; or~ Disorder, no' specified. (11 cations are dl Diagnostic at

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AI Whetherac parents are eJ recommenda fllldings.

Recommt • remediatiot • retention: h easier to do t • accommod time for task:

When acl in need of sp with a "Mult teachers, adn an Individual

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The Schol tional service regardless oft recent move -where chi. stream radler

In the incl and students by special ed in groups.

Regardles tion , parents progress.

For furth, and support at (215) 546-238-6970, th, or Parent to

Barbara ~ with rhe Phil<

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all? linators

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FALL 1999

Learning. disabilities and student placement by Barbara Gelman

Parents are told their child is learning disabled, What does this mean, and how does it affect the child's school placement?

, What are the key steps parents need to know about to navigate the placement plVcess and advocate /0/: their children?

Learning problems are generally classified as one of four types: Readmg Disorder; Mathematics Disorder; Written Expression Disorder; or Learning Disorder, not otherwise specified. (These classifi-

cations are defLned m TI,e EDUCA TION Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edit ion, or DSM-IV)

When there is reason to suspect a leammg problem, a stan­dardized intelligence test must be administered, as weU as a standardized ach ievement and a visual-motor test.

Intelligence tests are designed to measure ability, known as IQ. Achievement tests are designed to measure how much a

child has leamed. Visual-motor tests assess children's abili ty to make

connections between what they see and w~at they draw, which is important for spelling and math . .

'Most children score w.ithin a range that indicates average intel­

ligence and achievement. Scores a good deal above or below average are

usuall y cause for attention. Achievement that is much lower or higher

than expected, based on IQ, is a criterion for determining the presence of a leammg disability.

Other criteria mclude the child's classroom perfor­mance and leammg style. Is the child organized and

attentive? I)oes s/he retain iI;1formation? A good test battery,yields a lot of inforrl'\ation.

Whether a child is test~d by a ~9lJool or,Private psychologist, parents are entitled to a written report with test findings and recommendations and should' get a full explanation of these fmdings.

Recommendations may include: • remediation: extra mstruction m problem areas; • retention: holding the student back for a year - generally, easier to do before third grade; • accommodation: individualized mstruction such as extra time for tasks or the use of altemative mstructional materials.

When a child is tested and deemed to be exceptional and in need of special instruction, a meeting must be convened , with a "Multi-Disciplinary Team" - including the parents, ' teachers, administrators and the psychologist - to develop an Individualized Education Plan '(IEP),

A recommendation might be made for supplemental resource room instruction or for placement in a learning sup­port (LS) or emotional support (ES) classroom. Generally, children diagnosed with learning disabilities are assigned to LS classes while children with disruptive and emotional behaviors are assigned to ES classes, Children with more serious disorders, mental retardation, or multiple handicaps may be placed in autistic or life skills support classes,

Ideally, students should obtain spec ial education serv ices in their neighborhood schooL However, if services are unavailable, an attempt is made to identify a school within the same cluster,

The School District is mandated by law to provide educa­tional serv ices to all children in the least restrictive setting, regardless of the level of exceptionality. TIlis is behind the recent move toward "inclusion" in some Philadelphia schools - where children receive specialized instruction in main­stream rather than sel f-contained classes.

In the inclusion model, the IEP must still be followed, and students must recei ve a prescribed amount of instruction by special education teachers daily, either individually or

in groups. Regardless of where students receive special ized instruc­

tion , parents are enti tled to yearly reviews of their children 's

progress. For further information on your rights and on advice

and support during this process, contact the Parents Union at (215) 546-1166, the Educational Law Center at (215) 238-6970, the Parent Involved Network at (215) 751-1800, or Parent to Parent of Pennsylvania at (717) 540-4722.

Barbara C. Gelman, PhD, is a consulting psychologist with the Philadelphia School District.

PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK PAGf3

Public education became central issue in mayoral race

New mayor confronts immediate funding crisis

by Ron Whitehorne

Now that the voting machines are back in the warehouses, what does the mayoral election mean for public education in Philadelphia? What solutions does the victor, Mayor-elect John Street, propose for resolving the crisis facing the schools?

One piece of good news is that education , usually an afterthought in mayoral races, was a central focus in the cam­paIgn,

In ads, op-ed pieces, and community forums, fi xing the schools was an issue both candidates had to address. This reflects the growing recognition of the electorate that the

NEWS ANALYSIS city's future is bound up with improving its schools- even if the groups most concerned with public schools have not uni­fied around specific solutions to the public education crisis.

During his campaign against Sam Katz, John Street emphasized a number of issues:

. • Experience: Besides his experience in City Council, aealing with the School District budget, Street cited his role as a public school parent and, briefly, as a substitute teacher.

• Hornbeck and "Children Achieving": Street spoke more favorably than his opponent about the changes introduced by Superintendent David Hornbeck and has indicated he would retain him at least for the short term.

,. The teachers' contract: Street, like Katz, called for changes in the teachers ' contract, which will expire next year.

,He emphasized lower class size, higher salaries, and more ~upport for pre-school ""~ "at-risk" students. The

.Philadelphia Federatiof,1 of Teachers (pFT), which supported john White in the pr~ary, endorsed Street in'the general election.

• Vouchers: The Street campaign made Katz's support for school vouchers a major issue in TV commercials. Street, however, is not the staunch opponent of vouchers his ads made him out to be. He indicated during the race that he was open to trading support for vouchers for more funding from Harrisburg,

• School funding: Street and Katz agreed that more state funding is essential. Street called for trading greater state oversight over the schools for more money, suggesting that the PICA,

Notebook File Photo

Street will need to fully mobilize the public school con­stituency here to fight for more state funding,

Philadelphia and its schools. Bu't there is little evidence that it will happen. Both

Governor Ridge and the legislative leadership condenmed Street's plan as soon as he proposed it. If Ed Rendell couldn 't move Ridge and Company, why will Street, without Rendell 's mandate and standing, fare any better?

This sets the stage for a potential deal involving vouchers. Supporting vouchers that would be paid to private schools, even in exchange for more public school funding, is a dan­gerous and unprincipled course that would be a major set­back for public education.

So what is the alternative? A legal challenge to inequitable fund­

the fmancial control ,board created to mooitor city spending" ~ould play the same role in relation to the schools.

Street's core electoral base is the African American community, which is also the commwlity with the most at stake in public education in Philadelphia. This provides a favor­able context for pressing Street to move forward with education

Cities and poor rural areas are qlliosers within the current

system and could form a statewide majority for a progressive solution

ing is still on the table, but so far the courts have turned a deaf ear to these arguments.

An effective long-term strategy must aim at creating a statewide, political alliance of all those who are victimized by the present system of school funding based on local prop­erty taxes. Deindustrialized cities and poor rural areas are all losers with the current system and could form a statewide majority for a progressive solution to school funding.

reform. On the other hand, Street 's history

of aloofness from grass roots com-

to school funding.

mlmity forces, particularly after his ascension to the presidency of City Council, has raised ques­tions about how accessible and responsive he will be as mayor.

The single biggest challenge facing the new mayor in the area of education is the funding crisis. Without additional funding, the reforms associated with the District's "Children Achieving" plan will grind to a halt, there will be massive cut­backs in existing school programs, and hopes will be slim for a new teachers' contract that is fair to teachers and good for chil­dren.

By next June the School District expects to face a deficit of $55 million, which wiU spiral to $220 million in the next school year. These figures don 't account for any of the $170 mil lion needed to fund new progranls like class-size reduc­tion that are in the "Children Achieving" action plan.

Street says he will convene a "Public Education Oversight Task Force" that will be charged with drafting legislation to enable the PICA to oversee the schools, Street says that with this legislation in place, lawmakers in Harrisburg will vote more money for the Philadelphia schools.

To some, this is a little bit like inviting the fox to super­vise the chicken coop, given the hostility of the Ridge administration and the Republican-dominated legislature to

Street, as the leader of the state 's largest city, could playa major role

in bringing about such a coalition, while seeking to fully mobilize t.he public school constituency here in the city to fight for more funding,

While such a course would not be easy, playing poker against Ridge with a weak hand will not produce for Philadelphia 's school children.

Volunteers welcome! The Public School Notebook depends on the

volunteer assistance we receive m many areas, including: research, writing, proofreading, photography, distribution, fundrai sing, and

advertising sales . If you would like to lend your talents or develop a skill, please call Paul Socolar

at the Notebook office, (215) 951-0330 xl07, or email to

psnotebook@aol.com.

PAGE 4

Maria Luisa Quinones, 69, school activist by Maria E. Mills-Torres

Maria Luisa Quinones, a long-time pub­lic school activist and first president of the Philadelphia chapter of the ational Conference of Puerto Rican Women, was memorialized in November with a commu­nity tribute.

Marfa, who passed away at age 69 on April 19. 1999, is being honored by the cre­ation of a scholarship fund in her name to

support a local Latino YOUtl1. The first scholarship award will be granted in June 2000 to a high school senior who embraces the ideals of Maria Quinones.

Born in Philadelphia, Marfa worked full­time for the School District of Philadelphia for thirty years (1965-1995). as a School­Community Coordinator, an Area Coordinator and then as a Home and School Area Superv isor.

Marfa raised fi ve children and continued her work as an active citizen of the Philadelphia community. In addition to her work with the National Conference of Puerto Rican Women. she served on many boards. including United Way, the Lighthouse. Woodrock, United American Indians of the Delaware Valley, North City Congress, and the Fellowship Commission.

For many years, Marfa served on the Advisory Committee of the Emergency School Aid Act, through which she was

Quinones is being honored by a

scholarship fund for a Latino youth.

instrumental in helping to develop and evaluate programs designed for students who tested below the 49th percentile at the national level.

Marfa was very proud of her Puerto Rican roots. For a number of years she was a delegate of Hispanic American Democrats . But most important for her was to have Puerto Rican children learn about their cultural heritage and that other groups better understand Puerto Rican culture.

Marfa was also very interested in other ethnic groups. In particular, she was very committed to the Native American Indians of the Delaware Valley.

Her invol vement in so many organiza­tions promoted positive interactions and net­working among many of those community organizations and with the School District of Philadelphia. Community Issues. vol un­teerism, youth issues, bilingual education, parental involvement in schools, women's issues, and drug prevention were all con­cerns for which Maria strongly advocated. Maria believed that by addressing these issues, many of the barriers that hindered the Latino community could be broken.

Many were privileged to have known and interacted with Maria Luisa Quinones as a family member, friend, colleague, volunteer, educator, community advocate, or political activist. Her accomplishments will continue to have a positive effect on future genera­tions because the many roles she held in life helped to influence many different people throughout the Philadelphia community.

Donations to the Maria Luisa Quiiiones Scholarship Fund can be sent to the National Conference of Puerto Rican Women, P.O. Box 125, Philadelphia, PA 19105.

(See photo on page 6.)

PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK ~L 1999

leb ~ Science in the summer at a I rary near you

_ Photo: Northeast News Gleaner

Students could get a free, four-day course in oceanography last July at the Lawncrest branch of the Free Library. Over 1500 Philadelphia students (second to sixth graders) took part in the 13th annual Science in the Summer Program at 37 Free Library branches across the city last summer. Certified teachers led students in experiments as they learned about ocean topography, sharks, shells, coral, and other sea life. The Science in tlJe Summer Program is f,unded by Smith Kline Beecham's Community Partnership. In Summ~r 2000, the ptogram will expand to 40 libra'ry branches in the city, and over 125 in the metropolitan area. For more information, call 215-686-5372.

