Committee Hearing, March 9, 1998

COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA SCHOOL BUDGET HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Monday, March 9, 1998 1:45 p.m. - - - RESOLUTION NO. 980131 - Calling on Council's Committee of the Whole to hold hearings and to conduct an investigation into the School District's proposed budget and the impact of the School District's looming fiscal disaster on the city's children, residences, and businesses. RESOLUTION NO. 980138 - Supporting the transfer of $15 million from the city's General Fund, to the School District of Philadelphia, to support the continued improved operations of public school system. - - - PRESENT: COUNCILMAN JOHN F. STREET, Chair COUNCILWOMAN ANNA C. VERNA, Vice-Chair COUNCILWOMAN HAPPY FERNANDEZ COUNCILMAN JAMES F. KENNEY COUNCILMAN W. THACHER LONGSTRETH COUNCILWOMAN AUGUSTA A. CLARK COUNCILMAN DAVID COHEN COUNCILMAN FRANK RIZZO COUNCILMAN ANGEL ORTIZ COUNCILMAN FRANK DiCICCO COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE L. BLACKWELL COUNCILMAN MICHAEL A. NUTTER COUNCILMAN RICHARD T. MARIANO COUNCILWOMAN DONNA REED MILLER COUNCILWOMAN MARIAN B. TASCO - - - VINCENT VARALLO ASSOCIATES, INC. Registered Professional Reporters Eleven Penn Center Plaza, Suite 600 Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 561-2220 I N D E X RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 PAGE Edward G. Rendell, Mayor, City of Philadelphia-- Floyd W. Alston, President, School District of Philadelphia--------------------------------- 24 David W. Hornbeck, Superintendent, School District of Philadelphia--------------------- 34 Kay Lovelace, Assistant Superintendent, Office of Leadership-------------------------------- 55 Linda Secouler, Furness Coordinator, Teaching and Learning--------------------------------- 60 Natalie Cerenqutella, Taggart School Program Support Teacher------------------------------ 65 Danielle Gillard, Student----------------------- 71 Delores Brooks, Parent-------------------------- 72 Cassandra Jones, Assistant Executive Director, Education for Employment Office-------------- 73 Nilsa Gonzalez, Kensington Cluster Leader------- 77 Edward Jones, Principal, Kensington High School- 81 Dr. Lori Shorr, Office of Provost, Temple University----------------------------------- 85 Rebecca Battaglia, Assistant Vice-President, Human Resources, CoreStates------------------ 89 Jose Ortiz, Student, Kensington High School----- 92 Ana Ortiz, Student, Kensington High School------ 96 Mary Jane Clancy, Head, Education for Employment Office--------------------------------------- 100 - - - 3 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138

I would just like to let the members of Council know, those of you who are in your offices, we are getting ready to start this budget hearing very, very shortly. We would appreciate it very much if all Council members will come to the chamber. We are very shortly about to start the Public Hearing. It is my understanding that the Mayor is going to join the Superintendent and the President of the School Board. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. This is a Public Hearing of the Council Committee of the Whole. Today we are taking testimony on two resolutions: Resolution No. 16 980131, calling on Council's Committee of the Whole to hold hearings and to conduct an investigation into the School District's proposed budget and the impact of the School District's looming fiscal disaster on the city's children, residences, and businesses. And we will also take testimony on Resolution No. 980138, which is a resolution 24 supporting the transfer of $15 million from the city's General Fund, to the School District of 4 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 Philadelphia, to support the continued improved operations of public school system. We are delighted to have a special treat. The Mayor of the city, Ed Rendell, is with us. He will join the Superintendent, the President of the Board. And at this time there is going to be an even more special treat, says the Mayor. We are going to have a group that will sing a special song that has been written by the Chief of Staff of the School District of Philadelphia, Germaine Ingram. And the selection is called Tell Them We Are Rising. And it is sung by a chorus of School District students and personnel. And I believe they are here. They are in the caucus room. And at this time we would like for them to come, so that we can hear from them at this time. (Singing presentation by students.) (Applause.)

Thank you very much. Our first witness is going to be the Mayor of the city, Ed Rendell.

Good 5 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 afternoon, Mr. President and members of Council. I apologize to those of you who were upstairs for the press conference and heard me say this before, but I know there are a number of you who couldn't join us, so I do want to repeat. And let me start by saying that the Administration stands solidly behind the budget that is going to be presented to you by the School District, by David Hornbeck and Floyd Alston, and solidly behind the strategy that we charted out a year ago. And I would like all of you to reflect back with me to a year ago to this day, when in the morning we had a press conference, and then the School District came before you to present its budget and reiterate what we had said that press conference. One year ago we pledged to the people of the City of Philadelphia that the budget that the School District would submit would have no new funding for new programs or additional funding for existing programs; that it would essentially be a zero-growth budget. We pledged that over the coming year 6 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 we would make new administrative and management reforms that would lead directly to savings to improve our budgetary picture. At that time I pledged that I would ask this body to consider for the second year in a row giving a $15 million supplemental grant of city funding to the School District's budget. We pledged that we would pursue a number of different legal strategies and we pledged, perhaps most importantly of all, that we would no 12 longer cut programs, we would no longer make Hobson's choices in which areas that are needed to the overall education of our kids to cut. We would not cut music programs. We would not cut art programs. We would not cut JV sports. We would not cut money from a book budget. We would not cut money from efforts to bring as many computers as we could into our schools. We would no longer stand by and make cuts because we believed that the education of our children was too important to be just dictated by the bottom line. A year has passed since we made all of those pledges to the public and to this Council, 7 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 and let's look at what we have done. Well, in fact, the School District did produce a zero-growth budget, and they stuck to it. And they intend to produce one again today before you. Secondly, the Private Sector Task Force for Management and Productivity, very much similar to the one I started in my first year as Mayor, has effectuated significant savings on the management side. In its first year, as you know, we reported last year it saved $12 million. This past year it has saved $17 million, for a cumulative savings of $29 million. And we are well on our way to the five-year $45 million savings that had been promised by the task force. Thirdly, the reduction in administrative costs, or particularly the ratio of what the School District spent on Administration as compared to what it spent in the classroom on instruction, those reductions have continued. They have continued in such a pace that the School District spends less on administration and more on instruction than the 8 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 average spent by the 61 school districts that encompass the four Philadelphia suburban counties and less on Administration and more on instruction than the average School District in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. " Next -- and, again, perhaps most importantly -- we did not make those programmatic cuts. And the kids of the School District of this city have, in fact, enjoyed the programs that parents and teachers and aides and administrators told us were so absolutely essential to the overall quality of the educational experience. And fifth, we have pursued our legal strategies. As you know, we won the case before Judge Smith. She ordered $45 million in additional funding in the first year, and that level to escalate in future years. That case is before the Supreme Court, and was argued just last month.

9 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 We filed another suit in the Commonwealth Court on another different theory. Not relying on the desegregation theory, relying on a theory that the state was required by its own constitution to provide fair and equitable funding to this School District, as it is to all other school districts. A legal theory, by the way, which 10 rural school districts have pursued in what's called 11 the Pars litigation. 12 And, unfortunately, a couple of weeks 13 ago the Commonwealth Court threw out that suit, 14 saying that there wasn't sufficient standing, that 15 it was purely a legislative matter. And that is a 16 decision that flies in the face of decisions made by 17 state courts in 36 other jurisdictions, which said 18 that the constitutionality of that question was 19 truly justiciable by the courts. 20 So today I announced that we are 21 appealing. The District and the city and the other 22 plaintiffs are appealing the Commonwealth Court's action in what came to be known as the Murriar case. And we are appealing that, of course, directly to the Supreme Court. 10 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 But, secondly, I announced today that the School District, the City of Philadelphia, the School Board, the Superintendent personally, the Mayor personally, parents of black, Hispanic, Asian, and white school children throughout the School District, local organizations that are also concerned with these funding inequities, such as the NAACP, the Black Clergy, the Citizens Committee on Public Education in Philadelphia, ESPIRA, Parents Union and Parents United for Better Schools, have all joined together to file a suit in Federal Court under Title 6 of the Federal civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits recipients of federal funds from discriminating on the basis of race in any program to which those funds are devoted. Our lawsuit alleges the fact that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania receives substantial federal funding for education, and that the Commonwealth's education funding formulas produce a disturbing racially discriminatory effect. The Commonwealth has an obligation, we contend, that its education funds are distributed in a racially neutral manner, and we contend that the Commonwealth has failed to do so. 11 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 There are many indices of evidence to that regard, but let me just cite to you one or two. From the years 1992 to 1996, School Districts which are more than 75 percent minority received an increase in funding under the basic formula of $149 per student. During that same time period, school districts which are more than 50 percent white received an increase in funding of $776 per student, an increase of $600 per student more than we received in Philadelphia and other districts that have 75 percent minority received. That, in and of itself, should shock the conscious of everyone. Secretary Hickock is always fond of saying that, oh, no, we fund Philadelphia quite well. It gets 18 percent of the money and only 12 percent of the students are here. But it is an irrefutable fact that over the last six years, before the Ridge Administration, before this legislature, but over the last six years, schools that have 75 percent minorities or more have not received anywhere close 12 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 to the increase that schools that are over 50 percent white. And this is interesting. Even in districts that have the same poverty level as we do, in the percent range, but 6 that are essentially white, they have often received 7 as much as $1,000 more in state funding over that 8 six-year period than we have in Philadelphia or in 9 other minority districts. 10 So, we have filed that suit. We have 11 a legal team that has been working on this suit.

12 But I was happy to announce at the press conference 13 that the former Republican Secretary of 14 Transportation, a renowned lawyer in this city, in 15 this country, and someone who is himself a product 16 of the Philadelphia school system, William Coleman, 17 has joined our suit as the lead attorney before the 18 Federal District Court. 19 And Bill Coleman is fired up, he 20 believes in our cause of action, he believes in the 21 rightness of our need, and I think he will be a 22 superb advocate for us before the Federal District 23 Court. 24 Now, it is clear, then, that the 25 promises and pledges we made a year ago to all of 13 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 you have been fulfilled. But there was another promise that wasn't explicitly made on that day, but was made by Dr. Hornbeck and by Floyd Alston and every member of the Board. And that was that notwithstanding this zero-growth budget, that we would show improvement in our school system. Notwithstanding the tremendous vice that we were in, that we would continue to make progress. And the evidence is in on that front, as well. And this School District, with its leadership at the Superintendent level and at the Board level, with the help of our teachers, with the help of our administrators, with the help of our aides, with the help of our parents, with the help of this great City Council has, in fact, done just that. Test scores are up in Philadelphia schools by 92 percent. Full-day kindergarten is available all across the city for the first time in this city's history. Attendance is up, and even before a very new and innovative truancy program that 14 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 Superintendent Hornbeck and Family Court Administrative Judge Paul Panapinto announced earlier last week. New standards for students and teachers have been implemented. Our schools are safer. Again, not nearly as safe as we would like them to be. But because of increased security personnel, because of better security surveillance equipment, and because of the Safe Corridor Program that the School District has conducted, with the help of parents, schools are definitively safer. More computers are available per ratio of student than ever before. And even the long and terribly egregious book problem is being solved. The district has taken significant steps to making sure that an appropriate level of books are available for our kids. Charter schools, which many of us believe are a great alternative to the basic education, charter schools are underway by state legislation for less than two years. And in Year One, Philadelphia produced four charter schools and started four 15 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 charter schools. And 90 percent of the school children in the state in charter schools were enrolled right here in Philadelphia. Just recently, the Administration approved additional requests for charter 7 schools. And we are doing this notwithstanding the 8 fact that under current state regulations, each 9 charter school that we approve costs us nearly a 10 million dollars in additional funding. 11 Both the Superintendent has written to Secretary Hickock, I have written to Governor Ridge, about ways that they could change regulations to adjust that formula, so it isn't so costly to us. But, nonetheless, we are bound and determined to offer Philadelphia public school parents and their kids the opportunities to access charter schools. So I think the School District deserves a tremendous report card -- maybe not an A, but certainly a B plus -- for the improvements that it made during a time of a zero-growth budget. And I think all of you know the facts about the fiscal inequities, but just let me run 16 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 them down a little bit for you. In the last six years, we have increased our enrollment by 22,000 students, 22,000 precious young minds that have come into our system. 9 percent. 9 percent. That's per pupil. 9 percent per pupil. 1 percent per pupil.

Had the ESBE formula stayed in effect from 1992, 1993 to the present time, we would be receiving on an annual basis $100 million more. So this projected $85 million deficit 17 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 that we are facing wouldn't exist. We would be facing at least a $15 million surplus. And if you take the cumulative effect of that $100 million over the last six years, a surplus well -- we probably wouldn't be pace facing a surplus, because we would have added extra programming to use the money that was available. If you just adjust for inflation, had, in that six-year period, had we kept track with inflation, we would be receiving $72 million a year more on an annual basis. Had we gotten the same increase per pupil as other districts in the state have gotten, we would be receiving $52 million a year on an annual basis. The difference and the gap between what we spend, what our tax base, our state funding, what we spend on education per student, between us and the average of the 61 suburban school districts, in '92-'93, the difference was $954. Today, that difference is over $2,000. That's not fair, it's not right. The level and quality of an education that a child receives should simply not be dictated by where he 18 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 or she is born. So, we are going to continue that strategy. And we pledge to you today, again, to maintain a zero-growth budget, to not cut programming, to pursue or legal strategies. As all of you, in my budget address I asked this great Council to consider a third year of a $15 million grant to the School District. We will continue to effectuate administrative and management savings, and the District will continue to improve its performance, again, notwithstanding these constrictions. We are following this strategy because there is no other strategy to follow. There is not a man or a woman that sits on this Council -- and you have all made this abundantly clear to me in the last several years -- who would, in fact, support balancing this budget, eliminating this deficit, by cutting the basic level of programs that we have for our kids today. To do so, I believe, would be unconscionable. To do so would be a reaffirmation of the fact that Philadelphia kids are second-class citizens educationally in the Commonwealth of 19 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 Pennsylvania. Nor do I believe there is any sentiment in this Council -- and it certainly doesn't exist with me -- for raising our property tax or our use and occupancy taxes. Understand -- and I was asked by a reporter right after our press conference -- the state legislature and the committees that have looked at this, a lot of people say that the city hasn't done enough. Well, we produce $575 million in taxes and in grants to the School District. We passed the tax lien sale to have an immediate benefit on the district. The city and the banks just negotiated a resolution to the cross-suits on the U & O tax, where the banks will pay us four and a half million dollars a year for the next six years, producing $27 million that goes directly into the School District's coffers. We passed, through much controversy and consternation, a Liquor By The Drink Tax that has exceeded expectation in terms of revenue dramatically, and now produces over $20 million a 20 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 year. And as our hospitality industry grows, as we add those new hotels and the 5 countless new restaurants that are coming on line in 6 the city, that $20 million figure will blossom and 7 bloom and be somewhere in the mid 20's, approaching 8 30 million dollars as we go down the next several 9 years. 10 So we have done our share. We give 11 the School District, in discounts in water and 12 sewer, in the provision of almost a thousand 13 crossing guards, in programs that we run in the rec centers, $70 million of additional value that comes directly out of the City of Philadelphia's budget.

