- - - COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC HEARING - COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Monday, April 18, 2005, 11:10 a.m. - - - 050004 - An Ordinance amending Section 19-1801 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Authorization of Tax," to further authorize the Board of Education of the School District of Philadelphia to impose a tax on real estate within the City of Philadelphia; all under certain terms and conditions. 050005 - An Ordinance amending Chapter 19-1800 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "School Tax Authorization," by amending Section 19-1804, entitled "Authorization of Net Income Tax," to further authorize the Board of Education of the School District of Philadelphia to impose a tax on net income from real property and tangible and intangible personal property of residents of the School District of Philadelphia; all under certain terms and conditions. 050006 - An Ordinance amending Chapter 19-1800 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "School Tax Authorization," by amending Section 19-1800 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "School Tax Authorization," by amending Section 19-1800 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "School Tax Authorization," by amending Section 19-1806, entitled "Authorization of Realty Use and Occupancy Tax," to further authorize the Board of Education of the School District of Philadlephia to impose a tax on the use or occupancy of real estate within the School District of Philadelphia. - - - V A R A L L O Incorporated Litigation Support Services 1835 Market Street, Suite 600 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 215.561.2220 215.567.2670 2 PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT ANNA C. VERNA COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE L. BLACKWELL COUNCILWOMAN BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN COUNCILMAN DARRELL L. CLARKE COUNCILWOMAN DONNA REED MILLER COUNCILMAN JUAN F. RAMOS COUNCILWOMAN MARIAN B. TASCO 3 School District Budget - 4/18/05 - - - P R O C E E D I N G S - - -
This is the public hearing of the Committee of the Whole regarding Bill Numbers 050004, 050005 and 050006. We will hear testimony from the School District of Philadelphia and the School Reform Commission concerning the School District's budget for fiscal year 2006. Please note that the hearings on the three bills to re-authorize School District taxes, the bills which I just read, will also be held tomorrow, April the 19th, at 10 o'clock, in these chambers. The transcript of today's hearing will be included as part of the record of the hearings on those bills. With me is Councilwoman Blackwell, who is Chair of the Education Committee. And at this time I would ask Mr. McPherson to please read the titles of the three bills. 4 School District Budget - 4/18/05 MR. McPHERSON: Bill Number 050004, an Ordinance amending Section 19-1801 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Authorization of Tax," to further authorize the Board of Education of the School District of Philadelphia to impose a tax on real estate within the City of Philadelphia; all under certain terms and conditions. Bill Number 050005, an Ordinance 11 amending Chapter 19-1800 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "School Tax Authorization," by amending Section 19-1804, entitled "Authorization of Net Income Tax," to further authorize the Board of Education of the School District of Philadelphia to impose a tax on net income from real property and tangible and intangible personal property of residents of the School District of Philadelphia; all under certain terms and conditions. Bill Number 050006, an Ordinance 23 amending Chapter 19-1800 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "School Tax Authorization," by amending Section 19-1800 of The Philadelphia 5 School District Budget - 4/18/05 Code, entitled "School Tax Authorization," by amending Section 19-1800 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "School Tax Authorization," by amending Section 19-1806, entitled "Authorization of Realty Use and Occupancy Tax," to further authorize the Board of Education of the School District of Philadelphia to impose a tax on the use or occupancy of real estate within the School District of Philadelphia. an ordinance 12 amending Section 19-1801 of the Philadelphia code entitled authorization of tax, to further authorize the Board of Education of the School District of Philadelphia to impose a tax on real estate within the City of Philadelphia, all under certain terms and conditions.
Thank you. We will now hear from the School District. Would Mr. Nevels and Mr. Vallas please approach the witness table.
Thank you so much. 6 School District Budget - 4/18/05 It's fine to see you, Council President.
Kindly identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.
My name is Jim Nevels and I'm the Chairman of the School Reform Commission. Good morning to you both. Councilwoman Blackwell, it's always good to see you.
And it is a pleasure to be here. I sit here on behalf of my four colleagues. I want to identify two of my colleagues who are with us this morning, Commissioner Sandra Glenn and also Commissioner Martin Bednarick. In addition, I sit here on behalf of the 200 plus thousand children in the School District of Philadelphia. And I'm here to say thank you, thank you, and thank you again to this Council, who has been an active and very vital participant in school reform in Philadelphia. 9 billion. While our Chief Executive Officer, Paul Vallas, and our interim Chief Financial Officer will speak in greater detail about how we propose to allocate our resources, I am pleased to say that this will be the District's second structurally balanced budget in a row. When then Governor Mark Schweiker announced a landmark partnership with Mayor Street in December of 2001 to transform the Philadelphia public school system, the School Reform Commission came into existence. The commission was given a mandate to put the beleaguered system on a sound footing, both fiscally and academically. 8 billion capital program to create new schools and renovate existing ones, and raise the number of schools. And I want -- I want to -- I really want to emphasize this. We have raised the number of schools making adequate yearly progress from two years ago, to 58 last year, and up to 9 160 this year. 10 Our report to you today is a 11 reflection not only on how we propose to 12 spend revenues going forward, but also on 13 what progress we have made in living up to 14 our mission and your requests. 15 Mr. Vallas will expound on the many 16 initiatives put in place over the past three 17 years that have resulted in the creation of 18 much needed programs to support the academic 19 growth of our children. Our increased test 20 scores are just one key measure of that 21 growth. 22 However, I see my role today as focusing not so much on how far we have come -- and we have come very far on behalf of children in Philadelphia -- but how far we 9 School District Budget - 4/18/05 still must go to make our public school system one of which all Philadelphians can be proud. Many of you may be aware that last May, after much thoughtful discussion and deliberation, the members of the School Reform Commission developed with Paul a statement of beliefs and vision for this district. We also hammered out a set of quantifiable measures that matter. Targets to meet by the year 2008. We call these measures that matter our declaration of education. Everything we do in the district is now influenced by these goals. Principals and department heads are guided by these goals, as they plan at the grassroots level of our system. O. himself will be evaluated on how effectively their efforts propel us toward these goals. The School Reform Commission stands ready to be judged by these goals. 10 School District Budget - 4/18/05 To achieve these outcome-based goals, this proposed budget focuses funding on six measures that are fundamental to the declaration of education. They are: Administering early childhood programs that enable every child to begin school ready to learn and succeed. Two, they ensure that all children reach their learning potential and achieve the high academic standards set forth by the District, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Federal government. Next, promoting the safety and security of our schools and the surrounding areas. And I know that this is something that is important to all of us. Next, providing equitable resources and opportunities for all district students. Supporting collaboration with community groups and families throughout Philadelphia. And finally, enhancing the efficiency of operations that support an academic environment that is conducive to 11 School District Budget - 4/18/05 learning.
Just as the commissioners expect that this proposed budget should, in fact -- in fact, must -- support the declaration of education goals, we also ask that the Council evaluate the proposed budget that we have placed before you by these same measures that matter. The School Reform Commission, the School District administration are committing -- are absolutely committed to eliminating the achievement gap between the haves and have nots in our City and between ethnic groups in this City because that achievement gap for too long has been characteristic not only of this district but also of urban school systems across our nation. With the continued support of City Council, the City administration, and the entire Philadelphia community, we will create a public school system in our City that is second to none, where all students of diverse backgrounds will be prepared and empowered to 12 School District Budget - 4/18/05 achieve their full intellectual and social potential. I do appreciate your attention. , Paul Vallas and the Executive Director of the commission, Diane Govayen, and my special assistant Frank Seifert, will be available to answer any policy, program or business-related questions you may have. We are at a critical point in the history of the relationship between this City and its children. And what I would like to leave you with is a statement, a quotation that says it far better than I. I hope it will be said that we taught them, we taught those children to stand tall and proud, even in the face of history, and that the future was made new and whole for all of us, one child at a time. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Nevels. Councilwoman Brown, I see that your 13 School District Budget - 4/18/05 light is on. Did you want to be recognized?
Thank you, Mr. Nevels. We will now hear from Mr. Vallas.
That you. First of all, if Greg Thornton could join me. Greg, if you would come up, too, and if we could get the chiefs in the back row here. We've distributed two handouts. The first handout are my remarks. And I'm going to try to get through my presentation within a half an hour. And in the second handout is this very nice multi-colored handout. And there are things that I'm going to -- pages I'm going to be referring you to when I go through the presentation. And, so, we want to make sure everybody has a copy of that. I appreciate that. Okay. First of all, good morning, Council President Verna, City Council members and distinguished guests. I want to thank 14 School District Budget - 4/18/05 you for allowing me this opportunity to update you on the ongoing reforms currently taking place in the School District of Philadelphia. Before I get into the substance of my presentation today, however, I would like to once again take a moment to thank each and every Council member and Mayor John Street for your leadership in the assistance you have provided to the School District. Make no bones about it. The Council and the Mayor do not get enough credit for the reforms that are going on in the district today. These reforms and the progress that we're experiencing would not have been possible had it not been for the leadership of the Mayor and for the leadership of the City Council. And we truly appreciate it. We realize the important role that you have played and you continue to play as we move the School District forward. Let me point out that this district has indeed experienced real success over the 15 School District Budget - 4/18/05 past few years. If you look at the number of schools making AYP, we have gone from 4 schools making adequate yearly progress to 5 160 schools in just the past two years. That 6 is real progress by anyone's definition. 7 If you look at the academic 8 performance of the School District the last 9 two years, we have seen substantial increase 10 in our reading and math scores. In fact, the 11 increases that we have seen in our reading 12 and math scores have been double at the rate 13 that the state has experienced and much 14 greater at the rate that has been experienced 15 by the large urban districts. 16 In fact, just three weeks ago the 17 Council and Great City Schools invited us to 18 a press conference announcing their annual 19 report on progress of large urban school 20 districts. And they cited us and Richmond, 21 Virginia, as the two large urban districts 22 that have shown the most significant improvement. That said and done, make no bones about it. The School District still has an 16 School District Budget - 4/18/05 incredibly long way to go. While we've shown substantial increase, more than half of our students are still not at proficiency, let alone high proficiency. So, we want to continue to see this pace of improvement in the coming years, if we are to approach and reach the measures that matter, that have been -- that -- as identified and as defined by the -- by the School Reform -- School Reform Commission. But in addition to these reforms, we have balanced our budgets structurally now two years in a row. We've let out a financial plan today that will ensure that our budget remains balanced at least through 2008, and we hope even beyond that. And we finalized collective bargaining agreements, four-year collective bargaining agreements with all of our unions. And let me point out that these collective bargaining agreements, while negotiating the types of -- I call them reforms so that the collective bargaining agreements are not obstacles to continued and expansive reform 17 School District Budget - 4/18/05 in the district -- the collective bargaining agreements were all within the financial parameters laid out by the School District.
So, unlike past administrations, unlike past years, we are not going to have to balance -- we are not going to have to pay for these collective bargaining agreements by increasing class size, by cutting after-school programs and summer school programs. In fact, our negotiations with the teachers union, the collective bargaining agreement over four years will cost us only $17 million more in aggregate over those four years than what we budgeted for as part of last year's five-year plan. So again, the agreements will help push reform forward, and the agreements will help us sustain our investment in the classroom, obviously, which is so critical if we're going to turn this school system around. In addition, you've seen the beginnings of physical improvements in the 18 School District Budget - 4/18/05 School District. You've seen our investments in curriculum instruction in professional development. You've seen the beginnings of restoration of honors and advanced placement programs. The bottom line here is, the School District is on move. We are financially stable. We are -- We have a sound academic strategy. We have an ambitious capital program to move the School Districts forward. And we'd like to think that we've reprogrammed dollars into the classroom at an unprecedented level. In this presentation, we lay out a breakdown of how much money is allocated in School District. And if you look at the categories of academic advancement and equity, 79 percent of this budget goes into those two categories and less than 6 percent of the budget goes into administration. Our percentage of money spent on administration is among the lowest, if not the lowest, among large urban districts, and 19 School District Budget - 4/18/05 it will continue to get smaller. So, we'd like to think that with your assistance we have -- we have moved this budget in the right direction. We've reprogrammed and we've re-prioritized. And as you know, last summer the School Reform Commission created a series of goals for the School District of Philadelphia called the declaration of education. If you turn to in your binder here, you'll see a summary of those goals. And let me point out that those goals and these objectives are what will define us as an exceptional School District. And we like to say, what is it we want to become? What type of performance constitutes the type of performance that will provide children with the type of quality education that they so richly deserve? These are the goals. These are the goals which, if reached, will define us as a high-performing, exemplary large urban district. If we're able to achieve these goals, this district will truly be second to 20 School District Budget - 4/18/05 none. But the task for me, and the task for the management team, and the task for our principals and our teachers in schools is to lay out programs and policies that will allow us to implement these goals. Because at the end of the day, we, like other large urban districts across this country, remain underfunded districts. At the end of the day, we do not have all the resources at our disposal that perhaps some of the more affluent districts enjoy. But rather than to use our lack of resources as an excuse, we've rather said, this is what we can do by using our existing resources and spending our existing resources wisely. So, the responsibility, the task before us, is to develop a comprehensive reform strategy that will help move this School District forward. And what I want to do with my remaining time is, I want to talk about the strategy. I want to take about what this 21 School District Budget - 4/18/05 district is becoming, where we are in the process, how this budget contributes to that vision for the district. Because the changes and the reforms that we're implementing will put us in a position to reach, and to approach -- and to at least approach the goals that have been set by the School Reform Commission by the year 2008.
Let me -- Let me summarize what this comprehensive strategy consists of. First, increasing the number of students enrolled in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten so students are prepared for school the first day they begin kindergarten. Second, reorganizing the district by phasing out problematic middle schools, in order to improve the safety and provide small learning environments. Third, creating smaller high schools and expanding high school choice so that our high schools are more conducive to learning. Fourth, standardizing the curriculum while increasing instructional time on tasks 22 School District Budget - 4/18/05 so students stay on par academically with their high-achieving counterparts in other school districts. Fifth, adding gifted and high achievement programs in all of our schools, in order to ensure that every student has the opportunity to learn at the highest possible level. Sixth, rebuilding schools so that they are safe and that they support our academic achievement. And seven, continuing to expand our after -- our alternative schools program so we can continue to deal with students who, for disruptive reasons or for other challenges, need to be placed in a more suitable, more appropriate learning environment. While the declaration is bold, the declaration is achievable. These reforms will help us achieve those things. So, let me talk about these goals in a little more detail. Let me first talk about our goal to 23 School District Budget - 4/18/05 dramatically expand early childhood. By 2008, this school system will have 80 percent of its students enrolled in School District funded pre-kindergarten and kindergarten programs. Now, let me point out when we talk about our pre-kindergarten and early childhood programs, we are referring to programs that the School District funds and not programs that are provided by private providers. They are -- There are now close to 500 private providers who receive reimbursement from the state to provide all sorts of early childhood, child care and day care programs. So, we are setting as a goal for this district to have at least 80 percent of the 2008 kindergarten class having been through a district-provided program. Right now about 70 percent of our students entering kindergarten have participated in some sort of pre-school, either provided by us or provided by other 24 School District Budget - 4/18/05 providers. In this budget we will be reprogramming early childhood and pre-school dollars so that we can shift additional money to programs and to higher quality programs, while at the same time expanding the number of early childhood slots available for children. Let me summarize. One of the more controversial things we will do in this budget is, we will phase out the child/parent centers and convert them to Head Start Centers. In this -- In the next school year Head Start will accommodate -- state funded Head Start will accommodate 450 families each year up from -- above what they accommodated last year. By consolidating our early childhood programs into our Bright Futures Initiative, we will be able to provide 93 pre-kindergarten classrooms. And we're talking about the School District's version of Head Start classrooms that will serve 25 School District Budget - 4/18/05 1,800 pre-school children and their families. The district will also begin serving 400 families through the Parent/Child Home Program, a home-based literacy initiative for two and three-year-olds. In addition, the district will be adding slots for another 500 pregnant teens, through our pregnant teen parenting program, which will allow us to enroll the pregnant teens not only in the counseling and the supportive services provided by that program, but it will obviously also allow us to enroll their children in day care and pre-school programs.
Let me point out that the net effect of this will be over -- over the next two years we will have -- we will have well over 2,000 additional children in high quality early childhood programs. Depending on the -- Depending on where we finish with the budget in Harrisburg, we may very well be able to secure 2,000 additional spaces in this year alone. School District Budget - 4/18/05 In addition, any children who were in the existing, more comprehensive child/parent centers will be referred to one of the 500-plus providers who provide comprehensive day care and provide early childhood support at state reimbursement. The state has seen fit to provide more funding in many ways to the private providers than the school providers. So, by taking advantage of the private providers, and then reprogramming -- reprogramming our money so that we can -- we can open more school district run Head Start programs as well as state funded Head Start, and by expanding such programs as the Elect Cradle to the Classroom Program and the Parent/Child Home Program, we're talking about -- we're talking about dramatically increasing the number of children served and at the same time with no additional cost to the district. If we are able to receive additional money for early childhood and pre-school programs, we will expand those programs 27 School District Budget - 4/18/05 accordingly. But about the only money we're going to be getting in increased state assistance this year will be specifically for the state-funded Head Start program, and that will mean an additional 450 slots. But in simple terms, children who are affected -- and I believe about 248 children will actually be affected -- can easily be migrated to the existing comprehensive day care programs provided by private providers which are state reimbursed. In turn, we will be able to increase the number of children having access to early childhood and pre-school programs, programs run and managed by the district, by literally 2,000. So, the bottom line is, any time you can reprogram your money and benefit 2,000 additional kids, it's prudent to do so. Secondly, over the -- by 2008, our goal -- our goal has been to have -- to have this -- to reorganize the district so that it is a seamless K to 8, 9 to 12 district. 28 School District Budget - 4/18/05 Middle schools don't work. None of the research supports middle schools. All of the research supports the K to model. 5 Why don't our middle schools work? 6 In large part because they're fed by multiple 7 feeder schools. 8 Our middle schools are large. Our middle schools have multiple feeders. The children are moved from the sanctuary of maybe being 1 of 60; fifth graders to being 1 of 400 or 500; sixth graders when they're transferred to middle schools. Our middle schools are normally fed by three or four and sometimes five feeder schools. And because of mobility, they are sometimes fed by as many as eight or nine feeder schools. So, the bottom line is, they simply are ineffective. And I believe prior to two years ago only two or three of our non-magnet middle schools were making AYP. There is also a huge exodus that exists within the system between fifth and sixth grade because parents can't get their 29 School District Budget - 4/18/05 children in Gamp or parents can't get their children in Masterman. They generally will not send their children, if they have the means and the wherewithal, to the middle schools. We began phasing out the middle schools two years ago. By 2008 we will have gone from 67 elementary schools to -- K to 5 schools -- to 130 K to 5 schools. There are an additional 44 schools that are being -- that are adding grades to accomplish this transition. In addition, we're spending upwards to $25 million in these schools to support the transition. The resources are being used for classroom modernization, for new science labs, for tech centers, for classroom materials, for infrastructure improvements.
