We must, and will, retain grade-level achievement as our goal, but we must have true measures of growth so we can judge our instruction and programs in accord with the progress made from fall to spring each year, from where the children 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 started to the end of the year. Fourth, and most importantly, there is a problem of class size. In suburban schools folks expect a year's growth per year when the class size is to 20, not the 30 in our city. ) 8
And they have trained 9 aides, plenty of books and a goodness of fit 10 between the level of materials and the true reading 11 levels of the students. 12 I have worked with many teachers and 13 students in your city in traditionally 14 low-performing schools. Your children have the 15 same capacity and eagerness to learn as my 16 grandchild, and no child is smaller or more eager 17 to learn than she is. Your teachers are among the most dedicated with whom I have ever worked. It has truly been moving to work with these brave, courageous people. Your administrators are bright and educated. So much has been invested in the right things. But what I have seen at all levels is good people stretched too thin. The Governor made a very moving 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 statement. He said that we should all treat the children of Philadelphia as if they were our own. Is Edison, then, being given charge of suburban schools? Is Success For All used in affluent areas? No. 7 What is the solution, then? Philadelphia has the right reading program, but needs the time and support and will and plan to actualize its promise. Tired of promises, aren't you, Bernard? For this to happen, make no mistake about it, real reform is needed. We must study carefully and seriously the recommendations of the Edison Report. There are many good suggestions there that can and must be done. However, as impressive and as important as computers and painted schools are, they are not sufficient for what is needed for Philadelphia's children to become literate. Here is what is needed and nonnegotiable and which must be put in place if our children are to become literate. 1. The reduction of class size. Not new news, but until it happens -- (Applause.) 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642
Until it happens, folks, Edison can't do it successfully and nobody can do it. If Edison can afford Success For All to do this in impoverished school systems, then certainly we can find a way, but only if new money is invested and used properly. 2. The full implementation and extended support for embracing the principles of literacy learning and instruction, principles that are currently embodied in Philadelphia's Balanced Literacy Framework. The materials needed can be determined by the formula earlier discussed about how many books a child need to read in a year. Every school should receive the books needed in a timely and equitable basis. In the classrooms where the supported materials have been provided, we get the gains. But there are far too many classrooms and schools where the means to reach these ends have not yet been provided. 3. Systematic, ongoing professional development to support the teachers. There are more universities concentrated in and around Philadelphia than any other metropolitan area in the United States. A panel of university and 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 school system representatives could work out coordinated support, which utilizes those many teachers throughout the District who have very successful classrooms. Now, remember, too, with some of the implementation, the Balanced Literacy thing has to be implemented. And I'm working with pockets where I see it implemented. Bernard and the parents, too many parents, don't see it implemented. They're about to give up. These community folks are brave. They care only about one thing, and that's the quality of education for their children, from the Johnson family to Ms. Paine to all these folks. They've let me into their homes. They've let me into their communities. They've had it. Therefore, Number 4 will have to be the most important if we're going to pull this off and base this promise. I know Bernard is sick of me promising things in the future. It will come. We've got the right plan. I was supposed to be on the bus with them Thursday, but then I was asked to come here, to go see -- in Baltimore. See, what they saw was 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 some action, and that's what they want. They want to see some results. They want to see people moving things forward for their kids than obvious. And I will join you all in Washington on Wednesday. (Applause.)
But, Number 4, for this to work, then, most crucial, there have to be included community groups and student representatives, as well as teachers, in the planning at all levels. As part of our program of teacher training in Southwest Philadelphia, future teachers contact the parents of the children they are tutoring. I've been doing this for six years. In six years, not one, not one of my students, has reported that they found a parent who didn't care or one who had given -- or a child who, given appropriate instruction, didn't make growth. As one of my undergraduates said, "No 20 one will ever be able to lie to me about these children and their families again." The parents care. The students care. They are not the problem. The parents and the students are an essential part of the solution. Quickly -- I know I'm out of time. 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 REPRESENTATIVE WASHINGTON: Yes, you are.
I appreciate it. Call on the Governor to make good on his promise; raise salaries; keep good teachers. I've asked Representative Curry to see if the Legislature could re-enact the thing where, if students become teachers in the city, that then they can have some loan renewal. We need to keep these folks. And to remember that public schools are our most sacred public institution. Our charge is not to make money. Our charge is to spend money, every penny available, on our children's education -- not to be a profit. (Applause.)
And last -- and I hope we can pull this off -- don't be satisfied with any results other than full literacy for all. Don't concede the programs of desperation because folks in power say that they are all we can afford. You represent the underrepresented, those who do not have the coin of the realm to pay for representation for themselves. You must be 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 their true persistent advocates. Thank you. REPRESENTATIVE WASHINGTON: Thank you. (Applause.) 450 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 REPRESENTATIVE WASHINGTON: We're going to try to end these hearings at 2:00, so we're going to be like five minutes and no extensions. Ms. Beard, would state your name? Ceatrice Beard, educator and community advocate.