So I do not believe we can saddle the most highly taxed citizens and businesses in the state with a tax increase. As I told that reporter, you would have to show me some School District where the tax burden on businesses and individuals, notwithstanding what we have done on wage taxes and business taxes, where the tax burden on an individual approaches what our individuals and our businesses pay. 21 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 You would have to show me a whole passel of school districts coming close to the tax burdens we assume, before I would say that it is our responsibility, and not the state's, to ante up more money to make sure that we don't have to do the programmatic cuts that we discussed. So, I ask this Council's support. And not just today, and not through just the budget process, but all the year long for this strategy. It is the only strategy that we have. It is the only strategy that can prevail. And I believe that if we pursue this strategy, continue to make improvement in the things that are important to our parents and our students, continue to show fiscal responsibility here for the district, continue to reduce administrative costs, even though they have done a great job in doing it, to accrue management savings in the next Fiscal Year, if we can do all of those things, we will be in a position where we will prevail. And last, and not least, what we did today, filing in Federal Court, our Marrero suit, the suit before Judge Smith, none of these should be construed as partisan, none of these should be 22 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 construed as an attack on Governor Ridge or legislative leaders. Because, in truth, the erosions that have occurred that have left us in this situation started as early as Fiscal Year '93, several years before Tom Ridge became Governor or the current legislative leadership assumed their mantel of power and authority in Harrisburg. And we take this step reluctantly. We are still hoping that there will be a satisfactory resolution before all of the court cases have ended. There was a glimmer, albeit a small glimmer, of hope in the Governor's budget message, where the Governor's budget included $22 million additionally for the schools. But it is that $22 million, plus the U & O settlement, that has allowed to us to report to you a deficit as low as 85 million. Were it not for those two things happening, the deficit would be substantially greater. So we renew our constant plea for the legislature and the Governor's office with sit down with us and try to find a resolution to these 23 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 problems, a resolution that will take into account the needs of the Commonwealth and the demands on its resources, but at the same time will take into account the very, very most important thing, the future of our children here in Philadelphia. So I thank Council for its support during the past year, and I hope that we can enjoy that level of support, the district can enjoy that level of support, as we go into the next year. And, Mr. President, I know that Dr. Hornbeck and Mr. Alston have significant testimony they would like to add, an obviously the members of Council would like to ask questions. I would ask to take your leave. And if there are questions that anybody would like to put to me, if they could either do it in a very short fashion now, or I will come back at the end of the testimony of Dr. Hornbeck and Mr. Alston.

Is there any member of Council who has a burning question that you would like to ask of the Mayor now? Under ordinary circumstances, we really would like to get to the Superintendent and the President. 24 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 Mr. Mayor, thank you very much for coming. (Applause.)

At this time the Chair recognizes Mr. Floyd Alston, President of the School District of Philadelphia.

Thank you, Mr. President and members of City Council. I appreciate the Mayor joining us today in support, as we make our presentations. Thank you for the opportunity to share with you the present and future plans of the School District of Philadelphia and to address your questions and concerning. First, I want to acknowledge the support that Council has provided our School District and its children over the last year. We look forward to a continued partnership with you, as we move forward with building a first-class school system here in Philadelphia. Before I begin my testimony, I'd like to take a moment to introduce my colleagues on the Board of Education. 25 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 Of course you know we have some new faces on our team since we appeared here last year. All these men and women have dedicated themselves to lifting public education to the heights of excellence. They have volunteered their varied talents and skills and an awful lot of time on their behalf for the more than 200,000 children we serve. Joining us from the board is Vice-President Pedro Ramos. (Applause.)

Andrew Farnesi, Esquire. (Applause.)

Dorothy Sumner Rusch. (Applause.)

Christine James Brown, the newest member of our Board. (Applause.)

As we come before you today, it is one of my former colleagues, one of my former Board colleagues, who comes to mind. I refer to the first lady of Philadelphia education, Dr. Ruth Wright Hayre. RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 Dr. Hayre set high standards for so many of us who now carry the banner for public education. Her legacy of excellence and of reaching back to help those less fortunate continues to inspire all of us. It is her spirit which we invoked as we continued the fight for the right for our children. This great lady's example as an educator, as a philanthropist, as a pioneer in so many fields is one which each of us can aspire. Ruth Wright Hayre's legacy will light the way as we continue the fight at the very highest levels of government on behalf of the children of Philadelphia. When she was on the Board, so often Ruth Hayre was the voice of experience, reason, and conscious. In the middle of our complicated or even contentious deliberations about School Board decisions, it was Ruth who brought us back to what is really the most important, what is really most important in everything we do. If she were here right now, I know 27 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 that her question, as always, would be, are we doing the best we can for our children? I know that she would want us to do whatever it takes to see that our children succeed, for Dr. Hayre knew that we could not afford to leave any child behind. In her memory, let us make that commitment, that every child achieve, no matter what his race or religion, no matter her gender, no 11 matter whether or not he has been designated as a special education student, or whether or not her first language is English. Every child means just that, every child. Over the past few years, our entire public education system has undergone change as we reform the system of education here in Philadelphia. That change has provided challenges to every member of the broader community, educators, businesspeople, students, and parents. But I believe that as we continue to work together, we are moving closer to a wonderful renaissance for Philadelphia schools. I won't take the time now to detail 28 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 evidence that shows the district is turning itself around and making headway in tackling the most difficult problems facing this country. You have heard from the Mayor, and you will hear more about these initiatives in detail throughout the course of our testimony here today. But let me emphasize that there is no 9 urban-centered school system of any size in this country where significant numbers of children are successful in school. We want Philadelphia to be the first city to achieve that distinction, a city where all children succeed in school. To that, we have undertaken the most fundamental and comprehensive school reform effort in the nation. And we are beginning to see a difference as a result of our work, including the first year of improved test scores, a greater improvement than this district has soon in many years. We have made an outstanding beginning on what is going to be a tough job, but not an impossible one. We are very proud of everyone who is 29 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 responsible for this change in the right direction. But despite all of this forward movement, the very specter of major funding problems threatens to derail our progress. While more children enter the system, our funding has not kept pace. That means we have to stretch our limited dollars to serve more and more needs. But when we talk about stretching education dollars, until we reach the breaking point, what we must do is realize that it is lives that are at stake. Our children must not be put in a position where they are not receiving the kind of education which will allow them to take care of themselves and their families once they graduate from school. Without the ability to solve problems or to read and write, our children, who are our future, are headed down a deep-end road.

The District has tried to do the most with the funds we have received, reorganizing our existing resources both at citywide and at school level. But at the same time, we have aggressively 30 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 sought out available public and private funds. Yet, without more funding, we face a grave financial situation in the district. Unfortunately, the Governor and the state legislature have turned a deaf ear to our please. They have ignored the voices of people like those who are here in City Council today, who are showing their commitment to our children. They seem to be willing to sacrifice the future of the young men and women who fill our schools, rather than garner the political will to do what is right. While we are arguing in the back rooms of Harrisburg and Washington, it will be the children of this city who will suffer in the classrooms. This is why we have taken the unprecedented step of going to the federal courts for justice for our children. In the face of a fiscal crisis that could close our schools, we must do everything we can to prevent that unthinkable alternative. However, we cannot any longer compromise our children's future by continuing to 31 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 cut programs that are essential to giving our students a quality education. While this community has raised a hue and cry at the thought of closing schools, we must ask ourselves, how long are we willing to do what is expedient, instead of what is right? We must spend our money wisely, but we must spend enough to continue the progress that is beginning to make this system work for the students. The state, in its refusal to provide fair funding, is asking us to roll back that progress, and we cannot. Yes, it would be easier in many ways to simply slash away at school budgets and pretend that we can educate students. Drawing that line in the sand, standing up for the civil rights and human rights of children, is much harder. But in the 1950s, when the black citizens of Montgomery, Alabama, refused to ride on buses in that city because it meant riding in the back seats, it wasn't easy. It was much easier to take a short ride to work or to shop. But that long walk was what truth and integrity required. 32 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 And because they did what was right and persevered in that struggle, many of us are enjoying the fruits of their victory today. They walked so their children could ride with dignity. They walked for their children's rights. Should we do less for the children of this generation? Our State Constitution calls for a thorough and efficient education for all of the children in the Commonwealth. While we have worked so hard to improve the quality of the public schools, we recognize there is much more work to be done. It will take an unusual degree of cooperation from all segments of our societies to pull this off. We cannot afford to leave the job undone. When even one school fails, one child, there is work to be done for all of us. I urge each of you in this room, in Harrisburg, at every level of government, in your homes, in your businesses, in schools and classrooms, to ask yourselves that question which Ruth Wright Hayre consistently posed, are we doing 33 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 what is best for the children? Each of us can truthfully answer with a resounding yes, our work is not done. On behalf of my colleagues on the Board, and the District Administration, we pledge to do our part to keep Ruth Hayre's legacy and dreams alive. Nothing will replace the respect we have in our hearts for the courage and dedication of this one kind of a woman. I believe the best way to honor what she stood for is to ensure that her vision of success for all students becomes a reality in our life time. We are dedicating our testimony this year to Dr. Hayre's life-long battle for educational equality for our children. We'll do it through our presentations over the next day or so.

But you have heard the tribute that captures the now immortal words of her grandfather, Richard Wright, a former slave, who at age 10 walked 200 miles to be educated in a railroad box car. " Thank you. )

Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Superintendent Hornbeck. SUPERINTENDENT DAVID W. HORNBECK: Thank you very much, Mr. President. It is an honor to appear before you today on behalf of the 213,000 children of the School District of Philadelphia. I do want to add one observation to the several comments made about the lawsuit downstairs. The children of this city have a very good friend in the Home and School Council and the Home and School Associations of this city. And Ms. Epps, who is the President of that, informed me just a little while ago that they too will be joining the list of plaintiffs in that lawsuit. ) SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: In a few minutes, administrators and teachers and students 35 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 will share with you our work related to three substantive areas: The proposed graduation and promotions supports and requirements; our early literacy programs; and our skill to career initiatives. Mr. Armbrister, the Managing Director, will then provide you with the details of the '98-'99 proposed budget. But before turning to those presentations, I want to frame for you the context within which or budget proposal and work exists. The children, teachers, administrators, and parents of Philadelphia are rising. Our commitment is to children who yearn to be free to succeed, to go to college, and/or have a good job, to raise families, to live in peace and security, to vote and volunteer and be good citizens. Making such ordinary aspirations a reality for all of our young people, including those with whom we have historically failed, is the subject matter, from our perspective, of these hearings. 36 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 It is not an accident that this budget, this defining moment around finances, comes in the fourth year of our Administration. It was only right that we should demonstrate our commitment to radical change before taking the strong determined stand on finances represented by this budget. We have now demonstrated that commitment repeatedly, sometimes in the midst of great controversy. While much remains to be done, and we recognize that, we have accomplished what we promised on the time line we set out over three years ago. We have set high standards, adopted measurement tools that actually let us know whether students have the skills required for success on the job or in college, and implemented the only accountability system in the entire Commonwealth in which rewards and penalties for me, my cabinet, principals and teachers are based on student achievement. We are past the point where adults can be deemed successful if children are failing. 37 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 We have moved many decisions closer to parents, teachers, and principals through school councils. There is more and more effective professional development. We achieved a long-time aspiration, as the Mayor pointed out, of universal full-day kindergarten. Three years ago there was 1 computer for 30 students. Today the ratio is 1 for 10. Major strides, with your help, have been taken to meet student book needs in English and math and science and social studies. Thousands of new volunteers work with our students. Over 300 employers this year have provided more than 3,000 apprenticeship slots for our students. Faced with perennial charges of administrative waste, we implemented private sector productivity recommendations, saving tens of millions of dollars through improved management. By placing a priority on instruction, we shifted millions of dollars from administration, to schools and classrooms. Foundations, corporate Philadelphia, and federal agencies like the National Science 38 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 Foundation know that Philadelphia has a more comprehensive change agenda underway than any other school system in America. That has resulted in our raising more private money and competitive public money, now $152 million, than any other School District in the United States.

And amidst all of the calls to break up the district, many forget that we have already reduced the district into smaller, more effective 12 government units and into hundreds of smaller 13 schools within schools where students can get more 14 individual attention and teachers work more closely 15 together. 16 All of this, of course, is directed 17 toward the bottom line and the best news of all, 18 there is, in fact, improvement in student 19 achievement in reading, math, and science, in the 20 4th, 8th, and 11th grades. We are moving in the 21 right direction. 22 What happens to the School District in the next 16 months will determine whether a majority of our children of all languages and races shall be condemned to a modern form of slavery 39 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 through severely limit the opportunities, or shall have the freedom that comes from a good education. Will our children have access to all that America promises, or will we begin a sharper downward spiral that will sentence this city to third-world economic and social status? Our children require 85 to 90 million dollars more from the Commonwealth for the '98-'99 school year than the Governor has proposed, simply to maintain our grossly inadequate financial status quo. During this election year, we are prepared to accept that status quo, putting off for another year such necessities as smaller class sizes, summer school and after-school programs that provide safe havens for our children, as well as extra academic help. But I want to be clear that one year from now, school year '99-2000, we will begin to phase in these support programs that will give our children a level playing field with their counterparts in the suburbs. Phasing in of these additional resources will eventually require an additional $300 40 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 million annual investment in our students. That will almost close the $2,000-per-child gap that exists between a city student and a suburban student. That's all we want. Not more than those across city line and Cheltenham Avenues, just what is fair. There are only two ways to deal with our financial dilemma. One is to cut costs. We have already cut or saved $29 million in administrative costs over the past two years with the help of the recommendations of a Private Sector Task Force on Management and Productivity. But while we will continue to examine ways to reduce administrative expenses, we cannot make further major reductions without losing our ability to provide such basic management services as hiring teachers, generating payroll, assessing student progress, scheduling buses, and supervising security and facilities. Those who continue to invoke the myth of excessive administrative costs are blatantly ignoring the reality that this district spends more on instruction and less on administration than is spent on the average in the other 500 school 41 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 districts in the Commonwealth. If the district is to close the '98-'99 budget gap, we can do so only by cutting services to children. That is the traditional approach. That would require turning the clock back. It would result in cutting full-day kindergarten, athletics, music, world languages, art, books, computers, professional development, daycare, all the things that are not mandated. Cuts could destroy those programs and would destroy any pretense of change. They would destroy the forward movement that has resulted in the first signs of improved achievement in schools across the city. We cannot sustain and build a sense of hope if we constantly provide and then take away, provide and then take away. We have to keep our commitments to parents and teachers and to children. And if we do, they will succeed. If we do not, then we stop a process that is beginning to erode years of cynicism and mistrust in the system. 42 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 The other way to deal with our financial dilemma is to increase revenue.

