Education Discussion Group at the Lutheran Seminary

A City That Works - May 13, 2008

Initial perceptions and criticism of school district were that it was unsafe, unjust and violent. As the dialogue developed, these perceptions and criticisms gave way to a rich and engaged conversation about the problems, possible solutions, and even collective responsibility for changing the initial perception. The questions that guided much of the discussion was why are students dropping out and where are they going? -- Moderator Fatima Hafiz

What does this goal mean to you?

• Decrease the dropout rate by 50 percent in five to seven years.

• Double the rate of college graduates of four-year institutions within the next five to 10 years.

• Provide more before school and after-school supports that offer more than tutoring.

• Attract families and skilled workers to the city.

• Lower the poverty rate significantly.

• Lower the crime rate significantly.

• City and Schools working with the community.

• City appointment to School Reform Commission (SRC) is more responsive to community and school input.

• City vote on budget that support goals.

• Mayor and governor relationship more transparent (power relationship).

• Bureau of Division of taxation – redirect unaccounted employees on payroll.

• Provide staff and budget for the education czar – Lori Shorr – and support her authority to lobby and advocate for parents.

• Rehire Non-Teaching Assistants(NTA’s). They are
concerned loving people. These people support the general climate of
the school and serve as liaisons between schools and communities.

• Broker deals with business and industry.

• Department of Human Services (DHS) involvement.

• Parents United for Public Education organizational involvement.

• Reduce class size.

• Increased neighborhood community involvement.

• Schools as resources and settings for working
out the issues (parents, teachers, students, administrators and city
government representatives, community leadership, business and industry
officials).

Performance measures (What would success look like?):

• Better relations between schools and communities.

• More alternative systems to the present for those who want to learn and for those who don’t want to learn or can’t learn.

• Reduction in dropout rate.

• More parent involvement.

• More transparency by city about what is going on in the schools.

Causes:

• High teacher turnover.

• High numbers in class.

• Lack of books.

• Magnet programs.

• Educating children.

• Climate of safety.

• Lack of understanding about NCLB.

• Teenage pregnancy rates.

• Catholic schools closing.

• Middle class families move out with young children.

• Lack of faith in public system.

• Loss of college graduates from Philadelphia.

• Campuses are isolated and insulated.

• Children have no hope.

• Teacher abuse by children.

• Disparity in education for students (private schools and class issue).

• Cover up of safety issues and its impact on learning /teaching.

• Non-discipline of children with no consequences.

• Mental-health issues.

• Closing of Beacon programs.

Activities:

• Mentally
gifted and creative arts after school programs. (There are only
remedial tutoring programs in most after school programs.)

• Promote the value of the programs that produce quality work of students.

• Promote successful programs in the neighborhood schools.

• Programs that match children with learning styles and interest.

• Develop older youth program initiatives.

• Activities to get parent/family and community involvement with schools.

• Activities for college students need to be encouraged to get them connected to the city.

• Community education projects.

Strategies:

• Teaching the basics (how to empower students).

• Start fixing problems at the neighborhood schools.

• Identify where more after school programs can be supported.

• Develop empowering education for all the community through dialogue.

• SRC and other policy meetings held at inconvenient times.

• Revamping of school system – remove students who don’t want to learn from the school.