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FAll 199

Tead

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InUtiIEttU·t." ,_ Teachers visit Iraq and bring back stories of a lost generation

Children growing up with sanctions, bombs by Peter Lems

Six members of an educators' delegation from the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) crossed a deep divide last spring when they spent eight days in Iraq to learn what has happened to Iraqi school children under war and economic sanctions.

The AFSC has been developing class­room materials to help teachers address the quiet but deadly war that has been waged against Iraq for nine years by the U.S. and other countries. At times, the war has been waged with aircraft and bombs, but far more devastating has been the impact of strict eco­nomic sanctions.

For six years Iraq was prevented from sell ing any of its oil, which had previously provided 95% of the foreign exchange. Beginn ing in 1996 Iraq was allowed to sell limited amounts of oil to purchase food and other essential humanitarian supplies.

Educators and concemed parents here in the United States are aware of the impact that funding cuts can have on education and social services. In Iraq, these cuts have reached shocking levels.

Iraq was a wealthy, highJy centralized nation that spent freely in efforts to develop an advanced educational system. Under sanctions, these advances in education have collapsed.

Nine years of sanctions have devastated teacher salaries and turned schools into dilap­idated shells. The sanctions have caused an entire generation of Iraqi children to recei ve a substandard education.

The delegation t rom the AFSC, which included teachers, educational administra­tors, and AFSC staff, found the situation in Iraqi schools to be dire.

The schools were inadequately equipped with desks - forcing many students to sit on the floor - and usually lacked electricity and sanitation facilities. Most students had

Photo;Peterlems

Iraqi students work two or three per desk in barren classrooms as US economic sanctions continue to devastate Iraq's economy.

limited access to basic school supplies such as pencils, paper, and textbooks, and none of the schools visited had any computers.

Budget cuts have brought new school construction to a halt, resulting in decreased

nomic pressure has forced over 20% of would-be students to drop out in order to supplement family incomes.

Sanctions against Iraq have had a devas­tating impact on the country 's entire infra­

classroom time and severe overcrowding. Some classes number over fifty students. Recreation and extraourricular activi­ties have been dra­matically reduced.

New classroom structure, affecting par­ticularl y the civil ian population. Escalating poverty, rampant infla­tion, inadequate nutri­tiOIl , and a lack of food, medicine, elec­tricity, and sanitation

Widespread mal­nutrition hinders con-

materials help teachers address the quiet but deadly war waged against Iraq.

provisions have com­bined to create harsh

centration and causes students to faint throughout the school day. In addition, eco-

conditions in a country that once had one of the highest standards of li ving in the region.

Today, average wages equal approximate­ly $2-$3 U.S. per month, forcing many Iraqis to take second or third jobs in order to pro­vide their families with basic necessities. The delegation also found that import restric­tions on infonnational materials are causing Iraq's businesses, hospitals, and schools to regress, due to the ongoing isolation from global infonnational eXChange.

While various international non-govem­mental organizations have made efforts towards addressing the school crisis, the del­egation concluded that only a complete lift­ing of the economic sanctions against Iraq could prevent further deterioration of the education system and widespread suffering arnong the Iraqi people.

West Philadelphia students write about violence and peace New resources distributed by the AFSC offer teachers the opportunity to get their students involved and start to break down the barriers between the u.s. and Iraqi people.

In Antiviolence Project, young playwrights find a voice by Rachel Mausner

In the West Philadelphia cluster, children are leaming about the "power in peace" as they write plays about the impact of violence in their lives under the gu idance of the Philadelphia Young Playwrights Festival (PYPF) Antiviolence Project.

Now in its third year, this project works with seven classes (grades 3-12) in four schools, using methods that PYPF has devel­oped over the past twelve years to help chil­dren give voice to their experiences and explore a1tematives·to violent responses.

Each classroom teacher pairs with a theater professional to form an Artistic Team. Teachers receive traini~g in' playwriting, and team members work together throughout the year to help their students write, present, dis­cuss and revise their plays. Professional actors visit the classes to perfonn the stu­dents' plays and help with revisions.

The Antiviolence Project also provides

The Philadelphii1l YQungPlay­wrights Festivallnspi,res learnIng througll yearlong playwriting work­shops in the classroam, led jointly by the classroom teacher and a theater professional. For further information, conta~~y Hodgdon, (215) 665-9226:" Ben Franklin Parkway, 2nd floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103, pypf@libertynet.org.

related experiences to help students deal with the violence in their own lives and communi­ties. An Antiviolence Team, composed of criminal justice professional s, ex-offenders and others, visits the classroom to discuss their experiences, listen to the students read their plays and respond with feedback on authenticity.

Members of the project's Antiviolence Team include the 18th Police District Action

collaborative school environment in which chi Idren feel that their ideas are welcome and respected. According to Adele Magner, founder of the Young Playwrights Festival, playwriting is a fonn that appeals to almost an students, even those who consider them­sel yes poor writers and rarely participate in regu lar classroom activities.

Teachers in the project at all grade levels have seen improved attendance, greater

Committee, the End Violence Project and the Youth Study Center.

Students also take field trips to criminal justice institutions and to see profess ional the­atrical productions. At the end of the school

The Philadelphia Young Playwrights Festival

project .helps children explore alternatives to

violent responses.

interest and involve­ment in schoolwork, and advances in read­ing and writing skil ls. Some students at Hamilton are also learn ing to serve as peer med iators, help-

year, each participating school produces a m.ini-festival of student plays perfonned by professional actors and students.

Teachers, students and theater artists credit the project with opening up new ways of th.inking about their own responses to con­flict. Through the playwriting, students make 'choices for their characters, and see that these choices detenmine outcomes.

As Barbara Gottlieb, a teacher working with the project at th~ Hamilton School, explains, "When children write dialogue, they can see that if you change one line of dialogue, you can change the outcome of that dialogue."

The project also helps to create a more

ing younger children resolve conflicts on the playground.

Many students also express a new-found sense of responsibility and choice. When asked how they could help to promote nonvi­olence, some Hamilton students in the pro­ject responded:

• "I wil l look out for my school and if I see somebody hurting my school I will tell them to stop it. "

• "We get to respect ourselves and others in the right way. We are role models for the younger kids."

• "J learned that 'there is power in peace. ' What that means is that if you keep your own peace, you'll have all the power you' ll need in life."

Fostering Friendships: A Study Guide to Iraq for Elementary School Students challenges popu­lar stereotypes of Iraqis. It provides teachers with the historical informa­tion necessary to teach about Iraq, an overview of the 1991 Gulf War, a look at the effects of nine years of economic sanctions, and a bibliogra­phy of resources.

The video One Million Postcards documents the experi­ence of two Iraqi-American sisters (age 10 and 11), in organizing a campaign on behalf of the people of Iraq. It is a great tool to teach chil­dren the fundamentals of social activism and grassroots organizing.

The video, by award-winning director Joan Mandell, effectively demonstrates the ways in which art­work translates into peace work and how creativity can build bridges where and when governments can­not. In response to this effort, over 100,000 postcards have been coUect­ed.

For more information on these resources, or to receive a copy of the report from the educators' delega­tion to Iraq, please contact Peter Lems at the American Friends Service Committee, (215)241-7170. e-mail plems@afsc.org; or visit the web site at www.afsc.org/iraqhome.htm.

PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK PAGE 6

Aprendiendo a amar a nuestros nifws et d la violencia Je uve -I Destruyendo el ml 0 . e nJ viene de fa p. 1

"poder". Les hable de transfonnaci6n en la comunidad, sobre la paz en el barrio. Me escucharon respetuosamente.

Creo que ellos vinieron a mi casa ese dfa para que yo los disuadiera. Creo que querfan que se les retara. pero de una manera respetuosa.

Pero nuestros j6venes necesitan mas que palabras. mas que razonamiento. mas de 10 que yo pueda proveerles. En mis veinte ai'ios de trabajo con j6venes he visto c6mo todo va cuesta abajo.

Los IlLnos estan experimentando mas coraje, mas desesperanza que nunca antes. Se estan poniendo viejos mas temprano. La deserci6n en la escuela intelmedia es mas y mascomun.

Tenemos que luchar con pasion

y sentido de justicia para

poder salvar a nuestros ninos.

Es alucinante el modo en que han respon­dido a lodo esto los medios de comuni­cacion, la policfa y la escuela. Estos sei'ialan un aumento en el nllmero de pandillas asiati­cas. Algunos se han atrevido a sugerir que, aunque la actividad pandillera no es geneti­ca, esta es ciertamente cultural. Inclusive algunos asi<iticos estan de acuerdo con la creencia general: las pandillas asiaticas con­stiluyen una gran amenaza.

Que no se me malentienda. Odio la v io­lencia y el crimen. Las cosas en la calle estan mal. La gente no se siente segura.

Pero se que sospechar de todos los j6venes por su vestimenta 0 su color de pelo, presumir que son culpables por aso­ciaci6n con el vecindario en que viven, con­struir mas prisiones, anad Lr mas salas de detenci6n en las escuelas - se que estos no son la respuesta.

Intelectualmente nos damos cuenta de la desaparici6n de cientos de programas sociales

Obituario

FotO:RodneYAlienza

Nuestros j6venes nos necesitan ahor~. Necesitan que escuchemos, que miremos y que sintamos, que respondamos con nuestro coraz6n.

diseilados para ayudar a familias en crisis. Vemos el inexorable escamoteo de fondos destinados a la educaci6n publica. Nos cruzamos de brazos cuando la policfa, en vez de defender y proteger, se vuelve abusiva, violando los mas basicos derechos cLviles.

Nos cruzamos de brazos mientras la vivienda decente, el cuidado de la salud, 0 cualquier otro simbolo extemo de nuestra sociedad civilizada se aleja cada vez mas del alcance de nuestros nin~s .

Aun asi, es mas facil culpar a las vfcti­mas. De esto hasta los mismo j6venes se dan cuenta. AI no ver otra salida, al no tener con

-quien con tar, nadie que les escuche, 16gica­mente hacen 10 unico que pueden hacer: cometer "suicidio virtual."

Debo seftalar que no son s610 los j6venes asiaticos los que estan en crisLs, todos nue­stros j6venes 10 estan. i,Quiero yo criar a mis hijos en un ambLente en el que un detector de metales escruta sus cuerpos cada vez que entran a la escuela? i,Un ambiente en el que

tenemos que armamos con mace y otros arreos de guerra urbana? i,Un ambiente en el que la pregunta no es si seremos vfctimas, sino cuando?

Creo que culpar a la vfctima es una solu­ci6n necia que se puede cambiar sin tener que pensarlo mucho y con un poco de buena voluntad. Creo que tiene que haber un mejor camino.

Martin Luther King, Jr. dijo una vez: "No puede haber paz sin justicia." Si queremos poner fin a toda esta insensatez, tenemos que hacerlo nosotros mismos. Necesitamos amar a nuestros niiios nuevamente, a todos nue­stros nmos. Necesitamos creer que cualquier nmo es tan importante como el nuestro.

Las desigualdades que nos rodean y el desgarramiento del tejido social han creado una nueva y desagradable situaci6n. Nos des­gasta el espiritu, destruye nuestra compasi6n.

