Thank you. Madam President and Mr. Mackey, I just want to congratulate you on the fine work that you do with the young people. I certainly admire your tenacity and your stick-to-itiveness, because you've been working with these groups for many, many years and it takes a lot of patience and understanding to work in this environment with young people, but you've been successful and we congratulate you. 240 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC.
Thank you. I just want to say that working with young people is very hard, but it's very challenging. When a young person puts a project together and writes their own proposal and young people go out and solicit for the resources that they need, it's so rewarding, when you put that TV on at night and see young people doing positive things. It's just a bad time. We are looking at ten other cities throughout the country, and the violence epidemic is just so mirror-like with the other cities. It's unbelievable. But to stay positive today, to say that these young people have been with us since '92 in this year-round program and we've been coming here for ten years talking about a youth mall, we are really close. This is an educational mecca. It is different, and I really need this Council to help us with the School District to find some resources. I really appreciate the 241 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. effort, though, and the compliments. Thank you.
Let me ask you a question. You do not characterize this project as a charter school?
So it's more of a program, and you need independent funding?
Correct. It's an alternative school, because we looked at some of the -- it's a program, correct. Yes, ma'am.
We have a difference with charter schools. It's just -- I think with a good Board of Directors -- I had a mandate about three years ago from a good friend of mine to put together a real organization. Sometimes we do work and we don't have good structure. I think we have the necessary structure and resources in place that we can run an alternative 242 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. school with the right programmatics in place and make a difference.
Now, is there a precedent where the School District funded alternative schools like this that are not characterized as a charter school?
I think the School District has many other spin-off programs. Well, Larry Adenoff used to run -- the name escapes right now. But over the years, they have funded other projects independently. Through the Urban Coalition even, they fund projects. And I believe with the best interest of the -- there's a partnership more or less, like with Temple University has adopted some schools. University of Penn has adopted some schools. This is just more of a community-based driven component.
You're welcome. Are there any other questions or comments from -- the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Miller.
Thank you, Madam President. I just want to say, William, that I met you years ago when you put your first state application in when I worked for Dave Richardson, and I just want to commend you on your growth and your development and your stick-to-itiveness. I mean, you've stuck in there a long time at this organization. And when I read things, I'm really proud of you.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd be remiss also -- I was 244 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. listening upstairs, and to go on record to acknowledge the tremendous improvement and progress the organization has made and how you, in a very unique way, have a way of connecting with young people, unlike those of us of another generation. So I just need to acknowledge that you do that in a magnificent way, and the work that you do is important. Please give me a read now how many young people you're currently serving.
Right now our resources is at a minimum. I think right now realistically about 80 young people.
Word of mouth mostly, but last weekend, we did a non-violence rally, and since then, we have had how many students come in?
This week we had 36 new recruits this week alone. 245 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC.
Are we talking high school students or middle school?
We're housed in William Penn High School and we're housed in our facility at 1352 West Girard, and we pay rent at both places, but the School District picked the tab up this year once again. So I do want to say thanks to Mr. Bichner.
And the type of services, activities you provide for young people are?
We have six training components: Business, law, health, architect, computer, and arts and culture. And we have graduate students 246 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. from Temple University that come over and do the academic enrichment and the career development.
And I want to say thank you for years ago one of the persons that was very frank to us saying that, Mackey, you have to organize and be a little bit more professional with this if you want to go to the next level. So I do want to say thank you to you as well.
You're welcome. Any other questions or comments 247 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. from members of the Committee? (No response.)
Thank you, gentlemen. MR. McPHERSON: The next witness is Helen Gym.