So, we are not transitioning these schools without going in and making some adjustments and making some changes. Plus, we are focusing very heavily on middle grade teacher recruitment which is obviously an area of need, with the No Child 30 School District Budget - 4/18/05 Left Behind deadline hanging over all of the school districts' heads by -- that all teachers be highly qualified by June of 2006. There clearly is a need -- There clearly is a need to do -- to do a better job, recruiting highly qualified middle grade teachers and to get them into the middle grade programs. I also point out that with the School District's site selection abilities, as we add grades to our K to 5 schools and then go to sixth and seventh and eighth grades, we can -- we can recruit the best person available. We have the ability to -- through the new contract, to use site selection when a school is -- is -- when a school is being converted or a school is -- is undergoing expansion, like expanding the number of grades. But by '08 we will have gone from, I believe, 46 middle schools to 8 intermediate schools. And believe me when I say, this will be a far better district as a result of 31 School District Budget - 4/18/05 this. Just a little footnote. Sixth grade reading and math scores have always lagged behind everybody else. They've always been among our lowest test scores. The last year when we had about 37 middle -- K to 5 schools -- they had added sixth grade -- our test scores on the turnover took big jumps in sixth grade. For the first time in years, we actually saw a big jump in middle grade -- in middle grade -- in sixth grade test scores, an early indicator of the soundness -- soundness of this approach. Next, by September -- by September of 2006 the curriculum reforms will be done. To date, we have -- To date, we have standardized curriculum pre-K through 11th grade in language arts and in math. And this year we standardized a curriculum in 7th grade through 11th grade in social studies and science. Next year the primary grade in the 12th grade curriculums in social studies and 32 School District Budget - 4/18/05 science will have been complete. So, we will in effect have a comprehensive -- We will have literally instituted our comprehensive curriculum instructional forms in three years. And let me point out that these curriculum instructional reforms have -- have -- have -- have not been implemented in a vacuum. If you'd turn to , this summarizes what we've done and the investment we've made in our curriculum instruction reforms. Last year alone we purchased 500,000 new textbooks. We have spent -- We have spent to date -- We have spent to date over -- over -- over 40 -- I'm sorry -- over $50 million just on our curriculum and instructional materials and to finance the curriculum and instructional reforms. And we've done this, incidentally, not by paying it all at one time, but negotiating with the companies, the curriculum companies, the textbook companies, 33 School District Budget - 4/18/05 to get the textbooks now and to pay them over a number of years, plus allowing them to help us finance those reforms. Next year we will spend another $18 million on curriculum and instructional materials, to have completed the transformation of this district. This district now has a curriculum system, a curriculum instructional system, that is data driven. That means every six weeks we benchmark student performance. Every six weeks parents are notified about the progress that the children are making. The curriculum instructional materials are aligned to state standards. We are no longer teaching our children to below grade level standards. And the benchmarks are designed to help them maintain, to help them keep pace with those standards. To address the issue of children who are struggling, we've mandated additional instructional time on task.
So, while raising the standards -- While raising the bar -- And you only close 34 School District Budget - 4/18/05 the gap by teaching children at grade level standards. You don't close the gap by dumbing down the curriculum which has characterized our schools in the past. And let me point out that when you consider that we have about a 35 percent mobility rate, there better be some consistency in what we're doing across this school district subject by subject. But in the past -- Over the past two years, to help the students who are struggling and to help to give the teachers -- and to give the teachers more help in helping -- in getting the children to standards, to those benchmarks, we have increased the instructional time on task. So, children at the primary grade level are spending two hours a day on reading and 90 minutes on math. At the middle grade levels, 90 minutes on reading, 90 minutes on math, 45 minutes on science. At the high school level, the language arts and math periods have been doubled. And if children are continued to 35 School District Budget - 4/18/05 academically struggle, they are provided additional instructional time in our after-school extended day and summer school programs. So, children who participate in after-school and extended day, can -- can be provided up to 200 additional hours of instructional support on their critical subject areas beyond just the additional instructional time that we're afforded in the classroom. So, the standardized curriculum, combined with the investment in additional instructional time on task, the purchase of new curriculum instructional materials, is making a difference. And finally, on the curriculum -- on the subject of curriculum, we're providing teachers with close to 100 hours of professional development on the curriculum instructional models. This is the second year we've provided professional development to that extent, about two-and-a-half times the amount 36 School District Budget - 4/18/05 of professional development we've provided on the -- in the past. So, if you're a new teacher teaching out of your area of certification or you're new and inexperienced, you're not only provided with state-of-the-art curriculum instructional models; you're provided intensive training on those models. If you're a veteran teacher --
I'd like to interrupt you for just a moment, please. It's my understanding that there are people in the audience that are having conversations. Council members are being distracted.
-- time on task, combined with intensive professional development, is going to transform this district. Every major urban district that has shown progress, every school in struggling 37 School District Budget - 4/18/05 urban districts that have shown progress, have done it by investing in curriculum instruction and professional development. Our managed instructional program is absolutely second to none. In fact, we already have school districts that are purchasing our curriculum instructional programs at a profit to the school district that we are reinvesting because of the quality of their programs. We've already been invited to participate in the great city schools as part of their curriculum instructional teams that they send out to other districts, to advise them on the curriculum instructional models. But in addition -- in addition to standardizing our grade level curriculum, we have standardized our intervention curriculums. We've also standardized our honors advanced placement and accelerated curriculums. So, as long as we continue to invest in this area, I think we're going to continue to show gains. And I think you see the level 38 School District Budget - 4/18/05 of investment. This is unprecedented investment, unprecedented investment in the real measure that matters. And that's the measure in the classroom, the measure of investment in the classroom. Beginning in September of 2006 -- Next, if I can just comment for a minute, beginning in September of 2006, we are going to be putting gifted and high achievement programs in every single school in this system. This is not just about getting kids proficiency. It's about getting children to high proficiency. Last year we began -- we began to restore honors and advanced placement courses to our high schools. P. honors and advanced placement. Now all of our high schools do. P. honors courses in those high schools over the next few years. P. to 4,000. We want to increase 39 School District Budget - 4/18/05 that number. But this year for the first time we are going to -- we want to make sure that there are gifted and high achievement programs in all of our elementary schools. So we're going to be doing the following things: First, the after school and extended day programs in the district are being modified so that we can add after school gifted and after school high achievement. So every single elementary school, wherever that elementary school is located, are going to have high achievement programs, just not to serve the gifted children but to create gifted children, to take children and to take them to the next level. Because the gap between -- between... The gap in the high proficiency category is even greater than the gap in the proficiency category. And inner city children have about one-third the access to honors and advanced placement and accelerated programs as children -- higher income 40 School District Budget - 4/18/05 children in the more affluent suburbs. You close the gap by providing the programs. So every school, every school, will have after school high achievement. We are working with college boards to establish these programs and to make sure that these programs -- make sure these programs are in the small schools. Secondly, by -- by -- we are going to be selecting 50 schools over the next year throughout the district to have what we call our high achievers academy. In other words, we're going to be taking -- we're going to be taking neighborhood schools, and we're going to be putting literally gifted and high achievement academies in those neighborhood schools. Now, let me point out that by '08 we'll have 137 k to 8 schools and then eight intermediate schools. So, by '08, 50 of those 137 schools will have -- And when you include the intermediate schools, 145 schools, at least 50 of them will have high achievement 41 School District Budget - 4/18/05 academies. What type of high achievement academies are we talking about?
We're talking about, number one, Montesouri. We are going to be selecting ten schools to be Montesouri academies. Number two, international baccalaureate prep. We're going to be selecting ten schools for the prestigious international baccalaureate program. These programs prep kids for international baccalaureate programs that we're making available in the high schools. Number three, the advanced scholars program, which is our own version of accelerated high achievers academy. It's designed by Greg Thornton, based on his Montgomery County, Maryland experience. Number four, five of the schools will become -- will use the university lab school model. They will become lab schools like Penn Alexander, in affiliation with high schools. And then finally -- And then 42 School District Budget - 4/18/05 finally, of our -- 15 of our deseg schools will in effect become emerging scholar schools. So, these schools will develop -- will be given kind of the district's version of high achievement academy models. If you look at Pages 8, and 10, we 8 summarize our efforts to expand high 9 achievement programs to the district. While we have already identified the 15 deseg schools, and we have selected 15 of the 50 schools, we have selected our deseg 13 schools to be -- to be -- to house our high 14 achievement academies. 15 Because obviously those schools have broader enrollment patterns, we do a lot of busing to those schools. It's very consistent with the deseg guidelines set down by the courts in past years. At least 35 schools have not been selected yet. So, by the time we're done, if you look at the map that we provided on 9, and if you look at the map, you can multiply these numbers literally three-fold, because while we've identified where the 15 43 School District Budget - 4/18/05 so-called deseg schools are, we will be adding 35 schools to this map. We've already listed the emerging scholars schools already. We've already laid out the emerging scholars schools. But what we will have done over the next couple years is literally -- is literally not only restore gifted and honors and accelerated programs to the schools, but we would have increased the number of program offerings so that this district will have more honors advanced placement, accelerated high achievement programs per capita than any other major school district in the country. Our goal here is to advance academic performance, not only by putting the programs in the schools to help children -- to help children reach proficiency, but we want to catapult our children beyond proficiency and into high proficiency. And all these high achievement programs are designed to do just that. They're just not designed to address the needs of gifted children. They're designed 44 School District Budget - 4/18/05 to create more gifted children, to create more high achievers. B. P. prep program, the Montesouri programs, the emerging scholars programs, these are programs designed to take children, average children, and to turn them into extraordinary children. I will make a footnote. We will not be in any way playing around or reprogramming existing gifted dollars. We didn't want to deal with the controversy of messing around with the existing gifted program. So, we will be adding. But let me just give you a contrast. The regular gifted programs in this School District, as mandated by the state, the amount of time you get in those gifted programs a week ranges from one to two hours a week of gifted. Under our -- Under our extended day program alone, children will receive at least four hours of gifted and accelerated a week. 45 School District Budget - 4/18/05 And if they stay for the second hour of our after-school extended day enrichment, it will be eight hours a week of gifted and enrichment.
So, just those schools that don't have the academies that -- but have extended day gifted and extended day high achievement alone, those kids are going to receive services that dwarf the current gifted services that are provided. And let me point out once again: Our goal is to make sure that we have gifted programs and high achievement programs in all of our schools. By 2008 we will have literally doubled the number of our high schools from 38, when we got started, to literally 80, when you include the charter schools. What we have begun to do is our goal here is to reduce the size of our high schools and to expand school choice. So, as middle schools are being phased out, they're being converted to magnet high schools -- to high schools. 46 School District Budget - 4/18/05 As we're taking our branch schools, renovating them and making them independent high schools. And we continue to approve new charter schools. Our goal here is to -- is to not only expand the number of citywide magnet high schools, but to expand the number of high school choices in every region. So wherever you live, whether it's Center City, whether it's South Philly, whether it's central, whether it's northeast, whether it's northwest, whether it's West Philly, there will be multiple high school options available. Once this transition is complete, we will -- the average size of our high schools will drop from 17 -- from over 1500 per school to less than 800. And half of our schools will have fewer than 800. I'm sorry. Two-thirds of our schools will have fewer than 800 and half of our schools will have fewer than 500. And there will be school choice in every single region. 47 School District Budget - 4/18/05 Of the new high schools, the new small high schools we will create, at least nine will be select enrollment magnet high schools. We will be replicating Central. We will be replicating Masterman. We will be replicating Cappa. We are bringing Siverson from New York in to replicate that magnet school. We'll be replicating Illinois' Northside College Prep. We will be replicating Boston Latin. The goal here is to replicate select enrollment magnet school models, our own and others, and to bring them -- to bring them in Philadelphia. T. and Siverson to develop a mass science academy. So, the objective -- We will literally have magnet high school options, 22 citywide magnet high school options, open and available for children to enroll in above the nine magnet high school options we have now. But this isn't just about 48 School District Budget - 4/18/05 magnetizing schools because we are going to be putting magnet programs in neighborhood schools. The international baccalaureate consortium has -- headquartered in Switzerland -- has just approved full certification or initial certification for our five international baccalaureate academies that are being put in neighborhood schools. We're going to be increasing the international baccalaureate academies to 11. So, 11 of our comprehensive neighborhood schools will have the prestigious international baccalaureate academies. Those are international diploma academies. And when you look at catalogs highlighting performance schools throughout this country, it seems that every other one has an international baccalaureate program. So, we think that the dramatic expansion of school choice options, combined with putting honors in AP, in advanced placement in all of our schools, combined 49 School District Budget - 4/18/05 with magnetizing our neighborhood schools with programs like IB, and then when you combine the fact that we're going to be increasing the number of our select enrollment magnet schools, we think that there are going to be so many school choice options available that no one's going to leave the City for want of a superior choice, and no child who doesn't have the option of going somewhere else is going to feel that they're denied quality educational opportunities. Okay.
So, we think that this will -- We think that this will -- that this will help transform the system. I also point out that our high school restructuring is very consistent with the re-prioritizing of Federal aid dollars. So, we feel that our programs are eligible for magnet school funding at the state level. The fact that we test at all grade levels, at ninth, tenth and eleventh put us in line to access Federal money for testing and for accountability. We have -- We have programmed our 50 School District Budget - 4/18/05 dollars in a way that makes us eligible for additional state -- additional Federal and hopefully additional state money because, as you know, it's like both at the national level and at the state level attention seems to be shifting to high schools. We are once again ahead of the curve and we think that this is going to put us in a good position. Let me give you a couple examples, just very quickly, of how this is going to impact individual regions. Let me take one example, West Philadelphia. As you know, we are planning on building a new West Philadelphia High School, but we're also converting Sayre to a high school. And we're looking at the Illinois Northside College Prep model. Northside College Prep is the number one high school in Illinois. And that conversion has already begun. Plus, we've broken ground in the Microsoft School. So, if you live in the West Philly catchment area, you'll not only have the 51 School District Budget - 4/18/05 option of going to West Philly, but you will have the option of going to Sayre, or you'll have the option of going to Microsoft. If you look at South Philly, Palumbo is being converted to a high school. Shelley Palbolt from Central is going to be our project manager. He's looking at a Central High School model design. We've approved Mastery Charter, one of the best charters in the country, the Thomas conversion to Mastery Charter. There's already an outstanding charter school in that area, the Prep Charter. Literally three additional high school options, in addition to hopefully what will continue to be an improving South Philadelphia High School. So, whether you look in any region or in any area of the City there are multiple choice options. And we don't have all day to wait for these choices. We've got to create choices and create and options now. So, if we can expand choice, and at the same time 52 School District Budget - 4/18/05 reduce the size of our high schools which makes them more manageable, I think we can do a lot to stem -- to expand educational opportunities for all children. And again, many of these conversions -- at least two-thirds of these conversions have already begun or are beginning in September. And by 2006, all, all, of the 28 small high school projects will be under way. Our goal is to have the bulk of them complete by 2008. A couple final things. The district has also taken steps to enrich student life with new athletic facilities, sports equipment and band equipment. If you turn to , we summarize many of the enrichment things that we're doing. We're refurbishing gyms. We're upgrading athletic fields. We're building tennis courts. 5 million for the use -- for new athletic equipment. For the second year in a row we're providing a grant of close to $1 million for band equipment. 53 School District Budget - 4/18/05 Our goal here has been to really begin to invest in the type of enrichment programs that will provide children with an opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities with not only the right equipment but also the right facilities. And let me point out that as we've improved our athletic fields, particularly at super sites, we've also invited the Archdiocese to participate and to also use our super sites, because at the end of the day, you know, the children who send their kids to parochial school are also taxpayers, and they should be able to share our sites, as long as they work with us to help cover the cost.
So, we're going to continue -- We're going to continue to expand, and to enrich and to, you know, enrich our schools by increasing the extracurricular activities. Let me point out that in the last two years alone we have gone from 440 teams in all of our sports -- we're talking about athletic and chess clubs -- to 660. And by 54 School District Budget - 4/18/05 2008 there will be 800 teams in the schools. And we've also begun a middle grades program, so that we can begin expanding middle grade program opportunities. If you look at these programs altogether, we still have a long way to go. But as long as we continue to make these what I call substantive year-to-year investments, we are going to quickly bring our schools up to par -- up to, you know, get all of the extracurricular activities to a reasonable level so that our schools are just not about academics; they're also about athletics, they're also about music, they're also about art, they're also about other enrichment opportunities. And finally, school construction. 8 billion school construction program. Let me point out that while the School District has completed a number of projects, the bulk of the school construction programs remain to be done. 55 School District Budget - 4/18/05 Right now we've completed 54 capital projects totaling $71 million. Most notable among those projects is the New Hunter School, the Overbrook Educational Center, the Miller Alternative School and the McDaniel Annex renovation. We've also spent upwards to $20 million bringing the School District into compliance with the additional licensing, health and safety licensing responsibilities -- mandates that were passed -- that were passed on to the School District by the City Council two years ago, in the legislation sponsored by Councilman Nutter. I think we've made great strides towards implementing the mandates. But this year we will embark upon close to $600 million in new construction in additions and major renovations. And so, the capital plan will really begin to pick up speed in the coming year. Let me point out that that includes the construction of a new Fels High School, the construction of a new Lincoln High 56 School District Budget - 4/18/05 School. We're hoping that we'll be able to break ground on the new West Philly High School. We hope to break ground at least by January or February for the new Auden Reed High School, the new G Hunting Park school, the new the -- perhaps the new Willard school, a Barry replacement school. There's a number of major renovations and major additions in the budget, but there is close to $600 million in projects that are in the planning stage right now, that are in the design stage. And we hope to at least begin breaking ground on all those projects before the school year is complete. 8 billion, we have at least $4 billion in need. Very little has been invested in a substantive way in school construction over the last 20 years. In fact, in the 1980s barely a dollar was put into school construction and repair. As a result, we have buildings that 57 School District Budget - 4/18/05 are literally falling apart. And we're closing a number of buildings like Barry and Wanamaker and eventually, you know, eventually possibly even Bok, because the buildings cannot -- simply cannot be repaired. For example, the Bok School, the facade is separating from the building, which will make it structurally unsafe in about three to four years. $38 million it will cost just to repair -- just to do basic repairs to that building. If you're going to spend $38 million, you're better off building a new building. So, we have tremendous needs as a result of decades of neglect. And there's always this frustration in not being able to get the capital projects done in quick enough fashion.
But in many respects, the needs are so great it's going to take a couple years before people really begin to visually see the changes because there are so many schools that are in need of renovation. 58 School District Budget - 4/18/05 One thing, though, that we will be able to accomplish, that we will be able to accomplish by 2008 is the modernization of our classrooms. We are -- We are -- We are driven to ensure over the next three to four years that every single child is being educated in a modern classroom. What do I mean by modern classrooms? White boards and smart boards. Laptop computers, audio visual materials, modern school furniture, modern lighting, bright lighting, ventilation. The objective here -- classroom libraries which we over the next two years will install in every single one of our elementary school classrooms. We want -- While we're not going to be able to replace every old building, we want our children, when they walk into that classroom and where they spend 80 to 90 percent of their time, we want the children to be able to spend time in a modern classroom that's on par with anything that the suburbs -- that the high -- that the high 59 School District Budget - 4/18/05 income districts are able to afford. Those are the things that are achievable. Now, let me close by talking about how we're going to finance all these things. Let me point out that everything that I've described here is in the School District's financial plan. And the things that I've talked about achieving by '08 and the things that we've talked about doing in this year's budget is budgeted for. I'm not talking about anything that's beyond our financial capacity to achieve. 8 billion, we've already raised close to $900 million. And we haven't done that by taking money out of the operating budget. What we've done is, we've done it by reprogramming our debt, by basically restructuring our debt, by issuing more bonds based on -- based on our debt service capacity under the cap. So, we have done things in creative ways so as not to -- so as not to drain -- to 60 School District Budget - 4/18/05 drain the operating budget of the type of revenues that would detract from our ability to invest in the classroom. So, when you look at this capital plan, the debt service on this capital plan, once you've adjusted for the refinancing of existing debt and the -- and the issuance of new debt once -- and the amortizing of that debt so that you're not spending additional money until the old debt is being retired, the drain on the operating budget is very modest, to say the -- you know, to say the least. But clearly, there are things that we're not going to have the capacity to do unless we receive additional resources. But the things that I summarize, the early childhood expansion, the curriculum instruction reforms that we have all but completed, the honors and gifted and accelerated programs, to break up our high schools into small schools, the magnetizing of many high schools so that we can expand magnet options, the enrichment things that 61 School District Budget - 4/18/05 we're doing in the classroom, the classroom modernization. These things are in our five-year financial plan. And our five-year financial plan is based on a number of assumptions. It's based on the Governor's budget as introduced, with the exception of the alternative schools money that the Governor's Office always takes out and the legislature always puts back in. So that's about the only thing we've added to our estimates because it's always done; it's a tradition. It's one thing we've have added to the estimates; but otherwise, we're using the Governor's budget. And we think there will be more money in education, not less than the Governor has proposed. Our assumptions about what's going to be available through the City's own five-year financial plan; so, we're not asking for anything more.