La cuesti6n ya no consiste simplemente en la oposici6n entre los que tienen mucho y los (jue no tienen nada. Ese camino 10 cami-

namos hace tiempo. La oposici6n ahora es entre los que tienen esperanza y los que sienten no tenerla.

N uestros j6venes nos necesitan ahora. Necesitan que escuchemos, que miremos y que sintamos, que respondamos con nuestro coraz6n, que silenciemos el sensacionalismo de la prensa y que Tecordemos que nuestros nmos son unicamente nmos.

En una sociedad que los ha tratado con frialdad necesitamos demostrarles que hay otras opciones, y cuando no podamos encon· trar las palabras, porque las opciones no estan ahf en ese momento, necesitamos mostrarles el camino nosotros mismos.

Tenemos que luchar con pasion y sentido de justicia para poder salvar a nuesrros nmos. Necesitanl0s pelear por el derecho de nuestros nmos a vivir.

Y mas que nada, tenemos que dejar de culpar a las vfctimas.

Traducci6n por Milagros Irizany

Maria Luisa Quinones, defensora de la escuelas publicas pOl' Maria E. Mills-Torres

Este noviembre la comunidad latina rinde homenaje a la memoria de Marfa Luisa Quinones, defensora de las escuelas publi­cas y primera presidenta del capftulo de Filadelfia de la Conferencia Nacional de Mujeres Puertorriquei'ias.

Marfa, quien muri6 a la edad de sesenta y nueve afios, el19 de abril de 1999, fue enal­lecida mediante la creaci6n de un fonda de becas en su nombre, cuyo prop6sito es el de favorecer econ6micamente a unCal joven lalino(a). La primera beca sera otorgada en junio del ano 2000 a unCal senior de escuela secundaria que muestre adhes i6n a los ide­ales de Marfa Luisa Qumones.

Maria naci6 en Filadelfia y trabaj6 durante 30 anos (1965-1995) para el Distrito Escolar de Filadelfia, como Coordinadora de Escuela y Comunidad, Coordinadora de Area, y mas tarde como Superv isora de Area de Escuela y Comunidad.

Marfa cri6 cinco hijos, 10 cual no Ie impidi6 trabajar aClivamente como ciu­dadana de la comunidad de Filadelfia.

Ademas de su trabajo con la Conferencia Nacional de Mujeres Puertorriquefias. Maria fue miembro de las juntas direclivas de varias organizaciones: United Way, The Lighthouse, Woodrock, United American Indians of the Delaware Valley, North City Congress y Fellowship Commission

Maria fue enaltecida mediante la creacion de un fondo de becas

en su nombre

Maria trabaj6 por varios anos como conscjera del Advisory Committee of the Emergency School Aid Act. Su trabajo en dlcho COmlte fue decisivo al contribuir al desarrollo y elaboraci6n de programas des­Ignados para estudiantes Cuya porcentila estaba bajo el 49% a nivel nacional . Maria estaba muy orgullosa de;u heren­

cIa puertomquei'ia. Pero mas importante para ella era que los nmos puertorriqueftos

aprendieran sobre su herencia cultural y comprendieran mejor la cultura puertor­riquefta. EUa tambien estaba muy interesada en otros grupos etnicos, particularrnente los indios americanos del valle Delaware. A traves de su envolvimiento con muchas organizaciones comunales, Marfa contribuy6 a promover relaciones positivas y de ayuda mutua entre las organizaciones y el Distrito Escolar de Filadelfia. Problemas comunitar­lOS, trabajo voluntario, asuntos juveniles, educacl6n billllgUe, participaci6n de los padres en las escuelas, asuntos femeninos y prevencl6n de la drogadicci6n fueron todos asuntos ?or los que Maria luch6 tenazmente. Ella crela que el bregar directamente con estos asuntos podrfa ayudar a eliminar los obstaculos que afectan negativamente a la comumdad latina.