Right. I'm Ceatrice Beard, an educator in the Philadelphia School System at Martin Luther King High School. I'm president of the neighborhood organization and a committee person in the 22nd ward. I'm not going to elaborate a lot on what has already been said about Edison's horrific record in so many places in the United States. When I hear presented names like that of Representative Charlie Reingold, the previous mayor David Dinkins, Al Sharpton, and the Acorn Organization of New York object to Edison, I take note. And that's exactly what I did. I researched them for myself. I downloaded about 400 pages from the Internet. Most, at least 83 percent of which, was very negative on Edison. So I'm sure you've heard all the statistics about what they're taking in, how much they owe, and the fact that they're almost going out of business. What I am going to say is that 451 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 admittedly the system needs improvement. However, Edison is not the entity to perform those all-important tasks. (Applause.)
And I can feel for people who want Edison to come in. I know Carol. I know Bernard. I've work with them. They are serious people. They didn't come out of the woodworks. But what I researched this and I trust my research. From what I've read and heard of Edison, they lack pedagogical expertise which shows a total lack of respect for education of the children of this City. I am a business and technology teacher so I understand the profit margin all too well. And other than being taught in the classroom, there is no education for a profit margin. (Applause.)
As it is, Dwight Evans, Kenny Gamble, Anthony Williams and the Edison Corporation remind me of Ma Barker's boys, only instead of robbing banks and trains, they are here to rob the black children of an education. (Applause.)
I must disagree with Mr. 452 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 Merlino and some of the people that I heard coming on Mr. Hornbeck. The previous Mayor Ed Rendell started this ball rolling when he brought Mr. Hornbeck in here. Mr. Hornbeck then created a very volatile situation. Mr. Eugene Hicock who was the Secretary of Education under Mr. Ridge weighed the educational requirements for Mr. Hornbeck. Mr. Hornbeck is an attorney and a preacher; he is not an educator. I looked up Mr. Hornbeck's background, researched him along with the Coalition of Education Advocates, and Mr. Bivens, Dr. Bivens were there, too. We found that he came from a setting where he was likely to do this. When he left Maryland, privatization came in big time. We came to the Board with this. We came to the Board of Education, we told them this. We protested many of the things that he was doing in the school system. No one listened. I interrupted City Council when I was told I could not speak; I took that chance and I spoke anyway and reminded Council when they were about to recess for the Christmas holiday that they should come in the schools and see about the children. I told them things were going on that shouldn't be going on under Mr. Hornbeck. So while 453 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 Mr. Hornbeck preaching racism of the legislators in Harrisburg, he himself was right in there with them. He was a part of it. (Applause.)
I watched this man put Judge Doris Smith's order aside. I watched the Supreme Court Justices of Pennsylvania set that case aside and no one said anything. They set it aside for three years, long enough for Mr. Hornbeck to destroy the system. He made a mockery of Judge Doris Smith in her courtroom. I know because I took off school. A personal day, by the way, Mr. Ramos. I took off school and sat in that courtroom and saw him making a mockery of that judge, pretending he was looking for papers all under the chair, crawling all around on the floor. It was most embarrassment. I don't know how she stood it. And I'm glad it was not me because today I would be a judge in jail because I have paddled him with that mallet. He was most embarrassing. Now, despite my educational expertise, holding a Bachelor of Science in business education, a Master of Science in adult and continuing education, a Master of Education in education 454 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 administration, and a principal certificate, my pleas have gone unheard. It was a drastic mistake for City Council not to have put this question on the ballot. More people would have come out to vote and you would have seen what people really think of Edison. Even people haven't research it have heard enough to know that they are not the people to solve this problem. Also, we wouldn't have had seven judges out of the Republican and camp. Now look where we are. I do agree that management must change. I see Mr. Hornbeck's practices continuing as much as possible. Judge Doris Smith's order is in place, but it cannot be used in schools with block rostering. And I have that here so you all can understand what this block rostering does to the black schools. It's only in the black schools. They've been really set up. (Applause.)
Hiring and promotion practices continue to be very unfair. Something has to be done. All of these people have to go. They can't seem to shake Mr. Hornbeck. And why is he still hanging around town? You think it's possible 455 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 he's on Edison board maybe. I'm sure he helped to bring them in here. Governor Ridge and Governor Schweiker could have given that $2.7 million to the Philadelphia Public School System. Most of the teachers in the public school system told you this. We already knew this. To Edison, I would like to know how much you donated to Governor Ridge's campaign. They seem awfully insistent upon getting you in here. And Mr. Ridge seemed very happy to run on out of here to Homeland Security, whatever it was created for him -- I don't care where he went, so long as he stays away from here. Also, I would like to know who Edison stockholders are. If you have ever had an IPO, and how much in debt you are. What is your exact deficit? I've heard so many numbers, I know that you're in debt, but I would like to know the exact deficit. To Mr. Cooke and Mr. Doyle, I believe they've both left, Mr. Cooke of Local 634 and Mr. Doyle of Local 1201. I do feel safe in the building now when I come before school starts and after 456 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 school ends when I stay, I feel very safe in the building. I don't know these people that Edison might bring in. They haven't really given us any plan. I don't know these people that Dwight Evans know and all these people who are for this. I don't trust him, so I can't trust anyone that they might bring in. There's a lot of favoritism going on here. (Applause.)