One source, obviously, could be the city. We deeply appreciate the support of the city through the various tax moneys you provide the School District, wage, property, use and occupancy, and liquor by the drink. We appreciate the cost the city bears through other expenditures, such as the crossing guards. We appreciate your special efforts through such initiatives as the grants of $15 million and the tax lien sale. We appreciate the efforts of the law department, as the Mayor pointed out, which just recently settled longstanding litigation with local banks. That settlement unexpectedly reduces or projected shortfall from about $95 million to $85 million next year. But the City of Philadelphia, in our judgment, has done its share. Philadelphia citizens already spend twice as much of their income on local taxes as is spent on average in the four surrounding counties. Philadelphia's wealth base, both 43 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 income and property, diminished significantly in the last five years, compared to the growth in the rest of the state. Philadelphia's share of poor children went up, as did our total number of children. Nevertheless, state aid to Philadelphia's children declined relative to the rest of the state's school districts. It is time for the Commonwealth to meet its moral and constitutional obligation. Mistreatment of Philadelphia's children did not begin with the incumbents in Harrisburg. Unfairness has been historic and bi-partisan. The distinction held by the present office holders is that through many meetings and written communications, through the desegregation case presently in the Supreme Court, through the constitutional challenge filed last February, and now through the federal lawsuit filed today, they are or should be crystal clear about the facts surrounding our children and the disadvantaged position in which the Commonwealth action continuously places them. The present office holders in 44 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 Harrisburg can do what is right. They can make funding fair for our students. We have proposed a budget that maintains the program commitments contained in this year's budget. It will permit us to do such things as keep our promise to reward schools that exceed their performance targets. It includes funds that would permit the universal implementation of our effort to help teachers know what to do in difficult to teach students. It provides funds to take the next appropriate steps in both assessment and technology to permit us to better meet our commitment to youngsters to whom English is not their first language. These are not new programs; they simply continue present efforts at the level with means we do not go backwards. As noted earlier, this budget does not allow us to reduce class size or provide extra time for help after school, or in the summer, for students in academic trouble, or keep all the schools open for latchkey children from 3 to 6, or 45 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 provide proper support to technology or to meet the capital needs of our aging infrastructure. Those improvements and others will be part of next year's budget that will reflect the true needs of our children. Our lump sum budget projections now assume revenues from the Commonwealth of approximately $85 million that is not contained in the Governor's budget. The Governor's refusal to treat our children fairly in his budget, if supported by the legislature, may indeed force the closing of schools next year. The Commonwealth's recklessness towards poor children in general, and Philadelphia's children in particular, is leading toward a train wreck. There are those who think we are creating the crisis. There has been an editorial cartoon suggesting that it is we who are tying the children to the train track.

What they do not understand is that our children have been held in bondage, tied to that train track, for years by the Commonwealth's 46 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 irresponsible and discriminatory school finance policy. The real crisis is the 51 percent of our 9th graders who don't graduate four years later. The real crisis is the graduates who cannot read. The crisis is that we failed with about 7 out of every of our students who enter the first 9 grade before they exit 12 years later. 10 The real crisis is that most vandalism and most teen pregnancies occur in the after-school hours, when school doors are locked. The crisis is the fact that out of every African-American males in this country are in prison or on probation or on parole, and most of them are dropouts. The crisis is that we now spend more to keep those African-American males in prison than in college. The crisis is our disastrous graduation and failure rate with our Latino students. Again, our children have been held in bondage for years. We are determined to set them free. 47 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 Many permit themselves to think these conditions are inevitable, that there is nothing that we can do about the situation. Thus, there are those who believe that we should pursue the patterns of the past, accept what they give us, grumble a little bit, and wait to play the charade out again the following year. There are some who already are saying we should keep the schools open, no matter the devastating consequences to the large majority of our children. In effect, they urge us to continue the policy of appeasement. Harrisburg officials have made it clear that as long as the leaders of urban and rural school districts full of poor children are willing to accept it, they are willing to maintain their policy of denying poor children throughout the state basic fairness in education. The Mayor, President Street, President Alston and I, joined by other members of Council and the School Board and leadership from the corporate community, the child advocacy community, faith communities, the parent community, and a host 48 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 of others who care about our children, have for a year repeatedly drawn a line in the sand through words deeds and lawsuits to say, enough is enough. Our position brings to mind Dr. " Speaking of African-Americans, he said he remembered when they, quote, were going around scratching where they didn't itch, and laughing when they were not tickled. But Dr. King went on to say, quote, That day is all over. We mean business now, and we are determined to gain our rightful place. For years, we in Philadelphia have said each year that we need certain resources to meet the needs of our children. And year after year after year we just took what was given us by Harrisburg. We weren't happy about it, but we made due. What we are saying today is that the time of scratching when we don't itch and laughing when there is nothing funny has ended. In Dr. King's immortal words, that day is all over. We mean business now, and we are 49 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 determined to gain our rightful place. ) SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: We must call the question. The federal lawsuit does that. It makes clear that black, brown, and white people of Philadelphia are all held in bondage and sentenced to a bleak future as the consequence of the racially discriminatory school finance policy of the Commonwealth. We must call the question. This budget does that on behalf of our children and their future. As United States Secretary of Education Richard Riley has noted, quote, Our children represent only percent of today's 17 population, but 100 percent of the future. They 18 deserve 100 percent of our efforts. 19 Thank you very much. )

What I would like to do is, before we go to questions, I would like to have a little discussion with Councilmembers about the process that we will use. It is now almost 3 o'clock. We got a 50 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 late start. It is my feeling that what we might do today is have as many questions and answers from the President and the Superintendent as we can, and then start fresh tomorrow morning on the money questions. We obviously can't finish them. We have all day tomorrow. And I just wanted to know, I would like to get some feeling from Councilmembers on that procedural issue. Councilman Ortiz.

I agree with that. I think we should go on until 5 o'clock and come back tomorrow morning.

Well, if we are going to do the money tomorrow, then what I would like to do is, there are a number of questions about policy and other things that are not specifically related to the budget. And if we are going to have that discussion today, and then have Clay Armbrister and the money questions tomorrow, I would like to know if that's what we were going to do. It makes a big difference. 51 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 The Chair recognizes the Superintendent. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Let me ask you, there are a number of kids and teachers who came by this afternoon to also talk about early literacy programs and school to career programs. And I just wanted to make you again aware of that, so that you can take that into account and as you consider these issues.

That's fine. You know, ordinarily we would not be taking public testimony today. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: We actually thought of that as School District testimony.

You thought of it as School District testimony. Okay. Then what we can do is have some of that testimony. I have no objections. The question in my mind, I mean, we have your statement, we have the statement of the President, we have the Mayor's statement. I would like to open it up for some general questions about all of, you know, what has 52 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 been said. But I think by that time it is going to be late in the day to have Clay Armbrister give a statement and launch into the details of the budget. I have no objections. And I am sure Councilmembers thought if you have other witnesses that you would like to give other general testimony, that would be fine. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: With your indulgence, Mr. President and members of Council, there are two substantive areas that we would like to offer brief testimony on on behalf of the School District. The first centers on what, in a sense, is Rule 1, of our work as a School District, and that is early literacy. If kids learn to read and write early on, then everything else is going to fall into place. And we have some students, some teachers, from I think the Furness cluster. And let me ask Dr. Kay Lovelace, who is the Associate Superintendent for our Office of Leadership and Learning, to come forward with the folks from the cluster to introduce what will be a brief 53 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 presentation on early literacy.

Mr. President, I would like to acknowledge the presence of two other persons.

Certainly.

Mr. Herman Mattelman, who is the Past President of the Board of Education, and Mr. Education himself. And an additional member of the Board, Miss Deborah Parks has joined us. Thank you so much.

The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.

Just a question relative to procedure. As I understand it, specific questions on employee complements, other budgetary issues, will be tomorrow?

I would like to recommend that. So we come in here, I would like to get the general, some of the general questions out of the way today, in the course of this presentation. And then tomorrow Clay Armbrister will come with the money, and you can just proceed 54 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 with some details. The Chair recognizes Councilman DiCicco. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Thank you, Mr. President. Many of the questions I have to ask are, I guess, in some way, shape, or form directed towards revenue, so I will hold off those until tomorrow. But I would like, for the record, beginning now, when individuals come up to testify who are School District employees, in addition to their name and title, would you instruct them to advise us of the county in which they live in and the date of their employment.

Thank you very much. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Thank you.

Please identify yourself for the record, please give us for this record your position at the School District, the county of your residence, and the date of your employment, as best as you can recall it. Please identify yourself for the 55 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 record. Now, I am going to have to ask you, almost no one appears to be close enough to these microphones. We have a less than state-of-the-art system here, so you really do have to speak very directly into the microphone.

Thank you very much. President Street, members of the City Council and members of the audience, my name is Kay Lovelace, and I am Associate Superintendent for the School District of Philadelphia. My appointment date was February 1997, and I am a city resident, in the School District of Philadelphia. Well, I would say 17th and Callowhill. I am still getting used to the streets. So that's where I reside.

The lady resides in the 5th District, people. Councilman DiCicco allows that this is a good start.

Well, I am pleased for that. It is my pleasure to facilitate a 56 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 discussion centered around literacy development in the early years, but also literacy development for non-English-speaking students, who are new to our country and thus to our district. My colleagues and I, Linda Secouler, who is the Furness Teaching and Learning Coordinator; Natalie Cerenqutella, who is the Taggart School Program Support Teacher; and as a special treat, a very sleepy kindergarten student who is trying to stay with us, Danielle Gallard and her mom, Mrs. Brooks, are with us to discuss early literacy through the lens of the District, the cluster, and the local school classroom. My job in introducing this presentation is to provide you with the District's perspective on early literacy. For too many years, this District has struggled with poor student academic performance and large numbers of students dropping out of school. Although there are many contributing factors, a multitude of national reports point to literacy, that is, being able to speak, read, and write as the number one factor. In an effort to address poor academic 57 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 achievement and the early dropout rates, the School District of Philadelphia is focusing on early literacy development from the District's perspective. We knew that students who become proficient readers by Grade 3 are less likely to become grade failures, dropouts, or delinquents. Understanding this, the District's curriculum for Pre-K through Grade 3 will emphasize reading and writing through several creative programs and strategies, which include what you have heard already, the extension of all half-day kindergartens to full-day programs. Full-day kindergarten allows for more comprehensive instruction and the development of language, reading, and writing. The creative programs and strategies being instituted by the District are based on certain beliefs about how children learn. These beliefs will guide our conversation with you this afternoon and are based on whole language theory and personal experience. The beliefs are beliefs summarized by using early childhood expert Bobby Fisher's seven 58 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 principles. I am not going to expand upon then them because I do want to get with the cluster representation, as well as the classroom, and certainly our student and parent. But let me just say that, first, children learn naturally; second, children know a lot about literacy before kindergarten; third, all children can learn if we really, really believe that they can; and fourth, children learn best when learning is kept whole; fifth, children learn best when they make their own choices; sixth, children learn best as a community of learners in a non-competitive environment; and finally, seventh, children learn best by talking and doing within a social context. This is an excellent time to share with you that early literacy usually denotes grades for pre-kindergarten through Grade 3. But in our world, early literacy also embraces many students who arrive in the United States without speaking English. The Philadelphia School District addresses our students' language needs by offering 59 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 supports through ESOL, which is English To speakers Of Other Languages, and bi-lingual programs. These principles apply to these emerging literacy learners regardless of their age. Our Newcomer Center for high-school-aged students who arrive in the United States who are non-English speakers and have little or no literacy in their home language is centered around creating literacy by using most of these principles. In early literacy development, and as I explained in literacy development for our ESOL students, an integrated approach would encompass a wide variety of reading, writing, behaviors demonstrated by children. I began by sharing with you that there are fundamental principles that we must embrace for all children.

I will add that for me and others who have embraced these principles, we know that talking is followed by reading, and reading is followed by writing. Therefore, emerging literacy begins as soon as we finally coo with newborns who are literacy beginners, and continues from three to five 60 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 years in what we call novice readers and writers, and moves to to year olds as experimenting 4 readers and writers. It also includes our 5 multi-aged ESOL students who are literacy 6 beginners. 7 The importance of knowing this information is, early literacy contributes to a reduction in grade failure and prevents early dropout. Now that I have given you this brief overview of the District's comprehensive early literacy program for children zero through age 7, and our multi-aged ESOL students, I want to turn the presentation over to Linda Secouler, who will discuss the Furness cluster's approach to developmental integrated literacy programs throughout her cluster. She will be followed by Natalie Cerenqutella, who will discuss literacy in the classroom. And finally our student and her mom, Mrs. Brooks, will demonstrate the end result of our work, which is reading and writing at an early age. Linda.

Thank you, Dr. 61 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 Lovelace. My name is Linda Secouler. I am the Teaching and Learning Network Coordinator in the Furness Cluster. I reside in Montgomery County. I was appointed in 1972, and I am a product of the Philadelphia school system. The Furness cluster is made up of nine Kindergarten through Grade 8 elementary schools. The community in which these schools reside is wonderfully diverse. Within our neighborhoods are people of many heritages: African-American, European-Americans, Latinos, and at least four distinct groups of Asian ancestry, including Cambodian, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Camer. When we formed as a cluster in July of 1996, we looked at our data. We looked at math scores and science scores and reading levels. And we knew that reading was the key to increased student achievement. We began a comprehensive early literacy program to focus on developing fluent readers and writers by the end of their second grade experience. 62 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 Frank smith, the author of Insult To Intelligence, reminds us that we need to initiate our children into the literacy club to strengthen their academic achievement in all areas of the curriculum and to become lifelong learners. In September of 1996, we asked the School District to pilot a new assessment tool to determine a child's independent reading level. Understanding the strong connection among assessment and curriculum and instruction, we committed ourselves to long-term change in classroom practice. Principals, teachers, and parents enthusiastically supported the pilot as a way to improve teaching and learning of reading in the Furness cluster schools. Professional development began with the teachers of kindergarten, Grade 1, primary ESOL, and primary special education in understanding the assessment tool, and moved to professional development on the instructional strategies that teachers needed to learn to move children up the assessment continuum to fluency. By the end of the first year, we 63 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 showed growth at every level of the continuum, and in both grades, and in primary ESOL, and in primary special education classes. The second year of our work built on the successes of the children and the enthusiasm of the teachers who had a desire to learn more. We did classroom make-overs to create print-rich and book-loving environments. We included the second grade teachers in our work, and we added a developmental writing continuum to the assessment. Many classes included the hundred-book challenge as a part of The Reading By Children Program. Primary small learning communities developed naturally, and teachers now talk to each other a lot more about children and how to teach them how to read. This past January our cluster was awarded a $250,000 grant from the Partnership For Reform to support our early literacy work. Each of our nine schools submitted to us a proposal to receive that funding to enhance the program at their school. 64 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 Some schools will become part of the Children's Literacy Initiative, which is an advocacy group for literacy, that flooded the classroom with those Read Too books and provides professional development to teachers on how to read them aloud. Some of our schools will strengthen their parent involvement programs by hiring parent scholars to work directly in the classroom and by starting a Read Me A Story Project in their schools. Others will buy technology so that their children can word process their own stories and have them made into books, just like real authors do. All of our schools will purchase those Just Right books, those books that support beginning reading instruction and will fund professional development for their teachers and principals. Reading and writing in the Furness cluster has changed dramatically over the past two years. More and more of our young children are reading and writing with greater fluency and greater joy every day.