a MM~ChOS tuvieron elprivilegio de conacer aria y de com partir con ell a, ya fuese

~~~~ mlembro de la familia, amiga, colega, . tana, educadora, portavoz de la comu-

:~ad oactivista politica. Sus logros contin­an ejerclendo un efecto positivo en las

Maria Luisa Quinones

futuras generaciones del mismo modo que las muchas funciones desempeftadas por Marfa durante su vida han afectado a mu­muchas y diferentes personas en la co

nidad de Filadelfia. . Quinones Las donaciones aJ Marfa LUIsa

Scholarship Fund pueden enviarse

a pA NACOPROW, P. O. Box 125, Phl~a. '

19105.

Traducci6n pOl' MilagJ'Os Irizar~

FALL 199

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FALL 1999 PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK PAGE 7

Como crear programas contra la violencia en las escuelas Directrices de fa 'Coafici6n Nacional de Activistas de fa Educaci6n' para fa creaci6n de programas de prevenci6n de fa viofencia

La mayoria de los grandes sistemas escolares en los Estados Unidos alega poseer algun tipo de programa de prevenci6n de la violencia. Pero la inqllietud y alarma alrede­dor de la violencia en las escllelas- y nuestra tendencia a exigir soluciones nlpidas- han dado como resultado el que muchos de estos programas existan separados del movimien­to mas ampJio que aspi ra a reeSlructurar todo el sistema educal iva

La violencia debe ser definida en forma ampl ia de modo que incluya el dano causado por la pobreza, el racismo, y la desigualdad, as! como tambien, el dana fis ico producido por la violencia corporal. Los esfuerzos con­tra la violencia deben ser parte de una visi6n

Los esJuerzos contra la violencia deben ser parte de una vision amplia de cambio social.

amplia de cambia social. Las siguientes sug­erencias han sido desarrolladas con el prop6sito de ayudar a los activistas de la educaci6n a mejorar los programas ya exis­tentes y a seleccionar y crear otros nuevas.

1. Envuelva a toda la comu­nidad escolar

Los planes para prevenir la violencia tienen mayores posibilidades de exito si toda la comunidad escolar forma parte del proceso. Los estudiantes, los padres y guardianes, maestros, personal de apoyo y los administradores son, natural mente, parte irnportante, pero las organizaciones comunitarias, los grupos religiosos, las agencias de salud y otros grupos tambien pueden contribuir con valiosas ideas y recursos.

Los grupos dedicados a la soluci6n efectiva de problemas usual mente evalUan las necesidades y los prograrnas existentes, forjan una visi6n, generan opciones mutuamente aceptables, dis­enan un plan y asignan tareas. Si los miembros de su comunidad escolar no estan acostumbrados a trabajar juntos, su grupo necesita ayuda para disenar y facilitar el trabajo.

2. Obtenga todos los datos Explore los recursos, programas,

leyes locales, y modos de acci6n desiganos para prevenir 0 bregar con la violencia. Revise y evalue la

Riegue las noticias Ayude a distribuir Philadelphia

Public School Notebook. Usted puede ser parte del equipo que dis­tribuye School NOlebook a traves de la ciudad. Copias estan disponible para la distribuci6n en su escueJa. lugar de trabajo e iglesia. Estan disponible para un evento publico, una reuni6n en la escuela 0 en un centro corouna!.

Fav0f de lJarnar aJ Public School Notebook, 951-0330, ext. 107, si esta interesado en formar parte del equipo.

informaci6n cualitativa y cuantitativa disponible. La infonnaci6n cuantitativa es medible e incluye numeros y patrones de incidentes por los cuales los estdiantes son disciplinados, suspendidos 0 expliIsa­dos. La infoffilaci6n cualitativa es mas personal: testimonios e informes escritos. La infomlaci6n debe estar ciisponible en la escuela pero no pase por alto otras fuentes de informaci6n: peri6dicos locales, grupos estudiantiles y/o comuni­tarios.

3. Examine el edificio La condici6n, arreglo y supervisi6n

de las escuelas, dentro y fuera , deben ser cons ideradas y, de ser necesario, realizar las mejoras pertinenres. Recuerde al hacer cambios que el aprendizaje no puede ocurrir en un campamento arma­do. Los edificios y las medidas de seguridad deben ser establecidas y man­tenidas para ayudar al personal, a los estudiantes y a las familias a sentirse seguros y bienvenidos.

4. Identifique los factores que contribuyen a la violencia

Pall'ones de comporlamiento estudi­ami!: Examine los registros de asisten­cia, disciplina, los referidos de educaci6n especial, embarazo de adolescentes, deserci6n, informes sabre incidentes serios, y otros. Examine las tendencias que reflejan aumento en los incidentes, cam bios ocurridos a traves del tiempo y quienes estan involucrados.

Pal/'ones de comunicaci6n: Las semillas de los conflictos destructivos pueden encontrarse en los patrones de comunicaci6n -{) la falta de estos- entre los estudiantes, maestros, administra­dores, fanillias y personal de apoyo.

Polarizaci6n enlre los grupos estudi­al1liles: Los estudiantes necesitan espa­cio y autodetemlinaci6n. Los grupos pueden ser mecanismos positiv~s para la creaci6n de identidad y un sentido de

Las escuelas pierden valiosos recursos cuando se hallan

desconectadas del resto de la comunidad

bienestar. Pero cuando no hay interac­ci6n positiva entre los grupos las desavenencias pueden conducir a hostilidad y conflicto.

fmparcialidad inslitueional: La exploraci6n de esta area es clave y puede constituir un punto de resistencia por parte de los administradores escolares. La distribuci6n de recursos -human os, materiales y econ6micos- puede ser una fuente de conflictos mayores.

Conexi6n entre escue/a y comu­nidad: Las escuelas pierden valiosos recursos cuando se hallan desconectadas del resto de la comunidad. Esta desconexi6n puede impedir la detecci6n y el manejo adecuado de conflictos suby-

acentes. Los conflictos en la escuela pueden ser el reflejo de conflictos en la comunidad. Cualquier grupo que trate de bregar con la violencia y los conflictos en la escuela debe familiarizarse con el resto de la comunidad.

5. Forjar una vision Ahora Ud. esta listo para pregun­

tarse: i,Que queremos y c6mo 10 lograrnos? Esta pregunta puede conducir ala discusi6n de aspectos de la vida escolar que no parecen estar directa­mente relacionados con la violencia, pero es mejor considerar todos los fac­tores antes de descartar ninguno.

Una visi6n puede comenzar con un concepto amplio: "Necesitamos una comunidad atenta, solicita," 0 se puede comenzar bregando con preocupaciones mas especificas, como reducir el numero de suspensiones. No obstante, es esencial que la visi6n sea desarrollada en conjun­to por todos los miembros de la comu­nidad escolar.

Los planes para prevenir la violencia t ienen mayores posibilidades de ex ito si toda la comunidad escolarforma parte del proceso.

6. Generar opciones y planes Una vez completado eJ proceso de

evaluaci6n y despues de haber llegado a un consenso en cuanto ala visi6n que se persigue, 10 que procede es comenzar a generar y evaluar las ideas que ayudaran a efectuar el cambio. No hay que deses­perarse si este proceso provoca conflic­tos, 10 sorprendente sena que no los provocara; estos conflictos deberan ser resueltos antes de continuar con el proce­so. Trate de ordenar las ideas en orden de prioridad y acometalas una a la vez. Una vez alcanzado eJ consenso en cuanto a los planes, Ud. debe organizar los recur­sos necesarios para irnplementarlos.

Lo al1lerior es un ex/raelO lomado del bolet!n (primavera 1995) de la Coalici6n Nacional de Aelivislas de 10 Edlleaci6n y eSla basado en lin informe mas largo, lillliado "Violencia Eseolar en COl1lexlo:' Para infor­maci6n sobre eSle y Olros reCllrsos relaeiona­dos cOll la violellcia escolar vea la p. 13.

Tradllcci6n pOI' Milagros fri:an}'.

leual es su opinion? Las bienvenidas del Public School Notebook

a su correspondencia, las criticas, u openiendo

puntos de vista. Por favor envielos al Philadelphia Public School Notebook,

3721 Midvale Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19129

PAGES

The new morning routine l

SCAN Students have bar-coded 10 cardt;hi~he~~~t;;; run through a scanner. This scanner system hel s

school qUickly compile attendance data.

continued from p. 1 Advocates of a community-building safety

strategy say that focusing narrowly on weapons witilin school walls does not address the need to create a safe and respectful school climate that is engaging to students and free from physical violence and harassment. Nor do the weapons searches strengthel~ a school's connections and presence m the sur-

rounding community. _. . .. . The District's latest secunty 100tmtives

have raised a number of new challenges.

Loss of class time Implementing the weapons searches has

caused major disruptions of the mommg rou­tine and loss of class time, particularly at

larger high schools. .' . Even after a month of logistical adJust-

ments, students at several schools surveyed by the Notebook were regularly miss ing a portion oftheir first academiC penod because of the long wait to get searched. The mommg jam-up has created a major new obstacle for

The morning jam-up has created a major

new obstacle for schools attempting to enforce consistent policies on

student lateness.

schools attempting to enforce consistent pol i­cies on student lateness.

"We are working on developing the most efficient and effective screening process," said safety director McLees. "T th ink that can be worked out over time."

He added that schools may have to do some "redesigning of the beginning of the day" to accommodate the weapons searches.

Lack of student input Student concern about the violence was

reflected by an outpouring of concern and grief by King students and an emergence of student activism at Bartram.

But the District so far has missed the opportunity to involve students in developing a response to escalating violence and to strategize about how to develop a more cohe­sive and respectful school climate.

"Our view is that if you want to establ ish

COMESP~ DO YOU FEEL THAT THE NEW DETECTORS ARE A BIG HAS5

DO YOU WANT TO BE LATE FI EVERYDAY BECAUSE OF THI

DO YOU WANT TO HAVE TO' EARliER IN THE MORNING. BECAUSE WE NOW HAVE Tl SCHOOL AT 7:00 A.M. IN Of IT TO CLASS AT 8:00A.M.?

THE WEATHER WILL BE Ct' WE All KNOW IT IS NOT FJ HAVE TO STAND OUTSIDE

CHECKEDH

WE CAN PROTEST AGAIN~ ALL WE NEED IS ~ TO ~ SIGN UP NOW BEFORE IT

ted in the hallways at Will' This anonymoUS flyerlo~,s reaction to the startup 0

october, was one stu en

an orderly environment in the school, student voices are going to have to be part of the process," said Bi ll Kaplan, assistant director of the Philadelphia Student Union. This fall, the Student Union has begun work with a new student chapter at Bartram.

Little say for schools A basic decision about school security pro­

cedure was dictated by the Board, even though security is an area where plans and decisions are normally made on site by the principal or school council. .

Some principal s have expressed their

desire not t

ins~~:~ :~ perfOiming the student: 100% or stl policy resol that student high school weapons se

Unequa Whileth

high school appears un

A closer look

Office for School Safety and Police The School District has its own

force of school police, who operate under this office.

Purpose: responsible for safety and security for the School District's 21 §,OOO students, 27,000 staff and 347 facilities.

Budget: $19 mil lion annually, mostly for personnel.

Staffing: 448 total personnel; 4()(J police ofticers (up from 274 officers in 19?6). An additional 250 reserve, "per diem" oft Icers are used as needed.

Size: it is the fourth largest ~;: force in the state, behmd the s d

police and the Philadel phlae~ts, and Pittsburgh pohce dep~ r more than twice the Size 0

Harrisburg's.

. enlS·office~ Job reqUlrem cho~1 diploma

must have a high s ass a written or equivalent, and p and oral exam.

Training: officers receive ullt:r .' 'dd ss inu lSsues

weeks of trallllng a . l1\nd ;rocedures. law, school district p~11C lue,Sa; d,versity, etc. school environment, cult They do not CDiTY weapons.

Contact In 734 Schuylkil (21 5)875-345

: SCHOOL N TEBOOK · FALL 1999

tlI·I,IaIU«·'·". e new challenges for high schools

: spEAK oUI! W MElAL

:EL THAT THE NE E? lS ARE A BIG HASSL .

FOR CLASS IANT TO BE LATE ? If BECAusE of THIS.

VANT TO HAVE TO WAKE UP

IN THE MORNING JU:~ AT E WE NOW HAVEoT~DER TO MAKE AT 7:00 A.M. IN ASS AT 8:00A.M.?

HANGING AND ATHER WILL BE CFAIR FOR US TO KNOW IT IS NOT E JUST TO BE o STANDOUTSID EOH

INST THIS ACT N PROTEST AGA 0 PARTICIPATE. E NEED IS ~ TE IT'S TOO LATE. JPNOWBEFOR

'Iliam Penn High School in sted in the hallways at WI f daily weapons searches.

~~d~~t's reaction to the startup 0

1001, student of the

~nt director n. This fall, 'k with a new

security pro· , even plans and ;ite by the

ed their

desire not to have the new metal detectors installed at their schools.

Some schools have expelimented with performing searches on a random portion of the students entering the school, rather t.han 100% of students. But the Board 's policy resolution offers no flex ibility. It says that students - and in fact all people enteling high school buildings - must go tllrough the weapons search.

Unequal treatment While the Board resolution calls for all

high schools to get tile metal detectors, it appears unJikely tilat tili s will happen. Some

nd PJ)lice Operations largest police ind the state delphia and

tlepartmenlS, and e size of

ents: ofticers school diplolJlil passawriuen

Jurisdiction: officers have jurisdiction and cao apprehend suspects only on school property.

Deployment: 75% of officers are assigned to specific faci lities. 98% of the personnel are deployed during the day while schools are open; only 2% at nights.

. Supervision: 10 supervisors from tile office Oversee the school police officer force.

Director: John J. McLees

73 Contact Information: JFK Center. 4 Schuylkill Ave., Phila., PA 19146;

(2 15)875-3458.

of the District 's special admiss ions schools are among tilose not expecting to be subjected to the searches on the basis that there are few "serious incident" reports at these schools.

In addition, despite the Board 's mandate to treat all those entering school buildings the same - to search everyone - there are no indi­cations so far as to whether or when staff and adult visitors will be subject to weapons searches.

What to do with "offenders" There are continued questions about District

policies toward disciplining "disruptive stu­dents" and punishing weapons offenders.

The state House of Representatives voted in October to launch an investigation of violence in Philadelphia schools. State legislators cham­pioning expulsions as the solution to discipli­nary problems questioned why less than 2% of

Some special admission schools are among those

not expecting to be subjected to the

searches on the basis that there are few 'serious incident'

reports at these schools

Philadelphia students caught with weapons are expelled, despite Act 26, a strict state law man­dating a one-year expUlsion except when the superintendent recommends leniency.

Distlict officials respond that special consid­eration is given to cases involving very young students and students witil clean records, or cases where the "weapon" may be something less dangerous than a gun or a knife.

But critics say the District allows too many offenders to retum to their own school or sim­ply transfer to anotiler neighborhood school.