We're just basing our assumptions on the City's five-year financial plan and on what we already know we're going to get from Washington. 62 School District Budget - 4/18/05 And as you know, we're going to receive a very reasonable increase in Title I this year and we factored that Title I into the School District's budget. We've also adjusted that budget to assume the continued growth of charter schools, although a reasonable control growth of charter schools. So, again, this budget is not dependent on something that we're not going to get, and it's not excluding expenditures that we're going to get stuck with. But if we're going to want to sustain -- If we're going to sustain these reforms beyond 2008, 2009, we're going to need to continue to work with the legislature on a couple of things. We're going to -- We've asked the legislature for additional funding for alternative schools. We have asked them for $8 million more than they've appropriated us in the past. We've also asked that the legislature fully fund the 30 percent charter 63 School District Budget - 4/18/05 reimbursement, something that they began to do or that they approached to do in last year, but it's not in the current budget. They didn't increase the charter reimbursement line this year. And we're lobbying the caucus and our legislative leaders in order to do that. But the things that we're requesting are not to balance the budget this year, next year or even the budget in 2008. We're looking at getting those things now so we can keep -- we can keep the budget balance beyond 2010. And if we -- If we get the full funding of the 30 percent charter reimbursement and the additional alternative school money, then we can guarantee that the budget will remain balanced beyond 2010, without any sort of cutbacks or any sort of downsizing in the programs that are available. Now, some people asked the question, well, what about a rainy day fund? What if there are unexpected cuts at the Federal 64 School District Budget - 4/18/05 level that you haven't factored in? Or what if the legislature freezes funding at the state level for one year? If those things happen, this School District literally has a built-in rainy day fund, because most of reforms, most of our reforms are not mandated reforms. In other words, they are not entitlements. We consider them to be in entitlements because our children deserve them. But we have the flexibility. We have broad flexibility to make adjustments in this budget, whether it's after-school extended day, whether it's summer school, whether... We have -- We have broad -- We have -- We -- Because so much of our budget is not mandated, it gives us maximum flexibility in a crisis to make adjustments, without undermining your core mission which is to provide quality instruction during your day programs, you see. So, there's almost a built-in rainy day fund in our ability to in effect reprogram dollars in a pinch. 65 School District Budget - 4/18/05 But we don't anticipate that we will have to do that because, again, we've laid out our budget, and we have based our budget assumptions on the -- on what I consider to be cautiously conservative estimates on what the legislature will do and what Harrisburg will do. I've said a lot. I certainly welcome you to spend time going through the packet. I've got the entire management team here. They will be able to answer any questions or any issues that you may have of concern. There are a couple controversies in this budget. Let me explain them because one of the things we don't do is, we do not sanitize. We just lay it on the line. The converting of child/parent centers to Head Start will be controversial, but the bottom line is, we have an opportunity to serve 2,000 more children, and we need to seize that opportunity.
And let me point out that there are 500 providers out there that receive either 66 School District Budget - 4/18/05 indirect or direct state reimbursement and it's time for us to -- to -- to -- to take full advantage of that. So, we will obviously work with the couple hundred students, parents of the couple hundred students that will be adversely affected or pre-students, I should say, to hook then up with one of the individual providers. There will be about -- There will be a number of positions that will be affected, in other words, individuals who are currently working in the child/parent centers. We're going to do a couple things. The first thing we're going to do is, we are going to try to place those individuals who are qualified into other positions open and available in the early childhood programs. The second thing we're going to do is issue the balance or the rest a temporary certification which will allow them to work in our School District Head Start programs. And that temporary certification 67 School District Budget - 4/18/05 will last until -- will last until June of 2006, when the No Child Left Behind mandate, highly qualified mandate, is instituted. Then we're all subject to that. So, we hope to minimize the displacement of any individuals by -- by taking those who are already certified and skilled and putting them into the appropriate areas and to vacancies that exist, and then to temporarily certifying -- temporarily certifying those who are not skilled and working with them over the next year to get them skilled. Second issue that will generate some controversy is the literacy intern program. This year we're phasing out the literacy interim program. Let me say that the literacy intern program cost the district about $110,000 a literacy intern over three years. The literacy interns are paid about $2,000, $3,000 less than teachers, yet this is not a full-time classroom teacher. We're not going to be able to 68 School District Budget - 4/18/05 sustain our class size reduction initiatives. We're not going to be able to permanently get rid of leveling. We are not going to be able to permanently get rid of splits, while maintaining a literacy intern program that cost us $22 million a year. Now, what we are going to do with the literacy interns is the following: We're going to allow those literacy interns that are interested to my great -- to our middle grades literacy intern program, where we have shortages and where we want to recruit where we have serious recruiting needs. All the literacy interns are primary grade literacy interns. That's not an area where there's great demand. That's an area where we have a glut of applications. Middle grades is where we need the teachers. Secondly, those literacy interns that are close to certification, we are going to provide emergency certifications which will allow them to work in the district and will give them a year to get their full certification. 69 School District Budget - 4/18/05 So we're going to work very hard to place those literacy interns who are close to certification in schools, and to shift those literacy interns that are interested in spending another year and interested in the middle grades to move to the middle grades. But right now I think it's barely 30 percent of our literacy interns end up getting their certifications. So, if you're going to spend that kind of money on a teacher recruitment program, you spend $110,000 per student and you're only getting less than one a in third chance, it's not an effective expenditures of funds. And again, you know, we're -- we can't -- we can't do all the things that we want to do and continue to, you know, use our funds in a way that are not cost effective. We are also going to take a portion of the savings from the literacy intern budget and we are going to use to it finance our university intern program.
, The Philadelphia Education Fund, who currently 70 School District Budget - 4/18/05 administers the literacy intern program. Our goal is to have -- Our goal is to have about 1500 university students working in our schools as teacher aides, as teacher assistants, as counseling aides, as counseling assistants, in other words, close to three times the number of literacy interns. So, there's going to be more help in the classroom rather than less if we spend -- if we spend our money wisely. Also, finally, there's one other controversy in the budget -- two other controversies that I want to point out. s. s. What we have told the principals is something that they've long asked for. A. A. vacancy to hire a school staff assistant, to hire a school climate assistant, a new position fully certified, created by the School District, to hire a lunchroom attendant, to staff a parent help desk, you 71 School District Budget - 4/18/05 can do that. One school, for example, did not fill their literacy intern program -- did not fill their sole literacy intern position, added $12,000 to their school climate budget, and hired three full-time aides to work on school climate and two part-time aides. So, for the cost of one, they literally brought five people in. We spend $22 million on 400 literacy interns. We can hire well over -- We can hire well over 1,000 -- I'm sorry. s. Sorry about that. s, school climate assistants, with that same amount of money. A, but to have schools -- have schools with three or four school climate assistants, and they will provide more numbers and they will provide more staffing. s from the community, so we can have a larger community presence in the schools. But we've left that choice to the principals. We basically said, if you have a vacancy and you want to go out and recruit two or three or four people for the price of what you were paying for one, you can do that. We will train them. We will help you recruit them. We will help provide continual training. So, again, like the early childhood programs, we're trying to spend our dollars in a much more cost effective way. And then finally -- and then finally, we have -- the School Reform Commission has authorized the management team to begin privatizing certain custodial services. Now, let me point out so I can make very clear that we're not talking about eliminating anyone's job. What we're talking about doing, as we expand, and as we build new schools, as we 73 School District Budget - 4/18/05 have new branch schools, and what we're -- and as we restructure our high schools, what we're looking at doing is, we've got an authorization to do privatization in 6 schools. 7 The strategy is simple. We're going 8 to take the personnel from those 22 schools, 9 and we're going to dispatch them to our other 10 schools to provide additional staffing 11 support, to provide additional staffing 12 resources. 13 And then what we will then do is we 14 will -- we will contract out with custodial 15 companies, most of which will be local, who 16 will then hire union workers to provide 17 custodial services in those schools. 18 So that there's no confusion -- So 19 that there's no confusion, we are not talking 20 about eliminating a single custodial 21 position, period, not a single custodial 22 position. And I'll be more than happy to provide you with that commitment, Madam President, in writing. What we are talking about doing is, 74 School District Budget - 4/18/05 through attrition, doing more out sourcing and privatization. I will tell you this -- I will tell you this: That the average absentee rate among custodial services on Fridays and Mondays is percent, and the average 8 absentee rate during the week is 15 to 17 9 percent.
10 We cannot sustain -- We cannot -- 11 That means the custodians on the job are 12 getting overworked because not only do they 13 have great responsibilities, but also when, 14 you know, one in four and one in five are not 15 showing up -- and I'm not counting the 16 individuals who are on disability -- that can 17 create -- that can put a strain on the 18 system. 19 But where -- We continue to have 20 dialogue with the -- with 1201's leadership. 21 In fact we're meeting today. We anticipate 22 meeting tomorrow to see if we can work 23 something out. 24 But I want to reiterate... I want 25 to reiterate that -- because I don't want any 75 School District Budget - 4/18/05 misinformation being put out. We're not talking about eliminating a position, a single position. What we've really tried to do to bring this School District into balance, to balance the budget and to invest more money into the classrooms, is to do things through attrition and to do things -- and to phase out things gradually. We have really tried with great care to reprogram our dollars but to maintain that human face. So we think we can bring more resources to the table and at the same time expand the number of school maintenance options without adversely impacting a single employee in that district. So that's basically where I'm at. I don't know... Now, we'll open it up to questions. Wayne.
Excuse me, Mr. Vallas, I believe that you would like Mr. Harris to testify at this time.
We do have 76 School District Budget - 4/18/05 a number of Council members that want to be recognized. So, I assume that at this time we're going to hear from Mr. Harris.
Good morning, Council President Verna and Chairwoman Blackwell and distinguished Council members. Thank you for this opportunity to share with you the financial status of the School District of Philadelphia. I am pleased to re-emphasize Chairman Nevel's point that the proposed fiscal year 2005/2006 budget that we present to you today is balanced. And we estimate that we will also finish the current 2004/2005 fiscal year in balance. This is the last time that the School District of Philadelphia completed two consecutive fiscal years with balanced budgets was 1998, '99. These two years of balanced budgets will allow us to fully preserve the $56 million fund balance remaining from the 77 School District Budget - 4/18/05 deficit funding bonds issued in the spring of 2002. The School District's return to financial stability would not have been possible without the steadfast and continuing financial and legislative support provided by City Council, the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The City's commitment of $45 million in additional annual funding and its approval of the School District's $300 million deficit financing bonds have been essential to the district's financial recovery. The achievement of financial stability is not, however, a meaningful goal in and of itself. Financial stability is meaningful because it enables the School District to implement its educational reform agenda and to keep those reforms in place for the expended period of time needed to bring our students' performance up to standard. Over the past three years under the guidance of the School Reform Commission, the School District has seen increased test 78 School District Budget - 4/18/05 scores, improved school climate and student safety, significant investments in new and renovated school facilities and improved teacher retention and quality. Financial stability is an essential condition for these reforms and the progress they bring to remain in place. C. inherited and to ensure that the educational reform agenda being put into place would be sustainable. Since that time all major expenditures have been evaluated in light of their impact on the district's finances over a five-year period. The current five-year plan insures that the district can continue the educational safety and other reforms in the fiscal year 2005/2006 budget through at least fiscal year 2007/2008, while maintaining a positive fund balance. 79 School District Budget - 4/18/05 Relatively small adjustments in increased revenues or expenditure reductions of approximately $25 million per year will be necessary in order to extend our financial stability through the full five-year period ending in fiscal year 2009/2010. Because of the amount of increased revenues or reduced expenditures amounts to less than one percent of the district's projected operating and grants revenues over the next five years, I am confident that we can and will take the steps needed to remain financially stable through the next five years, without significantly undermining the core reform efforts that are currently in place. The School District has committed to continually seek additional savings and reduce non-classrooms expenditures. In addition to the over $200 million in cumulative savings that we have generated in the last three years, additional savings will be found in the fiscal year 2005/2006 budget through ongoing reforms in the access or 80 School District Budget - 4/18/05 Medicaid reimbursement, strategic sourcing, worker's compensation and transportation reimbursement from the state. Bond refinancing will lower the debt service expenditures by an estimated $5 million and more cost-effective funding structures will be implemented for early childhood education.
Finally, I would like to mention that the School District's proposed fiscal year 2005/2006 budget book is in a new and improved format that is intended to make the financial choices that the district has made more transparent and easily understood. The book opens with narratives that explain how the district's funds are being targeted to meet the goals and objectives established last fall in the School Reform Commission's declaration of education and measures that matter. The declaration of education establishes measurable targets with the district to meet by 2008 in early literacy, academic achievement, safe and orderly 81 School District Budget - 4/18/05 environment, community collaboration, equity, and efficient and effective support operations. The narratives in the new budget book also include a portrait of the district in 2008 that explains how the many educational, safety, capital and other initiatives currently under way will substantially reshape the School District by 2008 and help accomplish the declaration of education goals. While we are pleased that the fiscal year 2005/2006 budget that we present to you today is balanced and funds our reform initiatives, the needs of our students are likely to outpace our resources for the foreseeable future. It is only with your ongoing support and mutual partnership that we will see further change and productive progress toward our financial and educational reform bills. Thank you.
Thank you very much. 82 School District Budget - 4/18/05 Are there any other further statements or presentations from School District? Fine.
Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke.
Do we have a five-minute limit, Madam Chair? Do we have a five-minute limit?
Is that five minutes on the question or the answer. (Laughter.)
Five minutes, period. So, that means two-and-a-half each. (Laughter.) 83 School District Budget - 4/18/05
That means I have to ask multiple questions. All right. Thank you. Good afternoon, gentlemen. I want to ask a couple of quick questions and I'll come back on the next round. Mr. Vallas, on you talk about the numbers of high schools right now. We have 38 high schools, relatively large schools, and you talk about increase in the number of schools. And you talk about a student/teacher ratio of 31 to 1, but you don't reference what the ratio will be upon the implementation of the change in the number of high schools. What do you anticipate?
The reason I didn't put 22 it in is that I didn't want to put anything 23 in that I couldn't absolutely guarantee. 24 So... But that's the plan for the student ratio. 84 School District Budget - 4/18/05
Okay. Because that's... Okay. I think that's the most important aspect of the reconfiguration of high schools, being able to get the numbers down.
One of the other things that you talked about -- And to some degree I've had to wrestle with this -- is the elimination of middle schools. And we've had a number of middle schools in my district that are in the process of winding down, so to speak. And sometimes it's been somewhat unpopular in the communities. And you talk about the statistics that show that that's the most prudent decision. Can you talk to me specifically about that, the statistics you show, what they show.
Two things. Well, three things, basically. Middle schools generally have lower test scores than primary grades. And particularly sixth grade has 85 School District Budget - 4/18/05 always been one of the worst performing grades in this School District. So, the academic performance is much... you know, is not as good as the primary schools. And there seems to be a dip in sixth grade. That's number one. Number two, middle grades tend to be your more disruptive grades. For example, two years ago I had more teacher assaults among sixth graders than I had among any single grade in the school system. That's the transition grade. In fact, just by contrast, I think there were 130 -- And we define teacher assaults very broadly. That includes threatening and intimidating too. So, unlike a lot of districts, we report and define everything in the broadest terms. But I think we had something like... And I'll give you the confirmation. It was something like 136 teacher assaults among 6th graders, eight among 12th graders, just to contrast. The second biggest class was 9th grade. So, again, those are transition 86 School District Budget - 4/18/05 grades. And then the third thing is the exodus. There's a big exodus between fifth and sixth grade. Parents will tell you, if I can't get my child into these three or four middle schools, I've got to send my child somewhere else. Because -- Because the way the middle schools are designed, their size, their location, children have to go a much further distance to a middle school, as opposed to their little neighborhood K to 5 school. That causes a big exodus, which I think hurts the School District and the City at large.
So, you think the continuation -- physical continuation of that student in that location up to eighth grade --
Most definitely. But 87 School District Budget - 4/18/05 what's important here is that we make the investment. In other words, all the middle grades have curriculum instructional models now. We're doing intensive middle grade teacher recruitment. We're requiring that all the K to 8 schools have classroom climate managers, someone assigned to focus exclusively on school discipline and school climate. You know, the classroom modernization campaign will focus first on the middle grades. The school is adding sixth, seventh and eighth grade, those schools in transition. So, if we're going to add middle grades, we get an opportunity to do it right, we might as well do it right.
Do you think that because statistics show that sixth grade on or to some degree the most disruptive years, as it relates to students, that that could have a negative impact on the lower grades in the same school, in the same 88 School District Budget - 4/18/05 physical --
You know, it really doesn't in part because there are so few of them. For example, I went to the graduation at the Dick School. And they had, I think 27 eighth graders or something like that in the graduation, very small. If they would have gone to that local middle school, they would have been one of 200. You know, the eighth graders became the leaders. When you put that many children in that big a school, not only physically but numerically from that many different neighborhoods, the survival instincts take over. You know? The children don't have a chance to grow comfortable, to become the older statesmen, so to speak. They don't have a chance to mature.
Are you suggesting that the younger students intimidate the sixth, seventh and eighth graders?
Oh, no. What I'm 89 School District Budget - 4/18/05 saying is, when you take that many children from middle grades and, you know, suddenly put them in a school where 80, 85 percent of the kids do not know each other, you know, and, you know, the children are undergoing physical, psychological, emotional changes... I mean, they're entering puberty, that can create -- that can create a real disruptive combustible environment. And the children are focusing more on competing and surviving than they are studies. But when they have an opportunity to stay in a building for ten years literally, if they've been to pre-school or early childhood, to work their way through that building, suddenly they're the upper classmen. They're sixth graders, seventh graders and eighth graders, you know. They know the children who they go to school with. They've been in school with them for six or seven years. It's -- because there is some mobility. It's a much more relaxed 90 School District Budget - 4/18/05 environment. They have a tendency to excel. They have a tendency to thrive. You know, I always point out that you don't see a whole lot of parochial middle schools around, you know. And even in the suburbs where you do have the occasional middle school, that middle school a lot of times is fed by one feeder school, not four or five feeder schools, see, so...
Do you think that... And I understand, you know, the statistics may show one thing as it relates to sixth, seventh and eighth graders. Are there any statistics that show anywhere where the conversion to K to 8 has proven to be an effective model?
Yes, it has. And it's quite timely. We just entered into a report from John Hopkins. And we took a look at several data points. I'm Greg Thornton. I'm Chief Academic Officer of the School District. Some of the data points we took a 91 School District Budget - 4/18/05 look at were student attendance. We took a look at staff attendance. We took a look at teacher turnover. We took a look at principal turnover. And as a result of that Hopkins report, it indicated that the transition to a K/8 structural organization is certainly very prudent. When you look across America, folks are grappling with the issue of middle schools. And one article that I read lately, they wanted to return to what we once knew as the K/12 schools or pre-K/12 schools. As we began looking at data not only from student achievement from soft data, with respect to attendance, with discipline referrals, with respect to suspensions, all indicate that it was a very wise move. The only outlier in the report was that mathematics was a challenge. And one of the things we're looking at as we begin to move forward is, how do we ratchet up so youngsters have an opportunity to have higher level mathematics. And that was the only indicator of 92 School District Budget - 4/18/05 the Hopkins report that spoke to the fact that we needed to look for opportunities.
The report was looking at a longitudinal study of youngsters going from 6th grade to 12th grade, looking at four independent variables. The variables were mathematics, reading, behavior and attendance. And we were able to tease out of that, because we have now control groups. We have schools --
No. Where -- Where... They did an analysis. On what School Districts?
Correct. It was done by Hopkins. Belfence did the -- did the study. It was done in conjunction with our research.
Hold on. Hold on. Let me understand. 93 School District Budget - 4/18/05 We're saying that... We're essentially just starting this program. How have they done an analysis on the program that we just started?
We have K to 8 schools, and we have middle schools, and so the analysis --
Currently we've... Well, most -- How many K to 8 schools do we have now? Fred? Or Nilsa, how many K to 8 schools do we have now? 63 K to 8s. We've always had some K to 8s.
Well, most of them -- Most of the K to 8's -- Only a handful of schools have done the conversion already. 94 School District Budget - 4/18/05 So, we've always had about 50 or 60 -- We've always -- I'm sorry. We've always had, I believe, 67 K to 8s. Okay? That's the number we have used, 67, 68 K to 8s, because by '08 we'll have 130. So, we've always had K to 8s.
And that was the control group that was looked at as we moved forward. They were looking at a determination on those four indicators, and we were able to just aggregate the following data out. And the data basically pointed that we need to do some work around the area of mathematics.
Okay. Since the bell didn't go off, I'm going to keep asking questions. You indicated earlier, actually, in your testimony, your written testimony, about 95 School District Budget - 4/18/05 the support that you were requiring from the state. You thought it was a relatively minimal request. Realistically, do you think that you'll be successful in receiving that support?