65 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 Natalie.

Good afternoon, Councilmembers. My name is Natalie Cerenqutella. I have been teaching in the School District of Philadelphia for the past 38 years. I began in February 1961. All my teaching has been done at the Taggart School in South Philadelphia. I live in Camden county. However, I am proud to say I am a product of the Philadelphia school system. South Philadelphia High School is my alma mater. Taggart school is a desegregated school with a highly diverse, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural population of approximately 650 students. We have been designated high poverty level, and that qualifies us for schoolwide projects. In addition to our kindergarten through 8th Grade classes, we have five special education classes, two of which are multiple handicap learning skills, life skills. The school is divided into three small learning communities: A primary, intermediate, and an upper level. In addition to 66 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 being the school's program support teacher, I am also the coordinator of the primary community. And I am here to tell you a little bit about the early literacy program at the school level. When the program was first introduced, the teachers met to help each other practice the assessment techniques, such as running records. So it just seemed natural that when the small learning communities were formed at Taggart, those classes involved in the early literacy program would comprise the primary small learning community. We are three kindergarten, three first grades, three second grades, the primary ESOL, and the primary learning support special education class. In your folders, you will find a diagram titled Furness Clusters Comprehensive Early Literacy Program which shows the components that make the program, make up the program. It is structured to give the children a strong foundation in reading and writing. This is 67 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 so important because reading and the ability to express ourselves through writing are at the core of everything in our curriculum. We no longer test solely in a multiple-choice format. On achievement tests, our children, even at the second-grade level, are required to explain in writing how they arrived at some of their answers. It is not just enough to teach children; now we teach them how to learn. We give them the strategies necessary for them to succeed. This means, the teaching in the classroom is no longer based upon a book. While we have a print-rich environment, we have no basal readers. Teaching is based upon the immediate needs of the chile. Our mini-lessons, for example, are drawn from the children's own writing. Another important part of this program is the way the children are assessed. Reading and writing are measured and reported on a continuum. Incidentally, copies of both the independent reading level addendum and the writing developmental continuum addendum to the report cards 68 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 are in your folders, as well. We recognize the children are not stamped from a mold. They are individuals, with individual learning styles. They do not all learn at the same rate, nor in the same way. This program allows for the diversity in learning. As Linda mentioned, we have seen growth at all levels, so we know that this program works, even in the short time it's been implemented. To show our commitment, we at Taggart have set aside the first hour and a half each day, from 9:00 to 10:30, uninterrupted, for early literacy. It is at this time the children do their independent writing and need the most assistance. Since the kindergarten classes already had a half-day assistant, we purchased enough additional supportive service assistants to be able to have one in each of the first and second grade classrooms, as well. Has it made a difference? We feel it has made a tremendous difference. The successes of 69 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 the children have helped to change teachers' attitudes and renew their enthusiasm for teaching.

Teachers have bought into this program wholeheartedly. The Furness cluster has been providing professional development sessions, workshops, support group meetings, consultants, materials, and much other direct assistance to the classroom teachers. We have done staff development at the school level, as well. The teachers have responded by turning out in large numbers to take advantage of all of this. And although some has been done during the school day, much of it has taken place after school, on Saturdays, and even during the summer. Many times the teachers have attended, without receiving monetary compensation, just because they believe in the program. And it doesn't end there, ladies and gentlemen. Our parents are expressing their delight with how much their children are learning. In the past, most of our kindergarten children continued their education at the parochial school across the street. Not anymore. Now most of them continue on at Taggart. 70 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 Speaking of our children.

Let me do one thing, just so that we would know, we have Danielle Gillard here and her mom, Mrs. Brooks at the table.

You are going to have to reidentify yourself for the record.

I am Kay Lovelace, Associate Superintendent for the School District. We have Danielle Gillard here with her mom, Mrs. Brooks. But we also have Mr. Gillard. And I would just like him to stand to be recognized as the parent, her father, and her brother, too. So with that, now we are going to hear from our student and then from our mom. And Danielle has something special she wants to share with you.

Just a little bit of background on Danielle. Danielle is a five-year-old kindergarten student at Taggart school. Her teacher, when they did independent writing, her teacher took the writing of each student in the class and bound it into a book. 71 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 So Danielle took her book and read it to her classmates, and then took it home and read it to her family, and now she brought it here to read it to you. This is written and illustrated by Danielle. MISS DANIELLE GILLARD: My Doggie. I am walking my dog to the park. She is chasing me. My dog is coming home with me because she got dirty. I am washing my dog in the backyard. (Applause.)

Do we have time from another reading from her literacy book? You better say yes.

How could I resist? I would like to draw your attention to Councilman DiCicco's comments. This witness will have to identify her county of residence. MISS GILLARD: Miss Poppel's Pets. Miss Poppel likes kittens. Miss Poppel likes fish. Miss Poppel likes parrots. Miss Poppel likes mice. Miss Poppel likes rabbits. Miss Poppel likes puppies. Miss Poppel likes pets. (Applause.) 72 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138

Hi. My name is Delores Brooks, and I am Daniel Gillard's mother. And I just want to say on behalf of my daughter, I want to thank Miss Cerenqutella for giving my daughter this great opportunity. She has been excited about these chances. Danielle has always been excited about school, and this is one of her little rewards. Reading is important, and I always read to my children. And I would like to say that for everyone to read to their children, because it is a great great thing to them. Thank you. (Applause.)

I am sorry. And we live in South Philly.

You have just added significantly to Councilman DiCicco's day. He will rest more comfortably tonight, I am sure. And Councilman Kenney, who is also from South Philadelphia, will also feel just a little better knowing that you have good educated reading voters on the way. Thank you. Can we have the President of the 73 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 Board and the Superintendent. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Let me introduce to you Mary Jane Clancy, who is the Head of the Education for the Employment Office; and Nilsa Gonzalez Rodriguez, who is the cluster leader in Kensington; and Cassandra Jones, who is the Assistant Executive District of the Education for Employment Office, and a host of others. This is, in some ways, the other end of the spectrum. When Danielle spends more years 12 in school, she will culminate in having an apprenticeship opportunity as a consequence of this work and will be able then to go to college, or into the work force, fully prepared. And so with that, let me turn it over to Mary Jane.

Good afternoon, President Street and members of City Council. My name is Cassandra Jones. I am the Director of School To Career, and I am a proud resident of the 2nd District. Once again, we come before you to report on our progress in School To Career. Certainly or progress can be measured by expanding 74 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 numbers. This year, over 30,000 of our high school students and 5,000 elementary and middle school students were involved in meeting the Philadelphia standards, including the School To Career and Citizen Cross Cutting Competencies through internships, service learning, job shadows, project-based learning, and, for our 11th and 12th graders, work site learning. We continue to expand the number of employers, post-secondary institutions, and community-based organizations who partner with us to ensure that our children have the opportunity to learn and practice what is needed for them to be successful. But growing numbers alone don't tell the whole story. This is about changing perceptions, the perception of the business community that it was impossible to find School District graduates who were prepared for their workplaces. The perception of post-secondary institutions who believed that our students weren't prepared for college. 75 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 The perception of parents who understood that the good enough education that their children were getting wasn't, in fact, good enough. And, most importantly, the perception of our students, who didn't believe that working hard in school would lead to equal access and opportunity for their future. We have the data to prove that students who participate in work site learning get better grades in school, have higher attendance, get good jobs, and go on to college more often, when compared with students who do not yet have this opportunity. Perceptions are changing, but there is still much to be done. Last year, President Street challenged us and asked, what will we need to have 10,000 students participating in work site learning? We weren't ready with that answer last year. But, oh, what a difference a year makes. We now know what we need to achieve this goal. It is through the creation of 22 cluster resource boards. 76 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 A cluster resource boards agrees to champion a neighborhood and its schools. Each resource board is chaired by a senior partner who is a representative of a large business or university in Philadelphia. The role of the board is to build the capacity of the neighborhood to support children, establish goals and strategies for increasing job and college readiness, provide work site learning and job shadowing opportunities for students, provide mentors who will be trained to guide students' learning and development, advise on the design and development of curriculum that reduces the gap between entry-level hiring standards and high school graduation requirements, advocate for school reform and promote policies to support the safety, health, and educational enrichment of cluster students and their families, and recruit additional members to join forces and contribute. Sitting with us this afternoon are representatives of the Kensington Cluster Resource Board. They will tell you how the Kensington Cluster Resource Board is changing the lives of children in the Kensington cluster each and every 77 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 day.

Good afternoon, City Council President Street and members of City Council. My name is Nilsa Gonzalez, and I reside in the First Councilmanic District of this great city. I am the Kensington Cluster Leader, which services approximately 11,500 children in Grades Pre-K through 12. There are two high schools in the Kensington cluster, three middle schools, one K-to-8 school, and nine elementary schools, Grades K to 5. The reality is that many people have written off the children of the bad lands. Of an incoming 9th grade class of 500 students, we may graduate 150. My reason for wanting to address this distinguished panel of believers is to discuss the Resource Board and our School To Career program. I want you to know how this group of people is engaged in changing the perception of Kensington. Economic development is a driver in our city. When we sit at the table to support the Kensington Cluster community, we are educators, 78 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 students, parents, businesspeople all with a common goal. That goal is to graduate well educated, prepared young men and women that are ready to participate in a society that is competitive and demanding. As our youth go, so goes our neighborhoods, so goes our city, and so goes our nation. Commitment is what we demand of all members of the Kensington Cluster Resource Board. The lead partner of the Kensington Cluster Resource Board is CoreStates Bank. Additionally, we have representation from Business World, Episcopal Hospital, St. Christopher's, AFL-CIO, Temple University Hospital. We have local government representatives, we have two government representatives. Post-secondary, Temple University. We have CBOs, LULAC and The Lighthouse. Schools we have our flagship Kensington High School, the middle school is Penn Treaty, the elementary school is Sheppard. 79 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 We have two teachers, two parents, and two students from Kensington High School. And, of course, we have the Office of Education For Employment. The Chairpersons of the Resource Board are Tom O'Rourke from CoreStates Bank and Mary Jane Clancy from the Office of Education For Employment. As the cluster leader, I serve as a direct support to the resource board. What has the resource board been involved in? Work-based learning opportunities for the 11th and 12th graders attending Kensington High School, mentoring and tutoring projects at the schools, the development of the new Kensington Center that will alleviate some of the overcrowding in our schools, provide athletic opportunities for the Kensington students, bring opportunities to new CBOs to come into our area, and bring new life to this Kensington neighborhood. We also are involved with curriculum development. The immediate impact of community involvement in the Kensington cluster has been the involvement of Impact Services, Youth Build in 80 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 Kensington High School. This alternative school program allows 30 dropouts from Kensington High School to Eastern their GED, and it allows them the opportunity to explore their cultural and community history. The creation of the Next Step Center at Aspira. The Next Step Center provides high school dropouts, recent graduates, and unemployed and underemployed young adults with guidance, counseling, and other assistance in developing a realistic career plan based upon labor market needs. Their own talents, skills, and abilities, including referrals for appropriate job training and some direct training in technology skills, test-taking skills, and work readiness. LULAC's Peacemakers Project is presently training Kensington High School students, Jones Middle School students, and Sheppard Elementary School students in communication and leadership skills. The students are involved in community clean-ups. And in the middle school, the 81 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 students will be training with the Philadelphia Police Department this month.

The National School and Community Corps continues to support teachers' efforts to implement service learning projects in schools throughout our cluster. Elementary school students have been involved in inter-generational service programs in which students spend time with older adults, interview them, and record their oral histories. The perception that we couldn't has turned into we can. The resource board members are making an investment in our schools. The investment must turn into positive gains for our community. We invite you to visit our schools, attend our resource board meetings, and take stock in the School To Career programs being implemented in the Kensington cluster. Mr. Torres.

Good afternoon, City Council President Street and members of City Council. My name is Edward Torres, and I am the principal of Kensington High School. I live in 82 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 the First Councilmanic District, Mr. DiCicco's district. This is my second year as principal of Kensington. I have been very fortunate to be a member of the resource board since its inception. Kensington High School is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse comprehensive high schools in the city. We have approximately 1200 students: 54 percent Latino, 11 percent white, 17 percent African-American, and 4 12 percent Asian. 13 95 percent of our students come from 14 low-income households and are struggling through 15 every day life. 16 We currently have four small learning 17 communities, and we offer our students a variety of 18 special programs; such as, bilingual and English as 19 a second language work-base's learning and 20 community-service learning, which includes our 21 special needs population. 22 School To Career has become the focal 23 point of our instructional programs. 24 During our first year, the resource 25 board chose to target Kensington High School first 83 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 because of the problems around attendance and graduation rates. As a resource board, we saw the opportunity to make an immediate impact on those major difficulties. We set out to increase students' attendance, graduation rates, and to increase the number of students moving from the 9th grade to the 10th grade. We were also convinced that we needed to do a better job of preparing our students for the world of work and post-secondary education. After our first year of working together, the number of graduating students rose by percent, and the promotion rate from 9th grade to 16 10th grade increased by 23 percent. Additionally, our teachers and the Human Resource Department of CoreStates Bank worked collaboratively to develop a job readiness curriculum that is being piloted this year with our 10th grade students. These are just some of the major improvements made possible through the efforts of the resource board and the Kensington cluster family. 84 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 Resource board initiatives, such as the mentoring programs and the work-based learning opportunities, have made all the difference to our students and staff. This experience has not only empowered and motivated our students, but our teachers as well. Our teachers have had the opportunity to visit the business world and partner with them to help build a better classroom both inside and outside the school building. The goals committed by the resource board for the coming years are to provide all 9th graders with a mentor and provide work-base learning positions for all eligible 11th and 12th grade students. An additional initiative of the resource board for coming years is to increase community-based organization and parent involvement in all of our schools. We are planning a multi-lingual CBO and a parent summit to further develop the connections between our communities and our schools. Parents and community members need to 85 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 be in the educational process of our children, and we all need to be involved in the economic development of our city. We are all partners in our own success, and we need to work as a team. We hope that we can count on City Council to join this team and move forward with us. The perception of Kensington High School has been a negative one. A negative perception can be very damaging to all members of the school community. Because of all the resource board initiatives, the hard work and support from teachers and staff, students and parents, we have begun a collective effort to change the perception and image of Kensington High School through education. Please take the opportunity to visit Kensington High School where we are small enough to know you, but large enough to serve you. Thank you for your time. (Applause.)