And lastly -- Representative Curtis Thomas left, but someone spoke about vocational education and Representative Curtis Thomas really tried with that vocational education. In fact, he invited me to Harrisburg and I sat in on those hearings for two or three days listening to who was then the head of vocational education, Moody for the State of Pennsylvania, talk about how all the money was being allotted to suburban school districts. I worked in a suburban school district that was No. 1 in the State of Pennsylvania. No one asked me how to fix this system, because I could tell you. Also, points of interest. The students are feeling this. They're acting out. They are 457 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 becoming more and more aggressive. This is really affecting them. They see themselves as being up for sale. So this slogan "It's a done deal" that Ridge and Schweiker administration have, "It's a done deal," it's not a done deal. It is not a done deal. It will not be a done deal. And I don't care what Ted Kirsh says about giving teachers more pay. See, these teacher are just waiting. You don't know the number of them that will walk if Edison comes in here. I know many of us in our school have already checked out suburban school districts. I know how many of us have checked out the districts. So they're quiet, but you better take note of that. So Ted Kirsh, I don't know what he's doing. He might be waiting for a payoff. I don't know what he's doing, but he doesn't represent most of the teachers that I know. Point of interest also. The Pennsylvania Legislature established public education in the State of Pennsylvania in 1834. And it wasn't inclusive, necessarily inclusive of African-Americans at that time nor of Hispanics because Hispanics weren't here at that time, but it wasn't inclusive of them or of any group of people, 458 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 as a matter of fact, other than white. Slavery is supposed to have been abolished in 1865 in Philadelphia, Mississippi, and this is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A bit of critical thinking, think about that. What is the State Legislature doing to education now to include African-Americans and all people? And does slavery really end in the City of Philadelphia? (Applause.)
Thank you, Ms. Beard. Next we have James Pierce. Is James Pierce her? After James Pierce, Bernard Johnson. Good afternoon. Please state your name for the record.
Good afternoon, City Councilmembers, School Board Administrators, fellow parents, also Members of the State Representatives. My name is James Pierce and I've been elected as executive board president for the parents of a Comprehensive Early Learning Center formerly known as Comprehensive Day Care. Basically, I represent the parents of the most important citizens in this city; the babies. 459 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 I am a single parent with three sons enrolled in a Comprehensive Early Learning Center Program. For seven years I have volunteered for this program. I have attended many the PCCY meetings, that's Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth, where other child care providers meet and brainstorm on how to provide service for families. I also communicate regularly with employees from the PCCR, which is the Philadelphia Child Care Resources. Their job is to assist parents with child care issues. Both of these groups have repeatedly told me on various occasions that the Comprehensive Early Learning Center Program is one of the better child care programs in the City. For those who do not know about Comprehensive Early Learning Centers, it is not only the largest child care provider in this City, we are the largest provider in the State, providing pre-K care for over 2500 families. Comprehensive Early Learning Center parents, not under mandate, work or volunteer over 14,000 hours per year. At our Monday meetings, we have a 60 to 70 percent turnout. We are the only educational program in the school system that has a fee. Our copayment averages $51,000 a week. 460 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 The parents that I represent are very concerned about the future of our school system and our program. For seven years, and Mr. Ramos can a test to this, I have with other parents have testified in front of School Board members an effort to keep our funding current. Year after year, our program has been cut due to lack of funding from this state's Department of Education. This year, we face a new challenge. , views early childhood education. I have attended several public hearings in recent months with the Edison corporation they have chaired, and I have yet to hear anything from them regarding early childhood education or parent involvement. This concerns us because in this state, early childhood education is not mandated. Fortunately, we have a school board that knows the importance of early childhood education and have three under its auspices: Head Start, Comprehensive Early Centers, and Parents Co-op Nurseries. Did you know in the United States there are only nine states that do not any type of mandated state funding for early childhood 461 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 education? And there are two on the east coast; one is Mississippi. You want to take a guess what the other one is? Pennsylvania. In the State of Georgia, the state lottery supports the early childhood education program. It is called Universal Pre-K where they start with three- and four-year-olds by offering a fundamental appreciation for learning and an all-important social atmosphere and provide fully mandated parent. It is already known that the State will not give Philadelphia County proper funding per child that it gives other Pennsylvania Counties. 7 million to study the School District and is preparing millions more. We all agree that some changes need to be made, but parents need to know what changes are planned before our tax monies are allocated. Any early childhood specialist will tell you that a child's mind develops the most between infancy and age 5. To ensure our children have a firm foundation on the future for our neighborhoods and City, it is 462 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 essential that early childhood education programs be funded. Thank you.
Bernard. After Bernard, we have Reverend Marilyn Matthew Burse (ph). Is she in the room?
At some point I would hope that Council -- that this joint committee might find the opportunity to move this kind of forum into the neighborhoods so that our youth could have an opportunity to speak with you, and untampered opportunity, if I might say.
Well, that's why we had it on Saturday. But don't forget to identify yourself for the record.