Yeah. We will -- We'll be fine through '08, unless, though, we get full funding of the charter school reimbursement. And our assumptions about both the state and Federal Government are based on what we already know is on the books. For example, our budget already assumes -- Because of the Federal budget lag time we already know what we're getting. The Federal Government is now working on -- the budget that they're debating right now in Washington is for next year's allocation, not this year. But we'll be in good shape beyond -- Moving beyond 2008, though, if we don't get the state to fully -- to fully fund the 30 percent charter school reimbursement which 96 School District Budget - 4/18/05 they're mandated to do, and if we don't continue to get additional money for alternative schools, then we'll have to go in and make cuts elsewhere in the budget, you see. But both -- Those two things we're lobbying for everyone else is lobbying for. We're also lobbying for something that is well within the state's financial parameters to provide. So, we're not -- we're not calling for -- We strongly support school funding reform, but we're not asking -- What we're asking here is within the -- within reason. And -- And -- and we feel optimistic that we're going to get at least part of that this year. If we get those -- If we get the full funding of the charter 30 percent reimbursement this year and the alternative school funding in Harrisburg and Reading -- and a lot of other School Districts are asking for the same thing -- then the financial plan will be able to guarantee a 97 School District Budget - 4/18/05 balanced budget through 2010. If we don't, we'll try again next year; if we don't get it next year, the following year. Then we'll have to begin to do some downsizing after 2008. So, we're good to go to 2008, and with the state, just addressing the alternative school, charter school reimbursement issue, we'll be good to go beyond 2010.
Okay. I'll ask my last question on this round. I'll come back. Can you give me the status of the C.E.P. schools? Have they been increasing what the --
There is a -- There is a -- There is -- There is a report that has been put out that -- and we're waiting for Temple to release it. It's a question of is it the state's report, our report or Temple's 98 School District Budget - 4/18/05 report. And -- and we hope to get it out maybe even before our hearings conclude tomorrow. And... But that report is a independently commissioned report to evaluate C.E.P.s performance. If you look at , lays out the disciplinary schools. And it identifies the C.E.P. schools. They have three sites: Allegheny, Hunting Park, and Miller. And it shows their capacity. But the report, it's my understanding, is very positive, in terms of the overall performance of C.E.P. and the children in the C.E.P. schools. In fact, I think one of the recommendations of the report is that children be allowed to stay in C.E.P. until graduation. The state law actually mandates that we return a child to their neighborhood school after one year, so we can't like permanently expel. But one of the recommendations emerging is that children be allowed to stay 99 School District Budget - 4/18/05 there and complete their graduation rather than sending them back to their neighborhood school. But I will tell you this: That C.E.P.s test scores have improved, and the number of incidents in C.E.P. schools has dramatically declined. They've shown some of the biggest drops, in terms of our incident reports. Also, some of the preliminary reports done on the other alternative schools and the accelerated schools has been very positive. In fact, they've been the subject of a number of newspaper stories over the next four months. But I'm going to try to get you a copy of that report, hopefully within the next to 48 hours. 20
I understand the 21 need to get disruptive students out of the 22 mainstream class structure. 23 But sometimes when you remove a 24 problem, you kind of put the problem in another location and just forget about it. 100 School District Budget - 4/18/05 And I'm glad to hear that those students are progressing in that particular program.
All the disciplinary schools have to conform to the No Child Left Behind mandate. So, we evaluate them like we would evaluate any single school. Whether it's charter, privately managed, disciplinary schools, public schools, we do the same evaluation, you see. And because they are contract schools, we can hold them even more accountable because we can take students away, cap the number of new students coming in. We don't have that same flexibility always with the public schools. But we appreciate -- Your point is well taken.
You are quite welcome. Councilwoman Tasco. 101 School District Budget - 4/18/05
In your -- This little thing here, under your operating budget.
Could you explain the decline and the requests from your revenue sources and other financial sources from 2005 of the $1,963,000 to the decline to $1,914,000.
All right, Councilwoman. This is the accountant's fault. I just want to be clear about that. The accountant set rules that we have to follow. What's happening here is the district is required to recognize certain things as revenue. So, they show up in the left column, the 2004 column, the 2005 column of . 102 School District Budget - 4/18/05 And then we then put them into reserve. That's the $34.3 million, the second from the bottom of that column. And then we bring them out of reserve and spend them in the next year. So, I just want to explain what this -- what those things are because it is confusing. We are -- The district is selling its administrative buildings, as you probably have heard.
Yes. And we are receiving approximately $25 million for that. The S.R.C. was very clear that they did not want to take that $25 million and spend it all at one time. So, we have to show the $25 million coming in as revenue. But then we take $20 million of it out, and put it aside in reserve. And then we spend $5 million of it each year for the next four years. So, that $20 million being put into reserve is part of that $34.3 million number 103 School District Budget - 4/18/05 at the bottom. And then the $5 million that's being spent the next year is part of the $21.2 million just to the right of $34 million and the change in reserve in fiscal year '06.
And the other thing that's happening there is that the School District has done a very large early retirement program. And the early retirement program helps us by lowering our annual salary costs because we lose people who are at high salaries and replace them with people at lower salaries. It costs us a one-time cost to do that. And it's a cost that we would have to spend anyway no matter what. It's a cost for paying out unused vacation, unused personal leave, and I believe 20 percent of unused -- or it's either 20 or 25 percent of unused sick leave. So, when we did the early retirement, we tripled our cost, our annual 104 School District Budget - 4/18/05 cost, for those costs. And then we have -- we are in the process of bonding out that cost. So the bonds that come in for that show up once again as a revenue, and then they get pulled out and put into reserve and spent again the next year. So, it's -- I wish the accountants wouldn't force to us show it this way because it's unnecessarily confusing. But really, it's being driven by two revenue sources coming in this year that are then being spent over a couple of years. And the two are the sale of the buildings and the early retirement costs.
And again, I just have to make the point. The early retirement thing is... You know, we will save a considerable amount of money because of the number of teachers who have taken early retirement. But we just can't pay $40 million, $45 million right out of the box. So, we can do a borrowing to pay off that. And then we 105 School District Budget - 4/18/05 use some of the savings from the salary differential in the out years to pay off the bond. But where it shows up, it looks like -- It makes the numbers look a little funky, so to speak.
So, you can sell off bonds to take care of that operational obligation?
That's right. And then the savings... Then we factored in the debt service on those short-term notes from the savings in -- obviously having 800, 900 fewer teachers who are -- who are close to or making -- close to retirement age salary, as compared to new teachers coming in. Let me point out that 12 percent of our teaching force has changed just over the last year alone, 1400 new teachers I believe last year. So the bottom line is, the teaching core is undergoing transition. A lot of people are retiring, and certainly 106 School District Budget - 4/18/05 appropriate. And the early retirement has helped jump start that retirement. But we don't want to bust the budget by paying out a one-time huge early retirement bill. So, this is something that the rating agencies support. You know, we have to get approval from the rating agencies. It's a very common procedure, but it looks it out of whack. It makes the budget look -- It makes the numbers look a little confusing. And also, while the essence -- While we needed to receipt the money from the building sales, the S.S.E. didn't want us to use that $25 million to balance our budget this year. That would not have been fiscally responsible. They wanted us to spread out the savings from that building and to put it in our expenditure plan over the next four to five years. So, it's part of the five-year plan. It's not just: We got the money; great; we're going to spend it in one year. 107 School District Budget - 4/18/05 Now, having dependency on a one-time revenue source like that is not fiscally responsible. So, that's why the numbers show up. Those are the two unique things: The early retirement, and the huge receipt of funds from the sale of our three properties.
Okay. I notice under your operating revenue you receive $126,000 from the Federal Government?
Yes. Almost all of our Federal revenue comes in the form of grants which these documents don't show. We receive --
-- I believe it's in excess of $300 million in grants. The little tiny bit that shows up there is actually a payment via the Philadelphia -- the -- it's a payment that we receive as a result of public housing. It's a little tiny part of the Federal law and it shows up in our operating. Everything else shows up as grants. 108 School District Budget - 4/18/05
It probably didn't deserve a line. It was too small to deserve a line, quite frankly.
So, the $300 million in grant... We've talked a lot about the No Child Left Behind. Does the district capture the cost of providing this program? What percentage of that cost is reimbursed by the Federal Government?
Well, we -- To answer that a better way or to give you a good answer to that, we have probably gotten close to a 50 percent increase in Title I over the last, would you say, Wayne, three or four years, including this year?
That's a substantial increase in title one. It's not all we need but it's certainly considerable, compared to past years. I mean, in the last three years we've gotten more Title I money than we got 109 School District Budget - 4/18/05 the -- during the Bush administration than probably the entire -- increases than the entire eight years of the Clinton administration. It's not meant to be a point of criticism because the Clinton administration put more money in Title I, too. Now, is it all that we need? The answer is no. To say how much of the -- how much of the No Child Left Behind mandates are being covered by the Federal Government, it's hard for me to calculate because so much of the No Child Left Behind mandates are things that we would do anyway, you know: The school choice options, the supplemental education services, the -- you know, the testing and accountability and assessments, you see. In many respects, the reason we -- it's been so easy for us to comply with No 22 Child Left Behind is because in many ways the things that No Child Left Behind has mandated are things that this district was going down the trail to do anyway. 110 School District Budget - 4/18/05 I will tell you this, though: A more important unfunded Federal mandate, because if we consider to -- if we continue to get the Title I increases in future years that we got this past year, you know, that's -- that's going to be more than satisfactory for us. But I'll tell you, the one mandate that the Federal government does underfund, and that is underfunded everywhere, is the special education mandate. The Federal government funds, I think, about 80 percent -- percent of the special 15 education mandate. They're mandated by 16 statute to fund 40 percent. 17 Now, that 18 percent is up from 7 18 percent three or four years ago. But that is the one Federal mandate that clearly imposes the greatest burden on local school districts, and that's the one mandate where there clearly is a shortfall. So, while there have been increases in special education funding and reimbursements, it doesn't come close to 111 School District Budget - 4/18/05 covering the cost. And that impacts not only large urban districts but suburban districts and rural districts alike. So, I can give you a specific number on that. I think it's percent. It might 7 be a little less. 15 percent or 18 percent. 8
I'll print that number, 11 but it's in the teens, and it's supposed to 12 be funded at 40 percent. 13
Let me point out, we 16 spend about $250 million in special ed. We 17 get about $42 million reimbursement from the 18 Federal Government. Of course, we get money from the state too. Now, not all the $250 million is spent on Federal mandated programs. But the bottom line is, you can see that there's a disconnect.
Okay. Let's go to the early childhood education program. 112 School District Budget - 4/18/05 You said that the staff who worked in the early childhood comprehensive... Is it called comprehensive program?
You say that right now there is no -- there are no 9 standards for their employment, and that you will give them a temporary certification so that they can become certified. What are the certification requirements? What will be the certification requirements? And how likely is it for these workers to receive those requirements?
I'm going to ask Donna Pakarski, who's our esteemed head of our early childhood programs and doing a great job, to answer that question or any other questions you may have on the subject.
I'm Donna Pakarski, 113 School District Budget - 4/18/05 officer for early childhood programs in the School District. We're running crystal reports which show everyone's credentials in that program. Many of the center leaders and instructors have bachelors degrees. And so, it wouldn't -- what we're looking at is what it would take to get them certified next year. Some of them may have to take the practice exam. Others have bachelors degrees in elementary ed and would need a few courses in order to be certified as early childhood teachers.
Well, prior to this new program, did they meet the criteria to run the centers?
In some instances an associates degree. The center leaders had to have bachelors degrees, but the instructors and assistant instructors only needed 114 School District Budget - 4/18/05 associates degrees or 60 credits. So, some of them may not be able to get certified in a year, while others are very close to being certified.
The net impact when we do the numbers is a net loss between -- there are 517 in C.E.L.C. right now. I can't remember the number. 300 and some. But the bottom line is 162 employees. But as I said, we're looking at the crystal reports. That number may be way lower if we can give folks emergency certificates so that they can be certified by '06 and the No Child Left Behind requirements.
We're supposed to have highly qualified teachers by '06, and that means certified in their content area.
So, if they're not able to get their certification within 115 School District Budget - 4/18/05 the year time, they will be laid off?
Tell me: What does this program -- What is the difference between this program and the existing comprehensive program?
Surely. The comprehensive program right now operates from 7 o'clock in the morning until 6 o'clock at night. It services children from zero through 11 years of age. We have infants and toddlers. We have children in pre-school, three- and four-year-olds, and we have children who utilize the service before and after school. The new program will be targeted to three- and four-year-olds in order to get them ready for school. It will be operated like our Head Start program, with certified teachers and 116 School District Budget - 4/18/05 classroom assistants, and will allow us to give a pre-school opportunity to many more children than we are servicing through comprehensive early learning centers.
Also, let me point out that right now there's about 500 private providers who provide comprehensive early learning opportunities. They're all subsidized by the state. There are more than enough providers to cover any child who is in a current district-run comprehensive learning center. They could easily be migrated or referred. And we're going to work to refer them because I think there's, what, 242 students who would be affected?
There's 242 infant toddlers who would be affected under the program. And they can easily -- They can easily be put in the more comprehensive -- private comprehensive early learning program, because the approach at the state level has been to do more privatizing of these services 117 School District Budget - 4/18/05 to provide. For example, right now if you're a parent, if you're the -- if your sister has a toddler, you could provide comprehensive early learning services for that toddler and you could get reimbursed by the state for it. In other words, the state program is all designed to increase substantially the number of providers out there and to provide subsidies for those providers. So, there are enough private providers to do what we're doing, plus allowing to us take our centers, convert them to Head Start which is a much more rigorous, much better program, and to serve many more kids, you see.
Okay. So, you're transitioning that out into the community that's run by the Urban League -- supervised by the Urban League, I think?
They're supervised by 118 School District Budget - 4/18/05 D.P.W., actually.
Also, let me point out that most of these centers are under populated. I have a center where I have six or seven employees, and I have six or seven kids. Because, as you know, the centers are located in the areas that necessarily do not have as great a need. The centers are also losing children because more and more children are migrating towards the private providers, you know. I mean, if you have a... If you have a child, and you have a relative who's providing the service -- maybe service for three or four kids -- they're saying, well, I'm going to put the child with the relative. I'm not going to send them to comprehensive early learning center. So, the bottom line here is -- is, given the fact that the centers are so under populated, and there's enough private 119 School District Budget - 4/18/05 providers out there to provide these services, we would prefer to shift the money to Head Start type programs which are far better, far more rigorous, and also use a part of the money to dramatically expand our teen pregnancy program -- the targets are pregnant teens and their babies -- and to do our home outreach program that is designed to target pregnant teens who have left school, to raise their babies, you see. And all told, we will experience a net increase. We'll experience close to a net increase of children being served through these three quality programs, an aggregate on top of the children being served now by about 2000.
Okay. I'm still on the clock, I guess. Let's talk about the N.T.A.s, then. You explained it in terms of... I was just reading the article 22 in the paper today. So I...
Oh, don't believe everything you read. (Laughter.) 120 School District Budget - 4/18/05
I wrote my notes down here. And I can't read my notes. Let's just go over that. How many N.T.A.s do you have now?
Yeah. We have about -- We have about 400 N.T.A.s, about 200 in the high schools and 200 in the elementary schools. And the total budget for them is about $22 million. Now, the average compensation ranges from $50,000 to $60,000, when you include the benefits and everything. Let me also indicate that there's no 15 requirement for training, no certification requirements. Am I correct? Kick me when I get off track here. This is from the Director of Human Resources. Also, the assignments over the years have literally been dictated more by the collective bargaining agreement than by the principal deciding how to best deploy that individual. So, what we decided to do in this year's budget is to tell schools that if they 121 School District Budget - 4/18/05 like their N.T.A., they can keep them. On the other hand, if they have a vacancy, an N.T.A. vacancy, they can use that money to hire a newly created title. It's called school -- It's called school class climate assistant.
This is a person who is being brought in and trained. They have to have minimum certification requirements because we want them to be qualified under No 14 Child Left Behind. There are no similar requirements for N.T.A.s, I might add. And what this person has -- This person is -- The intent here is to train this person to be a school climate manager, to deal with disciplinary problems in the schools. So, that individual is going to be trained by our Human Resources Department, is going to be trained by our safety and security, Dexter Green, through our safety and security staff. 122 School District Budget - 4/18/05 This being person is going to be trained in behavioral management, behavioral therapies. So, we'll have an individual whose exclusive responsibility it is to be -- to basically help manage the school climate. Now, let me point out that if you have one N.T.A., for the cost of one N.T.A. vacancy, because I don't think too many principals are going to be laying off N.T.A.s. Principals who have vacancies are just not going to fill them with N.T.A.s. If you have a vacancy, for the cost of that one N.T.A., you can fill that vacancy with at least two -- at least two school climate assistants and one S.S.A.
School staff assistant. These are titles in the School District. These are classroom aides.
The N.T.A. makes -- The average compensation for N.T.A. is -- it 123 School District Budget - 4/18/05 exceeds $50,000.
$22,000 -- I believe it's about $22,000, starting compensation.
The S.S.A.s. They vary, if they have, you know, they can make maybe $10,000. $10,000, $9,000 a year for... They're part-time positions. Okay. There was a principal from one of the elementary schools and -- Ben Franklin for example. And he elected not to fill his N.T.A. position. And he took that money and he used about... I think about $20,000 in additional Title I that he had been allocated through the Title I formula. And he replaced the one N.T.A. with five people, three all-day S.S.A.s and two half-day lunchroom attendants. And so, he's got where he had one person doing school climate, he now has five 124 School District Budget - 4/18/05 people doing school climate. So, it's just a case of -- It's just a case of -- of bringing in -- giving the schools the opportunity to bring someone -- to bring more people in, and to bring people in who are specifically trained in school climate management.
Yeah. You know, N.T.A.'s -- They do a little security. They do hall -- They do hall monitoring.
But I mean, the new people, the C.S.A.s and the S.S.A.s, are they basically --
They'll -- They'll be trained to do -- They'll be trained to do behavioral modification. So, they'll be trained not only, obviously, to provide a big body to help -- you know, to help control disruptive students, but they'll also receive training to -- to -- to monitor an accommodation room. I mean, we're going to put them 125 School District Budget - 4/18/05 through the same training that our behavioral support specialists are put through.
What about the part-timers? You say they make about...
The S.S.A. -- The average S.S.A. -- And I stand corrected. The average S.S.A. salary is $12,500, with benefits. That includes benefits. It's a three-hour position.
Three hour? Are these positions subjected to collective bargaining?
The S.S.A. and N.T.A. positions are collective bargaining positions. We suspect that the classroom -- that the school climate manager positions will eventually be collective bargaining positions, too.
We won't be able to keep them from becoming collective bargaining positions.
I just have one more question and I'll be finished. I want 126 School District Budget - 4/18/05 to come back to the capital budget. You talked about possibly moving towards out sourcing your custodial positions through attrition.
And one of the problems you cited with the custodial workers that are hired by you is the absentee rate. What guarantees you that the out source company will have a better rate of attendance?