My name is Helen Gym. I'm a parent at Powel Elementary School, and I came here to talk about Powel where my daughter is currently in the third grade. In the newspapers, we've been reading about how the School District of Philadelphia has been doing budget cuts that will impact upon schools around five percent, and some of the tenor about the discussion has been around the sense that 248 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. these are extracurricular kinds of activities, special programs and things that may not impact upon the regular education of children. And I am here as a parent to tell you that those are absolutely false. Powel Elementary School will be losing $190,000 out of its budget. It is a drop of percent of its income from 11 last year. It is also a drop, more 12 importantly, of almost 38 percent in the 13 last three years. 14 The thing is is that I know 15 that Powel School is not alone in this 16 suffering. Powel School, like many 17 schools across the City, have been seeing 18 their budgets slashed. These are not 19 extracurricular programs or after-school 20 programs. When you are talking about 25 21 percent of the school's budget, we are 22 talking fundamentally about teachers, 23 about fundamental programs, about 24 personnel that are responsible for the 25 safety, the education and the nurturing 249 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. of our children. No school can survive, nor should they be asked to decide between a library or a teacher. No school should ever be asked to choose between an after-school care program or a noontime aide. No school should be asked to close down its libraries to get rid of the personnel that watch our children and keep them safe. But Powel is being asked to do that today. I would also ask you to look very closely at the School District budget and check the other schools. I have heard that there were parents from Meredith Elementary School who were here this afternoon that testified very similarly. Powel and Meredith may be very fortunate in the sense that they share one thing, we do share a very active and engaged parent body. We have a good relationship with our principal, who is able to share information with us. But I 250 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. don't believe that all schools in this City are as well organized, nor should we assume that they have the same kind of relationship or access to information at the schools. So I would ask you as City Council members to take a serious look at the budget. This is not a five percent drop. It is something that is deeply impacting every single school across this City. And please don't assume that if they cannot come out to these public hearings today at this time to testify in front of you, that they are not suffering under the budget cuts as well. For Powel School in particular, I just wanted to point out that $200,000 out of a school that serves less than 270 students K to 4 is a devastating effect. Small schools cannot absorb that kind of loss. The other thing that I wanted to point out is at this time that we should point out that contracting has 251 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. become the number one game in the School District of Philadelphia. We have millions of dollars in contracts going to places like Caplan, Princeton Review, Elliot Lewis, Sodexho and, of course, K-12, and we do know what the management of K-12 has once said about Philadelphia and many other urban children. But we give them millions of dollars, and in the meantime, we cut those same millions from our schools. We guarantee contracts for corporations, but we don't guarantee contracts for our children, and that is a crime in Philadelphia. We have said that time and time again, why is it that Edison schools should get $750 more per child for being a private contractor than other public school students receive. They are no less valuable. And Edison surely cannot be worth that kind of money.
So contracting has become -- and what we want to know about the 252 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. contractors is, when these budget cuts come down like this, when schools are asked to choose between teachers and libraries, are these contractors also sharing our pain? Are they getting the budget cuts? Do their contracts get renewed and increased? I don't think that they do, because we haven't seen that happen. So there's a tremendous amount of outrage that's brewing within Philadelphia schools, amongst our parents and communities, and I only ask that City Council has a moral and deeply fiscal responsibility to the children of Philadelphia to ask those questions of the School District. Thank you very much.
Thank you very much -- just a moment, please. I want to thank you very much for coming in to testify, but I want you to also understand that we in Council do not approve the School District budget. It 253 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. is simply our responsibility to reauthorize the taxes. I think that your plea is very touching, and I think you should really be making this plea to the School Reform Commission. And it is my understanding that they will be having hearings on April the 19th at 1:00 p.m. In order for you to testify, I am told that you would have to call the day before, April the 18th, before 4 o'clock in order that your name be put on the list. And if you'd like -- do you have a pencil -- I'll be happy to give you the number, the telephone number for you to call. 215-400-4040.
I just wanted to add that I do realize that you don't have the power to approve or condone, but what you do have the power to do that we parents 254 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. apparently do not is, you have the power to ask the questions. You have the power to investigate and to review and to ask the School District in a very public way to be accountable for the numbers that they're putting out that are causing so many schools and children to suffer under this budget. Parents have very -- we have a tremendous amount of power, I do know that, but from an oversight angle, given that we do not even have local authority over our School District, that it is a state-appointed board that is there, the City Council is the local form of government that we ask for to ask you to help us as community people and as parents to please ask for accountability and oversight and to ask some critical questions about where the money is going, because it's not coming to our children. And the only other thing that I would like to add is, we appreciate the fact that City Council has allowed for evening hearings, even though not 255 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. everybody is here from the Council, but the School District only has its hearings at 1:00 p.m. in the middle of the school day. Children cannot attend. Parents cannot attend, and neither can teachers. And so it becomes a very difficult thing. So we appreciate the space that you've provided for people. Thank you.