Many weapons offenders are transfen'ed to tile District'S disciplinary schools - Shallcross, MilJer, and Boone. The District also runs six ABLE Academies, set up as temporary, altema­tive placements for middle school students. But District officials have acknowledged selious inadequacies in tllese programs.

District officials are ex ploring a contractual an'angement witil a for-profit , Texas-based company to replace the existing remedial di s­cipline schools. .....

The District continues to maintain a valiety of other safe schools initiatives, coordinated by tile District's Family Resource network. These include:

• tile 24-hour Safe Schools Hotline, (2 15) 299-SAFE, for repOlting any information, including anonymous tips, relating to school

safety ; • the cri sis intervention and preventi ve edu­

cation work of the Philadelphia Anti-Dru"l Anti-Violence Network;

.oSafe Corridors programs to protect stu­dents going to and from school (see p. 10);

• peer mediation and conflict resolution programs providing nonviolence trainlllg to

students: • after-school recreation programs in 120

gyms throughout the city. run in partnership with the Recreation Department:

• Philadelphia Safe and Sound. a youth safety initiative which has placed two anti­violence workers each in Olney, Bartram, and South Ph il adelphia high schools.

PAGE 9

Creating and strengthening school anti-violence programs Guidelines for work on school safety issues from the National Coalition of Education Activists

Most major US school systems now claim to have some sort of violence preven­tion program. But the hype surrounding school vio lence - and our tendency to want quick fixes - has resulted in many of the programs being separated from the broader movement to rethink schools. We believe that is a mistake.

Violence should be defined broadly to include the damage done by poverty, racism, and inequality as wel l as interpersonal physical harm. Anti-violence efforts should be part of a broader vision of social change. The following suggestions are designed to help activists improve existing programs and create or select new ones.

I nVOlve the entire school community Plans to prevent violence are most likely to succeed if the entire school

community is involved. Students, families and guardians, teachers, support staff, and administrators are obviously key, but community organizations, relig ious groups, health agencies, and others also may have valuable ideas and resources to contribute.

Effective problem-solving groups usually evaluate needs and existing pro­grams, develop a vision, generate mutually acceptable options, design a plan, and assign tasks. If members of your school community are not accustomed to working together, you may need help designing a process and facilitating your work.

G et the facts Explore resources, programs, local and state laws, and policies designed to

prevent or address violence. Review and assess quantitative and qualitative infor­mation. Quantitative data is measurable, includ ing numbers and patterns of inci­dents for which students are disciplined, suspended, and expelled. Qualitative data tends to be more personal: testimony and written reports, for instance. Information should be available from the school system, but don't overlook other sources: local newspapers or student and community groups, for example.

S tUdY the building Condition, arrangement, and supervision of schools - inside and out - should

be analyzed and, if necessary, improved. Keep in mind when making changes that learning doesn't readi ly occur in armed camps. Buildings and security measures should be maintained and set up to help staff, students, and families feel safe and welcome.

L Ok for conditions that contribute to violence Patterns of student behavior: Examine records of attendance, discipline,

special education referra ls, teen pregnancies, dropouts, serious incident reports, and so on. Look at trends reflecting rising numbers of incidents, changes over time, and who is involved.

Patterns of communication: Seeds of destructive conflict can often be found in communication patterns - or lack of them - between and among students, teach­ers, admin istrators, families, and support staff.

Polarization among student groups: Students need space and self-determina­tion. Groups can be positive mechanisms for building identity and a sense of com­fort. But when there is no positive interaction among groups, misunderstandings may lead to hosti lity and conflict.

Institutional fairness: This is a key area for exploration and one which may be resisted by school administrators. The allocation of resources - human, material, and financial - can be a source of major conflicts.

School-<:ommunity connection: Schools lose valuable resources when they are disconnected from the wider community. In addition, underlying sou rces of violent conflict may not be ident ified or addressed. Conflicts in the school are likely to reflect conflicts in the community. Any group trying to address violence and con­flict in a school must be fa miliar with the larger community.

O eate a vision Now you're ready to ask: Where do we want to go and how do we get

there? This question may lead to discussions about aspects of school life that seem far afield from violence, but consider all the angles before writing them off.

A vision can begin with a broad concept like "We need a caring community," or address specific concerns such as reducing the number of suspensions. It is essential that the vision be developed jointly by all members of the school community.

£""1 ~nerate options and plans ~once the assessment process is complete and a vision has been agreed upon, it's time to generate and evaluate ideas for change. Don't panic if this step causes conflict; it would be surprising if it didn't, but friction must be resolved before you can move on. Try to rank ideas and take on one at a time. Once plans are agreed to, you must organize resources needed to implement them.

This is an excerpt from the Spring 1995 newsletter of the National Coalition of Education Activists, and is based on a longer report, "School Violence in Context." For information on these and other resources on school violence, see page 13.

FALL 1999 PAGE 10 PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK

Parents, students win safety gains at Edison byRos Purnell

Unlike many comprehensive high schools in Philadelphia, Edison-Fareira High School isn't run down and fall ing apart.

The building is fairly new---<:omplered in 1988-and is well-kept. The halls are spa­cious and classrooms brighrly lit. The cafe­teria is clean and gets lars of natural light.

The grounds around the building have rhe feel of a suburban school. There are small, well-maintained butterfly gardens filled with flowers. There are trees, a pond, a football field, a track, and nO! one but two parking areas.

So why would groups of parents and stu­dents each launch campaigns to make dras­tic changes at Edison?

Activism at Edison emerged over three years ago in the wake of a number of violent incidents in the neighborhood and in or around the school.

Edison students who walked under the Luzerne Street Bridge felt exposed to danger. The underpass was dark even on sunny days.

"We should not have fear walking to and from school," said Miriam Arroyo, a recent Edison graduate. "We should not have a constant fear of an environment where we want to receive an education."

Safety first In response to these concerns, the

Alliance Organizing Project, a local parent orranizing group, assigned an organizer to Edison to support the creation of a strong parent group at the , chool. A "Parent Leadership Team" organized a selies of par­ent meerings. At all of these, the overwhelm­ing issue on parents' minds was safety.

A few parents complained that the NTAs "weren't doing their jobs" and disciplining students. Others noted that brawls and food fights in the cafeteria prevented students from fmding a quiet place to eat their meals.

Some expressed concerns about allowing their children to participate in after-school activities, especially in winter when it gets dark early. Others cited the twenty to fifty students they saw "hanging out" in front of the school during school hours.

Changes at Edison were achieved by a small but well-organized group of parents that had the backing of key community groups in the area.

"What parents did was say to the school: 'Join us in a campaign. We can work togeth­er to make the school safe, '" said Eva Gold, who spent two years working with and researching the parents' activities.

The Leadership Team formed commit­tees and researched solutions to the prob­lems expressed by parents.

Edison parent leaders met with numerous officials including state representatives, School District administrators, members of City Council , and representatives of the neighboring police districts. They also met and talked with students, faculty, and non­teaching assistants to gauge their concerns and ideas regarding safety at Edison.

With the support of the principal, parents focused first on reorganizing students' access to the cafeteria. Caroline Hopkins, a member of the Leadership Team, noted that the success of the lunchroom reorganization won parents an increased acceptance from the school community.

Parents also succeeded in getting the out­side of the building lit at night - a hard­won victory that made everyone feel much safer. "Parents were more comfortable com­ing to the building at night," Hopkins said.

Hopkins was extremely proud of the par­ents' achievements, but also gave credit for their victories to Principal Jose Lebron. "Parents couldn't have done it without the support of the principal," Hopkins said.

In fact, Principal Lebron took the par-

Edison parent activists made safety their top priority and have made some strides.

ents' initiatives one step further by institut­ing a policy last fall that requires students to

be on time for school, with both books and IDs visible when they enter the building, Lebron takes the time to greet students at the door each morning,

most dangerous police di strict in Philadelphia.

With the help of Youth United for Change (YUC), Edison students set out to

change that situation by focusing on the Luzerne Street

In addition, the street in front of the school is now blocked off to traffic when stu­dents are coming to

school or leaving for home, Youngsters are less likely to congre-

Activism Bridge-a 2oo-foot long structure two blocks west of the school near Rising Sun Avenue. around the city It took nearly three years of meeting with

gate in front of the building as a result. Eva Gold commented that the parents'

activism "changed the boundaries around what the school believed is their role in the local community."

"The school took a pro-active role in dealing with the community and with local officials as opposed to trying to be 'an island in the community, '" Gold said.

Students light up bridge Meanwhile, the students at Edison had

concluded that the area around Edison High School is the most dangerous sector of the

city officials and state representatives, lobbying contractors, and researching neighborhood crime statistics, But when school opened in September 1998, the City had installed twenty new light bulbs, cleaned up the abandoned vehicles, removed debris, and added police patrols to provide a cleaner, safer passage to schooL

Jessica Bishop, a recent Edison graduate, said the authorities gave in after realizing that the students would not be silenced.

Edison Freire, a teacher at Edison, expressed his gratitude for the students' tenac­ity. "Were it not for them, my students would not feel safe to travel [here]," Freire said,

Kelly School parents patrol while they advocate for safe streets Safe Corridors: struggling to create presence in community by Lynette Hazelton

More than one study has shown that to reduce school violence, you have to take into account the larger community context, because community violence is often played out in and around schools,

But Kenneth Moragne, chair of the Concerned Parents of John B. Kelly Elementary School'S Safe Corridors pro­gram, doesn't need research findings to con­vince him of the community 's vital role in ensuring safe schools,

This longtime Germantown resident, par­ent of former Kell y students and uncle to current students, said he sees the results of community involvement daily as he and his band of up to 15 volunteers post themselves around the school to help children arrive and depart safel y,

The three-year-old initiative grew out of a survey of Kelly parents that showed chil­dren's security as tlleir top priority. The Safe Corridors program provides adult supervi­sion along the routes children travel- thus decreasing incidents of violence, increasing the timely reporting of potential hazards, and building the children's sense of security, Safe Corridors volunteers are also building a deeper sense of connection between school and community.

"There has been a tremendous difference since we started," said Dolores Moragne, a

volunteer and wife of Kenneth Moragne, "The children had been withdrawn and had negative attitudes. Now - in response to us saying good morning and having a kind word and conSistently being out there­they are friendlier," Drivers are less irritable, bus drivers are honking greetings, and par­ents are waving, she added.

Working with the principal, the Alliance Organizing Project, and the Southwest Germantown Neighborhood Partnership, Kell y parents modeled their program after Vaux Middle School 's Safe Corridors pro­gram, Volunteers at Kelly first focused on the schoolyard. Now they work busy inter­sections while they actively advocate for additional traffic lights and crossing guards. (see box).

People are the essential ingredient that makes safe corridors work, and getting peo­ple is a tremendous Chal lenge, Moragne said his {orce of volunteers have been hurt by new welfare rules that require recipients to fmd work, forcing them to leave volunteer activities.

The School District has identified 69 Safe Corridors programs, but most, admitted Moragne, are struggling mightily, "Many of the safe corridors have failed because of a lack of parricipants and because they have no money," said Moragne.

Some Safe Corridors programs have

secured outside sources of funding for sup­plies, equipment, and volunteer recognition, but Vemard Trent of the Family Resource Network said that "at this point there is no funding available for stipends for volunteers in the programs."

Today schools opting to start safe corri­dors will be able to get assistance through Philadelphia Operation Town Watch, which has a new initiative to provide training and equipment for school corridor programs.

According to Anthony Murphy, execu­tive director of Operation Town Watch, they are already training elementary schools such as Potter-Thomas, Fairhill and Taylor "on how to develop organizations, how to address students, and how to patrol and report. "

School police have provided training for volunteers, but Murphy said Operation Town Watch will be able to provide more extensive fOllow-up, This may be one step in helping more Safe Corridors programs sUlvive.

The School District has federal funding available under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools Act to implement safety programs at schools, This funding is administered via Family Resource Network coordinators at cluster offices (listed on p, 2), School groups With proposals for safety programs should contact their cluster office for more informa-