Well, you know, there are -- The -- The longevity of their contracts will depend on their productivity. You know, it's very difficult to move individuals out of the system that are -- are, you know, fully exploiting all their vacation, sick and comp days, and it's... And I have -- Right now I have over 1,000 individuals on disability, 1,000. Now, I have 22,000 employees and I have over 1,000 individuals, not just custodials, but I have 1,000 individuals on -- It's way out of 127 School District Budget - 4/18/05 whack. And this imposes a tremendous financial burden on the district, a district that is not exactly well funded in the first place. So -- So, you know, and when I talk about the 20, percent absentee rate on 9 Fridays and Mondays, I'm not including those 10 on disability. So, that creates a tremendous 11 burden. 12 Now, my experience when we bring 13 private companies in, obviously they have to 14 provide the staffing. Right now if I'm 15 understaffed, I have to pay overtime. 16 Okay. So, visualize this. And a 17 lot of times I pay overtime to somebody 18 who -- who -- who went on sick leave or took 19 off or wasn't -- or decided to have a 20 three-day weekend and they come back on 21 Tuesday or they come back the following 22 Friday. And then that individual is hired 23 to -- and earns overtime to basically 24 compensate for another individual who's not 25 showing up at work. 128 School District Budget - 4/18/05 And what this does is, it imposes a tremendous burden on the existing maintenance staff, and -- while at the same time imposing a tremendous financial burden because not only do I have to replace that maintenance person, but a lot of times I have to pay overtime to pay for that replacement. It's just not fiscally sound. Now, what we have said is this: What we would do is, we would pick 12 schools, and we would move those custodials 13 from those schools to other schools to 14 supplement -- to supplement the custodial 15 staffing in other schools. 16 We then privatize those schools 17 through private companies, and those 18 companies would be contracted out to provide 19 certain services at a certain price. 20 If those schools are not efficient, 21 if those schools are not clean, if those 22 schools are not adequately maintained, then those private companies will lose their contracts. But the bottom line is, City Hall a 129 School District Budget - 4/18/05 number of years ago out-sourced their custodial -- their custodial services for -- you know, for probably many of the same reasons that we have. And, you know, we need to do something. We cannot continue to -- An explanation has been used, well, the reason that the out sourcing is, the custodians are overworked and there's not enough staffing. You know, being -- You know, if you can't complete the job, that doesn't mean you don't come to work. And the vast majority of our custodials do a good job, but -- but -- but -- but there is a lot of absenteeism here. And a to percent weekend, 18 Friday and Monday, absentee rate and a 15 to 19 17 percent weekly absentee rate is simply 20 unacceptable. It's simply unacceptable. And 21 so, we need some additional options here. 22
Are you having 23 a dialogue with the union to discuss what 24 possible solutions you could come up with? 25
Yes, we are. We're 130 School District Budget - 4/18/05 continuing -- We're continuing our dialogue. In fact, we'll be dialoguing this afternoon after the conclusion of the hearings today and then we'll be meeting again tomorrow. So, we're going to see if we can't, you know, work out some accommodations.
Thank you very much. As you will see, we passed around some basic skills portfolio numero duos. This is the second. This is our second one, but we submitted two this time. And if you will note inside that the -- that's pictures from an actual safari in Kenya. And these portfolios have gone from Niger, Nigeria, Kenya all over third-world countries, and they work. And this is how I spend the money I raise. But the point of it is that we tried to help day care providers, especially those in home who do day care and pre-school, to help them have an academic focus for youngsters in neighborhoods. 131 School District Budget - 4/18/05 So, we wanted to share that. Usually I give Mr. Vallas one of the S.R.C. We mail them. Since I didn't, I thought I'd take the opportunity to hand them out. Just a little aside. Madam President.
All right. Since we did have a break in the schedule, and albeit the -- we've asked various Council persons and your staff, Mr. Vallas, we're happy to break until 1:, 30 if that is okay with everyone. Then we'll come back and finish testimony and see you soon. Is that all right with everyone? Thank you very much. Thank you, Madam President. (Recess from 12:33 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.)
Thank you for your patience, everyone. Our hearing should not last very much longer. We have three of my colleagues who have more questions was the situation when we recessed. So, now we will resume our hearing. Thank 132 School District Budget - 4/18/05 you all for your patience. Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown.
Good afternoon. I want to start by simply revisiting the discussion we had earlier this morning, with regards to the good news which is that the shift you're making with regards to the comprehensive early learning centers. The good news is that 2,000 more children will be served; and the bad news, of course, that you've already addressed, is that there are about 1400 little people that will have to be transitioned. No. It's actually 243 infant toddlers who will have to be transitioned. Now, you mentioned that there are 500 child care providers in the City. And that's good. The piece of that, though, that I'm hopeful you will address is... Well, what we know is that not all 500 will provide the same kind of quality learning that we've already know exists with the -- and has already been documented by P.C.C.Y. 133 School District Budget - 4/18/05 So the ask is, if you have not already, to make sure that those families are aware of your more quality child care providers.
Well, we will do what we have begun to do with the supplemental education service providers. We'll identify who is out there, and then we'll recommend certain providers.
Very important. And speak again with regards to the teenagers, because we know the teen parents, if they are not sufficiently transitioned in a seamless way, they end up dropping out of school.
Well, as you know, last year and... Where's Donna? Donna, how many children are in the team pregnancy program?
Okay. Currently the 134 School District Budget - 4/18/05 cradle to the classroom program has 928 teen parents in that program. And the way the program works is, we identify the teen parent. We assign them a parent advocate, someone who can train that teen in basic parenting. We then work, once the baby is born healthy, to get the baby into an appropriate child/parent center.
Or a comprehensive day care. So, we will be increasing that by 500. So, we will have close to 1500 teen -- pregnant teens that we will be able to get into this type of program every year. And once again, it's not only going to benefit the children of the pregnant teen, but more -- but of equal importance, it's going to help train the pregnant teen on how to be an effective parent.
Okay. Let me shift the discussion to arts and culture. You covered a lot of material in the documents you sent us. But the fact is that 135 School District Budget - 4/18/05 65 of 276 elementary middle high schools in our City have neither art nor music teachers on their full-time faculty. And then another 110 schools have art or music teachers, according to the Picasso project. Just share with us the progress you've made over the past year, and what the plans are in the coming year in further broadening art and culture, drama, dance, music experience for the children in the schools.
Let me go to -- I've got to find the right chart here that summarizes our --
No. No. No. No. It doesn't provide you with the complete answer. But at least we could give you a summary chart. Indulge me for just one second, without taking away some of your time. This is the enrichment... Hold on one second.
Is it on 15, dealing with the equity issue? 136 School District Budget - 4/18/05
Yeah. Yeah. The equity -- Don't we have a second table on this? Anyway, let me summarize by saying we -- we will continue -- Our approach to music -- We provide the schools with a discretionary budget, Title I, supplemental educational financing support. We provide funding for art and I believe music teachers based on a formula. This, of course, does not guarantee that every school will have an art, music teacher. And it doesn't -- It also doesn't guarantee that every principal will use that money to fund an art and music teacher. But there is a formula and there is an allocation. Now, what we have begun to do is a couple things. First of all, working through our university internship program, what we hope to do is, we hope to be able to provide the schools that have deficient -- that have staff deficiencies in art and music with basically teachers and teacher aides that can 137 School District Budget - 4/18/05 be -- that can be recruited through the university internship programs, through the colleges and the universities that have perhaps art and music as their educational specialties, like Chestnut Hill University and others, where they have departments that are dedicated to art and music. So, supplementing what we already have in the schools through the -- through our university internship program will allow to us get additional support in the schools. In addition, we have been moving aggressively to purchase art and music equipment. This year we're going to raise another million dollars for bands, for string instruments, so that all the schools have the musical instruments that they need and the art materials they need to have a viable art and music program. What we're also doing is, part of our curriculum standardization is to standardize our art and music curriculum because at the lower grades it's -- a lot of the time it's the classroom teacher that 138 School District Budget - 4/18/05 introduces children to certain basic instruments or does kind of like pre-music programs at a younger age. And it's that self-contained classroom where art and music is taught, not --
Did I hear you say that principals have the option on whether or not they want to spend those dollars?
Yes. We don't mandate. We will give schools a budget allocation based on their student population. They have "X" number of students to get "X" amount of funding for things like art or things like music. But we don't tell them that you have to hire a full-time art teacher, full-time music teacher.
We leave it up to them. It's the same thing with librarians. I mean, one of the big controversies has been elementary school librarians. If you remember, two years ago at the request of the City Council, I restored the high school 139 School District Budget - 4/18/05 librarians.
I restored direct funding for high school librarians in all the libraries. And, you know, we've gotten -- We've got some pressure in some circles to restore the elementary school librarians which I cannot do because to do that would cost about $15 million. So what we do is, we leave it -- we let the schools decide if they want to have a full-time librarian, using their discretionary budget. But what we're doing to help them is, we have told them you, can hire a LIMA which is like a library assistant. You can hire a retired librarian. You can hire a retired teacher who has experience in the library sciences or you can go through our university intern program and you can recruit somebody who's majoring in the library sciences to come in and run your local 140 School District Budget - 4/18/05 library, you see. So that model -- That model we're going to use for counseling to supplement our counseling staff. Retired counselors, university interns, students that are majoring in counseling. That model we're going to use to hire our student psychologists. That model we're going to use to hire our art and music teachers. And I say this because, quite frankly, we're always going to be limited in the -- in the availability of resources that we have.
I would love not to have to finance the stationing of a school police officer in every one of our schools, and instead use that money to guarantee that every single school had a central office subsidized full-time art and music teacher, but I can't do that. There are -- There are -- We're going to continue to be limited in our ability to be all things and to do all 141 School District Budget - 4/18/05 things. But one thing I can do. I can make sure that everybody has the equipment, everybody has the materials. And if you want to have a band, you'll have money for a band. I can make sure that -- that -- that -- that there's money there to hire a retired teacher, a part-time teacher, a university intern, to partner with a university music school to come in and provide those services. The one college and music out there has 600 music students. So -- So -- So, we can do that to supplement the resources that exist.
And the partnerships you're referring to are being fostered or initiated by central operations versus principals themselves engaged in local...
There's two 142 School District Budget - 4/18/05 additional pieces I wanted to share with you. Earlier in Mr. Vallas's comments he talked about the extended day opportunity. One of the directions we think is very vital is to provide extended day opportunities in the areas of arts and music for youngsters. Not only will those opportunities avail themselves on -- every day in every school. We've created opportunities for youngsters to have Saturday, as well as summer experiences, in arts and music. The other is, we talked about this concept of emerging scholars.
And one of the things we haven't done successfully is identify a protocol of the type of music program that we would like to have. On , it will identify --
in our colorful brochure. 143 School District Budget - 4/18/05
Will identify the emergent scholar schools. And for the first time we will set up what I would consider state-of-the-art music and arts programs to complement the educational services that will be delivered in those schools and sites. 9 And they're geographically 10 positioned to allow for youngsters who have a 11 wonderful talent or an expertise or desire to 12 be part of that opportunity. 13 Because the sites that you see 14 identify have district-wide buffing. So, 15 it's a bifurcated effort.
It's an effort to provide extended day opportunities, Saturday opportunities, summer opportunities in the arts and music. And then there is a protocol which we will geographically place throughout the City which will allow a mini-magnet -- It's a new concept, a mini-magnet, to allow youngsters who have that talent and desire to 144 School District Budget - 4/18/05 participate in those areas, in the emergent scholars.
The anticipated start date for the emergent scholars school is?
The start date for all the gifted academies, as well as the after-school extended day programs -- the after school extended day and enrichment is September of next year. The after-school programs actually start after the first benchmark, which is mid-October. But, you know, Greg's absolutely right. Because we have such an expansive after-school extended day program, just as next year, all the schools are going to have after school gifted and after school high achievement, all the schools can also have 145 School District Budget - 4/18/05 after school music and after school art. So, it's a way for us, with our limited resources, to strategically spend our money so that our schools are having more enrichment activities, because as you know we have two hours of after school programs. The first hour is academics and the second hour is enrichment. That's the model. And we're going to continue to perfect that model. I also want to make one other comment. There are actually 30 elementary schools that are going to have the comprehensive music model. So, as part of our purchasing of musical instruments, a part of our -- a part of our music programs, in addition to doing after-school and extended day enrichment and making it easier for schools to access music and arts and art teachers through the universities and through the retired teaching core program, we are going to designate 30 elementary schools to be -- in effect have, like, music academies. And they have comprehensive music programs. So that is 146 School District Budget - 4/18/05 also -- That's also the capital --
Okay. Let's shift to nutrition type of issues. Council passed a resolution in 2003 regarding -- you very much -- Well, that's a great success story.
No more sodas in schools for kids. But September of last year a major report was released regarding the increasing rise of obesity amongst young. And the in the last years, the percentage of 18 overweight children in fact has doubled. 19 I think that leveraged piece was an 20 initial excellent first step. Where are we with regards to healthy choices for young people in our schools?
Let me just make a couple general points, and then I'm going to ask our director of food services to comment 147 School District Budget - 4/18/05 in general. You know, let me point out that I want to congratulate the Council. I want to congratulate you, Councilwoman Reynolds Brown, for your leadership in -- in passing the ordinance, so to speak, which we complied with. And we got a lot of national attention, some real nice national publicity on our initiative, which was probably more far-reaching than any initiative out there. We also haven't stopped there. We're actually -- We've actually moved towards being as aggressive when it comes to snacks. So, we think we've addressed the soft drink issue, in that all of our soft drinks, all of our drinks have to be juices or they have to be milk products. And of course, they're not carbonated. We're not talking about the juice drinks that have a lot of sugar in them. We're talking about a hundred percent natural. The only place we used the isotonics 148 School District Budget - 4/18/05 is in relation to the gym. So, we'll have isotonics near the gyms because the kids become dehydrated when they participate in athletics. But we're looking at being equally as aggressive on the -- in the nutrition area on the -- you know, on the -- on the -- on our regular meals. I do want to say one thing, though, so you understand the scope of our food services. We feed 32 million meals a year, because we not only feed lunch. We feed breakfast. And because of our extensive after-school tended day program, we feed dinner or what we call snacks. So, for many of our children, our nutritional program is the nutritional program. You know, they get their basic three-a-days from us, which obviously puts an additional burden on us to make sure that those meals are nutritionally sound. But I want you to understand the scope of the food services that we provide, and that's literally three meals a day. 149 School District Budget - 4/18/05 Do you want to make some comments about...
Wayne Grissell, Director of Food Services. In September we -- Actually, step back. And I believe it was in July, the School Reform Commission adopted a policy for beverages. And basically the only thing we offer, whether it's over-the-counter or in any school or through vending machines, are water, juice -- a hundred percent juice, and as Mr. Vallas mentioned, isotonics around our athletic facilities. In addition to that, in September we also integrated snack guidelines which greatly restrict sodium, sugar and a variety of other nutritional aspects. And we only serve products that are -- that meet those requirements, whether it's over the counter, as well as vending machines.
In addition, I'm very pleased to say we've been aggressive on the 150 School District Budget - 4/18/05 grant side as well. As we speak now, there's a $10 million grant appropriation that we're optimistically hoping to get. And It's driven around the whole issue of healthy students make healthy minds, and I think will revitalize our who nutritional educational initiative if we're successful. And we should be hearing from that relatively soon.
That would be a curriculum side. We felt that in order to have sustainability with the students, that had to be integrated, and part of interdisciplinary units that the youngsters will be able to sustain the learning and hopefully turn into healthy habits.
Okay. On the curriculum and the massive 151 School District Budget - 4/18/05 improvement you've made, the one question I noted here was, how can we be assured that the standardized curriculum will be institutionalized beyond the leadership and the staff personnel that are there now?
We've created -- We've created -- Well -- And that's a good question because most reform movements, the reason they fail is because they don't become institutionalized. Superintendent comes and goes, new superintendent comes in, they start building a whole new reform movement. Our expenditure of time and effort in -- in -- and our heavy investment in curriculum instruction in itself will help guarantee that it hangs around a while. Because you don't make this type of an investment where you not only have -- when you not only have aligned your curriculum instructional models to the state standards, but all your curriculum instructional material has been purchased.
And is aligned with those standards. You don't make that type of an investment and then change that investment around. So -- So -- So the sheer size of the investment has in many respects locked us in. But what Dr. Thornton and his crack team have done beyond this is, we've created two offices: An office of curriculum and instruction and an office of professional development. And the central mission of those two offices is curriculum, instruction and professional development. They are there to monitor instruction, to manage professional development. They are there to fine tune instruction.
And to fine tune and improve professional development. They are the R & D office. They are the commanding general staff office. They are the war college. They are the think tank. They are the Rand Corporation. 153 School District Budget - 4/18/05 I mean, they are there to not only monitor the implementation of the curriculum reforms and to make sure that all teachers are being trained on those curriculum reforms, but to fine tune those curriculum reforms every year. So, this is -- This curriculum, if -- First of all, the models we've selected are -- are -- are models you'll find in the affluent suburbs at the elementary school level. And the models that we're developing at the high school level are models that other school districts, including my former district in Chicago, have come out here to see if they can purchase. So -- So these are superior curriculum models. And... But, the -- the office of professional development and the office of curriculum instruction will be there to monitor the implementation of the models, but then to allow those models to be fine tuned so the models continue to be revised. 154 School District Budget - 4/18/05 But the sheer size of this investment will make it extraordinarily difficult for any future administration to change course. And I'll tell you, this is the heart and soul of what we do. Remember when President Clinton was running for President, they had a big sign that said, it's the economy, stupid. I have a sign on my desk saying, it's instruction, stupid. At the end of the day, that's our primary mission. That's why, if you look at our budget -- And the way the money is divided, 79 percent of all the resources that we spend in this district are spent on either curriculum instruction, professional development, classroom support, classroom modernization. That's where the bulk of our money is going. And obviously, teachers' salaries, teachers' compensation with that. So, yes, this indeed is being institutionalized. It will be very difficult for a future 155 School District Budget - 4/18/05 administration to come in and change courses.
There are two additional components, I think, that ensure the success of the teacher quality initiative. One is the instructional management system which allows to us know where every youngster is and how youngsters are progressing. It answers the basic question, what do children need to know and how we're going to remediate. The second is an investment we've made in the data warehouse. And the data warehouse will allow us to take longitudinal date to make determinations whether students are making the progress that they need to make. As we move forward, our benchmark assessment certainly becomes one. And I -- And I -- And I do say very candidly that No 23 Child Left Behind is where you have this aggregation of data where we can't leave children behind. 156 School District Budget - 4/18/05 We'll point to ways that we institutionalize the programs and initiatives that we have under office of curriculum and instruction, as well as staff -- staff development. And the other thing we have invested in is what I call process improvement, where we constantly looking to upgrade our performance. We will have in the district in the next couple weeks a group from Phi Delta Kappa which will be able to identify issues and correlations that continually need to be made by curriculum to be upgraded so we will have succession but in many, many years to come.
Okay. On the issue of professional development, last year every other Friday young people were dismissed so that teachers would have that time for professional development. This year the structure has changed. How have you reconciled ensuring that the teachers are getting the adequate instruction 157 School District Budget - 4/18/05 they need to handle this -- for example, the new math.
One of the reasons that we modified that was because last year we did literally two weekend -- you know, two Fridays a month early dismissal, regardless of how many holidays they were or how many days off they were during that month. We have some months like December, okay, where, you know, literally a third of the month is off or February where you've got -- where you've got all sorts of holidays. And that's an abbreviated month. Or for that matter, spring -- our spring cleaning or our -- the holidays -- the days that we have off around Easter. Not because of Easter but the holidays we have off it. I just wanted to clarify that. But literally Thursday, Friday and the following Monday. So the feeling was, that was just too much time off. So, what we did was, we went from 16 half days to 9 half days, but then we went to -- Is it 7? 7 full professional 158 School District Budget - 4/18/05 development days, and we spaced it out, you see. So -- So roughly we -- we are still -- particularly when you add our Saturday paid -- paid -- paid professional development, we are providing close to the same amount of professional development than we did the year before, close to about 100 hours, you see. So, the feeling was like, in, you know, giving -- giving too much of a burden on the schools, too much of a burden on the families to have two half days during the month where you've already got three or four holidays or when you have, like, a week of spring cleaning, so to speak.
Very well. I have several more questions, Madam Chairman. I'll wait for my turn next time around.
Thank you. 159 School District Budget - 4/18/05 Councilwoman Miller and then Councilman Clarke.
I have a couple more questions regarding literacy interns. And would you say that the literacy interns have had a positive impact on our students with their academic achievement? Would that be a combination of the interns and the extended day?
Well, let me point out that the literacy intern program existed long before my arrival. And certainly, if you look at the test scores aggregate, you know, something wasn't having a positive impact, you know. 160 School District Budget - 4/18/05 I think it really varies from school to school. It depends on the principal. There are some who say the literacy intern program has been a -- a good program in providing supplemental support and others who have said, I would rather hire a full-time teacher. So, you know, it's really mixed. I will say this, though: The literacy intern program was originally created to serve as a recruitment vehicle for children -- for potential for future teachers. And when you consider that the literacy interns get paid a starting teacher's salary minus, I think, $2,000 an intern, and they're not full-time classroom teachers but teacher aides, and that the literacy intern can spend three years in the system... Add it up. It's about $110,000 in compensation. And then -- And yet the certification rate among literacy interns is under 30 percent. That's not -- That's not cost effective. So as a -- as a vehicle for 161 School District Budget - 4/18/05 recruiting future highly qualified teachers to the school district, I don't believe it has been successful. But has the additional help been successful in many individual schools? You know, I think it really varies from school to school. I just don't think the program for the cost has been -- I don't think the program has been cost effective, which is why we're not just cutting the program to balance the budget. We're cutting the program to hire more teachers. We have hired in the last two years how many additional teachers to do class size reduction? VOICE: (Inaudible.)