Thank you. Just a moment, please. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Thank you, Madam President. Good afternoon. Madam President and Councilmembers, I would be remiss not to go on record to acknowledge Powel School, where there is everything that this parent has indicated, a strong principal, an active engaged diverse Home and School Association, all the things that we could wish for and hope for in schools. 256 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. You should be encouraged to know that the very questions were raised with the leadership and Paul Vallas and his team of professionals over the past two days to the questions you have raised, why the seemingly discrepancy with the 95 percent with most schools and the 75 percent at Powel. And he has attempted to address that I think in a fair way on the record. So know that the questions were asked on the record over the past two days and know that he gave an explanation. And seize President Verna's recommendation that you appear before the SRC on the date designated so that you can hear the direct answers up close and personal from the leadership at the School District. But know that we're paying attention where we sit. And to all of the parents and little people from Powel School, hats off to you for your presence today.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Good afternoon. I would echo Councilwoman Reynolds Brown's comments. I did ask at least some of those questions yesterday. I'm glad that you are here, and I see other parents and the students. And as the Council President laid out, while it is certainly true that we don't determine the individual school funding and we actually do not vote on the School District's budget, I think the District doesn't come over here just because they don't have anything to do with themselves. There is some ability to get, at a minimum, some focused attention on some of these issues, not just with regard to Powel but any of the 258 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. other 264 schools or 263 schools in the District and charter schools and the like. So whether it's a perfect process or not or whether we have authority over someone or not, we certainly have our seats and, more importantly, our voices to raise these issues. Mr. Vallas indicated yesterday that he thought there was going to be some change. He wasn't exactly sure where the $190,000 cut figure came from. And I think that there are any number of School District representatives still here with us this afternoon. I'd strongly encourage you before leaving to make your presence known to them and try to get the detailed information that you need. I'm just pleased that you decided to come out and express yourself for the one school, but know that when you raise these issues, often it takes us 259 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. into other areas and you might be raising the same issue for another school and not even realize that others are laboring under the same difficulties. So thank you very much for coming out. We care about Powel and we care about a whole host of other schools, but I'm glad to see the Powel Owls are here this afternoon. I know the shirts well. Thank you.
You're welcome. Thank you very much. MR. McPHERSON: Our next witness is Carina Flaherty.
Welcome. Please identify yourself for the record. What is your name? CARINA FLAHERTY: Good evening. My name is Carina Flaherty and I am in 260 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. third grade at Powel School. All of us students are here from Powel's third grade because we want to ask you a question. Why are you allowing money to be taken away from Powel? My teacher's name is Teacher Chris. He is very kind and he does not screech at the top of his lungs. Teacher Chris teaches us very well and we learn a lot. I am very proud I learn fractions. I learn that if you take one-fourth of a school's money away, that doesn't leave a lot left. Our library might be lost. I love biography books, and if the library loses those or if we can't go to the library because there's no librarian, then I will be very angry and very sad. All of the students in Powel's third grade have written you letters. I hope you will read them. Please at least give us a little of what we want. Thank you.
261 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. You're welcome. Our next speaker is? EMILY JENSEN: My name is Emily Jensen. I truly love the school. I love the teachers. I love my classroom. I love everything. But what I love most of all is how successful we've been with the money we've had. I like when we do art in the classroom. I like our playground equipment. I don't think it's right that we are punished for being a great school. If we lose money, we won't be a safe or sanitary school, and if that happens, parents will probably put their kids out of the school. So think about it. Do you want to give money or not? Thank you. RUBY JANE ANDERSON: Hi.
Hello. Welcome. RUBY JANE ANDERSON: Hi. My name is Ruby Jane Anderson and I go to Powel Elementary. You know, the school 262 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. you're taking $190,000 from. I would like to ask you how we are supposed to learn things if you are taking so much money from us. Do you want the future lawyers, doctors, actors, singers and judges to have to throw away their dreams because they can't get a good education? It was kindergarten at Powel Elementary when I learned to read. Now I read at the seventh th grade level. It was first grade when I understood fractions. It was second grade when I became such a great speller. Now in the third grade, I am getting a wonderful education with Teacher Tia, my teacher. Your budget cuts will hurt our learning environment a whole lot. Remember, when you hurt children, you hurt the future. Thank you.
Thank you. TOM FRY: Hello. My name is Tom Fry. 263 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. I like Powel School, and I don't want to lose two teachers with the $100,000 you're cutting from our school. I like the character portrayals I'm doing in the library, and I don't want to lose anything there. I like the education Powel is giving me. If the recess teachers were gone, we would not have recess. I don't want to miss the only time to go outside at school. Thank you.