Yes, ma'am. I will. Good afternoon, my name is Bernard Johnson and I am a parent of a 10th grade student who attends the World Communities Charter School. My oldest daughter is a graduate of Parkway Gamma High School. I come before you today discuss my view on educational reform and how positive reform can benefit our children and enhance the quality of life for all of 463 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 us who reside in Philadelphia and the neighboring counties. Let me say that the debate about who operates schools should be in the context of what the needs of the students are and how we as Philadelphians and Pennsylvanians can best meet these needs. It is clear to me, and I believe to you, that our students deserve a world-class education. I also believe we have a distance to go to achieve that goal. I believe that students and staff should be able to attend a school that is clean, well-lit and free of environmental hazards, to include fresh drinking water and staffed with a nurse daily or a qualified health aid. I believe that students should attend schools on time every day. They should be fully prepared to receive a quality education from well-trained teachers. Students and teachers and other staff should have access to the most advanced learning material and technology. Over the past 16 years, many of us have been advocating for these type of educational instruction and services. We have also provided many hours of services to students and families of 464 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 the District. Philadelphia, under the leadership of then Council President Street, increased local funding to the School District, adding a penny to the state tax and by increasing the tax on liquor by the drink. We have not been able to track the use of those funds and its impact on education and other services directed to the students. And that's critical to me, that year after year we come back to this Council -- we counted it. This is the 16th year that we've been in front of this Council. The first time in front of a body like this, and asked where do the dollars go? What do you use the dollars for? " It's time to start following dollars. I'll leave my free comments to later. We have not been able to track the use of the funds and its impact on education or other services directed toward students. We have struggled with teachers, principals on some occasions and have supported them on others. We have attended school reform conferences under at least three administrations, at least three we've talked about reform over a period of 16 years. And 465 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 we're still here talking about reform. I'm going to come to your office next week and tell you in debt some of our experiences about reform and the talk. It's time to stop talking and start doing something. Today when find ourselves with charter schools, which have began to address the needs of a small number of children. Many of those schools' impact is the still in question. My daughter's school, the World Communications Charter School is in on probation. I serve on that board. I'm not sure what the plan is sitting here right now today that is due on the and I serve on the board. 15 We've got the monitor what we do a whole lot better. The question of privatization, people making money on our children, is not new. Look at Tenet Health Care who evaluates the behavior of 90 percent of the students of the Bartram Cluster. Guess where they refer those students to after their? Into their profit-making health care system where too many children at the Tilden Middle School are standing in line every day taking Ritalin. Councilwoman Blackwell and myself, along with others, about four or five, six years raised a whole 466 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 question of Ritalin.
I sat on the sub committee to the Board of Education the health, subcommittee when Christine Matrua (ph) was chair and we discussed and created policy that said a teacher couldn't tell a student and a parent that you can't go into my classroom unless your child is put on ritalin. That's how serious this situation is in this City. At this that time everyone talk Councilwoman Blackwell was crazy for listening to us and calling hearings, and now it's a national issue. We've got to do better by our kids. I'm not even going to read the rest. You know, two weeks ago, we look at a resolution passed by this Council to give Wadsworth Behavior Health Company several million dollars to manage schools in this district, 230,000 dollars to an outside agency to manage two classrooms in the Mitchell Elementary School in Kingsessing section of the southwest, in the Bartram cluster, one of the depressed neighborhoods in this city. $230,000 to manage two classrooms because this District couldn't identify teachers to teach those children. That's a disgrace. And not only did they do that, but they did it five times over in other schools. 467 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 How dare the union representative to sit here and say that Shaw School is clean when, in fact, the Health Department, my organization and parents, your staff with MJ from your environmental office toured the school. He wrote a 5 page report on suspected asbestos in the cafeteria. Treat it like asbestos. Five pages of a report talking about the quality of air in that school. Five pages of report about what's going to happen a year from now to correct those problems in that school. And the union rep sits here and fools its constituents, fools his members and tells them they're working in safe places. They're not. I'm getting ready to close by saying this: Last Monday we had the privilege of meeting with Mr. Goldsmith to talk to him about our concerns about the lack of quality drinking water in the schools. We, again, we again asked counsel to reconvene its public hearings around lead in the water in Philadelphia schools. Mr. Goldsmith was gracious enough to go to Turner Middle School to see what we were talking, and immediately on the spot ordered fresh drinking water, because I believe he was appalled that our students, over 300 students 468 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 and staff in one part of the building couldn't get fresh drinking water because the water had been turned off in that part of the building because of dangerous amounts of lead. I want to close up by saying this: Yes, we went to visit Edison Schools because it was on the table. I think each and every one of you should have sent a staff person to look at their schools and not take some times the racist opinion of newspapers and how they twist the facts. Let me tell you what I saw in Edison schools in Baltimore. I saw -- my daughter wants to do that and then we're finished.
Good afternoon, Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell. Hi, my name is Ina Johnson. I'm a 10th-grader at World communication Charter. I attended two tours of Edison Schools. One was in Baltimore City and the other in Chester, PA. What I saw was students learning books, supplies, computers in the classroom. Teachers wanted to teach and students were behaved. Clean bathrooms, clean lunch rooms, clean school buildings, a world class education for all students, world language starting with grade K. Also classes 469 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 in arts, music, drama, including with science, reading, math, language arts, physical education. I also saw where teachers cross-teach and working together as a unit. Where third graders and higher are given a computer to take home after the parents and students are trained. Where the students is evaluated, tested every month to see if the student's on track or maybe there was something have to be again. Where they are quarter learning conferences that parents must attend. Where there is parents involvement all the time. I myself want f a world class education, too. I deserve it also. It's the students' time to get an education. Ya'll already had ya'lls. (Applause.)