Good afternoon, President Street members of the Council and district representatives. I am Dr. Lori Shorr, and I reside in the Northwestern section of the city, where my 86 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 two children are receiving an excellent education at J.S. Jenks Public School. I work at Temple University, where I was recently hired in the Provost Office to coordinate Temple's K through outreach 7 initiatives in Northern Philadelphia. 8 My hire is a joint appointment 9 between Temple and the North Philadelphia Community 10 Compact For Student Access and Success. 11 I sit here today as an example of 12 Temple's continued commitment to the community, the 13 city, and the city's children. In a time of fiscal 14 constraint, the creation of this universitywide 15 position at the level of the Vice Provost is 16 indicative of that commitment. As an urban public research university, defined by our compliment to making an applying knowledge, Temple has many ongoing initiatives in the community that make use of our expertise and resources. As a university, we like to participate in work that strives for systemic change. The North Philadelphia Community Compact is one such venture we have committed ourselves to, and 87 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 the creation of cluster resource boards is another. By sitting on the Kensington Cluster Resource Board, our resources of expertise, entry-level jobs, mentoring and tutoring capabilities have been better utilized. It has provided a way to be in touch with the needs identified by the teachers, students, community members, and principals around the resource board table. One of our commitments to the Kensington Cluster Resource Board has been the placement of work-based learners on campus. For Temple, as both a community employer and an institution of higher education, these positions can afford the students a chance to, one, enter the environment of the workplace; two, see that learning is not defined by a place called school, but is a necessary and empowering part of life; and, three, that the college environment is one that is open to them, that can be part of their future. Our Temple students in their roles as pre-service teachers, mentors, and tutors in the public schools learn almost exactly the same 88 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 lessons. Our professors, working with public school teachers on content area school subjects, can help make those public schools more successful. The professors experiences with the public schools can make them better able to teach the students that come to Temple from those schools. It has been my experience that there is no shortage of staff, faculty, and administrators who understand themselves as part of the North Philadelphia community and who are dedicated to helping its revitalization. There have sometimes been unclear path ways which have resulted in scattered individual initiatives with uneasy fits. By sitting around the table with the educators and the students, we can better serve the overall vision of children achieving by making sure our efforts are focused and are a result of school or community identified needs. My short time at Temple, I was just hired at the beginning of January, has been defined by the many almost missed opportunities for effective interaction with the school and 89 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 community. Two such mammoth institutions as Temple and the public schools can only work together if there is a regularly scheduled time and place to talk about specific needs and resources amongst trusted collaborators. The Kensington Resource Board has been serving this function. Thank you.

Good afternoon, President Street and members of City Council. My name is Rebecca Battaglia, and I am a proud resident of South Philadelphia, in the First District.

I need you to speak closer to the microphone.

Good afternoon, President Street and members of City Council. My name is Rebecca Battaglia, and I am a proud resident of South Philadelphia, in the First District. I am an Assistant Vice-President in Human Resources at CoreStates, and I am honored to have this opportunity to talk to you about one of my favorite subjects, School To Career in Kensington. CoreStates has a long history of 90 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 commitment to the community. CoreStates' reasons for becoming a lead partner with the Kensington Cluster is more than altruistic; it is economic. It is an investment in the future of CoreStates, First Union, the students, schools, and Philadelphia. Doing well is essential to any business; doing good is its real dividend. The gap between the job readiness skills of our young people and the company's success widening. No matter how good classroom teaching is, nothing prepares a student for a workplace experience like an actual workplace experience. CoreStates' partnership with the Kensington cluster has brought together business, community, school, Administration, and students, all with our minds on the present and our eyes on the future. And it is truly a partnership. I am a graduate of South Philadelphia High and Temple University part time at night thanks to CoreStates' tuition reimbursement. I have been at CoreStates for 31 years, with the past ten years in HR. I joined Human Resources to make a difference, and I believe in my way I have made a difference. 91 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 Now CoreStates' partnership has given me the opportunity to make a difference on the outside. Over the past year, me and many of my CoreStates colleagues have made new friendships through collaboration with principals, teachers, administrators on work-based learning, mentoring, and the development of the Job Readiness Program. In addition, over 100 CoreStates employee volunteers have touched the lives of one or more students as a work-based learning mentor, a mentor at the school o's by facilitating parts of the Job Readiness Program. The result of one of the collaborative efforts between Kensington teachers and CoreStates volunteers is that 28 10th graders from Kensington High are in the sixth week of a ten-week Job Readiness Program. When asked what they wanted to know about the world of work, they asked, what about the merger and job security, along with, can we meet the CEO. We told them that they will experience the merger along with us, and that job 92 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 security is within you and not with the company. Employability is the key, which depends on continuous learning and updated skills. And, yes, you will meet the CEO. Last Monday morning, Eddie Torres and I were proud to present Kensington Cluster Resource Board's Five-Year Plan to the members of the School Board. Presentation of these goals culminated a weekend of hard work, laughs, and tears, as well as a year's worth of experience. Sitting in the audience, relieved that my presentation was over, my eyes welled and my heart pounded as we listened to each of the five new resource boards make their presentations. Employers and educators, we are speaking the same language, the message spread. Need I tell you hoe we regarding this has been for me? Thank you.

Good afternoon, City Council President Street and members of City Council. My name is Jose Ortiz, and I am currently a 12th grade student at Kensington High School. I live in the 7th District, Mr. Mariano's district. 93 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 As a Kensington High School student, I have what is called a work-based learning position with CoreStates Bank. I currently work in the Commercial Loan Services Department under my mentor, Mr. James Wood. I would like to tell you a little more about myself and the opportunity that I have been given through the work of Kensington Cluster Resource Board. I am the oldest of four children. All of us attend public schools in Philadelphia. Two of us are in the Kensington cluster and the two youngest are in Edison cluster schools. My mom is a single parent, struggling to raise four children by herself. The only help she has right now is me, because I am the only one old enough to work. I receive a paycheck from my position at CoreStates. And with that money I have enough to help my mother with bills, and still put some aside for this very expensive senior year in high school. But this position at CoreStates Bank has meant more to me than just a paycheck. Before I 94 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 started working, my only aspirations were to graduate and go home and become, I guess, a couch potato. I never thought that I could ever walk into a place like CoreStates, forget about working there. I didn't think that I was good enough. I just couldn't see it. Now after the opportunity to work there, I see myself graduating, working, and hopefully making a lot of money. It has also helped me to understand that if I need help, there are people there to help me without making me feel ashamed. My mentor at CoreStates is one of those people. He helps me with whatever I need. His door is always open to me. I can talk to him about personal things like family problems or anything else that bothers me. Sometimes I don't go to him, but he comes to me if he thinks that there is something that I need to know or learn. My job and serving on the resource board have taught me things about myself that I never knew, things like being a leader. 95 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 On the resource board I have had the chance to work on projects where I get to help other students. I get to make a difference in their lives. I have also found out that I have what it takes to be a good student. I am smart enough. When I started in my work-based learning position, my grades weren't the best. Actually, they were really bad. Now I see As and Bs on my report card. It has been a long time since I have seen so many of them. I have made my mother proud and my mentor proud. I do things that I never saw myself doing things before, like speaking in public, presenting to City Council, and going and speaking out at community meetings. I am proud of who I have become. I hope that today we can make sure that other students get the chance to feel this way. They should have the chance to turn their lives around like I have done. Understand that this experience hasn't just changed my attitude about school, but 96 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 about my whole life. Now I want to do more than just work. I want to keep feeling like I am making things better. I want to go back to Kensington High School not just to visit, but to teach. I want to go back to teach electronics and computer technology. I want people to see that the negative picture that the media shows you of Kensington High School is wrong. What they show you on TV is not what's happening inside Kensington. Kensington is the place to be, and I am proud to be there. Thank you to all the people who have been in my corner and believe in me when I didn't believe in myself. And thank you, City Council, for listening. (Applause.)

Good afternoon, City Council President Street and members of City Council. My name is Ana Ortiz, and I am a student at Kensington High School. I live in the 7th Councilmanic District. I am the oldest of three 97 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 children, and the only girl. My brothers and I all attend public schools in Philadelphia. My brother is a freshman at Mastbaum High School, and my youngest brother is at Sheppard. My father and I are currently the only ones in my home who are working. Both my mother and my father are high school graduates who never had the opportunity to go to college, but they have passed their dream on to me. My parents have always encouraged me to get a college education. I have worked before, both in Councilman Mariano's office and at Price Waterhouse accounting firm. The work-based learning position that I have now is in CoreStates Legal Department, and it is allowing me to work in the field that I have always dreamt of, law. I love what I do because I get a chance to look through the cases and learn about what is going to be expected to me in my future career. My mentor at CoreStates is a wonderful woman that is sweet, sensitive, and really cares about me. She even checks on my grades and 98 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 helps me organize my time to get my school work done. There is always a connection between my mentor and school. I am also a member of the Kensington Cluster Resource Board. On the board, Jose and I are student advocates. We are there to make sure other Board members are always aware of student needs. One of the first things we did on the Board was to create a survey of what students really wanted and needed. Students told us that they wanted more books so that they could actually take books home to study, instead of having to leave everything at school. We went to the resource board with this need. And now we have books, so many we complain about having to carry them all home. Students were also upset about the bathrooms at our school. Once we got students to understand the responsibility of taking care of these new bathrooms, the resource board came through with new bathrooms. This may not seem like a lot to you, 99 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 but to the students at Kensington it meant a lot. It meant that someone actually cared about what they needed. And, to me, it meant that I really could make a difference in my school and my community. Another project Jose and I worked on was the Student Attendance Initiative. We put together a survey where students could talk about their attendance and the reason why they missed school. Jose and I called students to find out why they hadn't been to school. Some students told us that they had planned on dropping out, but because of our phone calls they came back to school. They explained to us that they didn't know anyone cared or even that anyone knew that they weren't there. Just think, we not only got involved in our school and learned to be leaders, but we helped make a difference for some of our students in school. I am happy to state that attendance has gone up at Kensington High School. These experiences have taught me that when we work together, we can accomplish anything. I have also learned what I need to do 100 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 to get to where I want to go. Thanks to my parents, my mentor and my teachers, I am getting there. And thanks to the work of the resource board, Kensington is getting what it needs to succeed. Thank you very much for your attention. (Applause.)

I am Mary Jane Clancy. My date of appointment is 8/92, and I am a produced resident of the 5th District. The remarks that you have just heard explain why we know that cluster resource boards 15 are the solution to the question posed by President 16 Street. 17 A cluster resource board supports and 18 enhances economic development, work force 19 development, and education reform at the 20 neighborhood level. It has but one focus, the 21 success of our children. 22 Currently, seven cluster resource boards are up and running. The Gratz partner has the lead partner of Tastykake and the Allegheny West Foundation. 101 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 The Ben Franklin cluster has the lead partner of Allegheny Hahnemann University Hospital. Kensington has CoreStates. The Northeast cluster has a lead partner of Crown Cork and Seal. The West Philadelphia cluster has a lead partner of the University of Pennsylvania, co-chaired by Mercy Health Systems. The University City cluster has the lead partner of the University of Pennsylvania. The Bartram cluster has the lead partner of PNC Bank, co-chaired by Dilworth, Paxson and Peat Marwick. We have verbal commitments from three other lead partners to begin boards. School To Career is unique, in that partners from all sectors of the city come together, leverage resources, and work to create a system that will provide this city with a well-educated, prepared work force, thus helping to create and sustain the economic viability of the city. Philadelphia has been fortunate in attracting foundation, state, and federal dollars to support this work. However, much of this support was intended as seed capital and will decline and 102 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 eventually disappear. Without adequate funding, School To Career will not continue. And, once again, the old perceptions of what can't happen in Philadelphia will begin anew and the future for our children, rather than being rosy, will be bleak. With adequate funding, the future for our children is bright, but we must have the dollars necessary to continue growing. The average in-kind contribution of each lead partner is over $200,000 per year, but they know it is worth it because they understand that their future viability as a Philadelphia business is intimately linked to their future work force. Thank you.

Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Clark.

Thank you, Mr. President. I just wanted you to see Nilsa's face when the students were speaking. If they had been her own children, she couldn't have been happier. 103 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 And we appreciate that enthusiasm on the part of the adults, both inside and outside the system. I would like to address my comments now to the woman who was from Temple. I am sorry; I didn't get your name.

Lori Shorr.

Thank you. Miss Shorr, Dr. Shorr, are you a Temple employee?

I am. I was hired the beginning of January, so I have only been there for two months.

Too bad, because you are getting ready to get it for Temple.

I will pass it on.

Because your comments were so understanding, but they were so at odds with what we just heard from Temple about their assessment of Philadelphia public school students. I am still stinging from that. And I really hate to take it out on you, because you haven't been there long enough to make a difference.

I understand.

Now, having said 104 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 that.

But, I need you to tell me now what it is you plan to say to Temple to have them change their mind on two counts. I could ask this of David Hornbeck, because I don't know the number. But I suspect that a large number of teachers in the Philadelphia public school system were trained in the teacher training facilities of Temple University.

That is correct.

And so to the degree that they are not turning out the kinds of students that Temple will accept has to be, in some part, Temple's responsibility. And I didn't hear that or see any of that in the President's comments. And I also need to know what Temple is willing to do, besides criticize, before they cut and run for suburban students.

Well, the first job I was given at this position, that was just put together at the Vice-Provost's Office, was to try to put together what all the initiatives are on campus. And it is fairly remarkable the 105 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 amount of work that Temple does with the public schools at this point. And part of what I am doing is putting those initiatives together so that we can make sure that we can help fund those and make them work even better. I can't really speak to President Leacoris' address. As somebody who was brought on to help to work with the public schools, those newspapers on my breakfast table were, you know, shocking to me, and not exactly what I was told when I was hired at the university, that they wanted me to come on and do a good job working with the public schools.

Just before they pulled the rug from under you.

Yes. But I should say that the person who hired me at Temple is a new hire, Vice-Provost Susan Albertine. And she, on many public and private occasions, has said that she sees Temple as being a flagship for the urban schools and wants to see us put or money and our concentration in those schools, 106 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 and she is my direct boss. I have never actually even met Peter Leacoris, so I can't really speak to his vision. I basically know what you know from the papers. But I do know that a lot of the good work that's done at the university is done at the level sort of farther down than what he actually probably keeps his hands on the pulse of, if you know what I am saying.