tion. Funded programs will be expected to show measurable evidence of the impact of their work.

Operation Town Watch can be reached at (215) 686-1459.

Crossing guards needed A new Police Department survey

shows that dozens of corners across the city are in need of crossing guards. Parents associated with the the Alliance Organizing Project (AOP) will be mobi­lizing supporters for upcoming City Council hearings in an effort to win more guards across the city.

The AOP campaign began in the fa ll of 1998, when parent teams at eight local schools identified a need for addi­tional crossing guards. In March 1999, 200 parents held a public action at which City Council members Angel Ortiz and Donna Reed Miller agreed to push for hearings on this issue. Initial Council hearings were held in June, and Ortiz instructed the police to perform the survey, analyzing 40 intersections identified by AOP,

Call AOP at (215) 625-9916 for information on results of the police department survey and on upcoming City Council hearings.

FALL 1~ --Leal

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FALL 1999 PAGE 11

Learning to love our children

Dispelling myths of youth and violence Thefollowing article is an excerpt from

a longer story, "Teacherz in the Hood: Community Crises and the Myth of AsulIl Gangs," from the Winter 1998 newsletter of the Philadelphia group Asian Americans

United.

By Debbie Wei

A few years ago, some youths came to my door who had gotten illVolved with some pretty crazy stuff Ul tile neighborhood. They

[ COMMENT were Asian American youths who asked to speak with me.

watch while decent housing, health care, or any other physical trappings of a civilized society rise ever more out of the reach of our children.

Yet, it is still easiest to blame the victims. This, even the youth realize. Seeing no way out, no one to tum to, no one who will hear them, they do what is logically tile only thing to do. They move to commit virtual suicide.

I want to point out that it is not just Asian youth who are in crisis. All our youth are in crisis.

Do I want to raise my own two children in an environment where they need to have metal detectors scruming bodies as they enter school buildings? Where we arm our­selves with mace and accouterments of urban war? Where the question is not will you be a victim, but when?

As we sat round my dining room table, they spoke in vague terms of being di sre­spected by some other youths. Of getting revenge. They made indirect reference to

arms and to drive-by shootings. Our youth need us to listen. to silence the sensationalism of the press an~h;~'r:O:;:;~~~" that they are children.

I believe that blaming the victim is an easy solution which doesn't take a whole lot of challenge to think about or a whole lot of will to change. I believe there has to be a better way.

I li stened in desperation, praying for some inspiration. I questioned why they felt most offended by members of their own community. The revenge and retaliation dis­cussions were targeting youth who looked just like them. Same race. Similar experi­ences. Similar pain .

I asked them to think about power. I talked about community transformation. I talked about peace in the hood. They lis-

tened respectfully. I do believe they came to my house that

day because they wanted to be stopped. They wanted to be challenged, but in a way where they did not feel disrespected.

But our youth need more than words, more than reason ing, more than I could ever give them. In my nearly 20 years of working with kids, I have seen a relentless downward

Students' rights training As the increased security measures pro­

liferate in schools, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Pennsylvan ia has developed a response to the diminishing rights of young people.

The ACLU's student program was launched last year, with Know Your Rights: A Manual for Public School Students serv­ing as the centerpiece for its education and outreach efforts. This student manual addresses the random search of book bags and lockers, the censoring of school news­papers, the harassment of gay youth, and more. Through a series of student-led work­shops in the spring, the ACLU distributed over 2000 copies of the manual to students, teachers and parents.

In Philadelphia classrooms and with organizations like Youth United for Change and the Attic Youth Center, the ACLU began a much-needed conversation with students about their rights.

Discussions will continue this year in similar and expanded settings with a newlY trained team of peer educators. The team consists of seven Philadelphia high school students from West Philadelphia, Gratz, Fumess, and Central high schools, who have recently completed an after-school training program which addresses socially relevant, constitutional issues including the freedom of expression, censorship, recognizing and responding to discrinlination and harass­ment, and due process rights.

The peer-led workshops communicate information about the law and school codes through student -to-student dialogue and the use of role-plays.

For a free copy of the manllaiJor more information, or 10 schedule a "Know Your Rights" peer workshop. contact JOllna Revilz at (215) 592-1513. ext. 222 or aclupubed@aol.com.

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spiral. Children are feeling more anger. more hopelessness than ever before. They are getting old at younger ages. Dropping out in middle school and elementary school is more and more common.

The media, police, and school responses have been fascinating to watch. They point to a rise in Asian gangs. Some have gone so far as to suggest that while gang activity may not be necessari-ly genetic, it is cer-

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "There can be no peace without justice." If we want the madness to end , we need to work on it ourselves. We need to love our kids again -all our kids. We need to bel ieve that every­one's child is as important as our own.

The inequities that surround us, the increased tearing of the social fabric, have

created a new, ugly situation. It wears on

tain�y cultural. Even many Asians nod their heads in agree­ment to the common assessment - Asian gangs are the major threat.

The question is no longer simply one of haves and have-nots. It's of those who have

our spirits. It destroys our compassion.

The question is no longer simply one of the haves and the have-nOls. We passed that road long ago. It's a question of those who have hope and those who feel

Don't misunder­stand me. I hate the v iolence. I hate the

hope and those who feel hopeless.

crime. Things on the street are bad. People don 't feel safe.

But I know that suspecting all youth based on their dress, their hair color, assum­ing guilt by association due to the neighbor­hood they live in, building more prisons, adding detention rooms in school - I know these are not the answer.

Intellectually we realize the erosion of hundreds of social programs designed to help families in crisis. We watch a relentless march to defund public education. We stand by while police charged to protect and defend often become abusive, violating the most basic of civil rights with abandon. We

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hopeless. Our youth need us now. They need us to

listen, to look, to feel. To respond with our hearts . To silence the sensationalism of the press and remember that they are children. They are only children.

In a society that has left them cold, we need to show our kids that there are options. And when we can't fmd the words, because the options aren't really there right now, we need to build the paths ourselves. We need to fight with passion and a sense of justice in order to save our kids. We need to fight for the right of our kids to live.

Most of all , we need to stop blaming the victims.

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PAGE 12 PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK FALL 1999

- i·Ii' fi·' .'filii! n.t,'fw Students at N.Y. school discuss what makes it safe

I Editors' note: Central Park East Secondary School in New York City is a nationally acclaimed school located in East Harlem. In this article by a teacher at the school, excerpted from a New York educa­tion newspapel; students give their perspec­tive on how their school has succeeded in addressing issues of safet), in a community that is beset by violence.}

By Jose Alfaro

Student med iators at Central Park East Secondary School di scussed what they felt to be characteristics of their school that encouraged students to seek nonviolent solutions to conflict. The following are some of the points they raised.

Of utmost importance, accordi ng to aJl the students, is the size of the school. In a large school, students have linle chance to know one another and ·' ... it·s much easier for a conflict to escalate when you don't know the other person." The anonymity also makes it easier for other youngsters to ignore trouble that doesn ' t directly affect them.

In a small school it 's rare for young people not to have some direct contact with one another, or at least know of one another through friends. Because of this, students are more likely to become con­cerned and involved when they hear of potential trouble developing.

As one student put it, "It 's hard to get away with anything around here because everyone seems to know what you're up to."

Know your students well Teachers getting to know students well

is another step in promoting peace in the school. Students pointed to the advisory

system and the way it strengthens relations between students and staff. (In advisory. an adult meets regularly with a group of about 15 students to discuss issues ranging from academic progress to personal and social problems.)

Discussions can be very personal, and the support developed often helps students to develop a bond with one another and with their advisor.

The advisor is the principal link between the school, the student, and the student 's family. This role, often handled in other schools by a maze of individuals­guidance coun selors. deans, assis-

static with one another." Perhaps equa lly important, several

young peop le stated that high standards help them rai se their self- expectations both academ ically and socially. In short, students said. "We don't have time to fight, and we're not expected to fight,

so we don't! " The students al so discussed the role of

conflict reso lution in minimizing the aggression in the school. Many heads nod­ded when one student said, "There are some who it can 't help and who are go ing to fight anyway."

Other stu-dents pointed out that when

tant principals - provides the family with one contact person who is knowledgeable about the whole picture of a student.

'Teachers here keep us so busy we don't really have time to get into a lot of static with

one another.'

their peers are willing to use confl ict resolution, then it usually works well, especially in "preventing smalJ confl icts from escalating into big ones." A few stu-

dents bemoaned the fact that the "teachers are always in our business and don't know when to step back, but we know that you mean well," while others said they'd rather have it that way than not even know some of their teachers, like some of their friends in large schools.

Having high academic and social expec­tations for the students is another important safety factor. As one student said, "Teachers here keep us so busy that we don't really have time to get into a lot of

Some of the mediators men­

tioned how they themselves have developed greater self--<:onfidence and self--<:ontrol through the mediation training.

One student stated that the curriculum was important in reducing conflict. He felt that "if you ' re not teaching history that is important to 'minorities,' then you're not going to keep us interested, and being bored leads to trouble."

While some of the mediators were not sure that the content of the subject matter was important in reducing conflict, most

fe lt that the curriculum did help students

develop self-respect.

Conflict within and outside school Another student mentioned that she was

proud that metal detectors were not used at the schoo l. "It would make our school look

like a prison," she sa id. But she added that the school has little

influence over "what is going on down the block .. .. Try using some conflict resolution on the comer and see what happens. There you have to be hard core, and none of thi s

stuff will work." While most agreed, some felt that

being more aware of the principles of confl ict resol ution had helped them to avoid conflict both within and outside the

school grounds Students strongly believed that as long

as there was conflict in the "real world," there would be conflict within schools. But they also expressed the belief that the way conflict is handled within a school will determine whether it becomes constructive

or destructive. According to these students, what

discourages conflict from becoming destruc­tive is the small size of the school, the rela­tionships of respect and caring encouraged by the advisory system, the internalization of the high academic expectations, the rele­vance of the curriculum, and the success of the conflict resolution program.

Perhaps the Board of Education should take a closer look at the ideas of students before fina lizing its program to increase the safety in schools.

Reprinted from the New York newspaper Schoo/Voices, Spring 1993.

Student leaders get training on addressing school conflicts by Paul Socolar

An effecti ve school conflict resolution program must provide students with oppor­tun ities to re-exam ine their ani tudes, to work on communication with people who seem different from themselves. and to practice creative problem-solving and leadership skills .

Twenty public school students from Philadelphia are gening a rare opportunity to receive in-depth trai ning in these areas at Fellowship Farm this school year.

The students, from Gratz, Fels. and Mastbaum High Schools (along with ten students from the Lower Merion school district), are taking pan in a six-month leadership training program. They were sclected to participate because of their concem with addressing the divisions and conflicts that engender violence in their schools.

Fellowship Farm, a training center in Pottstown, has a long hi story of providing experiential training for youth and adults in team-building, conflict resolution, and mul­ticultural awareness. The Farm is launching an ambitious program this year, called "New Century Leaders." The goal of the program is "to develop activists for a society that appreciates and supports differences," according to FellOWShip Farm director Dr. Irene Mehnert.

Every month for six months, the intentionally diverse group of student panicipants will attend a two-day weekend leadership training session at the Fann. Besides working on their communication and multicultural ski lls, they will identify, plan , and implement community-action projects in their school s.

The program, funded by Lucent Links,

Fellowship Farm is training students from Fels. Gratz and Mastbaum to take Ie d h' . ' " Photo: Jared G<assma,n a ers Ip In addreSSing diverSity issues at school.