So the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree. I'm going to close by saying this. All we want is reform. All you need now at that table is the Governor and the Mayor. That's all you need and you can work through this. This power play that's going down in this town has got to stop. The only reason we asked these young folks -- and we formed an organization of young people and on the 470 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 19th of this much at St. John's AME Church at o'clock, we invited Representative of Edison, we're going to bring parents from Baltimore, we're going to bring students from Baltimore in district, Representative Waters. We're going bring students and parents from Chester that we met. We're asking you to come. We're going to ask the Mayor to come. We're going to Governor come. We're going to be busy over the next fee days, and we don't any money to do it; we ain't getting paid. We're going to ask you guys to come and we're going to open community dialog about the crisis in Philadelphia public education. We've got to settle this and settle it in public. I'm going to tell going to Edison, the problem you made when you came to this town was that the only people you tied yourself to was the politicians. And now you got a real problem in identifying who you really are. But we're going to give the students an opportunity to tell what they saw. We're going to bring your folks together, and we're going to tell a story. I'm going to say this: These lies. These vicious lies have to stop. I went to Chester. Juan Bond is a friend of mine. 471 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642
With all due respect, I'd like to do this and then finish, if you don't mind. Juan Bond is a friend of mine. Juan Bond is from Media. Juan Bond was the principal and basket coach at Darby Township High School. Juan bond was the principal, basketball coach, and superintendent of Chester High School. When we went to Chester yesterday, Juan Bond is also now the leader of Learn Now in the schools in Chester High School. The principal in Chester High School is a Chester native. The vice president of Chester high school is a Chester graduate and we are throwing stones at our own people; at our own people. You got to research, people. You can't just take it for what people tell you. You got to really research it. Thank you. (Interruption.)
Excuse me. We want to proceed with our hearings. We've been here since 10:00 a.m. letting everyone speak. We have Reverend Marilyn Burse, 50th Ward, 25th Division, Democratic committee person. 472 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 Good afternoon. I just want to remind you of the time. REV. BURSE: President of City Council, community leaders, speakers, parents and children. I may cry every once in a while, not tears of joy --
Excuse me, reverend. We need you to state your name for the record. My name is Minister Marilyn Mathews Burse. I'm with the 50th Ward, 25th Division. I'm here to speak about the schools. We want our school system back. We're not giving anything up to Edison. We're going to fight. I maybe out now as far as retirement, but as far as I'm concerned, I gave 15 years of my life working with kids at Martin Luther King High School, Edmonds -- you name the schools in the Northwest, I've been there. When those kids didn't have, I was there. And they still call me after the 15 years. These students that were once King students have kids that are in the system. And I promised them that I will fight for them no matter how hard it takes or goes, I'm going to be there for them because that's was it's all about. If I'm not for them, then I might as well be 473 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 against them. I am a product of the public school system. I graduated William Penn High School. Went from William Penn High School to Temple University. And now I am a minister and I go on and on and on. There's a lot to be said about our schools. I am a product of Mr. Bivens, Dr. Bivens, he was my 8th grade teacher. So it's just to show you what the public schools consist of. Okay? (Applause.) REV. BURSE: They're all that and more. I'm telling you. I look at it if they get Edison in there, where will we go? We're only going to go downhill. I have been a mother. The kids call me mom. 2500 kids, you count them per year, 15 years, tell me what you get a total of. That's about 37,000 kids, I'm sure. And I'm there for every last one of them. I'm not going to let Edison come in and take over because I feel about the unemployment for those people that work in the cafeteria, those people that work as school police, those teachers that are working overtime, taking money out of there pockets buying different paraphernalia for the kids, xeroxing if they don't have any books. They are there for the kids, and I am too. 474 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 And then I think about our tax dollars. Where are our tax dollars going to go if Edison get in there. They may start with grants now, but what will happen later? Where will our kids go? What would they do? Everybody don't have money to give away and fork out. It's not about that. It's about our kids. Kids are our most important product, and we all should take a stand because we all were once there; we were once children, too, so we got to stand up for the children and do what's right. I'm all about that. When I sit down to think about it, I think Edison group what do you think Dr. Martin Luther King fought for. He didn't fight for just nothing. He fought about peace, solidarity, jobs, education. That what's it's all about. And if we can't do that and work with our kids to try to get a better education for them and not sell them out, then we're at fault. We're at fault. Because it's too many of us that have gotten our doctorates, our masters, our BS's our BA's and all the rest. And what have they given back to the schools? It's a lot that are not giving back. But if they all joined together as one and do like Dr. King said, 475 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 when shall go offer come. I know we're going to overcome because I will stand up and I'll be proud and I'll show nothing but unity with all of our kids. And that's what's it's about. And the State Reps, Council, the whole bit, we're fight it. I'm down; I'm going all the way down. (Applause.)
Thank you. Is Dennis Barnaby still here? After Dennis Barnaby we have Janet Fishman. And our final witness for today will be Emanuel Freeman from the Germantown Settlement. I don't believe we've missed anyone that's on the list.