Quite frankly, I do know him and have high regards for him. He was my dean in law school. And I live within walking distance of Temple University, and have endured all kinds of inconvenience as a result of traffic diversion while you build your latest project. And let me send you my continuing complaint, so you can register this again, no, we are not going to close 13th Street. Before anybody asks, the answer is no closing 13th Street. But on the issue of education, is Temple a reluctant or an enthusiastic partner here?

Temple is an incredibly enthusiastic partner here. I think part of -- 107 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138

Tell me your connection with Temple.

Just through the Cluster Resource Board and working with Temple with our high schools. And I think President Leacoris' remarks were hard for all of us to hear and unfortunate. Because if we look at what Temple has been doing with the Cluster Resource Board now for months in terms of work-based learning, of having 12 students on campus last summer for educational 13 programs, of assigning a professor to work with us 14 and work with how teachers are teaching and how kids 15 are learning and how we can get that better for 16 kids' admissions into Temple, there isn't continence 17 with the President's words. 18 Because their commitment of the staff at Temple, who we have worked with, has been very supportive for our children.

Is the President telegraphing to us through that comment his future intent?

I think that you should probably take that up with him or -- 108 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138

Oh, I will. But he sent you here. Okay? Unfortunately, he is not here. Now, he will tell you that he is going to hear from me.

Well, I think also if you could meet or if we could come meet from the Vice-Provost's Office, come down and meet with you and talk about your concerns. I think that's what's unfortunate is that the many, multiple, various committed initiatives that are on Temple's campus never make the front page of the Inquirer.

Well, the President could have said them when he slandered all of the students in the Philadelphia schools. Okay? If he had just prefaced it with, we do this. But, no, all he said was slash and burn.

Right. I agree.

I am very upset about it, as you might have already picked up. And I plan to be heard on this issue many times more than once, on this issue.

I mean, as somebody whose 109 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 position it is to make sure that we are successful in our commitments to the public school, I will appreciate any insight and partnership that we can have. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco.

Thank you, Mr. President. One of the questions I had before the young lady from Kensington spoke was, how do we find out what the students' concerns are and how we reach out to them. And I am glad to hear you that you surveyed students and why they are not coming to school. And I think that's very important, that they feel that someone does care and they know that they are not there, and we are doing it, because you are their peers. It is important. 110 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 So you answered my question. And I congratulate both of you, as well as the team. I have a question about the Lead Partners Program. Is it up to the cluster to recruit the lead partner, or do you provide the lead partner?

Actually, the Superintendent and Rosemary Grecco go out to recruit lead partners. What we want to do -- we don't ask the cluster do it. We ask the cluster to provide us with the names of partners they may be working with. But we have to do of these. So 16 the Superintendent and Rosemary Grecco go out, meet 17 with the CEOs of corporation, or the President of 18 the university, and say, "We really need your 19 commitment and your help, and this is what we would 20 like you to do." And they present to them, and then 21 usually people sign on. 22 Because one of the things that we found that is very powerful about the Cluster Resource Boards are that in fact, lead partners, businesses in the city, really want to work and make 111 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 a difference with children. They also understand the economic necessity of it. It is giving them a forum that they can work in, that they can feel that they really are making a difference, that they can bring other people to the table to leverage resources. And when you lay that out, it makes economic sense to them, and it also makes sense to them for their altruistic reasons.

Because, you, know I did not hear the Olney cluster, nor the Martin Luther King Cluster.

That's right. And we will get to all 22. As we have the resources, we will get to all 22. Hopefully by the end of next year. We will be to ten by the end of this year. And it is interesting how it is beginning to gain momentum among businesses in the city. So hopefully we will get to all by the end of next 22 year.

Because certainly Martin Luther King and Olney are in my district. 112 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 But Olney particularly needs the special help that this team building and the partnering can bring. And we do have a permanent principal there. We are happy that Dr. Hornbeck has made that appointment. So we don't want you to wait too long to get to them, because they certainly need to have some support over there.

And I also invite members of Council, if you have, in fact, any lead businesses that you work with, to really talk to us about it, let us know it. We are very happy to go out and pursue those businesses. Also, some members of Council will going to be sitting on Cluster Resource Boards. People are starting to understand this is about leveraging support and are asking for Councilmembers to sit.

One other question I have is, how are we preparing our youngsters for the whole field of new technology? I have a question for Dr. Hornbeck. He had said something in his 113 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 testimony about the inability to -- he said on of his testimony that the budget does not allow us to reduce class size or provide extra time for help after school, or in the summer for students in academic trouble, or keep all schools open for latchkey children from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., or provide proper support to technology to meet the capital needs of our aging infrastructure. How does that impact on your ability to educate and train the students to go out into the world of work? Or does it.

Let me just give a very brief answer, and then I think the Superintendent can probably give a more in-depth answer. I think that one of the things that's very important -- and, again, I primarily work with the high schools -- we have been able now, in all of the high schools, to make sure that there are good computer labs. We don't have the computers that we need in classrooms, but we know that there are up-to-date computer labs. Some high schools have been very innovative in training programs. University City and George Washington 114 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 have both started computer repair programs, where business donate used computers, students have been trained, and actually Novell certified, to repair computers, and then they turn around and provide them at a much reduced cost to the School District. So we have good computer repair training programs. We are also beginning network wiring programs for students. So in terms of the vocational area in the School To Career area, I think that we have made some good progress in really preparing kids for futures in technology. We can always do more. But I think if you talk to teachers, they would all also say to you that they could certainly use much more technology in the classrooms.

I think that's all right now, Mr. President. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Can we have Dr. Hornbeck and President Floyd back at the witness table.

Can I say 115 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 something --

Certainly.

-- specifically about the Kensington cluster, and as to what leadership can mean in this whole process? Because sometimes we obviate how change comes about. And I know a lot of people are saying that money, and we like to throw money out. But without money, and the limited resources that Kensington, and specifically Kensington High School, has had, a great change has come about specifically in that high school. And it is because, one, of the energetic leadership of Eddie, Eddie Torres. I said he was a dancer, but he is first and foremost a very committed educator. And he has done an incredible, incredible job, together with the cluster leader, one of my close friends. But they have changed, I think, the atmosphere and the perception. And they have changed the perception that teachers have. And the attendance, if you go back, of teachers -- not of students, but of teachers -- 116 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 has risen, just as the attendance of students at Kensington. That used to be over 55 percent absentee rate, at that point, and today we have that absentee rate going down and down and down. And I think it is because, one, the leadership, the involvement of the teachers, the involvement of the students in the overall educational process. And that takes place when we have and we allow people -- because at one point Eddie, they said, wasn't qualified, and they threw out all of this other stuff. And when a person is given the opportunity to lead, he leads. And the kids show it, and the kids know it, and they have the commitment of the community behind them. So it is something that happens without all of the resources being there, but it is what leadership can do to turn a school around. And I think Kensington is part of that process. (Applause.)

And on that high note, on that high note, we would like to get the 117 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 Superintendent and President of the Board. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Mr. President, I appreciate your and members of Council hearing those two presentations. Because they Danielle is a kindergartener. And this isn't about some small program someplace. This is about every single elementary school in Philadelphia. And School To Career, on the other hand, is also not a little program. We have grown from 40 kids, like the two young people that you saw from Kensington High School, four years ago, to 3,000 this year, provided work site learning opportunities by 300 employers. And so we just wanted Council to have a sense of what is really going on in insignificant ways. But I do appreciate your indulgence.

Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Fernandez.

Thank you, Mr. President. Is this the time for questions about broader policy, not the details of the budget; 118 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 right? First, going back to your earlier presentation, Superintendent Hornbeck and Mr. Alson, as you were talking about the fiscal crisis facing the schools and how crucial it is, and how you have a concerted long-range strategy of how to fill this budget gap, and that, in fact, last year the School District, the city Administration, and many in Council stood up to say, you know, enough is enough, we have to, in your term, draw the line in the sand, because of this serious budget gap, it reminded me of when I first got involved in education around our own kids, and that was years ago, when there was 15 a long school strike, three months, in the middle of 16 winter in -- it was the winter of '73. And it was a 17 very, you know, serious loss for all of our 18 children. 19 And we learned later, like three or 20 four months later, after the strike had been 21 settled, that it appeared to have been a calculated 22 strategy to have the schools close long enough to 23 make up the budget gap. And then schools reopened, 24 and they made it through the next year. 25 But the following year there was 119 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 still the budget gap that had been temporarily plugged by the school strike. And then they started a series of every other year, there would be cuts, after cuts, after cuts. And so I just wanted to say for the public record, I think the very up-front strategy that you have taken, where full warning is given to all the parties, and it is backed up by serious legal suits that point out the inequity of funding and the fundamental problem, I, for one, want to, I think it is very clear, join you in that kind of strategy. And I would draw a big difference from this strategy, that may ultimately, if things can't be worked out, lead to the closing of schools, that would be a very different kind of strategy than the one that my kids experienced back in '73, when there was a covert strategy, essentially, to close the schools temporarily to fill a budget gap. But I was wondering, we are hearing some of the same questions now when you announced the possibility of the ultimate trump card would be to say, look, we are bankrupt, we have run out of money, the state will have to do what the state 120 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 needs to do. And then the cries came, you are hurting our children. So could you, for this public forum, address that issue, of the feeling on the part of some, or the perception that perhaps this strategy, which has been very up front, clear to all parties, will hurt our children if it goes all the way and if we can't negotiate some accommodation with the state? SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Yes, Councilwoman Fernandez, I would be glad to. One of the reasons that we have sought to be so clear from the beginning of the facts, and have pursued the notion that you will know it when we know it, is so that everybody understands that this isn't a problem that the School Board has or the Superintendent has; this is a citywide issue. Let me say two things about this proposition that we are hurting the kids. I simply don't accept the notion that this action is our action. This action is the Commonwealth's action. This is the Commonwealth's refusal to deal with our children properly. 121 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 Secondly, I think that it has got to be clear that, as I suggested in my remarks, that the Commonwealth has been hurting our children for many years. Seven out of ten of our children have been, in effect, tied to those train tracks, with the Commonwealth, in effect, running over them for years. This is not about something that's going to happen in the future; it is something that has happened now.

And unless or until elected leaders and school leaders and School Board leaders and parents and community leaders stand up and say, you can't continue to hurt 70 percent of our kids, the Commonwealth has made crystal clear that they are just perfectly pleased to carry on and keep doing this to us year, after year, after year, after year. The real crisis is that litany of things that I laid out in my testimony; the kids who are dropouts, the kids who graduate and can't read, and so on and so forth. And let me say one other thing that we are working on right now. And I don't have all 122 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 the plans for it, so I can't tell you the whole nine yards. But the young man, Paul Mueller, who is on our Board of Education as the student representative said to me one day, so what happens to those of us who are seniors next year if we have to close down? And my answer at that time was, truthfully, I don't know. But I have done a lot more thinking about it since then. And it is my own view that we ought to work out a way in which we protect the seniors, if we should have to close down in March and April. That is to say, we ought to carry on their instructional program. And if that meant we had to close five days earlier, so be it. But I think it is important to protect them. Secondly, I do think it is important that community organizations, churches and other organizations and the schools, need to work together so our youngest children particularly, those in kindergarten through the 4th grade, for example, have safe havens that they could go to if it should come to the eventuality for a period of time that 123 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 the schools are actually shut down. So I think that we have to do, all of us, as much as we can to protect the sort of essential well-being of kids, but it is not possible to continue down that pike and pretend, as the Commonwealth seems to want to, to, in a sense, just cut everything in sight, never mind that it is going to, in effect, kill seven or eight out of every ten of our kids, just in the name of keeping the door unlocked in the morning. That is not education. And basically what all the leadership has said is, no more.

Just let me add, I could certainly support what the Superintendent has just said. But let me add that I have been around a little longer in the system than David Hornbeck. And we tried it the other way. We tried to make children fit into a budget before. And, as a result, we had the kind of dropout rate and the kind of low academic achievement that you know of. We also have deteriorating buildings. We have all kinds of deferred 124 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 maintenance that we just put off and said, well, we will do it next year. We did that year, after year, after year. So it is not like we have a big choice here this year. This was not a momentous choice, while we did deliberate and struggle with the decision. But we really didn't have a lot of choice. And so we are taking the position that this is the time to make the ultimate choice. We are not doing it at the expense of children. We are not doing it at the expense of anyone. We are just saying, we have to have a bona fide legitimate school system, or we won't operate one.

And, again, I would say as someone to lived through all those years as a parent with having kids in schools, to have the cuts, threats of cuts, constantly was very disruptive. It took so much time and energy on the part of parents and students and everybody in the school to first try to stave off the cuts. And then once they were there, to try to adjust. 125 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 And all the political energy that was used to sort of deal with this -- really it was a spring ritual, as it turned out to be. So, again, I think it is a gutsy strategy. But I think looking back, I like you, Mr. Alston, can look back to those years where there was such a destructive impact on our schools. One other question I have was around the charter schools. I know there are now have 11 been approved; is that right? SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: 13 altogether; 4 in the first year and 11 more about 14 four weeks ago. 15

Again, I think they are a positive and interesting experiment. Back in the old days there was something called alternative schools, so there are charter schools today. One of my concerns, however, is -- and could you review it for this record -- what kinds of evaluation and accountability standards are there for these charter schools, particularly in terms of finances and financial audits, but then 126 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 also measurement and evaluation and accountability in terms of achievement? SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Each of the charter schools on the financial side is subject to financial audit. I mean, not subject to; we do them. So that the kinds of records are kept, and adjustments are made in the payment of monies to the schools reflecting the numbers of students. And this is an ongoing thing during the course of the school year. So there is a monitoring system in place to make sure that we don't pay the schools more money than they have earned by virtue of their students. And, also, so that we know that the monies have been spent legally in the process. With respect to student achievement, The board set certain conditions for the operation of charter schools. And one of those conditions is that, in effect, the charter schools are subject to the same accountability provisions that the regular public school system is. They must take, for example, the SAT 9. And one of the factors that would clearly be 127 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 taken into account in the course of reconsidering their charter is, in fact, how they did on the SAT 9. And in the same way that a regular School District public school could, in effect, lose its charter under ultimate circumstances, through reconstitution, so can a charter school, public school, as a consequence of not producing the achievement with children to which each has committed itself. (Clark assumes the Chair.

Could you revoke that charter at any time, or at the end of any school year? SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Well, of course, we haven't tested that. But if they are not living up to the charter, and the charter has some very specific things in it, then my view would be that, yes, we could. We obviously would in each instance try to help the charter school meet the conditions of its charter. But if it were, in effect, so egregious in its conduct and its provision of 128 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 service to kids that we were convinced that children were being hurt, we would have to consider revoking the charter.