al so uses technology to engage students in addressing diversity issues. To provide ongoing discussion and support for each other, panicipants wi ll be linked via the Internet during the school year.

"We've always had different cliques in schools , but today they are becoming more

viOlent," said Mehnert. She asserted that what is needed is "a change in the whole leaming environment in the schools. The problem is not just the student-to-student interactions. "

Through the New Century Leaders pro­gram, Mehnert said she believes students

will get training ~d support to make spe­cific recommendations to their schools.

For more information o11lr~'ining pro­grams at the Fellowship Farm (w",,,wfellowshipfarm.org). contact the Farm at (215) 248-3343.

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FALL 1999 -Resource materials for safe schools

The Center to Pre.v.ent Handgun Violence offers a curriculum for school-age youth and theIr famIlies:. the STAR program, or Straight Talk About Risk, focuses on gun violence preventIon. 1225 Eye Street, NW #1150, Washington, DC 20005 (202) 289-7319, or www.handguncontrol.org. '

colorLines Magazine, which d,~scribes itself as "the nation's lead ing magazine on race, culture, and organlZl11g, hIghlights repressive poliCies and criminaliza­tion of young people in its Winter 1999-2000 issue on the "war on youth" and domestic milita rization. ColorLines is a publication of the Appl ied Research Center and the Center for Th ird World Organizing. ColorLines, PMB 319, 4096 Piedmont Ave., Oakland, CA 94611, (510) 653-3415, or www.colorlines.com .

Educators for Social Responsibil ity is a national membership organization active on conflict resolution and peace education issues, providing both materi­als and teacher training. ESR's largest in itiative, the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program (RCCP), IS a comprehenSive, K-12 school-based program in conflict reso­lution and intergroup relations. ESR resources include books, curricula and teach­ing kits, software, videos, posters. For information, call (800) 370-2515, or write ESR, 23 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, or www.esrnational.org.

ERASE, or Expose Racism & Advance School Excellence, is a new initiative pro­viding a variety of resources addressing racia l injustice in schools and promoting a vision of racial equity. ERASE Initiative, Applied Research Center, 3781 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611, (510) 653-3415, or http://arc.org/Pages/ArcEd.html.

Rethinking Schools is a non-profit independent newspaper that provides background and specific classroom ideas that can help teachers and others work­ing with ch ildren and youth explore and confront the roots of violence, racism and inequality. One year (six issues) subscription, $12.50. Rethinking Schools, 1001 E. Keefe Ave., Milwaukee, WI, 53212, (800) 669-4192, or www.rethinkingschools.org.

School Violence in Context, by Naomi 8aden, for the National Coalition of Education Activists. Booklet intended to help parent and teacher activists think

. critically about the problem of violence in their schools and about how to respond. Available for $3 from National Coalition of Education Activists, PO Box 679, Rhinebeck, NY 12572, or http://members.aol.com/nceaweb.

Teaching Tolerance Magazine spotlights educators, schools, and curriculum resources dedicated to promoting respect for differences in the classroom and beyond. Teaching Tolerance has a variety of other curriculum resources, includ­ing videos and teaching kits. The 64-page, full-color magazine is published twice a yea r. Subscriptions are free to teachers, religious and community leaders, health-care providers and other educators. Send request on organizational let­terhead to Teaching Tolerance, 400 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36164, or www.teachingtolerance.org.

The following items are available from NECA, publishers of the Teaching for Change catalog. To order any of the books listed, send a check, credit card (Visa/MC) or purchase order, a list of the titles you want, and shipping informa­tion (name, address and phone number) to: NECA, PO Box 73038, Washington, DC 20056, or www.teachingforchange.com.

Always Running - La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A., by Luis Rodriguez. Dramatic account of Chicano poet Luis Rodriguez' life as a gang member in the 60s and 70s, his encounters with racism in schools and on the streets, and his political activism. Excerpts are appropriate for classroom use. Students love this book. Serves as a prompt for students to write about and analyze their own experiences. Touchstone. 1993.260 pp. $11.

Days of Respect: Organizing a School-Wide Violence Prevention Program, by Ralph Cantor, et al. Step-by-step instructions for putting together an event that brings together students, parents, teachers and community leaders for a com­mon goal: preventing violence and creating an atmosphere of respect in school. Hunter House. 1997.56 pp. $15.

Fighting Back Against Violence (a special issue of the National Coalition of Education Activists Action newsletter). Includes critical analysis of anti-violence programs, examples of violence prevention programs around the country and a guide of organizations and curricular materials for addressing and preventing violence. 1993. 8 pp. $1.

Making the Peace: A Violence Prevention Curriculum, by Paul Kivel and Allen Creighton. A comprehensive teaching handbook with all the information need­ed to implement a 15-session core curriculum. It offers step-by-step instructions for the sessions, anticipates difficu lt issues that may arise, and suggests ideas for follow-up both within the classroom and within the school or youth program. Hunter House. 1997. 180 pp. $25.

Teaching Young Children in Violent Times: Building a Peaceable Classroom: A Pre-K-3 Violence Prevention and Conflict Resolution Guide, by Diane E. Levin. How to create classrooms where children learn peaceful alternatives to the vio­lent behaviors modeled for them in the media and beyond. Suggests use of dia­logue, puppetry, games, play, class charts, curriculum webs, and graphs. 1994. 193 pp. $22.

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more abo~tthe KIIOIIYoUR RlfiHTI. program.

PAGE 13

Rebecca Dejesus of Youth Un ited for Change, Olney High School chapter, addresses safety issues at Olney as Superintendent Hornbeck (far left, behind podium) listens, during June 1999 action.

Olney H.S. task force addresses ongoing safety, education problems by Kao Kue

Safety and disciplinary problems continue to plague Olney High School. One senior told the Notebook, "Fire bells are go ing off every day, and tllere is smoking in the bathrooms."

But there is new hope at Olney since parents, students, and community leaders got together last spring to fOlm a task force in order to better address the school's education and safety problems.

Students have been at the center of efforts to improve Olney.

In the last few years, Olney High School has undergone many changes. In 1997, the District announced plans to "Keystone" the school and replace most of the staff - and then backed down. Since then, Olney has experienced a series of acting principals and Ine loss of many teachers.

was added onto the security staff, and a task force was fonned to cominue developing solutions to the problems at Olney.

The task force. headed by Pedro Ramos, vice president of the Board of Education, includes teachers, parents, and other com­munity leaders who have vol unteered their time to improve Olney.

Other recent cha'1ges at the school include a program of conflict resolution workshops facili tated by the citywide orga­nization Safe and Sound, renovations, and closing down of damaged rooms, which were being improperly used by students.

In addition, a permanent principal , Johnny Vann, was appointed at Olney this fa ll (Vann retained his post despite a contro­versy about a problem with a previous employer that he had failed to disclose.)

Olney students have been vocal

Staff upheaval has led to other problems, such as frequent incidents of arson within the last year.

Students told the Notebook they do not feel safe and believe that

Students and parents have addressed concerns about fights, unsanitary bath­

rooms and disruptive behavior in the hallways.

throughout this process and have worked closely with Youth United for Change.

"Students have a right to be heard," said Natalie Padilla, a student leader of the school needs

to do a better job of enforcing its discipli­nary policies.

Last spring, the crisis situation at Olney prompted Olney's Home and School Association to come together with the Eastem Philadelphia Organizing Project, an organization consisting of schools, church­es, and neighborhood institutions advocat­ing for better education and positi ve changes within the community.

Together, EPOP, parents, and students -including some afftliated with Youth United for Change, a nonprofit organization that helps youths solve school conflicts - were able to organize a campaign. The effort grew out of many meetings and a survey about safety and education issues at Olney.

Parents and students organized a public action and meeting at Incarnation Church in June 1999. The parents and students addressed Superintendent David Hornbeck and pol ice officials about the need for change at Olney.

Students and parents addressed concerns about fights, unsanitary bathrooms, and dis­ruptive behavior in the hallways.

As a result of the meeting, an extra guard

Youth United for Change at Olney. From the begi.nning, the students have

participated in collecting surveys, organiz­ing meetings, and speaking out about the conditions at Olney.

Since the campaign was launched, Natalie feel s that there have been improve­ments with in the school and students feel safer.

"School has changed since the beginning of the year," said another student at Olney.

Thiny to fony youths have been active in the campaign at Olney, and they continue to hold meetings and speak out in the hopes of empowering other youths to join.

Natalie said her message to students who are not involved is: "We are trying you help you."

"We want to recruit some more kids. And we would be giad and happy if you helped out a little."

For more in/ormation on Youth United for Chonge, call (215) 423-9588. For the Eastern Philadelphia Olganizillg Project, call (215) 634-8922. or see tileir web site at wwwliberrynet.OIg/epop.

PAGE 14 FALL 1999

PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK_-------------------- --------------.,).Im[.". (Opportunity-to-Iearn' measures don't insure academic improvement

We need accountability for instructional results by Debra Weiner

When the School District announced they were putting an end to social promotion and adopted rougher new promotion and graduation requirements, they simultaneous­ly recognized that the burden of higher acad­emic standards must be borne not only by students, but also by school staff members, parents, and the larger community.

Without widely shared responsibility, we end up blaming the victim -the student. We risk repeating New York City's experience almost two decades ago, when the imposi­tion of a stricter promotion policy drastically increased dropout rates among those who were held back.

The School District, with its usual clum­sy terminology, calls this shared responsibil­ity for achieving higher educational stan­dards "the opporturtity to leam."

1999 Hi9h School test results

School %Below Basic %Poverty

Audenreid 98 92 Bartram 87 81 Edison 90 91 Fels 82 69 Frankford 78 79 Franklin 94 90 Furness 87 84 Germantown 85 80 Gratz 94 87 Kensington 89 91 King 88 72 lincoln 80 63 Northeast 62 49 Olney 94 85 Overbrook 89 79 Penn 92 91 Roxborough 81 68 South Phila. 90 85

But what does "opporturtity to learn" mean in a practical sense? How do we assure that all pruties keep their commit­ments, so that the student does not bear all the responsibil ity for his or her own learn­ing? What incentives and sanctions can we develop to reward those who provide the "opportunity to learn" - and change the behavior of those who don't?

How do we assu re that the students don't bear a ll the responsibility for their own learning?

Strawberry Man. University City

84 91 91 86

On the schoolhouse side of the ledger of shared responsibil ity, the District's new pro­motion policy lists 16 instructional supports designed to give students a fair opportunity to reach new academic penormance standards.

Ranging from reduced class size ruld standardized citywide subject matter tests to facility renovation, the list is comprehensive and focused.

But we've also got to acknowledge that even if the District succeeds at delivering on these 16 "opportun ity-to-learn" measures, it will not result in better outcomes unless teachers and principals feel a heightened sense of urgency about improving

HAND in HAND

~ 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

T he Project 10,000 Office T he School District of Philadelphia

21st Street & The Parkway, Room 505 Philadelphia, PA 191 03

(215) 299-7307 or (2 15) 299-7461

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

students and I w~nt to be a Project 10,000 volunteer.

Name ______________________________________ __

Address ______________________ _ Zip C ode _ _ _

Phone~ ________________________________ _

attendance and instruction. Kids don't learn when tlley're absent.

And even when they're present, they don 't learn enough with the conventional "drill and kill " teaching methods and an overre­liance on workbooks, ditto sheets, instruc­tion devoid of real-world applicat ions. and testing based on "fill in the blarik" or "make a lucky guess."

The bottom line is that three years into the District's 12-year accountability cycle, 19 of 22 comprehensive high schools still have 80% or more of their students scoring

High school teachers and principals cannot sit around waiting for better

prepared students to walk in their doors.

"Below Basic." It is no accident that the three schools with better scores are also the three with the lowest poverty rates (see chaIt).

Unless some intensive and extensive new irtitiatives are introduced, "Children Achieving" will fail to reach its goals in the high schools.

Unfortunately, more professional devel­opment in lagging schools is not the answer, for the simple reason that too many staff go to professional development and return to school and DO NOTHING DIFFERENT.

Washington 68 49 West Phila . 90 86

The "% Below Basic" column indicates the percentage of students whose scores fell below the "Basic" level in the 1999 SAT-9 testing in math, reading, and science.

The "% poverty" column indicates the percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced price lunch, which is used as a measure of income.

Maybe we need a professional develop- . . ment contract spelling out what each partici­

pant is required to do back at school in order to be paid for professional development. Maybe we need to reopen the possibility of emptying out the staff of persistently low penorming schools and reviving them with a whole new team.

The school system needs to ramp up instructional improvement in the high schools by sending a strong message to both teachers and principals that they crumot sit around waiting for better prepared students to walk in their doors.