Good afternoon. I want to thank you very much for these hearings. As other people said, it's nice to have a place to talk about this. There has not been talk about it. It's been behind closed doors and I think we're all sick of it. My name is Dennis Barnaby. I am a teacher at Germantown High School, a parent of three children, all graduates from the schools. I counted up this morning the schools between myself, my wife, 476 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 and my children,I think it comes to schools we've been involved in one way or the other in my career. I want to just quickly speak about the situation that we're facing. It's been addressed here, and I think it's very unfortunate this conflict that occurred just now happened because we're now at the point of fighting each other instead of real enemy. And I think it's real important to keep the real enemy in mind here. I teach at a so-called comprehensive high school that was assessed by the Middle States Evaluation System last year and was warned that we might not get a credential because of a number of things. They complemented the staff. They were very impressed with the ability, the quality, the dedication of the staff. They interviewed students who spoke well of many of their experiences in the school, but they looked at the school building and said, this is not a building that student should be going to. The library completely inadequate. There is too much that's not quality material in this building. This year, in response to this or lack of response to this, we don't have a librarian. We have an assist librarian. We don't have a music 477 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 teacher, haven't had one for 12, years. This 3 year we don't have an art teacher. This year we 4 don't have the one voc/ed program that we had before 5 functioning, a culinary arts program, because that 6 teacher was need to teach a full roster. You can't 7 teach a full roster and run a restaurant program at 8 the same time. We don't have any other voc/tech 9 programs in spite of a wing of the building that was 10 built in the 1970s for that purpose. We don't have 11 the computer labs that were promised to us when we 12 created a reform model of the school because the 13 district didn't have the money this summer to put in 14 those computer labs and move them to where they 15 should have been moved. Now, I'm saying all of this because you would think that those of us in the situation would be welcoming this new proposal that Edison is making because they're promising that all these things, these problems we face, will be addressed. Far from it. We know that these kinds of promises are only that, that they're only promises. And when you don't attach some dollars figures to what you want to do, there are no 25 solutions. And edison has no solutions except 478 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 dollars figures for themselves as far as we can tell. (Applause.)
In a study that took them less time to do than my seniors spend on their senior project, they have now told us what the solutions to our system are. And I'm sorry, we don't believe them. (Applause.)
I don't think any of us should. We really are tired of ghetto model school, and that's what we're dealing with. We're dealing with lack of resources, lack of financial support for what we know needs to happen. We know how to run schools. We don't need to have people come and act as if they do when they don't have the facilities to do it. (Applause.)
I have experienced at Germantown when we finally fought and won a tremendous amount of money to redo much of the facilities a number of years ago. Unfortunately, we had to contract out many of those things. That was the -- I can tell you I was the building rep and I 479 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 had to deal with what it meant to contract out to those contractors that once they put in the door knobs wrong, once they put in the elevator upside down, claimed to have fixed the heating system that still is misfunctional. We can't get them to be accountable because then they no longer are ours; they're not part of the system. They contracted, they did their work, and they left. It's not a solution. It's not a solution. It's not something that brings accountability to the system. It removes accountability for the system and we need call it for what it is. We need solutions. We don't need non-solutions and that's why we're opposed to this whole scenario which is insulting to all of us teachers, parents, students, the whole City of Philadelphia and we should just simply reject it. I come with only one proposal, and I'm not giving you more paper because you all this, I'm sure, someplace in your file if isn't on your desk already. Judge Doris Smith's report from seven years ago. This is the solution to the Philadelphia problem. It's here. It's been studied. A panel of experts. They talk to the people. They spent all 480 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 spring, all summer going to schools, talking to students, talking to parents, talking to teachers. We went, we had the hearings. They wrote a report. Now, unfortunately, it wasn't what Harrisburg wanted to here because in this report it calls or an immediate infusion of $300 million of the School District as of 1996. It calls for the medicine reduction of class size to in the lower grades. 10 It calls for the immediate reduction of class size 11 25 in the high schools, because those are solutions 12 that make sense. 13 (Applause.) 14
Harrisburg doesn't want to 15 hear those, and they're weak-kneed spineless activities which are unwilling to deal with the real problem of how schools are funded in this State has to be addressed. Now, unfortunately, we're the ones that have to address it. And I appreciate your leadership in this and I'm going to ask you to provide the leadership because you don't have to worry about people not following at this point. You've heard it Thursday, you've heard it today. People are looking for leadership. If we need to 481 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 sit in, so be it. If you need to walk out, so be it. If we need to protest, so be it. (Applause.)
We cannot let this happen. If it happens here, you know what the next step it. Five years from now, the corporation called Edison has met its profit margin. Five years from now, they don't have to be here. They can go someplace else. Five years from now, they will have their reputation established so that they can take over some other school district some other God-forsaken place that hasn't funding they need. We don't need to get them to get thier profit off of us. We don't need to be their source of success. We need to say no. And I'm sorry, there's nothing else that needs to be said except no. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
Mr. Barnaby, if you have an extra copy, we'd like you to submit the copy of Judge Doris Smith's finding so we can use it as a part of the record. Janet Fishman. Good afternoon, Ms. Fishman.