Yeah, but how many to reduce class size reduction? 400? We've hired about 450 teachers exclusively to recruit class size reduction. Part of those teachers' salaries are being funded out of the literacy intern line. We have also -- We have also -- We 162 School District Budget - 4/18/05 have also eliminated leveling which is the adjustment in staffing that occurs within eight weeks. What happens is, if schools have fewer teachers or fewer students than were projected, then they lose teachers eight weeks into the school year, which means you have to change the entire roster and move -- We've eliminated that now two years in a row. We don't level down. So, in other words, if you have fewer kids, guess what? Your class sizes are smaller. That alone costs us $7 million a year. And... And in addition to that, we have also eliminated splits which are horrible, that the fourth and fifth and sixth -- This is where you have because of overcrowding. You stick fourth and fifth graders in a single class and fifth and sixth graders in a single class. So, those three things have been eliminated. Now, what we're going to do with the literacy intern money savings is, we're going 163 School District Budget - 4/18/05 to continue to make permanent the class size reduction, the split elimination and the leveling elimination. But we're also going to use a portion of the savings, and we are going to in effect subsidize close to 1500 university interns who are going to work in the schools. They're going to work as teacher aides, teacher assistants. They're going to work as counseling aides. They're going to work as art and music teacher aides or art and music teacher support staff. They're going to work in the counseling office. And they all have to come in. They all have to be trained. They all have to go through our extensive training. They're all providing our curriculum instructional models. But we think that the university -- that the university interns going through the Philadelphia education fund training that will be -- that is required of the literacy interns will be at least as effective as any first-year literacy intern. 164 School District Budget - 4/18/05 And we will literally be recruiting four to -- three to four times the number of university interns as we did literacy interns. So we think we'll have -- There's more positive to come out of the reprogramming of this money than -- than the literacy intern program can provide. We also think that if we have a pool of about 1500 university students working in our schools, the goal is that a thousand of these students be student teachers. And they're not only working in our school during the day, but they're working in the after-school program. And those who do well are kept beyond their student teaching semester. We think that this will provide us with a much larger pool of potential teacher candidates to recruit from. So we think that the university internship program will be a better program in the long term than the literacy intern program, when it comes to recruiting 165 School District Budget - 4/18/05 teachers. And we also think the benefits of reduced class size, eliminated leveling and elimination of the splits will do -- will help us better on the academic side.
So the interns are then eliminated across the board in each region of the School District.
Yeah. They're actually not eliminated totally, in that a number of the interns are going to be moved to the middle schools where we really have our shortages. And that could range anywhere from 65 to 100, depending on the schools, number one. Number two, schools that want to keep their literacy intern have an option to do that, using their own discretionary money. And number three, if we have literacy interns who look like they're going to get their certification, we're going to -- we're going to give them emergency certification for the year so that they can finish, get their certification work in the 166 School District Budget - 4/18/05 school. So, we think -- We think that that will help a lot of those interns who look like they're on track to getting certified and becoming teachers in the system.
Right. That was going to be my next question, so I'm glad you did answer that. Also, what are we doing right now for high schoolers? I know the extended day program goes from grade one to grade eight. What about those high school students or student -- ninth grade and up that needs extra academic support?
We have built certainly -- If you would allow me just to go back, put the pieces on the literacy and our transition.
There's a wonderful document, external review, that was done on our literacy intern program, that, you know, when I say external, it wasn't done by the School District. It was done by a 167 School District Budget - 4/18/05 consultant. And what -- the model basically shared with us in places where we had fidelity and rollout, we had a high degree of success. However, there was a number of transitions. And as a result of that -- of that report, and also a result -- because the driving issue for us when we began this discussion is the fact that July 2006 they wouldn't exist anyhow. So, that was a driving piece because we had to make a decision whether we're going to go in and try to provide opportunities to improve the initiative. But due to the fact that we had a twilight of July 2006, it really made us move in a very aggressive way to begin to reprogram because our highest level of turnover is at the middle school level. And as a result of that there's 70 transitional tutors that will be hopefully -- literacy interns will be transformed to those middle level educators. 168 School District Budget - 4/18/05 With respect to the high school, for years high school has probably been the only place that we've done a really good job with after school activities, whether you look at our athletic programs, you look at our clubs, your look at our debate clubs and all those kinds of things. However, what we're looking at now are extended opportunities in the area of academic supports, and both internal -- within the day of -- Mr. Vallas talked about a couple dosing of literacy, a double dosing of mathematics. And we're extending and providing opportunities not only at the end of the day, but we do a really good job with respect to Saturday initiatives because we have really strong Saturday initiatives for PSATs, strong Saturday initiatives for SATs. And during summer we have course recovery extended day during the summer for course recovery and acceleration. One of our hopes is that there's a high degree of success when youngsters have 169 School District Budget - 4/18/05 an opportunity to preview courses. For example, if a youngster was going to take algebra next year, he has an opportunity to preview that algebra class during the summer. The research that's very conclusive is that youngsters do a much better job in doing it. So, we're looking not only within the day, but we're looking outside of the day with extended day, with summer, as well as Saturday opportunities.
Okay. Now, I actually had a community meeting last week. And one of the parents said that -- I believe she said her niece, once she got to college -- graduate of Philadelphia public school -- once she got to college she felt or academically she wasn't actually prepared. What are we doing in that area?
Well, one of the things -- One of the reasons that we moved to standardized curriculum so quickly, is to 170 School District Budget - 4/18/05 make sure that all the children are being taught to grade level curriculum at every level. And where most school districts have moved to standardize the elementary school curriculum -- and a lot of times not in all four subject areas or in five because we're going to do our two -- but actually they usually focus on reading and they follow up with math. We decided to do it in all the subject areas, you know, at all grade levels. So, two years ago we embarked upon -- we brought Caplan in. T. T. training and things like this. One of the things that attracted us to Caplan is not only their capacity to provide the curriculum instructional support, but also Harold Levy, the former Chancellor of New York public schools, is the Director of Caplan education, and his extensive experience, particularly with curriculum, particularly with high school reform. But we standardize the high school 171 School District Budget - 4/18/05 curriculum in all core curriculum subject areas, 9th grade, 10th grade, 11th grade, and next year 12th grade. And so, standardizing the curriculum, and then training the teachers to the curriculum instructional models was one step -- was one step in the -- in the -- in -- you know -- you know, in the right direction. The second thing we did was, we -- we -- that insured that when children entered 9th grade, they would be taught to grade level standards. Because in the past, without a standardization of the curriculum or any sort of accountability for the instruction being done in the high schools, you know, you sometimes lower the level of instruction for the lowest common educational denominator. If the majority of your kids are below grade level, you lower the standards. You can't do that with the data driven system. The data driven system is designed 172 School District Budget - 4/18/05 to make sure that children, when they graduate 8th grade, have gone through a high school preparation curriculum, and when they hit high school they're being taught to a college level curriculum. The second thing we did was we did, as Greg point out, double dosing which means 9th graders are provided with two periods of algebra, two periods of language arts. We also did an extensive -- We've done an extensive prep period so that when children graduated 8th grade, if they're not at grade level, they can participate in a summer prep period to prep them for high school. In addition, we established a summer credit recovery program which -- which is designed to help those 9th graders that have fallen behind, that have failed their courses, given them an opportunity to do credit recovery over the summer and basically recover their courses. I think the credit recovery rate last year was, like, two-thirds of the 173 School District Budget - 4/18/05 children who got into credit recovery recovered their credits. They passed. Which is for us -- Which is kind of a breakthrough. So, we think all these things -- We think all these things will help transform the high school. Finally... One final comment about high schools is, we also establish what we commonly refer to as the 8th period, which is after school homework clubs, after school academic assistance, after school academic support, with the heavy focus on 9th and 10 grade. So, if children are struggling during that day, you know, you're not going to be able to mandate after-school programs like you can do in the elementary school level. The older the kids get, the more difficult it is to keep them. But adding that 8th grade support period, that 8th grade instructional support period, that 8th grade homework club was a way of providing additional support. 174 School District Budget - 4/18/05 Last year when we -- Last year -- Not this year, but last year when we began to institute these reforms in the high schools, something interesting happened.
We did it first at the 9th grade level. The 9th grade reading and math scores on the turnover really jumped. I mean six, seven, eight, nine percent, depending on the category that you're looking at. That shouldn't have been surprising, given the fact that we standardized the curriculum and we doubled the instructional period. P. went from 900 to 4,000 in a single year. Okay. P. exam, too. So, we think that -- we think that our high school strategy is going to help move us forward. A. T. T. T. T. exam. T. T. All the children -- This will get all of our children, whether they think they're college bound or not, it will get them in a college bound frame of mind. And one final comment. I'm absolutely convinced that as we break up our schools into smaller schools, with every new high school we -- we open, converted middle school, branch school, has to follow the following template: Because you can do small schools for small schools' sake. And then you know what you have. You have a lot of mediocre small schools. Our template is the following: They all have to be college prep. In other words, they have to use the college preparatory curriculum. P. P. prep company. They all have to have a signature program. So, if you're not a magnet school, you at least have what we call school based magnet programs, international baccalaureate, math science academy. You know, in the case of -- in the case of the Peace Corps, a governmental service, community service, you know, curriculum, math science and technology curriculum, all the schools have to have a university partnership. In other words, they have to have articulation agreements that allow for dual enrollment, so when the children hit that senior year, they can take university courses for dual credit. And all the new school projects that we have on board, whether it's the Peace School, partnering with Arcadia or whether it's Sarah partnering with University of the Sciences or whether it's -- or whether it's -- or for that matter, partnering -- or whether it's Lamberton partnering with Easton 177 School District Budget - 4/18/05 University with the Gates grant. They're all going to have articulation agreements with universities. So, they begin to take on this characteristic of like the university lab school. So, we think all these things -- all these things will help because the children will be learning in smaller learning environments in buildings that are more self-contained, in buildings where children can be monitored, in buildings that are safer, more secure, but they'll also still be in an educational environment that have strong academic achievement. I was reading the New York Times this morning. They were talking about the New York public schools, and they were talking about the small schools initiative, and they were talking about how in many of the small schools the attendance seems to be up. But guess what? Academically they're not up at all. And they said in the small schools some of the graduation rates 178 School District Budget - 4/18/05 seem to be improved, but the number of students passing the graduates exam, percentages has actually declined. So the bottom line is, the model that we have, combined with our move towards smaller learning communities, we think in combination, accountability plus smaller learning communities translates into higher academic achievement. A long answer to a short question. I hope you don't penalize her on the time. But I really felt that it raised -- it raised -- it demanded a larger -- a larger description -- a larger explanation of what we are trying to do in the high schools.
And I understand. I have one more question, Madam President. Just in terms of the adequate yearly progress, from 22 schools to 160, what does that represent, in terms of percentages of our 200,000 students? And do you have a list somewhere in this booklet of those schools 179 School District Budget - 4/18/05 that have now -- I mean, is it in here somewhere?
Okay. We'd like to get a list of those schools. And also... I just want to get some information. Were you more successful in lower grades versus higher grades or... Just like to get more information about the progress.
We'll get it to you. But roughly, we've gone from fewer than 10 percent to about 70 percent. And our most successful is at the primary grades. The least successful is probably in the middle grades. I will tell you, though, that this is going to be -- this coming year will be a challenging year because what happens with the No Child Left Behind standard is every three years they bump the standard because the goal is to get all the schools at 100 percent by 2014. But every year they bump the standards. 180 School District Budget - 4/18/05 This year the standard bump is about what, nine percent? Nine percent. So if we can hold our own this year, that will be real progress. And then it stays the same for three years, allowing school districts to play catchups. So in other words, it takes you to that next level. Then it gives you three years to make an adjustment.
And I just want to ask just one more question because then I do have to go to a meeting with Council President. I'd like to know... I'd like to get a report on the private managers, like the Edisons, those types of people.
Tomorrow. Not today because I have to leave. And I would like to hear your answer.
And to see just how many of those 160 schools, if any, are being privately managed because we've never received an update, not that I know of. 181 School District Budget - 4/18/05
We'll make sure you get one. We come out per S.R.C. directive. We do an annual management report. And we'll make that available to the -- we'll make that available to the City Council before the meeting. As a matter of fact, we'll try to get it to you this afternoon.
You're welcome. Councilman Clarke and then Councilman Ramos. And I know Councilman also has a meeting. Councilman Clarke.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Actually, the last question that Councilwoman Miller asked was my first question in this round about the partnership schools, the status of the partnership schools versus the traditional schools. And I'm assuming that will be incorporated into 182 School District Budget - 4/18/05 the information you forward to us.
Too much junk on my desk. (Microphone accidentally turned off.)
Question about the capital construction program. I know earlier last year, and maybe actually prior to that, we were talking about a very aggressive minority participation component, as it related to that. Can you tell me where you are with that? I know you indicate in your testimony that to date you've only spend $70 million of capital construction. And I'm assuming that that's not -- that does not include the new School District headquarters.
No. It -- It doesn't because we haven't spent that money yet. I mean, we haven't paid all that money but we 183 School District Budget - 4/18/05 have it under contract. Kim Sangster is our Director of Capital Construction... Capital construction. Of contracts and procurement. Sorry about that, Natalie. But she can take you through the numbers. I will say this, just as a general comment, we're exceeding our numbers. And whereas, two years ago at this time, we maybe had two to three percent. And one year ago at this time we maybe had 14, 13 percent. 14 We are now over 30 percent. And 15 that number continues to rise. We're going to exceed our numbers. We're going to blow past our numbers. And -- And -- And as I had mentioned, some of the biggest projects aren't even out to bid yet. But we have -- we are very aggressive. And everybody who comes in has to comply with our MB/WB numbers. Okay. But...
Well, I think actually, since you mentioned that about the 184 School District Budget - 4/18/05 larger projects not being put out to bid, I think you may find that it will become more difficult, as you proceed, with getting high participation levels. And you know, I sat on the oversight committees for the stadiums. And the more development that you did, the more difficult it was to make sure that you got an infusion of participation because minorities are not in the unions.
My experience -- My experience, Councilman, was if you stick to your guns and you push your numbers and you pay prevailing wage -- Because as you know, the School Reform Commission is wrestling with the trades -- with the unions on the whole issue of the project labor agreement. But the bottom line is, if there's not an agreement signed, we'd pay prevailing wage. But we are not going to shortchange minority companies or minority workers. But my experience has been the level of minority participation continues to rise. So -- So as we go out with the bigger 185 School District Budget - 4/18/05 contracts, you can expect those numbers to hold, if not get better, because this is not something that we're doing to be politically correct. It's not something that we're doing to avoid political heat.
It's the right thing to do. And I believe in this. And we'd like to brag about what we are able to accomplish elsewhere with our 50 percent-plus M.B.E. W.B.E. and our 50 percent-plus construction hours performed by minority workers. I don't know if those lofty goals are achievable here, but we're going to do a heck of a lot better than anyone has ever done before because it is a priority.
You reference prevailing wages. Are you also... Is all your construction being done with union labor?
I say that because it tends -- When you have a union job, it tends to be more difficult to get the appropriate participation levels as a result of that.
I'm Pat Henwood, Director of Capital Programs. The prevailing wage is the equalizer. It allows... First of all, it's a state law. Anything over $25,000 has to be bid utilizing prevailing wages, as determined by Labor and Industry. That's supposed to be the equalizer for the trades and open shops. They're all paying the same wages.
Yeah. And we're not out there policing to say, are you union, are you not union. What we're saying is, are you paying 187 School District Budget - 4/18/05 prevailing wage, are you not paying prevailing wage, you see.
So, you're saying that there's a possibility or possibly a likelihood that you have or will have as a part of your work force a substantial amount of contracts given to non-union companies?
There could be companies that use individuals who aren't card-carrying members, as long as they pay prevailing wage.
Prevailing wage. So, we'll have a prevailing wage requirement.
That's correct. In Chicago our P.L.A., project labor agreement, required -- and unions agreed to this -- required prevailing wage, you see. They didn't say, oh, you all have to be our members. You have to pay prevailing wage and you have to be willing to deny a contract to 188 School District Budget - 4/18/05 any company who is not paying prevailing wage anywhere else. So, our project labor agreement basically said, we will pay prevailing wage, and if you're a company that wants to do business with us honor schools and you're not paying prevailing wage in the suburbs or in some rural part of the state, you won't get business with us. So prevailing wage became our union standard. And what would happen would be, companies would become signatories to the union agreements for the duration of a project. You see what I mean?
So, you would pay prevailing wage and compensation, and things like that. And that's the approach that we would take. Now, hopefully there will be a project labor agreement, and then -- then -- then our approach might differ. But that's really in the School Reform Commission's hands. 189 School District Budget - 4/18/05 But as far as we're concerned, we're going out. Prevailing wage is the requirement. We want the companies to be signatories to the prevailing wage and to the so-called union --
Wait a minute. The prevailing or the union? Because they are two different things. You said two.
The compensation mandates. We want them to be like signatories where they're paying prevailing wage. They are, in other words, providing the same compensation and benefits that a company would provide if all of its company members were union representatives. So, so what I'm saying is...
I'm saying, there's a difference, you know. And I'm not a union member. But prevailing wage requirements aren't necessarily the same as what you would get as a union. And you have a good friend of mine who happens to be a union member, could, you know, correct me or substantiate what I'm saying.
Point of information, Madam Chair. Prevailing wage for the City of Philadelphia for three years. I believe the answer to your question, Councilman, is that in an area like Philadelphia that's considered, you know, a union town, the prevailing rate is usually the rate that a union pays for whatever trade that may be. So the prevailing rate in this region will be, if not identical, very similar to whatever the union rate may be for the region. That might be different than -- That will be different than, let's say, Florida. 191 School District Budget - 4/18/05 But in the Philadelphia region, the union rate is very similar to the -- because the union rate to a great extent establishes the prevailing rate of the region.
Okay. I just on occasion, my limited interaction with construction projects, found that if you have a union contractor, you will pay more for the job, as opposed to a non-union contractor that you pay prevailing wages because the prevailing wages don't necessarily incorporate the union dues and the dollars associated with being in the union.
In the Philadelphia region, if you're a carpenter on a -- on a school district job, that rate will be the rate of whatever that union carpenter is getting because it happens to be the prevailing rates. A survey that is done, and the ones who responds to those surveys are the union 192 School District Budget - 4/18/05 organizations in most cases. So that will establish the prevailing rate for which then the School District and the City of Philadelphia can go by, and which is the only one legal obligation that the entity has, and that is to pay the prevailing rate. It doesn't have a legal obligation that it be a union shop or have a collective bargaining agreement.
Also, sometimes companies for the duration of a project may decide to become a signatory to the union contract for their workers for the duration of the project.
So that's why I made reference to the signatories. But the bottom line is, we're going to enforce the prevailing wage law very rigorously. And hopefully we'll be able to negotiate a project labor agreement. But if we don't, we don't want to deny minority companies or minority workers an opportunity to participate in what is the 193 School District Budget - 4/18/05 biggest capital program the City's probably ever seen.
Okay. Thank you. Can you talk to me about the numbers?
Yes. Kim Sangster, Senior Executive Vice President of Procurement. So far the School District has prequalified 155 general contractors. Out of that number, approximately percent are 14 minority and women-owned businesses. 15 As we have indicated, the program is 16 just starting. Out of 54 projects thus far, 17 about 12 percent of those are -- have been 18 awarded to minority and women-owned 19 businesses on a prime level; and on a 20 subcontract level, about 44 percent. 21 So, our interest is to increase the 22 number of prime awards, but we're doing very 23 well in terms of our program thus far. 24 For our professional services, our architects and engineers, we're -- about 50 194 School District Budget - 4/18/05 percent of those awards have been to minority and women-owned businesses.
Now, that's for what? Is that for the $70 million already spent in capital construction --
-- or is that also including the School District building, the headquarters?
We don't manage that project, but we can get you the breakdown on that, absolutely.