Until principals, teachers, and counselors feel greater urgency about improving instruc­tion, all the opportunity-to-Iearn standards in the world won 't make much difference.

Debra Weiner is DireClOr of School Partnerships at Philadelphia Futures, where her focus is on improving the college readi­ness of students in comprehensive high schools.

School District of Philadelphia

Office of Language Equity Issues

ESO~ & ,BILINGUAL PROGRAMS

21st and the Parkway

Room 302

Philadelphia) PA 19103

(215) 299-7791

Fax: 299-7792

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FALL 1999 -

Tests promise excellence but bring shame to schools, students most in need. by Jeanne Theoharis

"We are testing aU week," a fourth grade teacher recently told me. "We don't have time for reading."

"I hate structuring my teaching to a test," said another who teaches high school social studies, "because students don 't learn to think broadly and critically about American history."

Reliance on testing publicly humiliates low-scoring students for being in a system which denies them a superior education.

A third remarked on how demoralized many of her students became as a result of the tests given at her school this year.

The national drive towards testing rests its arguments on creating high standards and more public accountability for schools across the country. For those of us who have long clamored for a greater public stake in urban schools, this language is seductive.

But its rhetorical appeal should not distract us from the real impact of these tests in our schools.

The celebrated promise of these tests bears Iinle relation to their effects. High­stakes testing, with its roots in the racist "eugenics" movement of the early twentieth century, sorts and categorizes students - and ultimately schools. It legitimates public neglect of certain low-performing schools, retards good teaching, and sends a message to far too many students that they are not "making the grade" - and indeed cannot.

Th is becomes clear when we examine school systems using these high- stakes tests. In April, the reading scores from each of New York State 's schools were released. They overwhelmingly (although not entirely) corresponded to the percentage of students receiving free lunch in each school - low percentages of poorer students corresponded with higher test scores, high percentages of poorer students with lower test scores.

Is this public accountability - a test that seems to be more a measure of privilege and differential access to excellent schooling than the potential and intellectual talents of all young people? Are high standards merely the sorting of top schools and low schools - and,

Did you miss something? Order back issues!

. 1 NOTEBOPK;' Check boxes to order

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

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

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

o Spring 1998: Focus on reading skills, multicultural books, Paul Robeson, SAT-9 scores.

o Fall 1997: New forms of parental involvement, school councils, how to watch a class, peer intervention for teachers.

o Summer 1997: Edison parents organize, 'charter schools, reinventing teacher unions, Library Power.

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

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

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

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

o Spring 1996: SmaU leaming communi­ties, wrap-around services, school coun­cil powers dinninished, racist team names.

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

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

o Spring 1995: Youth United for Change, Title I , school budgeting, Junior ROTC.

o Winter 1995: Children Achieving plan, SEPTA fares, new Clemente school, vio­lence and lack of supervision.

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

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

Single back Issues, $3.50. Five or more, $3 each. A completr seT of back issues QfrlTe NOtebook is $-15. Make checks payable 10 Public' School Notebook/RHD.

Enclosed is $ __ for issues.

Name: ____________ _ ____ ___ __ _

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Return to Public School Notebook, 3721 Midvale Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19129

PAGE 15

The national drive toward testing rests its arguments on creating more public account­ability. But are many students getting the message that they cannot "make the grade?"

perhaps even worse, the statistical legitimi­zation of such sorting?

High-stakes testing places a scarlet lener on our nation 's most troubled schools and a self- fulftlling seal of approval on the most privileged. This process provides statistical (and thus, to some, more comfortable) justifi­cation for the class and racial biases that exist within our school systems.

The increased reliance on testing, many of my students agree, publicly humiliates low­scoring students for being in a system which already denies them a superior education.

Low scores do not often prompt a flood of care, goodwill and additional resources to enable these schools to improve. And testing often narrows students' academic preparation and background by purring increased pres­sure on teachers in low-scoring schools to teach for the test.

Achieving high standards for urban schools should mean more classroom resources, decreased student-teacher ratios, support for new and innovative teaching, col­laboration between teachers, a partnership of teachers, parents and administrators, and the valuing of students as individualleamers.

High-stakes testing, in practice, does none of these. Indeed, it becomes a replacement for any of these more substantive changes through the belief that testing is high stan­dards in and of itself.

Until the use of testing promotes real change and broad-based excellence, we must be vigilant in exposing its dangerous effects in our schools and on society at large.

Jeanne Theoharis teaches African American sl/ldies and education at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.

Letters to the Editors

SAT-9 is too limited as assessment tool To the editors:

Ron Whitehome's response to my opin­ion column (Notebook, Spring 1999) tries to have it both ways on the qual ity of the SAT-9 [the standardized test administered by the School District each spring].

First, he agrees that the SAT-9 is very limited, then he defends it by saying it is bener than old tests.

But if it is very limited, what does it mat­ter if it is bener than something worse? It still undermines efforts to anain real educa­tional quality.

He also tries to have it both ways about test use. Yes. he says, use of the SAT-9 "has promoted ' teaching to the test' with a vengeance." But, he argues, Philadelphia should use this test, which now drives instruction toward adminedly very limited ends. His rationale, apparently, is that districts are not likely to give up standard­ized tests.

This should not be acceptable to those committed to improving teaching and learn­ing. If the tests are as linuted and injurious as Mr. Whitehome acknowledges they are, then the solution is to organize to remove tests that inhibit the development of high quality education for all Philadelphia students.

In the meantime, perhaps a compromise miaht be ill order: test only a sample of stu­de;ts to compare Philadelphia to other stu­dents in the nation. That is, let a few hun­dred students at each of a few grades take the SAT-9.

For the purpose of comparing Philadelphia as a whole to the SAT-9 nation-

al data, sampling is as good as testing every child and a lot cheaper. North Carolina and Maryland already do this sort of sampling for state-level data.

Meanwhile. Philadelphia needs to get to the more serious and useful task of ensuring that all teachers can use assessment well with all their students as part of a rich and strong cUITiculum, and that evaluation is based on richer information than trivial and often toxic tests.

Monty Neill, Cambridge, MA Executive DirectOt; National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest)

Teaching discipline To the editors:

Teachers would be well-served if col­leges offered courses on how to handle mis­behavlllg children. But colleges don't acknowledge the need for such courses because (1) it means that such kids do exist (a public relations problem), and (2) college professors have never had to deal with ml~­

behaving kids and thus wouldn 't know how to teach courses 011 thi s subject.

College education courses, whIch are notorious1y bonng and ~ waste of ti me (except for student teaching), could fmally fill a useful need by recognizing the exis­tence of hard-to-handle children. College;; could hire Philadelphia School District teachers who are successful classroom disci­plinarians to teach these courses.

Jerome Arclrod, Admillistralive Assistalll, William Loesche School

PAGE 16

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

~ School ~ calendar Winter 1999 - Spring 2000

Schools closed • Friday, December 24-Tllesday,

Janllmy 4: winter recess (January 4 is staff professional development day)

• Monday, Janumy 17: Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday

• MOllday, February 21 : Presidents' Day

• Monday, March 13: staff professional development day

• Friday, March J7-Monday, March 20: spring recess

• Thursday, April 20-Monday, April 24: spring recess

• MOllday, May 29: Memorial Day

• Thursday,Julle 15: summer vacation begins for students

• Friday, June 16: sununer vacation begins for staff

Report card da tes • Tuesday, December 14-Thursday,

December 16: e lementary school parent conferences

• Monday, February 7: middle and high school report cards issued

• Tuesday, March 21 -Friday, March 24: elementary school parent conferences

• Monday, April 10: middle and high school report cards issued

• Wednesday, JUlie 14: flnal report cards issued

Testing dates • MOllday, March 27-Friday,

April 7: SAT-9 testing

• Monday, April 17-Wednesday, May 3: Pennsylvania State Student Assessment

School Board meetings A!1 board meerings are open ro rhe

public. To address rhe board. you mllsr Sigllllp before rhe meerillg by calling rhe School Disrrids Office of Communicariolls at (215) 299-7850.

A!1 meerillg davs are Mondays unless olhe/wise nOled. The Boardroom is ar 21sr alld rhe Pad way.

• December 6,9 a.m., Boardroom (e/ecrion of officers ollly)

• Janllary 10,1 :30 p.m. , Boardroom

• January 24, 7 p.m., Roxborough High School, Ridge alld FOllntain

• February 7, 1:30 p.m .. Boardroom

• Febrtlmy 22 (Tuesday), 7 p.m., Rhodes Middle School, 29th and Clemjield

• March 6,7 p.m., Sayre Middle School, 58rh alld Walnur

• March 20, 1 :30 p.m., Boardroom

• April 10, 7 p.m., Frani..ford High School. 0 40rd alld Wake/ing

• April 24, 1 :30 p.m., Boardroom

• May 8, 7 p.m .. Fox Chase Farm , 8500 Pine Road

• May 26 (Friday), 1:30 p.m., Boardroom

• Jllne 12, 1 :30 p.m., Boardroom

• June 26,1 :30 p.m., Boardroom

I I

L ___ CLIP AND SAVE ___ J

PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTEBOOK FALL 1999

Phi ladelphia Student Un ion member Eboni Taggart, a sen io r at Gratz High School, asks "Why do I have to study with books fr?m the 80s when we're going into the new millenium?" PA State Representative Nicholas Colafella looks on at November 16 rally In Harrisburg .

Delivering a message to Harrisburg Protestors support new KEEPS bill that would increase state education funding and equalize spending across the state. by Barbara A. Bloom

High school students from the Philadelphia Student Union got to the heart of the problem of unfair state funding for schools in a vivid ski t, November 16, at a Harrisburg rally in the Rotunda of the state capitol. In Pennsylvania, school funding al l depends on where you live.

In a Wheel of Fortune take-off called "Wheel of Future," the flrst contestant was asked by the game show host about his career aspira­tions. "I'd like to be a doctor," he replied.

When he spun the Wheel of Future, the pointer landed on Lower Merion , to the congratulations of the moderator and audience.

The next contestant wanted to be a lawyer, and her spin landed on Philadelphia. She hung her head as the moderator said, "Looks like that lawyer dream is gonna be a long shot."

Approximately 250 people from throughout the state, the bulk of them from Philadelphia, came to the rally in Harrisburg to challenge what is one of the most inequitable state systems of school fundin g in the country.

Protesters heard Rep. Nicholas Colafell a (Beaver County), minor­ity chair of the House Education Committee, announce plans to intro­duce a bill for fair funding of education.

TIle bill , the Keystone Equity and Educational Performance System (KEEPS), proposes to have the state assume more of the burden of pub I ic school fmances in order to achieve greater equality of spending on public education. The bill would also have the effect of relieving local communities from the burden of property taxes and nuisance school taxes.

A Philadelphia St udent Union skit shows t hat some students win access to a rich educational package w hile othe rs suffer just because of w here t hey live.

Photo: Barbara A. Bloom

Philadelphians Debbie Be ll (left) and Ann Kaplan (right) discuss school fund ing w it h State Rep LeAnna Washington in Ha rrisbu rg_

Working from a calculation of the average cost of education at the top-performing school s throughout the state, the KEEPS bill provides for the state to pay 63.5% of that cost.

Currentl y, the state pays 35% of total costs for public education, down from 55% in 1974.

According to Colafella, the KEEPS proposal would make it possi­ble for 160 of th'e poorest, rural districts in the state to eliminate local school taxes and stil l have funds to improve student achievement.

The bill does not limit how each district spends the state funds nor does it limit an individual district's abili ty to use property and other taxes to enrich its education budget. The bill , as proposed, would beneflt 90% of Pennsylvania districts while not harming the wealthi­est districts.

Activists who visited legislators that day discovered that cost is a major stumbling block to the bill 's adoption. Colafella proposes to flnance the changes by increaSing the state income tax over a three­year period from 2.8% to 4.3%.

Timothy Potts, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania School Reform Network, pointed out that while KEEPS would increase the state income tax, legislators could say with fairness that they helped lower property taxes. He added that it would still leave Pennsylvania income taxes among the lowest of the states that use a fl at tax.

Legislators who ex pressed their support for the KEEPS bil l to their visitors included State Senator Allyson Schwartz and State Representat ives LeAnna Washington and Michael Horsey.

But several legislators questioned financ ing the changes through an income tax increase, expressing hopes that funding might be arranged through other means such as the current surplUS.

For more info rmarion on efforrs ro achieve grearerf unding equiry in Pennsylvania, conracr Roosevelr Howard ar rhe Pennsylvania Campaign/or Public Educarion, (215) 972-5558, or Bi!1 Madeira ar Philadelphia Cirizens for Children and Yourh ar (215) 563-5848.

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