My name is Janet Fishman. 482 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 I have taught in Guyana in West Africa. I've taught in Paris in France. I've taught every age level in the Philadelphia area from elementary school to high school to college university level. I've taught in 8th and Lehigh, Bartram, Nebinger at 6th and Carpenter and suburban schools out in Paoli as a playwriting workshop leader with Philadelphia Young Playwrights Festival. At present I'm also reading with children at the shelter in North Philly. And who will do what we need? I'm not sure, but one thing is very simple, and that is reducing class size. It's the most vital simple thing to help children learn. And I've seen it at the shelter. All the kids want to read. And it's not because I'm some amazing saintly person, but they get one-on-one attention. They want me to read to them, they want to read themselves. Now, that is a feasible but certainly 33 is just not an ideal situation for children to learn. I've seen it work in some classes where teachers are amazing, students can manage, but many children come to school not in -- they're not ideally situated to start with and they need the best. Why do parents send thier kids to private physicals schools because get that smaller 483 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 faculty student ratio. And so certainly, we should not experiment with the neediest children, rather we should give them they clearly need. I don't see how education that is set up to turn a profit can do this. What will happen when Edison starts losing money? Will there been 40 kids in a class just to cut cost? Will they mainstream kids who need special attention and put them in a class with everybody else. My child went to a really good public school Bache Martin and someone went back and visited and said the teachers having problem because they're mainstreaming kids and they just cannot give all the kids the attention that they need. (Applause.)
In '96 there was the big question of whether or not music and other subjects should be cut from the public school system. And we had a meeting Bache Martin. Councilperson Ortiz was there and a teacher spoke from a middle school in North Philly, a young teacher who I wonder if he's I still in the public school system. And he said what I can do to teach my students is -- that's a ungrammatical sentence. I need small class size to teach my students effectively. It's as simple as 484 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 that. Why are there vacancies in the public school system? There are jobs for teachers; why aren't people taking them? I think that many people who are qualified do not want to feed themselves to the wolves. They know that you need to be extraordinary, extraordinary person to manage a large class of kids who have very intense needs and who need a lot of attention. I think that parents, teachers, are the people who should be heard from and they should tell the School Board what they need. And I'm very impressed with the knowledgeability of the people who have spoken day. I feel that my testimony is very simple and I'm going to end it with something simpler which is a fairytale. I think many of you know the story f the emperor's new clothes where the emperor calls in consultants to find him the most absolutely beautiful clothes marvelous clothes in the world. And of course they're consultants from somewhere else so nobody really knows who they are and they keep bring in imaginary material which costs a lot of gold doing all of these marvelous cuttings which cost a lot. Anyway, in the end, a child says in the 485 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 parade that the emperor doesn't have any clothes on. And I think the answer is as simple as what that child saw and the question is do we have the will to do it. I hope we do. (Applause.)
Thank you. Emanuel Freeman from the Germantown Settlement.
Good afternoon. My name Emanuel Freeman. I'm president and CEO of Germantown Settlement and Family of Agencies. And my colleague is...
You weren't here this morning when we laid out the time restraints. You have 5 minutes to do a presentation, so you might want to condense this. This morning we were a little bit more relaxed with the time. But right about now we're trying to wind down. Thank you.
Well, I'm going to be brief. To honorable Councilwoman Miller and Honorable LeAnna Washington, distinguished Members of City Council in the house as well distinguished Members of the Board of Education. 486 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 I'm delighting to be here. And first let me first give honor to God and all for in these difficult times of war, poverty, and social unrest. We must trust in him because only through faith and determination will we be able to deliver a state of peaceful tranquility. I'm delighted to be here today and to be before you distinguished people to talk about some of the issues and concerns relative to the matter of today. Today, I come before in the state of readiness. Today, I come here before you during a period of crisis. Today, I come before here before this esteemed legislative body with a sense of urgency. I come here knowingly placing my entire agency and myself at risk, the risk of giving the appearance of taking one side over the other, the risk facing possible political retribution. So I do so not out opportunity, but I do so because of the many years of political struggle that compel me to dare to struggle to dare to win. I do so and I come here day because it is extremely important to me and the entire City of Philadelphia that we come to terms with the reality that we are at a state of war, and I'm not talking 487 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 about Afghanistan thousands of miles away. I'm talking about the war that's taking place in the halls and in the streets surrounding places like Germantown High School, Wister, Fulton, Picket Middle School, just to name a few. Today I come before you as a member of neighborhoods for better schools whose theme is education with community control. I come here as an individual, as a manager of one of Philadelphia's most comprehensive neighborhood-based organizations grounded in grass roots struggles and for a hundred years. I come here today as someone who is 14 clearly convinced and all that it is imperative for 15 us to step to the table. I come here today as 16 someone who brings to the table 30 years of 17 experience struggling in every conceivable way in every conceivable level at the neighborhood level. And so today, my friends, I come here also out of frustration and anger of the current state of affairs at our schools and among our children. I come here today because it is act and not to react. I come here today to extend my hand and my resources to partner with you in this great City and Mayor, to end the discourse and begin rebuilding our schools 488 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 and the very people who depend on you and I and many of us. In 1998, working with a group of more than community-based organizations and 6 institutions, German Settlement embarked upon an 7 ambitious effort to develop alternative approaches 8 to education. This discussion emerged out of 9 countless discussions with parents who are dismayed 10 and disenfranchised with local schools. This effort 11 led to the planning that gave birth to Germantown 12 Settlement Charter School. Now in our third year of 13 operations serving 512 kids from grades 5 to 8, we 14 have adopted an approach to academic learning 15 referred to Micro Society. 16 This approach combines real life 17 learning in a classroom setting so that kids acquire 18 the tools needed in the real world. The operations 19 of court systems, banks, postal services, businesses 20 and, yes, legislative bodies like here today give kids an opportunity to learn about the reality of the real world. I want to tell you from firsthand experience that educating our children is more than just a notion. It certainly has more to do with 489 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 just mastering what goes on in the classroom. It is an extended process, which must permeate every aspect of community life, every aspect of development. In every family, in every home.