I do have some information on our headquarters 440 for our fit-out participation. There is percent 23 M.B.E. and 10 percent W.B.E. 24 For the core and shell work that was 25 done, it's 10 percent M.B.E. and 21 percent 195 School District Budget - 4/18/05 W.B.E. for a total of... Let's see. For the fit-out that's about $5 million, and for the core and shell participation that's about $12 million to minority and women-owned businesses.
I don't have the exact total, but I can provide that to you.
All right. If you can, because I don't -- I know we have some limited time. Can you get me all the information on both the $70 million on capital projects?
And also on the School District headquarters building.
And by trade. Be helpful to me, and the dollar amount per 196 School District Budget - 4/18/05 contract.
I believe we have the capital program breakout right here, don't we?
Actually, you know what? Can you have it sent to...I forgot the protocol. Can you have it sent to the Chair, and the Chair would distribute it to the members.
Thank you, Mr. 197 School District Budget - 4/18/05 Vallas and company for coming here today. Mr. Vallas, you've given us a voluminous amount of information. It sounded a little bit there like I was reading the Encyclopedia Britannica. However, I appreciate and I'm quite sure all my colleagues appreciate you providing us with this tremendous amount of information, all of it sounding very, very encouraging, very positive, heading in the right direction. However, at the end of the day, when schools are evaluated -- and I don't intend by no stretch of the imagination to be an expert in this area of education. And I know you are. But at the end of the day, when we take a look at schools throughout this country, they will evaluate our success by, you know, among other points, two points. One is safety and the second one is dropout rate. And I just want to talk a little bit about the latter, about the dropout rate. I don't know if I just missed it in 198 School District Budget - 4/18/05 your testimony and the volumes of binders you have sent over to all of us, but I didn't see the word dropout rate anywhere. I saw in your report a very encouraging statement that said 85 -- that you expect 85 -- correct me if I'm wrong -- 85 percent graduation rate by 2008. Is that -- Am I correct? I think that's the number I saw.
Are you saying that by the year 2008 that our dropout rate will be around percent? 15
Because that's very, very, very encouraging, and that's what...
Well, we have gone from, I think, about a 50 percent dropout rate three or four years ago to now we're at, I believe, 62 or 63 percent. Our goal is to get the graduation rate at 85 percent. And the reason we calculate it that way -- The reason we calculate it that way is 199 School District Budget - 4/18/05 because, you know, some students who may drop out of our system may re-enroll in other systems. And plus, we've opened up a whole network of alternative schools. In the past, students who might have been disciplinary problems, some who were not simply transferred to another school would just drop. Now I have what? 2500, 2600 students in disciplinary schools and another 1,000 students in the accelerated schools. These are 17-year-old freshmen who normally would drop out. So, a lot of students... So, what we do is, looking at graduation allows us to get, you know... The important thing is, how many kids do you have are graduating. So, we -- we want to -- we want to identify those kids that we enroll back into the system. So, the graduation rate is the rate to look at. Now, no one's excited about a 61, 62 percent graduation rate. That's -- That's a 200 School District Budget - 4/18/05 very low rate. We can say, hey, it's up. But I'll tell you, I can't trust the old data because the old data is probably as reliable as some of the other data we have. So, I don't know how accurate even that old data is. But the S.R.C. has been clear to me. They have mandated that I get that graduation rate to 85 percent by 2008, and they've also mandated that by 2008, I believe it's 80 percent of those who graduate go on to college. So, our goal here is, if we can add 10 percent to our graduation rate over the next three to four years, we'll be -- we'll hit that goal. But the aim here, because in the past, Councilman, only about half of our kids -- Three, four years ago only half of our kids graduated, and only half of those who graduated went on to college. That means percent of the kids ended up going to 24 college. 25 So that means I've got to get both 201 School District Budget - 4/18/05 rates into the 80s. And I think -- I really truly, truly believe that that's achievable. I believe that that's achievable. And the programs that we've talked about putting in place, particularly the college preparatory curriculum reforms in high schools and the recovery program -- credit recovery programs are designed to help us achieve that.
I accept your explanation. But let's say you have an annoying City Councilman or maybe an annoying reporter that says, I hear you, but what is the dropout rate today? And if you're projecting a graduation -- you're projecting 85 percent graduation rate by 2008, what is that equal to in the way you have reduced the dropout rate?
I say that because I know, for example, something that I -- I think you and I have talked many times about these number of issues, is that the 202 School District Budget - 4/18/05 dropout rate, for example, among Hispanic kids in this School District for a very long time has been very problematic. And though in the last few years it has gone down -- the dropout rate has gone down -- it's still very serious issue for that respective community. And at some point, because there -- if this is one of the measuring barometers of the success of a school, I want to be able to say, oh, 85 percent of our kids have in fact graduated. And when I'm asked a question how about the dropout rate? I can say, well, the dropout rate is at 15 now, compared to 43 percent in 2000.
The answer to that, that is the correct answer. We count dropout rates -- When we count graduation rates, we're including kids that re-enroll. And they shouldn't be counted as dropouts. But the goal is what it is: 85 percent graduate. 15 percent don't graduate and don't transfer to some other system to 203 School District Budget - 4/18/05 graduate. So, that's -- that's the way -- that's the way it should be reported. But let me point out that --
So, I can just... For clarity. So, when you project that your goal is to get the graduation rate at 85 percent by the year 2008, you're also saying that you will acknowledge that a dropout rate has been reduced to percent. 12
And that's our goal. 15 And obviously that's the goal that the S.R.C. holds me accountable to.
Okay. Earlier I heard you -- No. I read. That you're increasing your budget for after-school programs and for summer school programs. I'm for more money for pre-school, during school, after-school, evening school weekend school, whatever works to keep our kids focused on education. 204 School District Budget - 4/18/05 In your summer -- In your summer program in the budget that you have for that, and you did increase that as well, did you -- does that include summer youth employment? I didn't pick it up. I don't know if it's there.
Yeah. Well, last year we did summer youth employment for about 1,000 students. We're going to try to do same thing this year. Let me also point out, we actually began to do second semester youth employment. As we speak, we have 1600 students working in what we call our student -- our senior residency program. These are students who are working as teacher aides, assistants, support staff. They're working in the homework clubs. And so, in fact, we have special uniforms for them with their insignia and their ties, and things like that. So, we're going to try to -- we're going to try to have some sort of a summer youth program again, this year too. 205 School District Budget - 4/18/05 But again, you know, if you're going to have any sort of summer youth program and take any summer youth program to scale, the Federal government has all but cut summer youth programs. And of course, as the Federal Government has cut, the cities have had to reduce some of their summer youth funding, too. So, you know, I don't want summer youth programs to be competing with regular summer programs. I have made a suggestion, and I have made it on a number of occasions, you know, as the -- as school -- as the City and as the state moved forward to begin awarding these casino or racino licenses, I urge you to have those who are submitting their -- who are bidding on these licenses, to all make a commitment to put up something for both scholarships, the Philly Core Scholar Program or to put up money for a summer jobs program. Because, you know, simply awarding these contracts without at least getting them to commit to doing something in the community 206 School District Budget - 4/18/05 or something in a constructive way, there may be ways -- that may be a way to secure additional funds. But we will have a -- we will have a modest summer jobs program this year. And again, our goal here is -- what we want to do in the coming year is, we want to make this senior residency program permanent. But there are -- We could use 10,000 to 15,000 summer jobs. And we work with a number of citywide organizations to, I think, provide summer job services to -- I'm not sure what number is. I could get you that, Councilman Ramos. But I think clearly there needs to be a large -- there needs to be a larger commitment from other sources for this.
Count me on board. I already instruct the staff let's get that letter going and be on the phone and go visit. I agree with you. We have to go get wherever we see an opportunity where the corporate community's involved in City life. 207 School District Budget - 4/18/05 And I believe that they have an obligation to reach out and be of support to our school. Since -- I don't want to belabor this next point but it's very important to me, because a lot of the people that come -- that I represent -- and I'm a member -- I'm an at-large member of this Council, are people that are making low wages. And whenever I am approached about cafeteria workers and other folks within your system or from without, you know, I'm very concerned about the -- It always kind of looks like you're picking on the ones making the less money. And whether it's true or not, that's the way it looks from the outside. So, I sure hope that -- And I've talked to a couple of the union officials from 1201, that I sure want to encourage you guys to come to some sort of agreement, where no one will get hurt. And those that are working -- You know, I understand the business of Mondays and Fridays. I've been there. And I have -- And 208 School District Budget - 4/18/05 I -- The first -- One of the first things my staff will tell you, that I told them when they got hired, you don't miss Mondays and Fridays. That's what my boss used to tell all of us, don't miss Mondays and Fridays. So, I'm aware of that. Those are things that can be corrected. So, thank you so much for indulging us today.
Let me ask one question that I learned about, Mr. Vallas, with regard to a program to rescue students who are overage, those 16 and over which we're very grateful for.
We understand there's an RFP out. And we wanted to know a little bit more about that program, and where 209 School District Budget - 4/18/05 some of these alternative programs might be located.
Right. We realized that as we moved to -- And just indulge me as I give you kind of an overview of what we're trying to do.
We realized that so many of our children are so far behind. I mean, we have children that are two, three, four years below grade level. And, you know, if -- you can't keep a 15- or 16-year-old in a middle school. Two years ago, you know, 3,000 of our middle grade students reached the age of 16 before they graduated. That's -- That is not a healthy situation, particularly when you consider that most of the middle grade students were being educated in these large behemoth middle schools. So -- So we've -- The curriculum reforms, the data driven instruction, the additional instruction on time on task, the 210 School District Budget - 4/18/05 expanded early childhood programs that will better prepare our children for school, that will close the gap. That will narrow the gap. That will help close the gap long-term. But what are we going to do with those 16-, 17-year-old students who find themselves in eighth grade or find themselves in high school with less than one or two credit hours? The majority of the students who end up in the serious incident reports are students who are overage and underachieving. So, last year we opened up three accelerated schools. These were schools that targeted 16- and 17-year-old students with less than three credit hours of high school credit. In some cases these were eighth grade students, so they didn't have any high school credit. The results have been so positive that we're going to move forward. And our goal here ultimately will be to have literally an accelerated school in each of the ten regions. 211 School District Budget - 4/18/05 Now, let me point out that these are not disciplinary schools. These are not schools for bad kids, for badly behaved kids, for kids who have violated the zero tolerance policy. These are schools for high risk students who simply can't cut it in the general high school environment and need to be put in an alternative setting. They're very small schools. They have small class sizes. They have a lot of wrap-around services. I mean, the -- the three schools where we've piloted this program, all of which are privately run, I might add, have -- it's -- the schools are very peaceful. There's been little if any disruptive behavior. The students are doing very, very well. So, our goal is to expand the number of accelerated schools across the system so we can get these kids before they become a statistic. The state has given us ten separate 212 School District Budget - 4/18/05 unit numbers which means we can create these accelerated schools in comprehensive neighborhood schools, too. So a Germantown could have an accelerated program. South Philly could have an accelerated program. West Philly could have an accelerated program. So, we are not only looking at independent sites to have these -- to have these accelerated schools, but we're also looking at perhaps housing some programs in neighborhood schools. But the objective is to get the older age kids who are really, really struggling into a different high school environment, where they can be with their peers and where they can be provided with more -- more wrap-around services to help accelerate their expansion. We think this is going to help us with graduation rates. It's going to help us with dropout rates. We think it's going to help us with school climate. So, we feel very good about this. And it's something... 213 School District Budget - 4/18/05 The RFP... We are looking at proposals. We -- There are some superb providers out there in Abraxas. Boone is doing a great job. There are a couple of charters that have a big interest in this type of program. So, we'll be more than happy to keep the -- keep the Council informed once we get -- once we get our first cut at the -- at the companies that have responded to the request.
The point I would make is, there are diploma programs. One of the things that you're seeing is less and less discussion around dropout which Councilman Ramos was present, Councilwoman Blackwell, is that less and less of the professional discussions around dropout. The reality is that like college, many of us -- And I'm one that took five years to get through an undergraduate program.
And we're beginning to see the same types of things in high school, that the time element that we used to lay out of a four-year traditional approach is no longer existing. These youngsters will not graduate on time, but these youngsters will graduate. And the point that I would like to make, as we begin to calculate dropout rates, we're going to have to take a look at extending the period of calculation; and that, unfortunately, when you have 65 percent of our youngsters who don't read at grade level across the City now, we're going to have to give them what I consider the gift of time to allow them to be successful.
Good point. Good point. Yeah. We will -- We will -- We will -- If it takes five years, so be it. And in some case if it takes six years, so be it. But it's a healthier environment to have the overage children, 17-year-old freshman or 18- or 19-year-old sophomores and 215 School District Budget - 4/18/05 juniors, maybe a 19-year-old or even a 20-year-old senior, in an alternative program, an alternative placement, a school that specializes in dealing with students who are trying to make up for lost time, you see. So we think this has great potential. We benefited over the last six months. Both the Daily News and the Inquirer have done stories on our disciplinary schools in our accelerated programs. And you know, we get scrutinized tremendously in this City. And I think people have acknowledged that those programs -- that initially the programs are showing some tremendous promise. But we do not want to leave any child behind. That includes a child who's 17, 18, 19 years old. At the end of the day, if they drop out of our school without a high school diploma, they're hitting the street. That's not good for anybody. So, that's what this is about. The message we're trying to send our kids is if you behave and you attend school regularly, 216 School District Budget - 4/18/05 and you put the effort in, if it takes us another year or two... I mean, I had to go to community college for three years to learn what I didn't learn in high school in order to get into a traditional four-year college. And I'll tell you, nobody told me that your time is up; you're on the street. So, the feeling for us here is, if we -- the message we're sending is, we'll help you. We'll try to get you in the right environment. But you've got to behave yourself. You've got to attend school every day, and you've got to work hard. That's all we ask. You know, if you meet us, that meets us more than half way. We'll do the rest and we'll get you over the goal line.
That's very exciting. And so many of us have similar circumstances. I remember my late husband used to tell students, don't worry if you drop out at 16 because just drop back in. Because if you 217 School District Budget - 4/18/05 live to be 80 you could have been 16 five times. Thank you very much. Councilwoman Brown.
Thank you, Madam Chair. My editorial comment would be bravo for going the extra effort or making the extra effort for young people who need a little more but deserve the time to complete the curriculum. Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller's line of questioning triggered a couple of more for me with regards to the literacy interns. How old is that program?
So, there's been adequate time to arrive at the conclusion that one out of three simply don't stay around.
Yeah. Well, we'll -- 218 School District Budget - 4/18/05 we'll -- we'll -- we'll be ending the program, but we will be placing a number of literacy interns in the middle grades. They'll go in the middle schools as transition support tutors which is a fancy word for middle school literacy interns. I mean, literacy interns. And a number of them that are -- that are recommended by their principal and that are -- we feel can become certified, that have the talent to deliver in the classroom, we will emergency -- do emergency certification so that we can get them in the schools and we can get them certified.
Okay. And this -- all of which you just shared will in a very thorough way be shared with literacy interns so that they know what lies beyond June '05.
Yeah. Yeah. Right now there is some anxiety over the fact that there are some -- particularly the first-year literacy interns worried about them not getting the second year. 219 School District Budget - 4/18/05 And we're going to focus our attention on those first-year literacy interns who are in need of a second year. And we're going to try to place as many of them as we can. If you're a third-year literacy intern and you don't have your certification, I'm sorry. I don't know what you've been doing, but you need to get certified. But we'll be sharing in greater detail the options available to them so that, you know, they have an opportunity to make an adjustment, to make their -- to select the options available.
Thank you. Mr. Craig Williams, I know, moved on. The functions out of that office, have they been assumed by a new person or not?
Yes. We have appointed as an interim superintendent Al Beechner.
He was with us. He left to... He had an emergency. 220 School District Budget - 4/18/05
We had an incident at Kensington, so we dispatched him to Kensington High School.
Okay. A lot of conversation has been given towards the 85 percent graduation rate. I want to discuss a little bit what's happening with our vocational curriculum for young people who maybe out of pure interest or simply those who are not college material, in the pure sense of the word, that adequate attention is given to their career path as well. In the capital program are there going to be any new schools built for vocational ed?
We are looking at -- We have to -- We're not going to have any choice in this matter. We have to put those students in Bok into a new building because we think that the building may be beyond 221 School District Budget - 4/18/05 repair. The facade its separating from the foundation because of lack of maintenance and deferred maintenance. The upper floors that have been closed are just terrible. They're almost beyond renovation. To renovate that school, just the facade issues, would cost about $38 million. So, we are actively looking for a site because we think that's going to be one of those schools that we're going to have move students out of for safety purposes within the next two to three years.
We have begun -- We're working with our State Representatives, Shirley Kitchen and Joe Williams, to put together a planning committee for the new Dobbins School.
So, both Dobbins and Bok will be rebuilt and if we do it, we want to do it right. We're going to want to structure those buildings in a way so that they're really taylor-made to be modern 222 School District Budget - 4/18/05 vocational educational institutions. That said and done, though, I do want to point out that we are -- we are expanding our, what I call, dual enrollment vocational ed program where, because of the inadequacies of our voc ed programs, we're looking, obviously, at improving our programs, at least those programs that are legitimate. But we're also purchasing more classroom space --
-- in off campus programs, be they the Community College or -- like DeVry. We have a growing partnership with DeVry. We're hoping to bring DeVry into two of our campuses and subsequently also send our students to DeVry. DeVry has two locations, one close in Center City and one, obviously, in the suburbs. We have brought Sunoco in to set up at the Sunoco Academy. We're working with St. Christopher's Hospital to set up a medical careers academy. We're working with Lockheed Martin. We're working with three 223 School District Budget - 4/18/05 schools. So, part of our approach is to actually contract out with corporations, with hospitals, with -- with -- with business institutions or with private for profit and not for profit vocational educational institutions and enroll our kids in those programs, you see. That will allow us to provide those type of vocational technical educational services quickly, rather than say, well, we're going to rebuild this and in five years. It's all going to be built and we're all going to have great programs. So, that's the approach that we're taking to close the gap, the vocational ed gap that we have now, so we don't have to wait four or five or six years for our own investment to take hold.
There are two driving focuses on high school education today. One is a really strong move to make schools smaller. You know, there's not many pieces of literature that you would pick up that 224 School District Budget - 4/18/05 doesn't speak to that. The other drive is to create schools within schools. And within the schools within schools, the smaller learning communities and academies, we're attempting to do a significant amount of work in the academy structures. For example, a traditional high school with 2,000 students, places that we're unable to divide and make smaller, we would try to have vocational type of opportunities within the academy that aligns to the dual enrollment Mr. Vallas talked about, aligns the rigorous curriculum. So, they're part of a comprehensive high school, but yet they have an academy or focus or pathway. And I would say pathway only for the fact that youngsters can get in and get off and basically kind of select courses based on need, as their second alternate way of looking at how we're going to depopulate and have better processes to really make high schools more personal.
And I would 225 School District Budget - 4/18/05 presume with the partnerships that you've just mentioned, a part of that discussion or the strategy or the agreement is that they consider these young people for transitioning to real jobs.
I think there's two vital transitions, one to the world of work, and the other is to extend that -- that -- that -- that -- that -- that opportunity they have in high school to an opportunity that culminates in a college experience as well, like DeVry.
Let's move to this issue of safety for a few minutes. You developed an annual student anti-violence conference that involved students, parents and educators in a number of ways. What level of participation did you see at those conferences? Could you speak to that, please?
Good afternoon. Claudia Avaret, Chief of Staff. 226 School District Budget - 4/18/05 This is our third annual student anti-violence conference which would be held on November the 5th. Our first year of the conference we had approximately 1100 participants at the conference. We were targeting about 700 students, the additional numbers made up of community members, parent and educators. Last year we were about 800 in attendance, but we were in competition of several things that were going on in the City at the same time. So, we believe that's why our numbers was not as high as we had anticipated. However, if I had to evaluate it, I would say that last year the quality of the presenters, the quality of the content of the workshops were probably exactly what we were hoping for. We just didn't have the attendance of the numbers. This year we hope to be able to accomplish both, have the high numbers and the quality. However, out of the conference has 227 School District Budget - 4/18/05 derived several things. This year for the first time we will have our Safe Night Philadelphia which will be held at Ben Franklin High School on May the 13th. Again, will be workshops for students and for parents and educators. Again, we're trying to make this not just an annual event, but we're hoping to be able to create opportunities for students that will go beyond the one-time opportunity in their schools as well, where they can do turnaround training for other students in the school, around reducing violence, around looking at ways to improve leadership opportunities for students as well as to be able to deal with conflict resolution.