Thank you. ARIANNA TYNES: My name is Arianna Tynes, and I start by saying how are you? Well, I hope you're doing fine. Right now I'm going to say all the things that matter to me in the whole school that might be taken away because our school doesn't have enough money. Well, we might not have recess without our recess teachers and get no 24 fresh air. Our school also likes the fact that we have a library, because it's 264 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. a place where children can read and pick up books, and a lot of children in our school love to read. But most of all, our school might lose my teacher, Teacher Chris, and the other third grade teacher, Teacher Tia, that my sister has. The school may not have enough money to pay the teachers and supply them with enough material. So please, City Council, please help our school. Thank you.
Thank you. May I say that your teachers and your parents have to be so very, very proud of all of you, and thank you for coming in. We really appreciate it. (Applause.) MR. McPHERSON: Our next witness is Aissia Richardson. (No response.) MR. McPHERSON: Aissia Richardson. 265 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC.
Is Ms. Richardson here? (No response.) MR. McPHERSON: Michael Flannigan.
Good evening. Welcome. Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.
My name is Michael Flannigan. I'm a parent of a kindergartner at Meredith School, and obviously the budget cuts are disturbing. Having really just become a member of the family at Meredith, it's amazing what they're able to do currently with rather limited resources, making significant gains every year and keeping ahead of state and federal requirements for education. Cutting funds obviously would put that progress at risk. The questions and comments that I have are really not about expanding budget, but prioritizing how the monies 266 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. are spent. And in having read through some articles and such, the District talks about allocating $8 million, the same number that is targeted to be cut from discretionary funding programs, and adding those to fund new charter schools. The questions I have are really related to, I guess, the priorities of funding charter schools at the expense of existing schools that are achieving. And it's a little disconcerting to me in reading some information from the Penn Graduate School of Education. They say charter schools have lagged behind District schools, with less than half making adequate yearly progress. Yet, the District wants to add $8 million worth of funding for new charter schools. Another article says that of 46 charter schools, 36 of those charter schools made no progress. The Inquirer wrote that 30 of 59 charter schools in Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania near suburbs, 30 of 59 charters not meeting 267 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. academic standards. And a quote from Mr. Vallas in 2003 on the topic of charter schools and not making adequate progress was, "I think what you can expect is to see more charters decertified. It's simple. If charters are not performing, they will be decertified." So I guess I pick one point to challenge of a budget that is large numbers obviously. Eight million dollars is rather a small part. So if you take the $8 million that are going to be taken from discretionary budgets, if you look at where they're going, to charters, I question that priority. I also question why there could not be some pencil sharpening or negotiating of budgets that are allocated, 720 million capital budget. If you take one percent and you negotiate contracts more with a little bit more rigor, could you not save one percent in reallocate it back to the budgets that 268 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. are targeted to be cut? Just regarding the discretionary budgets for principals at Meredith, I'm very confident that those funds are being put to good use. I can't say that for other schools, but I can't imagine that they're neglectfully spending that money on programs that don't make sense. So it seems to make sense to me that the monies that are put in the principals' care are probably very likely to be well spent and cherished, I think, because they see day to day like these kids the kind of impact that a dollar can have here and there. So I guess just to recap, my question is not about the issue of balancing a budget. I'm for that. I think that's responsible. It's just more a question of how you allocate those funds and where those dollars are going. I think they should stay more where they are, in the principals' hands, than 269 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. elsewhere.
Thank you, Mr. Flannigan. I just want you to know that earlier today when we had public testimony, there were parents very concerned about Meredith School. We did give a commitment that Mr. Vallas would personally have a meeting, along with Councilman DiCicco, with parents at the school so that hopefully, as you said, maybe pencils could be sharpened and there could be some conclusion to the problems at that hearing. But I think that that meeting -- any indication as to when the meeting will be held?
We have a contact person. They're going to call us with the schedules of the parents.
And we would like to offer the same for the Powel parents as well.
Okay. 270 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. Did they leave?
No. I think some of them are here, and I know Helen and I can actually go to her.
Wonderful. So, Mr. Flannigan, as I said, I would encourage you to go to the meeting. Mr. Vallas will personally be there. And if you're so inclined, the School Reform Commission will be having their budget hearings on April the 19th.