It is a process that brings together responsibilities, not just for the school, but for the community. If public education is such a fundamental undertaking, then why would anyone want to take on this challenge? And we contemplate this issue all the time. Schools in Northwest Philadelphia continue to represent serious concerns for the parents who have no other alternatives and options. Of the 13 schools in the Germantown Cluster, 10 of them are functioning below the State standards during 1998 and '99. The statistics speak for themselves. They are among the 176 lowest performing schools in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. These schools have an average of 40 percent of students who can't read or write at the State standard proficiency levels. We see children and youth every day. Many of them can't fill out a job application or even read a simple newspaper. They can't express themselves. They are devoid of 490 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 the fundamental and basic skills that I and you take for granted every day. Yet everyone seems to be focused on who will manage as opposed to how and what must be done in our schools. The reality of this is that, yes, we should be protesting. We should have been demanding change a long time ago, change at the status quo. We should be demanding that the Mayor and the Governor engage in a serious and sincere dialog. When faced with the reality of political change, we must assemble our wagons around our children to protect them from the evil forces. For many of us, the reason that we remain involved and resolved is very simple. We are losing the battle of public education and it is time that we step forward to directly expand our responsibility for the education of our own. The debate and struggle is being decided in places that have in many ways do not involve and engage the real people who are most affected, and these are the parents, the students. The fact that now some private company will generate a return on their investment and a return on the public investment is no new development. Do any of us think that over the past 10, 20 or 50 years that nobody has made a 491 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 7 billion? We would be fooling ourselves if we did. Have you ever examined the number of school district contracts which go directly to minority firms? Have you ever asked a business who attempted to get access to professional serves within the School District? Where do the firms live who do business with the District and what do they do with the funds that they generate? Do they reinvest those dollars in the neighborhoods where the schools exist? These are important issues for us to examine. And while we do not hold the present system accountable for the dismal failure of so many thousands of kids, which we in essence should be talking about. You, City Council and the House of Representative are in a unique position to utilize this period of transition to establish some new standards. You are in a position to engage the government and others.
Excuse me. Could you just summarize the ending? We will submit the entire written report for the record.
I certainly will do that. 492 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 A part of what we are attempting to do, a Coalition for Neighborhoods for Better Schools is to develop a comprehensive approach that moves towards community control and community forum. What I wanted to do is just summarize the posture and the position of Germantown Settlement and I would like to read that statement that basically represents our view towards the current state of affairs. Germantown Settlement and Family of Agencies is a minority managed and controlled corporation with more than 117 years of experience and service. Our mission is to rebuild our community and its people and to empower them to directly drive decisions affecting our lives. We seek to rebuild the schools within our community, and the first foremost, engage parents, students, residents, teaches and elected officials in this process. Our primary focus is to establish schools which practice high economic standards world class standards, technology based outcomes, multi-cultural learning, and strong discipline resident engagement and teacher and administrative accountability. And we will do this through an approach which engages 493 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 and facilitates of integration of human services and physical development within our neighborhoods. We are prepared to work with the Governor, with the Mayor, with the City Council, with the House of Representatives, with Edison, with the residents, with neighborhoods, and with whomever it takes in order to get the job done. Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you. I know we got everybody today. We're going to recess this hearing to the call of the Chair. Thank you. Representative James has an announcement. REPRESENTATIVE JAMES: Thank you, Madam Chair. I was talking to Chairwoman LeAnna Washington. It's important because of the communication that's going out that we extend a number of days where we can receive written testimony from other community people, organizations or groups, and I didn't know what that time period would be. It would be up to you. So that we can still get the material as part of the record.
Anybody that wants to submit written materials or additional testimony 494 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 to go into these records, please do so by Friday of the upcoming week which I believe is November 16th at 5:00 p.m. You can send it to my office, Room 5 312, City Hall. Or out in the neighborhood offices, all the State Representatives have offices out in the neighborhood and it might be easier for you to get to them. And those offices are listed in the telephone directory under that particular state rep's name. They have offices citywide. And then Representative Washington will make sure that they're then delivered to her office. Thank you, and thank everyone for coming. It's been very interesting. Thank you. (Council adjourned at 2:45 p.m.) - - - 495 11/10/01 - EDUCATION - RES. 010642 C E R T I F I C A T I O N I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of November 10, 2001, were reported fully and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of the same. RE: COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION ___________________________ Susan Avetta,