I would be particularly concerned also about the financial auditing and accountability, since our extra public dollars are put into it, to make sure those dollars are being spent in a responsible way. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Well, they are being spent legally. The point of charter schools is that they are one step or more removed from the kind of scrutiny around the individual expenditures that we might subject a school within the School District to. So we don't monitor those individual decisions in that way. But that they are spent legally, with respect to staff and books and so on, that would emerge as part of the auditing process.

One last question. The State Commission, the State Education Commission, came out with its report that had a number of recommendations that seemed to 129 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 mirror some of what the Children Achieving addenda is doing, like smaller classes and kindergarten for children and after-school programs, yet there was one in it that really troubled me, and that was the one about dividing the School District into 7 separate school districts, with elected boards. 8 And to me that seems like a serious 9 diversion from the reform agenda that is now moving 10 ahead, and also from the essential function of the 11 school, which is to have teachers teaching and 12 children learning. And my sense is, it would be a 13 big distraction from that central mission. 14 Could you share for this record, what 15 is your feeling about that proposal? 16 SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: I share 17 your view, that there were many recommendations in 18 the Urban Education Commission's report which are 19 really quite positive and which we support. 20 The 22 district proposal is not one 21 of those. That's a very misguided idea, for a 22 number of different reasons. First of all, as I have stated elsewhere, it is my own view that it would, if passed, become the education patronage and 130 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 bureaucracy act of 1998. I think one of its principal results would be just the unnecessary growing of a bureaucracy. (President Street resumes the Chair.) SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Secondly, there are things that we ought to try about which we don't know whether they will work. This is not one of those. New York State actually tried a similar proposal from 1968 until last year, so it had a 29-year trial period. It was a miserable failure. And as a consequence, the legislature of the State of New York repealed most of the authority of those Boards last year. Third, it is beyond my comprehension how one would design a finance system that, out of these baronies, that would result in more equity, rather than less equity. And, fourth, I think it would do serious damage to our continuing effort to achieve school desegregation. All of the students, in effect would retreat back into the enclaves in which they functioned. 131 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 And unless the legislature provided that, you know, kids from Strawberry Mansion, for deseg purposes, could be bussed to Radnor or Lower Merion or some place that way, or kids on the other side of town be bussed up into Montgomery County and maybe some up into the Northeast and so on, it seems to me that the objectives of desegregation would be seriously impeded. And I haven't seen those busing patterns as part of the proposals at this point.

I was going to say, I don't remember seeing anything about that. That would have made it even more controversial. One last question. It seems to me, just from driving around, noticing different schools in our neighborhoods, it seems like you have made great progress in cleaning graffiti off the outsides of schools. And I can remember so clearly schools that used to be, really, I think, a disgrace both for the community and the students, are now cleaned off. Do you have an assessment of how many 132 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 schools, at least on the outside, now are essentially graffiti free? SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Almost all of them. If your standard is, has it become a day-to-day sort of challenge, as opposed to -- maybe the first phone call I ever got from you three and a half years ago was about William Penn High School. And I am not sure I had seen William Penn at that point, but I certainly went down and looked at it, after you raised it with me. And it was one of those instances in which you couldn't find any wall because it was so filled with graffiti. And there are only, according to our figures that I have received, actually, in the last week, there are only six schools in the district that still have the kind of William Penn problem; that is, where even though we have taken hard shots at it, we are still fighting a losing battle. In the others, we are at a point where particularly strong efforts from principals and members of Local 1201, almost literally, the first thing they do every morning is walk out the 133 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 door and look to see if there is any graffiti, and they paint over it or remove it or whatever. And so we have made huge progress on that front. The battle is certainly not over. It is a daily, weekly battle. But we have, with a lot of effort from the Managing Director's Office and principals and the building engineers, we are making that progress. And, as I say, our numbers at this point suggest that there are only six or seven that still fall into that, my goodness, what are we going to do with that, context.

Well, that is amazing progress in a relatively short period of time. So I would like to publicly thank the School District employees. I know the custodians have been very helpful, and principals who are very vigilant. It has really made a difference in some of the neighborhoods as I have gone by and seen the dramatic change.

Let me add, Councilwoman Fernandez, that the graffiti problem, as you have indicated, has significantly improved. But it goes 134 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 further than the graffiti problem. If you go into the buildings themselves now, there are major improvements in the appearance of the buildings. I am talking about things like hallways and bathrooms and auditoriums. We just had a tremendous backlog of work to do in all of those areas. And there is a significant difference in many, many schools along that line. So I think the graffiti is very noticeable, it is obvious. But when you go into the buildings, you see major changes, improvements.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Clark.

Superintendent, how are you doing today? SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Very well, thank you, ma'am.

Assure me that a promise made by Jeanette Brewer over the years has 135 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 been taken care of. Remember we used to talk about books? One of the things she had said before she left was, I want to solve this myself before I leave. Do we now have a sufficiency of books problem? Let me change it. Do we have a sufficiency of instructional materials other than technology? SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: In English, math, science, and social studies, the answer to that is yes. Under Jeanette's leadership, she really did attack it with all the resilience and vigor and aggressiveness of which Jeanette is capable. We have increased the book budget every year. And this budget reflects that, as well, 50 percent beyond where it was two years ago.

Okay. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: We became --

Just give me the 136 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 dollar amount that you are spending on books, if you will, please. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: It is about million. 6 And we have become sufficiently 7 confident of how close we are to really truly having 8 nailed that down, that we launched now about six 9 weeks ago or so an 800 number, and publicized it 10 widely, for kids and parents and teachers and 11 advocates, and whomever, who run across a kid, or a 12 class full of kids, who, for whatever reason, they 13 don't think have sufficient books, to call us, so 14 that we can be back in touch with them and actually, 15 you know, fill in any holes. 16 And we have got, and would be pleased 17 to share with you, daily logs of who called, what 18 the problem was, which school it was, which class it 19 was, and what we did about it. 20

I am not 21 interested in it to that detail. 22 But can you, having read and analyzed it yourself, say to me that it is at least a problem that has been tamed, if not totally solved? SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: 137 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 Absolutely.

Councilwoman Clark,, I just want to let you know that in your packet of materials there is a complete report on textbooks that might be helpful to you. It deals with the details of the dollars, distribution, all facets of the book situation. I think you will find it good reading.

And the conclusion is that for those persons in certain subject areas, sufficient materials are available -- and now this is the zinger on the question -- and may be taken home, if desired -- SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Yes, ma'am.

-- by the student? SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Yes, ma'am.

So that I don't have to worry about going to a community group and being asked, how come my kids don't have books to bring home? SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Not 138 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 legitimately. There is still the residue of the view under there.

Well, they were under the misunderstanding that we are no longer able to do that.

In the few instances where you receive that kind of complaint, it is corrected immediately.

Fine. Okay. That's a problem solved; right? A problem solved. I believe you have spoken generally to this problem. But another perception in the community is that we went from 10 districts, to 22 clusters, expanding several times over the number of administrators to go from 10 to 22. Could you briefly speak to that, because I have five other subjects I want to explore. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Yes, ma'am. The administrative costs of the District today are just below what they were in, I think it was, 1992. We dipped way down. And it is up by 139 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 about $10 million now, but we are still slightly below where we were six years ago, despite doing all the new stuff we are doing. And I guess more telling is the fact that the Mayor laid on the table a moment ago, which comes from figures from the State Department of Education, that we now spend more in the classroom and less on administration than is spent on average in either the 61 surrounding school districts or in the other 500 school districts in Pennsylvania.

Let me ask you directly, have we reached the optimum relationship between administrative dollars and instructional dollars? Because that's really what the argument is, isn't it? That they spend the money on administrative dollars, which are not direct classroom expenditures. So if you could just address that issue, I will move to my next point. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Pretty doggone close. There are places that emerge that worry me, which is why I put it that way. For example, we reduced the amount of nurse supervision and put the money in the schools. 140 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 I have been hearing from some nurses recently who suggest to me that we went too far. So there are going to emerge from time to time -- last year we got 900 new teachers. That's twice the number we normally get. We didn't have the administrative support to provide mentors for all 900. We went too far. So there are these little things around the edges.

Now you are fine tuning it? SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: That's correct. But we are pretty doggone near the point of the right balance.

Let me take you to a pet peeve of mine, truancy. I very much believe that we need to insist that children go to school regularly and on time. But I am having some real problems with Truancy Court, and I will tell you what my concern is. It is my understanding that there is no standard time that school begins and there is no 141 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 standard time that school ends; is that true? SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: For all 259 schools, you mean? No. 5

All 213,000 students. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: No. There are different times in different schools.

And that there are some schools that require students to be upon the public highway while they are in school; is that not true? I am thinking now of schools like the Parkway, schools without walls. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Where they have to travel, you mean, to get to school?

Where they have to travel from one school site to near school site, and that would require them to be up on the public highway. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Well, even more, you have to travel to get there in the morning and go home in the afternoon.

Well, I am less interested in that than I am in the course of going 142 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 to school, in the course of a school day, you may be upon the public highway to go from your English course over, to your science course over here. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: There may be a handful of those, but, boy that's sure not --

If there is one, I am going to make my case on, if there is one. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Okay. There must be one.

Okay. And expressly what I don't want is to require American students to have passes to be on public highways. That's what we had in South Africa. We ain't even trying to do that; right? We don't want to get to the point where every person who appears to be of school age is subject to a sidewalk sweep because somebody thinks that he or she might be truant. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Right.

That's the problem that I have with truancy. Every failure to attend school, Mr. Superintendent, is not in, of, and by itself truancy, is it? 143 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: That's correct.

Every failure to attend is not truancy. I am not certain that we have a good working definition of what truancy is. Everybody knows, or believes they know, what it is. I think people have little Norman Rockwell, Saturday Afternoon pictures in their head, little freckled-face boys, with pants rolled up, with a fishing pole on their shoulder. That's not what truancy is in Philadelphia. And so I do want to encourage every effort to make sure that children attend school regularly and on time. But I don't want us to suspend civil rights of students. I don't want us to give over to police an unfettered right to sweep the pavement. I have real difficulty with it. It is going to be a thorny problem. I need you to give me a two- or three-page executive summary on what the problems are and what your proposed solutions are, short of suspending civil rights. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: We will be 144 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 glad to do that. And we have even more aggressively stepped up our attention to the issues after tend answer because, as you observe, if the kids aren't there, we can't teach them. And, unfortunately, in elementary schools in Philadelphia, we have about a 7 or 8 percent absenteeism rate each day. But in middle school it grows to 15 percent. And in high school, 25 percent. And 70 percent of our schools last year improved their attendance because of our focus. And the biggest single program, if you will, that we have with attendance is school based. You heard it described by Councilman Ortiz with respect to Eddie Torres a few minutes ago. I mean, Eddie, for example, I don't know if he mentioned this particular one, but Eddie grabs a bunch of names in the morning of kids that aren't in school, and then he goes and bangs on their door and says, "We need you in school so we can do our job with you." Now, that is an illustration of the point of view. 145 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 But we will be pleased to provide you with a brief summary of what we are up to and how we intend to increase attendance without suspending or otherwise violating the civil rights of our young people.

I appreciate that.

Can I ask a followup?

Excuse me. Councilwoman Fernandez, we are going to have to have order here in this chamber. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Fernandez.

Thank you, Mr. President. We sit so close, we got used to talking to each other. I would just like to know, I think you should be commended for what the School District has been doing to try to treat truancy and absenteeism as a warning sign for some students that there is trouble somewhere, might be trouble in school, it might be trouble at home. But whatever it is, to see truancy as 146 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 a warning signal that the adults, you all in the school, but I also would add the police out in the communities, saying, we need to pay attention to kids who are not in school and may be wandering the streets. So I would fully agree with you, Councilwoman Clark, any activities need to clearly respect the civil rights of the students who are citizens. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Absolutely.

But I think it should be noted that in the one district or division of the city where the police measured crime during those school hours between before and after when the police started to assign two officers to take young people who were out in the street, to get them back to the school or to their home, crime in those districts dropped 50 percent. So it does no good to let our kids be out there and be getting into trouble, and that's crime on the streets. Lord knows what might be going on if kids are just left home. And the major message that came from 147 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 young people was, when finally someone clamped down on them, they felt someone really cared. And I would second that as a parent. I think young people do need limits. And it is up to us as adults to make those expectations clear and make sure that our kids know we care about where they are, and mainly want them in school during school hours. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: I agree with that. And I am absolutely convinced that it is possible to do that, while maintaining respect for the young people.

Respect in addition. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: I think we agree.

I think we are on the same side of this issue. However, it is just very important, I think, every now and then to stop and restate that abridgement, suspension of rights is never justified, no matter how laudable the goal. And the more people you have deciding 148 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 when a person may exercise the right, the more likely it is that that right is going to be lessened in some way. But I do agree with Councilwoman Fernandez that a failure to attend school regularly is as good a signal as a school is ever going to get that something is going on that needs the school's attention. I think that some students got the notion that coming to school was optional, when there was nobody whose job it was to see to it that they came to school.

Excuse me, Councilwoman Clark, I would like for you to assume the Chair. Unfortunately, I have a parental responsibility that I have to take care of at this time. It involves a ten year old. And at the conclusion of this discussion, Councilwoman Clark will announce that this committee will stand in recess until tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock. (Councilwoman Clark assumes the Chair.) 149 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138

The Chair still recognizes Councilwoman Clark. I just moved my Chair; I didn't finish. I would like to give you an opportunity to expend some more on the issue of the variance in per-pupil funding, the $2,000 shortfall that this district sustains per pupil per year. And what things might we do, how much money would have come to us but for that discriminatory failure and refusal to fund, which is, I guess, what our lawsuit alleges? SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Yes, Councilwoman Clark. The gap between us and the average that is spent per pupil in the 61 districts, in the four surrounding counties, has grown from about $950 to just slightly over $2,000 in the last five years. And I emphasize that that is the average. To come at that in a different way, the gap between Philadelphia and Radnor in '95-'96 was actually $5,400, which would be a $160,000 gap between a classroom of 30 students in Radnor and a classroom of 30 students in Philadelphia. Similarly, $5,300 separates us and 150 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 Lower Merion, and $4,100 us and Jenkintown, by way of example. But to go back to the average, it is $2,000. That's $60,000 for between us and each class of 30 kids just to cross Cheltenham or Stenton or City Line Avenues. And the kinds of things that that would produce, lower class size. If you spent it just on that, you could end up literally cutting our classes in half. We would quickly be able to meet our objective of one computer for every six students, and, which is equally important, provide the kind of support for the technology in terms of staff development and the use of the technology and the maintenance and assistance that is always necessary to maintain the technology. I would be able to say to you, very quickly, under those circumstances, I told you with respect to books a little while ago, that we had dealt with the problem essentially with English,, math, science, and social studies, I would be able to say to you absolutely, no doubt but that we have covered health and we have covered economics and we 151 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 have covered all the other book areas where we still have, in some instances, issues that we are struggling with. So whether it is books, it is computers, it is people, we would be able, with just $10 million in the entire City of Philadelphia, to keep all 259 schools open in after school. We would be able --

Mr. Hornbeck, as enticing as your answer is to my brilliant question, I wonder if you could give it to us in writing, so that I can give Mr. DiCicco opportunity to ask a question, and still get us out at a reasonable time. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: I would be delighted to do that.