Speak to the Philadelphia Gun Court and how the School District is coordinating efforts there with these anti-violence initiatives.
You know, I'm at a disadvantage on that because I have also dispatched Dexter Green to Kensington.
Okay. We can 228 School District Budget - 4/18/05 revisit that.
But I will tell you this: We are working very closely with District Attorney Lynn Abraham's office on a number of community-based initiatives. She really has taken a very aggressive enforcement stand when it comes to prosecuting cases involving violence, not only against students, but also violence against school employees. As you know -- And again, you know, one must remember we are a School District of now with the new small high schools many of them on line, I think 276 schools. So, in a district this large, there's always going to be something going on. So, I certainly don't want to exaggerate the challenges that the School District has, nor do I want to understate the challenges that we have. But there have been a number of celebrated incidents of individuals who have come off the street and have basically threatened or intimidated or in some cases 229 School District Budget - 4/18/05 physically accosted our employees. Our approach, quite simply, is to make sure that those -- Just as we have a zero tolerance policy for students who -- who -- who -- who harm other students, we equally want to have a zero tolerance policy towards any adult who would threaten or intimidate or attack any member of the School District. So, when an incident like this happens, we work very closely with the state -- with the District Attorney's Office to, obviously, not only make sure that this individual is arrested and charged, but also that this individual's prosecuted. And so, the bottom line is, we don't want violence of any sort. But we've worked very closely -- We also are working very closely with the District Attorney's Office to develop -- She has developed a curriculum for our students that is designed to make students aware of the repercussions of breaking the law, of engaging in violent acts. 230 School District Budget - 4/18/05 We have a lot of students who operate in kind of a fantasy world.
You know, young kids who don't know the implications of breaking the law, of assaulting or of attacking someone. And the objective here is to -- is to explain the criminal justice system to young people at a young age, to communicate the consequences of their violent actions. And the program focuses on middle grades.
We think a combination of those initiatives are going to help make a difference.
All right. Project peace is an -- I want to say of our 22 schools. I was looking over at Lee 23 Whittaker.
How many schools? 231 School District Budget - 4/18/05
That's currently in 5 of our schools. For those of you that is not 6 familiar with Project Peace, it is driven by 7 attorneys in the City of Philadelphia who are 8 mentors to students in our classes. 9 And they come in to do tutorial 10 programs and enrichment for our students. 11 And so, we started off with a very small 12 pilot just to gain the success of the program 13 and the efficiency of it. 14 And however, we have been able now 15 to look at taking to it scale in the upcoming 16 school year. 17
Is that 18 happening because of a grant or is that 19 volunteerism or what? 20
The state -- I always have to get any titles right here, being a former outsider. 232 School District Budget - 4/18/05 The State's Attorney General's Office got the -- they have provided a small grant for this program, and they have been the catalyst for this program, the previous Attorney General who did a marvelous job, and now the New Attorney general. We like the model. It is a terrific model. We want to incorporate the model into all the schools. I mentioned earlier when Councilman Ramos talked about summer jobs and things like that, that we have created this senior residency program, where we take our seniors and we allow them, in lieu of electives, to work in the schools in a variety of odd jobs related to tutoring and counseling and character development and staff support. We also give them a stipend. We're doing something similar with the eighth graders. And Project Peace is going to be a big part of that. So, when you have a school, kindergarten through 8th grade, and you can give your eighth graders leadership opportunities --
-- you'll be amazed at the maturation process. So, we view programs like Project Peace as a program that can easily be institutionalized across the School District. And that's a program where our student leaders can take the lead. So, we view it in a very positive light.
Can someone speak about the Safe Hotline? And have you seen any direct correlation between the presence of that initiative and a reduction in bullying and harassment and those type of issues?
Sure. The Safety Bully Hotline actually this year has really improved its quality, in terms of the information and leads that we get in advance. You know, that is an anonymous hot line that is used by citizens in Philadelphia. And it's not just for students but for all citizens. And I wanted to just say that because oftentimes when it's marketed, it's oftentimes thought to be just 234 School District Budget - 4/18/05 for students. Obviously, we encourage our students to call us if there's any information that they can provide us with, and knowing in advance of any information they may be getting around a safety issue or something that could be causing some harm to schools. However, this year we have found that more adults are using the safety hotline to be able to give us leads on things that they may have heard either in their community or incidents that they may have been able to take advantage of seeing things that were going on and wanted to call and give us a heads up.
Have you seen any reduction in violence around the schools, with regards to the Operation Safe Schools effort?
For the year the percentage of serious incident reports -- and again, we report hours a day and we report 24 on school, off school. So, when we issue our reports, it 235 School District Budget - 4/18/05 doesn't matter. If a student of ours is a victim or a victimizer, it's going to be reported. It's going to be identified as -- as part of the -- on the school's record. So, some argue that we may be too aggressive, when you consider that most other school districts have a much lower standard of reporting and also a much lower standing of performance or of enforcement. The percentage of serious incidents are down. I'll get you the actual numbers through March. So, they are down. The biggest drop has been in teacher assaults. So... And again, we define assaults very broadly. It includes verbal threats and things like that. It's just not all physical assaults. But we can -- Yeah. Last year we have at this -- through March we had 5,449 incidents. And again, they include both verbal and physical. So... And these are incidents on school grounds, off school grounds, Saturday, Sunday, 24 hours a day. 236 School District Budget - 4/18/05 This year, we have 5,273 incidents. So, there has been a decline of about... Doing my math here. Looks like about four to five percent. The biggest decline has been in assault on teachers and administrative and school staff. That's from 838 to 707. We also think, in all honesty, that the middle grade phase-outs is having something to do with that, because, you know, I think the grade where there's been a decline that's most pronounced is in the middle grades, particularly sixth grade.
You anticipated my question. Where are those numbers most --
We'll try to -- We'll try to -- We'll try to break them down. But, Again, let me also point out that we now have metal detectors in not only all the middle schools, but we have hand-held detectors in all the elementary schools. Despite that fact, the number of weapons confiscated this year pretty much matches the numbers of weapons last year, 237 School District Budget - 4/18/05 despite the fact that we have many more detectors. Now, you know, I suspect that children are bringing fewer weapons to schools. We have been fortunate. We've had only three guns, firearms, brought to school this year. Three guns are three guns too many. But in past years -- Last year we had 14. And in past years sometimes we had in the 20s and the 30s. The bottom line here is clearly the weapons that students are bringing are much less lethal. Let me point out in the elementary schools we include scissors. So, if you bring a scissors, that's a weapon. That's recorded as a weapon. So, you know, I'm not minimizing. I'm not minimizing. But the bottom line is, we report everything. And then you really have to sort out on the details: What are the serious weapons; and what are -- You know, we have a first grader or second grader 238 School District Budget - 4/18/05 or third grader who's bringing one of those blunted scissors to school. But nevertheless, you know, the rate's not falling as fast as we'd like. We don't know what will happen the next three months, you know, in April, June and July. I mean -- I'm sorry -- April, May or June. But we seem to be moving in -- We seem to be moving in the right direction.
Is there some thread with all those anti-violence measures just mentioned, the Safe Hotline, the Project Peace, I mean, are those worlds talking to each other?
As you know, through the Mayor's leadership, he has set up a school safety task force. And there's a coordinating committee that coordinates on everything. So, there's constant discussion and coordination between the Police Department...
...and between our own safety and security staff. So, between the hotline, between the reporting -- I'm surprised the number of incidents hasn't increased, given the fact that we're -- the reporting is more aggressive than ever before. The hotline has now become like a mini 9-1-1 line or at least kind of a 3-1-1 line for issues involving kids. One would think with this aggressive coordination and this aggressive enforcement that the numbers -- that the numbers would actually be higher. I think that bores [sic] well for the success we've had to date.
But this is the first year, actually, also, where that kind of coordination has been in place; has it not?
If I could add, the calls that have come in to the hotline have more than tripled since last year. 240 School District Budget - 4/18/05
I have a question here regarding the Office of Career and Technical Education. I just need to be clear. Have you met the goals? There was -- Let me get this right. Three year standardized sequence of courses, increasing the use of technologies providing, professional development opportunities and modern -- modernizing secondary and post-secondary education. Have you achieved your stated goals that were cited in that career and technical education web site?
I can't answer that right now, but I'll get you an answer by tomorrow. We can -- We can -- We can check with Al on that. We'll frame it out for you. If you can just show us where that reference was... And we'll get back to you. We'll give you an update on that.
African 241 School District Budget - 4/18/05 American history. Where -- I did read the February 17th article that talked about we have made -- we have taken leaps with regards to that. When is it scheduled to start and how -- Speak to me about the rollout.
I'm presently piloting three four-by-four block schedule schools now where we're in the midst of providing staff development. The S.R.C. has supported the initiative that will be a required elective. And I know that sounds like somewhat contradictory, but one of the things that we are saying is that every youngster in the City of Philadelphia receives five electives, and one of the electives would have to be African American history. I am suggesting that the course be taught in 10th grade, offered 10th through 12th. You know, for the year 2005, freshmen entering will have to have that course for graduation. We will offer the course in all high 242 School District Budget - 4/18/05 schools next year and the graduating class of 2009, that will be a requirement.
And how will you reconcile that with regards to having staff that are equipped with the subject matter?
Training, training, training. That training... We undertook the first round of the training in the three pilot schools that we implemented this year. And we will have a aggressive training initiative throughout the spring and into the summer.
Any course that is required is a course that is accompanied by training. So, you know, 100 hours of professional development training goes a long way towards -- towards equipping teachers for the classroom. When you combine that standardized curriculum with that intensive training and that supervision of the instruction, you can really dramatically improve the quality of 243 School District Budget - 4/18/05 instruction. I will point out that the course aside, all of our curriculum instructional models are multi-cultural. And they're not multi-cultural to be politically correct. You can't teach world history without teaching African history, without teaching Asian history, without teaching Latin American and Central American history, just as you cannot teach American history without teaching students about the African American experience. You see? So, the bottom line is, if you look at our curriculum and structural models in the core subject areas, you will find that the curriculum is as comprehensive and as multi-cultural as any curriculum has ever been. Also, if you look at our literature -- If you look at our reading curriculum instruction models, the books that the children are using, the supplemental reading materials, the classroom libraries, you'll be amazed at the diversity and the 244 School District Budget - 4/18/05 quality and breadth of the diversity, when it comes to the reading material. So -- So -- So, you know, I will say without equivocation that our curriculum and instructional models are as modern, as up-to-date, as relevant, as multi-cultural, and at the same time as qualitative -- is that the right word to use -- as any curriculum instructional models out there. And it's because we've -- we've followed the mandates of the School Reform Commission. And we've had literally committees of educators from within the system and from outside the system, like Dr. Assante from Temple University, working with us every step of the way as we have moved forward.
I would only say -- be remiss I didn't -- that the new African American history course is -- it's one that really has some heavy focus on Africa. We've in the past added African 245 School District Budget - 4/18/05 American history courses in a number of high schools. As you look at the course design of this particular course, .5, half of the time will be spent on the origins going back to Africa. Talked about the whole issue of cultural competence. And one of the things that we is, we have a cultural competence rubric that we look at as we select the materials, as we work with staff. And I think you would be very proud of the efforts we've made throughout not just the African American history course but throughout our entire K/12 initiative.
I am excited about that, that that's finally real for students in our schools. I think this might be my final question. 40 young people were hit -- As of March 2005, 40 students have been hit by vehicles going to and from school. How far have you gone in installing flashers, signals outside of schools, et 246 School District Budget - 4/18/05 cetera? Can someone speak to the PennDOT -- $1 million funding from PennDOT?
How are you doing, Councilwoman? The School District officially transferred $1 million over to the City's capital program office for the Streets Department to install approximately 30 schools worth of school flashing lights.
And who sets the criteria by which schools ultimately get lucky enough to get their flashing light? Is it the Streets Department or your shop?
Yeah. and Mr. Vallas is reminding me that Dexter Green expended funding to have -- If you go past a lot of our schools throughout the City, we have little school crossing signs that are set up. 247 School District Budget - 4/18/05
And schools do use them, which is even better. Okay. I'm just double checking, Madam Chair. I do have a question here regarding the libraries, but you've spoken to that in your opening testimony, and books. So, are we -- Are we okay with adequate books in the schools for our kids?
We -- We -- We -- This year -- Well, first of all, we have set up a hotline that parents can use, so if their children don't have textbooks or they don't think their children have textbooks, and if -- or if the children aren't bringing textbooks home or whatever they call that hotline, we have the textbook police. Because I have not spent $50 million-plus on new textbooks and curriculum and instruction materials to have somebody say, my child doesn't have a textbook. And as you know, the schools are 248 School District Budget - 4/18/05 supposed to let the children take the textbooks home. So, you know, we have the textbook cops, believe me. I will tell you this, though: In the money that we have allocated for the classroom libraries, it will include grants for regular libraries. And we're going to allow the schools to apply and to request the grants to upgrade their -- their library materials.
We're dealing with the high school library separately. We have got a program to do classroom modernization in the high schools, convert the libraries to library, slash, multi-media centers. But the objective here is to begin to award... You know, some libraries vary in quality and vary in terms of their... So, they would be able to apply for grants. And 249 School District Budget - 4/18/05 the grants could range anywhere from $10,000, $15,000, $20,000, depending on the size. So, we're going to probably be allocating about 25, 30 or 35 grants. And then, of course, all the primary grade teachers, though, will receive the classroom library models. And these are portable libraries. The reading material will be used -- will be -- will supplement the reading curriculum and the guided reading program. So, we'll do probably kindergarten through third grade or fourth grade.
Fourth grade this year. Next year fifth through eighth grade, you know. I will tell you this, because I have to reiterate this, too. We are not going to do -- We're not going to be able to be everything to everyone and provide all the amenities that many of the more affluent districts have, but I think we can nevertheless address some of these needs and 250 School District Budget - 4/18/05 some of the shortages. We got a law changed under the leadership of Speaker John Perzel that basically allowed teachers, retired teachers, to continue to work in the school system without any penalty, without any loss of pension benefits.
Retired teachers. Retired librarians. Retired educators. So, what many schools are doing is, they're bringing retired teachers in and retired librarians in part-time to staff the libraries. Also, we have the university interns program, where we hope to have university interns who are library science majors, perhaps working in the school, working in the library, you see? So, we're looking at ways to provide schools with the flexibility to access the additional staffing, so even if they can't afford or they do not want to pay $60,000 or 251 School District Budget - 4/18/05 $70,000 for a full-time librarian because they'd rather spend the extra money to reduce class size, they might still be able to access some additional help in that library. For example, they can pay an existing teacher who has expertise in the library sciences a stipend to basically do double duty and to coordinate the activities in the library. So, we are trying to give our elementary schools a little more flexibility to address their library staffing needs, their music staffing needs, their -- their -- the art staffing needs. But a lot of these issues long term will not be addressed unless there's kind of a long-term funding resolution in Harrisburg. I'm not blaming Harrisburg. I will tell you, we in my two years, now going on three years, have received a lot of support from Harrisburg, from the Philadelphia caucus. It's been a terrific caucus. And the Speaker of the House in 252 School District Budget - 4/18/05 particular, working with Dwight Evans, Joe Williams and Shirley Kitchen, and other members of that caucus have done -- They've been very fair to us And even in the Senate where we have no representation in the Republican caucus, they -- it takes two houses to get full funding for the charter schools. It takes two houses to get the additional money for alternative schools. Senator Jubilier and others have worked with us. Vince Fumo and Anthony Williams in the Senate have been very, very helpful working with the senate majority. So, we're not complaining. Ultimately the legislature is going to have to address hopefully the issue of school funding reform in a comprehensive way. But make no mistake about it. The last three years the legislature has really worked to provide us at least the resources we need to move the School District forward.
In conjunction with 253 School District Budget - 4/18/05 the special partnership with Drexel University, we're introducing a concept called Cybrary.
Cybrary. Cyber library. It's a combination of taking of what we traditionally know of library science, the stats, the working it with technology, and using technology as a vehicle for research and things of that nature. When I went to school, I had to go to something called the Dewey Decimal System. I don't know if any of you remember it. And you would go through these stacks, look for your card, and go out. But the reality is, youngsters begin to move on. And to speak to one of the Councilman who talked about the youngster being prepared for college, is that many of those things are happening in a virtual way, electronic way. We're looking at a program called cybrary which we hope to move forward in a very aggressive way. We're piloting that 254 School District Budget - 4/18/05 program. And I think we will have a roll-out of that program at Central High School in the next month or two. And we are hopeful that if we are successful in this cybrary concept of library science, along with technology, that certainly could be a -- a -- a -- a -- a -- a focus or a direction for us as we move our research effort forward for students.
Teacher shortages. We notice when you first came the number was, like, 400 or 500. And then last year we were down to closer to 100. What do we anticipate for fall '06, fall '05?
So, the challenge for finding middle school teachers is no --
The challenge is highly 255 School District Budget - 4/18/05 qualified, see. Now, you may have a teacher, but is that teacher highly qualified? The big challenge we face -- Let me point out that about 90 percent plus of our teachers are highly qualified. The problem, though, is -- is among the middle grades. That's where most of the teachers -- That's the largest block of teachers who are not highly qualified because most of them are elementary school highly qualified, but not middle grade highly qualified. There are elementary school teachers teaching middle grades. It's a problem that all the -- all the states -- that all the states are experiencing. It's a big issue. Now, the states move forward to modify its definition of highly qualified but it's the biggest challenge we face. Now, the question that is... Well, what happens? If you're not a highly qualified teacher, does that mean that you can't deliver quality instruction? 256 School District Budget - 4/18/05 The point that I've made is, we want all of our teachers to be highly qualified, but more importantly we want them to be highly effective. We believe that if you take somebody who has the intelligence, who has at least a basic understanding of the content area, has the commitment, has the energy, and you equip them with our state-of-the-art curriculum instructional models, which literally provides them with guidance on what to do every day, and you then provide them with the 100 hours of professional development on those curriculum instructional models, you can take -- you can take a -- a -- a -- a -- a -- a teacher who is -- who may be teaching out of their area of certification and you can turn that teacher into a highly effective teacher. So, while we're going to struggle to -- to -- to work to meet the No Child Left Behind guidelines to make sure that all of our not only teachers but our support staff are highly qualified, we've already taken 257 School District Budget - 4/18/05 steps to make sure that our teachers are highly effective, you see. And this is where your investment in curriculum instructional reforms come in. Let me point out that there's no 7 mandate that parochial and private schools have highly qualified teachers. Yet, if highly qualified was the key for them being highly effective, they would be out there making sure that their teachers are highly qualified.
That's right. So, we feel that -- We're going to work to make sure that our students are -- all of our teachers are highly qualified, but we're also by investing in curriculum instruction professional development, we're going to get ahead of the game and make sure that that teacher in that classroom is highly effective. Also, the curriculum instructional models allow us to track and evaluate our 258 School District Budget - 4/18/05 teacher performance better, too, because now we have benchmarks. Are you hitting the benchmarks? How are you progressing? Are you following the guidelines? Are you following the curriculum instructional models?
Yeah. The benchmarks are not as detailed as lesson plans, but any teacher who wants to -- who wants to rely exclusively on the curriculum can use the curriculum instruction models as lesson plans.
You see. But we think that -- We think that -- Again, we're filling our vacancies. Number one, we are willing to fill our vacancies. The large -- The second issue is to make sure that all the teachers are highly qualified. We have till June of 2006 to do that. But once again, we're not waiting for 259 School District Budget - 4/18/05 that day to guarantee quality instruction. That's what we're investing in our curriculum instruction models about.
I assume there are no other questions today. We thank you all for your patience. And we will recess until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow. Thank you all.
Thank you. (Public hearing continued at 3:48 p.m.) 260 CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings and evidence are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the public hearing of The Philadelphia City Council, taken on April 18, 2005, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. _____________________________ DAVID A. DEIK, RPR and Commissioner of Deeds (The foregoing certification of this transcript does not apply to any reproduction of the same by any means, unless under the direct control and/or supervision of the certifying reporter.)