Actually, on April the 12th. He would just need to schedule by the 11th.
The hearing is on the 12th and then the regular meeting is on the 19th.
Well, then the hearing is on the 12th. We were told the 19th. The 12th. Mr. Flannigan, if you are interested in testifying at the time, you would have to call the day 271 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. before prior to o'clock in the afternoon.
If you have a paper and pencil, I'll be happy to give you the telephone number now.
I don't have a pen. MR. McPHERSON: I'll just write him the number down.
Thank you. And we appreciate your coming in to offer your feelings. Thank you so much.
Good evening. Welcome. Please identify yourself for the record.
Good evening. 272 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. My name is Aissia Richardson. Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to speak here today to you about an important issue that's affecting all of our children here at Powel Elementary School. My daughter, Yasmina, is a third grader at Powel.
And she came today because she's directly affected by the budget cuts to the School District. My name is Aissia Richardson, again. I'm the President of the Home and School Association at Samuel Powel Elementary School, which is at 301 North 36th Street. And as you know, the Philadelphia School District has asked the school principals to cut their discretionary budgets by five percent. While we understand the overall constraints facing the School District, we at the Powel School are being asked to accept disproportionately large cuts to 273 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. our budget. Powel is a small and excellent elementary school. We have made AYP every year, and we have traditionally had excellent standardized test scores. We're facing a cut of close to $200,000 to our budget, which represents nearly 9 percent of our total budget. A loss of 10 this kind will make it extraordinarily 11 difficult for our school to maintain the 12 excellent standards we have set. A cut 13 of $150,000 could result in the potential 14 loss of two teachers, and these are our 15 two third grade teachers, which were site 16 selected. I personally spent a month 17 interviewing and reviewing resumes for 18 site-selected teachers, and these two 19 teachers are in a critical grade, the 20 third grade. 21 The loss of two teachers in a 22 school of our size represents a 12 23 percent cut to our staff, our teaching 24 staff. Should we choose to retain these 25 two teachers, we would need to sacrifice 274 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. all of our support staff. We would need to close our library, eliminate our accommodation room and eliminate our two kindergarten assistants, in addition to making other reductions. In today's dollars, we're facing a cumulative budget cut over the past four years of 38 percent. We really need your help. Something is obviously awry with a formula used to allocate funds to elementary schools, especially small elementary schools such as ours. In the long term, there needs to be an equitable formula to allocate dollars to schools such as ours, which are small and successful. In the short term, we're begging you to advocate for fair funding for the Philadelphia School District. Thank you very much.
You're welcome. Ms. Richardson, so that you're aware, several of the students were in earlier. They were absolutely darling, and they did in fact testify. 275 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. We have Mr. Vallas's Chief of Staff here. Do you want to please come to the table and make an announcement so that the other parents can also know that Mr. Vallas will in fact be meeting with the parents from Powel.
Good evening. Claudia Averette, Chief of Staff. I would just like to say for the record that we are committed to meeting with the parents who have questions about the budget, and we will walk through it with you so that you can understand where the funding is going to be allocated and where there will be loss in discretionary dollars. And we made that same commitment earlier this evening to the other Meredith parents as well. And I will work with Ms. Richardson, who I know very well, with the Home and School. We work very closely together.
Wonderful. 276 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC.
And we are all hoping that this can all be ironed out and everyone will be very happy, because I know that I was personally impressed with the children that testified earlier. They were absolutely beautiful.
We're very proud of our school. We have an excellent principal. We have a great committed Home and School Association and School Council, and as you can see, our children are also involved in the way that the school is operated. So we feel like we're one of the good schools in Philadelphia and we don't want to be penalized for being good.
Well, you have an excellent reputation. Thank you. Thank you so much for coming in. MR. McPHERSON: Our next witness is Jamal Washington. 277 4/5/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060001, ETC. (No response.)
Is there anyone else that would like to testify? (No response.)
Do we have anyone else in the audience that would like to testify? (No response.)
Seeing no one, this will conclude our public hearing, and Council will stand in recess until 9:30 tomorrow morning. Thank you all very much. We appreciate your coming in. (Committee of the Whole adjourned at 6:25 p.m.) - - - 278 CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings, evidence and objections are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the foregoing matter on April 5, 2006, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. ______________________________ MICHELE L. MURPHY RPR-Notary Public (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.)