I would love to have not just the average, but the actual comparison of Philadelphia County to the actual School District to be relevant to us in comparison. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: I would be pleased to do that.

The Chair now recognizes Councilman DiCicco. 152 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Thank you, Madam Chair. I think it should be noted for the record you recognized me, due to the fact that I am the only person here besides you from Council. You gave me the sign that said you are next. I keep looking around. Anyway. Good afternoon, Mr. Hornbeck. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for giving me the opportunity to meet a number of my constituents today. I just want to do a quick followup on Councilwoman Clark's question as it relates to administrative positions. And if you don't have the answer, you can just supply it to the Chair tomorrow or what-have-you. The number of administrative positions that we currently have in the District today -- and if it is in here I apologize, I didn't get to my reading material yet -- and how that compares to what was the previous number of positions last year, and what costs that it may be, what costs it is to the district. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: I will 153 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 provide it to you specifically tomorrow, Councilman DiCicco. What we have done is provide you with The Realities Converge, Part Two. It came out yesterday morning. And it has a lot of very good material, including that kind of -- COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: If it is in there, then I will look for it. That was left on my desk this morning. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: To be specific, 1990-'91, just to put this in context, there was 1,439 administrative jobs. That went down to this year, this year, 1,072. So a little bit less than 400 less, about 30 percent cut during that period of time. Next year we project that it will go from 1,072 up about 30 positions. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: So roughly 1100? SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Yes, roughly 1100. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Okay. I am sure this question is going to come up sooner or later, so I will get it out now. 154 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 In light of the some of the articles that have been appearing in the paper recently concerning some of the bonuses and/or pay raises that the District has given, will be giving out, if they have not already given some of them out, how do you justify that, given the current status of the District's budget, the deficit that we are incurring, how do we justify that? Because, you know -- and in the spirit of what was said earlier today by Council President Street, and we all make assumptions, and I very early on said, well, we can't keep spending money. We have to make cuts. And I think you have done some marvelous things with the School District to date. But I think in that spirit, we still have to continue to ask those questions, so I am asking them. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Sure. I think that is perfectly legitimate. Two or three points. One is that the cabinet and I have been eligible for bonuses. I have rejected the performance bonuses in every year since my first year here. 155 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 And with respect to the cabinet for last year, the Board will make the decision as to whether or not they earned them. But if the Board determines that they earned them, they are not going to get paid them until or unless we solve our financial problem with the state. The same thing is true looking into the future. Secondly, the issue has been raised about the decision that the Board and I made about, I don't know, four weeks ago or six weeks ago, whenever it was, to extend the 3 percent pay increase that were enjoyed by the PFT members to the so-called non-represented employees, of which there are about, I don't know, 400 or so. And we did make that decision, again, on behalf of everybody in that instance but me. And I did not take that 3 percent. But as it relates to the other folks, let me say particularly with respect to my cabinet -- and let me focus particularly on the 22 cluster leaders -- each one of those individuals has a certificate of eligibility to be a 156 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 superintendent.

Each of those people, in fact, is 4 responsible for more faculty and more students under 5 much more difficult circumstances than the 6 superintendents in most, if not all, of the 61 7 surrounding school districts, and yet each one of 8 those individuals makes less money, despite more 9 responsibility, than do the superintendents in the 10 surrounding school districts. 11 Indeed, there are some of those 12 surrounding school districts in which senior 13 officials in those school districts, two and three 14 and four notches down below the superintendent, 15 actually make more money than our cluster leaders 16 with far more responsibility. 17 We actually lose principals to the 18 suburban districts because of salary increases of as 19 much as $25,000. 20 So it was my judgment, it was the 21 Board's judgment, that if we expect to maintain any 22 sense of change and momentum, that we can't go backwards. We already pay less, whether at the teacher level or in the administrative ranks, than 157 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 others supervising comparable numbers of teachers with comparable numbers of kids and, as I say, under exceptionally more difficult circumstances. So after the cabinet gave up their bonuses, and after they are eligible to do these certain things, it seemed to me like by far the wisest thing to do, to give them that 3 percent increase, along with the entire rest of the School District. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: I have no other questions for today, Madam Chair. Thank you.

Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Cohen.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have always been troubled by the question of vouchers. And then in addition to being troubled, I became confused when suddenly there arose the issue of vouchers or something like it within the public schools, chartered schools, which to me just seemed to be another form of a voucher arrangement within the public school system, and has been kind of plaguing me. 158 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 And I haven't been able to resolve it until two days ago, in a convention, political convention, a state candidate got up and said, in very clear, unquestioned terms, I am against vouchers, whether it is vouchers for private schools or vouchers within the public schools. Because within the public schools, vouchers will also create public schools for affluent communities and different public schools for the non-affluent. And suddenly it came together that that was really what was bothering me. And so I am troubled by the fact that vouchers have been issued for a number of schools. And I assume that maybe within some rank, there might be legitimacy to it; in other ranks it looks to me like it is maybe kind of the second best thing we could get. If we can't get vouchers for private schools, maybe we can create an area of influence in the public school systems. You know, what is your response to that? SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Well, my response is that I too am against vouchers. And I don't see how vouchers end up assisting the 159 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 education of most of our children. Obviously if some particular kid got a voucher and went someplace, it might help that individual child. But my view is that we have to create good places for kids to learn for all the kids, not just for a handful here or there. So I share your opposition to vouchers. I see a significant difference between vouchers and charters. Vouchers are things which one gives to individual children or their parents, and then they wander off and spend them wherever they want to. Charters are places, are institutions that have to conform to standards that are set by the Public School Board of Education, in this instance. And as in my discussion about this with Councilwoman Fernandez a little while ago, it permits us to be sure that the students in that public school charter school meet the same assessment requirements that the kids do in our own school, in the regular public school. 160 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 We can monitor the audit the spending in that school, as well. We can ensure that the school meets certain racial balance guidelines, that we couldn't monitor if we just gave the check to a parent or a kid to wander off and spend wherever he wanted. So that the attention to achievement and equity can be done in a manner vis-a-vis the charter school, but simply not possible with the voucher. Coming at it in a slightly different way, it is also possible to have a charter school that has a new way of approaching education, and one can actually watch how that school functions. And you can actually use that school, then, potentially as an exemplar for use back in the regular School District. If you give off a voucher to somebody and they just wander off and go wherever they want, that doesn't contribute to the development of exemplar or best practice kinds of programs. So I remain very strongly against voucher programs. But I think that charter programs, save for the fact that they increase our 161 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 deficit, I have a problem with that. But as an institution, the charter school does have, in my view, merit that is distinctive from the voucher.

Doesn't it have a tendency to take the cream in certain areas, thereby depriving the other groups that are left of the stimulus that comes from, you know, having the cream in whatever field it is, whether it is music or art or English or mathematics, or science? SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Well, it is one of the areas that the Board of Education has a responsibility to monitor. But, as a matter of fact, in the first four charters, I think it is fair to say that there is a very significantly larger proportion of, I guess I would call them, uncreamed students than there are creamed students. Now, that's only four schools.

That's the reason I stated in my statement I thought in some areas it might be justified. I was thinking of that kind of grouping that might have a lot of merit. But I am concerned about depriving 162 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 across the board classrooms of talent that may be competitive, of talent that can challenge them, of talent that can be shared with all the students. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Well, it is something about which we need to be vigilant. But it is also possible -- I think of the charter school Youth Build, for example. And the only way you can be in Youth Build is to be a dropout. So they take the most uncreamed of the lot, and they have a very high success rate. It is really quite an outstanding program. So I don't think that you can connect charters with necessarily bad. You do need to remain vigilant, though, so that you don't have sort of creeping elitism in the process.

I guess the part, the bottom line of the voucher issue that probably disturbs me, and what you are alluding to, is the fact that the voucher system does not solve the public school's problem. It is an alternative for a few, but we still will have to life with the problem of underfunding of the school system. 163 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 And that's, I see that as a mechanism or excuse not to properly fund the system, where the large majority of our population will go.

And don't you end up with fewer resources once you have permitted the voucher system to take from public schools? You still have your problem, minus a few children who were probably not part of the problem. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Well, that is accurate. And in some ways, one of the things that worries me most about vouchers -- and frankly it even worries me a little bit about the charters -- is that either one might lead some people to think they have actually done something significant for the public schools. And as Mr. Alston says, charters or vouchers are not going to be the fundamental structural vehicle for --

Mr. Superintendent, I think anybody who characterized participating in vouchers or charters as helping public schools is just in pious 164 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 platitudes. What they are doing is fixing themselves. Now, there is something kind of clean and honest about saying, well, look out for me. But you don't get a chance to label it as some kind of socially good thing to do. And I am unpersuaded, as is Mr. Cohen. I have a lot to learn about charter schools to make me like them. At this present stage I do not like charter schools. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Well, I suspect that if you go and visit some of them, you will discover also some that you like better than you do others.

Well, I heard a description of Youth Build. I think that is probably a bad description of a charter school. It looks to me like a dropout reclamation program. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Well, they think they are a charter school and a dropout reclamation program.

Everybody learns how to use the buzz words to get where the money is. 165 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 I would say it is described much better as a dropout reclamation program than it is steering youngsters in some public school way, because it is just not so. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: I don't disagree. It is very early in the charter school game to see which way it cuts. And financially, at this point --

It adds to the deficit? SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: It absolutely adds, this year, $16 million to the deficit. If it were not for the charter schools that we have approved, the deficit would not be 85 million projected; they would be 69 million.

Well, Mr. Superintendent -- SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: 16 next year.

-- you need to go in another direction. Because I already didn't like it. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: We don't 166 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 try to hide these things from you, Councilwoman Clark.

I understand it.

I am not through. I only asked one question about charters. I just wanted to make sure that you were aware that that wasn't the end of my discussion. It is clearly the beginning.

I am now fully aware of it. You are now recognized.

To go to another question, I wanted to raise another question, because I do think we have to watch very vigilantly. I am aware that sometimes you have to take steps to maintain all portions of constituencies behind the public school, and we always have to look for things, you know, to either win new recruits to support our public schools, or to hold on to what we have. That brings me to the other question, the main funding of the funding, the strategy and so forth. It reminds me very much of what happened 167 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 when the government closed for about ten days when the legislative branch refused to make payments. And the question was, how would it ultimately be conceived, of who closed the government? Was it the president or was it the Congress? And I think the judgment here is going to be pretty much the same, if we ever get to that stage, as to who will be responsible. And I think a tremendous educational program, reaching into every community, has to be put forth if we are to get full understanding of what this crisis is about. I have full agreement with what you said. I think it would have been wrong to just continue on forever, because there was no solution to our problem here in Philadelphia on that route. And I think you more than gave all of us more than -- gave them every chance they had to show good faith. And I just think something had to be done. You coaxed them, you baited them, you negotiated with them, you brought one lawsuit, which I can't understand why the decision was the way it was, but it was that, and now you are in another 168 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 route. And I think it is an important step, and I support it fully. But I would like to see this become the subject of discussion everywhere in Philadelphia. Maybe we can't influence. And if you have a way of doing it, I think it would be good to do it out on the hinder lands. But sometimes the hinder lands are described as, in Pennsylvania, as being more like Mississippi than Mississippi itself is, and I just don't know, you know, to what degree. But I think we need to get out there. But mostly what we can do is get the understanding in Philadelphia. And I am hoping you are working with both political parties, and with any independent political parties that exist, with everything that exists to get an understanding that we are not choosing to close down the Philadelphia public schools, but we just, you know, are having to take action to defend ourselves, and that the actions really dictated by the Governor and the legislature in this case. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Your point 169 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 is very well taken, Councilman Cohen. The ball is, in fact, in the Commonwealth's court. The fact is that if the schools shut down, it will be the Governor and the legislature that shut the schools down.

Well, we have got to get Philadelphians to understand that. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: I agree. And to cease, in effect, the defensive posture that we found ourselves in for years, where the culprit, in effect, is defined as being here, when in fact this is a classic instance, historically, of blame the victim. We blame the kids, we blame the parents, we blame Philadelphia, and that is grossly misplaced. If the schools close next year, it will be the legislature and the Governor who close them.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I would like to follow on your question, Mr. Cohen. Having said that, I have to be somewhere at 5:30. 170 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 But what is the degree to which we have enlisted powerful Philadelphia entities on our side of this issue? Specifically, where is the chamber and the business community in supporting our insistence that the schools be fairly funded? We need to lean on our friends in the high-rise buildings, and have them join their voices with ours in insisting that our children deserve to be educated according to the state's constitutional requirement, and what is that language, a -- SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Thorough an efficient --

-- thorough and efficient. God knows we don't want to do all deliberate speed. But we need to do something that commits them to recognize that they have an obligation that you just can't talk away, and you can't outweigh this. So we do need those heavy hands and voices joined with ours. What is your effort along those lines? SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: There is a 171 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 great deal of conversation going on with corporate Philadelphia on this front. They have been very supportive in lots of other ways. The 300 employers producing the 3,000 work site slots, for example, and the strong fund-raising efforts that they have made, and the management and productivity task force and so on. And in this instance, if one were to review their testimony, for example, from the Greater Philadelphia First, in front of the Urban Education Commission, they are clearly on record as being supportive of additional funds and of observing that this myth about how we are the biggest bloated bureaucracy on the block just isn't true anymore. So they have been forthcoming in that way, but we have to continue to work with them, because it is going to take a genuine communitywide effort to make it work.

Well, I thank you very much. Let me suggest you have some more of those signs made and put them up at various intersections throughout the City of Philadelphia. 172 RESOLUTION 980131, 980138 It is a very attractive sign, and it give you a presence speaking quietly, but insistently, all over the city. And I do think you have to raise your profile. I congratulate you on the TV commercials which make people think and talk about public education. It is not going to happen just because it ought to, sir; it is going to happen because you fight for gain, and then show a willingness to and a capacity to retain a larger share of the public dollars. Goodness is its own reward only in heaven. On earth, you must lobby. SUPERINTENDENT HORNBECK: Advice well taken, Madam Chairperson.

Thank you. There being no further lights, this committee is in recess until 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. We thank you for your participation. (Public Hearing adjourned at 5:15 p.m.) - - - 173 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 Monday, March 9, 1998, were reported fully and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of same. RE: ^ _____________________________________ DEBRA A. WHITEHEAD, RPR