District's persistently dangerous schools reduced by nearly half
by Erika Owens on Oct 17 2011 Posted in Latest news
UPDATE: The state released the list, which differed from the version the District published from the state, Kristen Graham of the Inquirer reported. Gratz and Audenriend High Schools are on the complete state list.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education released its persistently dangerous schools list for 2011-2012. The number of Philadelphia schools on the list has decreased by 47 percent. Ten District schools made the list, down from 19 schools last year, with several Renaissance Schools dropping off.
The District schools removed from the persistently dangerous schools list include:
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Roberto Clemente Middle School (Promise Academy, cohort 1)
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Stephen Douglas High School
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Thomas FitzSimons High School
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Horace Furness High School
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Simon Gratz High School (Renaissance Charter, cohort 2) Gratz remained on the list. According to Graham, a District spokesperson said the District did not receive a fully up to date list.
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Olney East High School (Renaissance Charter, cohort 2)
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Olney West High School (Renaissance Charter, cohort 2)
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Overbrook High School
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Roxborough High School
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Edwin Vare Middle School (Promise Neighborhood Partnership charter, cohort 2)
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Roberts Vaux Middle High School (Promise Academy, cohort 1)
The District schools on the persistently dangerous schools list for 2011-12 include:
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Audenried High School
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Edison High School
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Fels High School
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Frankford High School
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Gratz High School
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Kensington Business High School
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Lincoln High School
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Northeast High School
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Sayre High School
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Shaw Middle School
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South Philadelphia High School
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Strawberry Mansion High School
Last fall, the District announced a "Focus 46" strategy to address school violence, with a goal of reducing the number of persistently dangerous schools to zero within two years.
Comments (13)
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/17/2011 - 17:20.
Wow, the wording of "Renaissance" schools coming off the list would make one believe it was many of the ones from the 1st cohort, when in fact it was many from the 2nd cohort that came off under actual School District leadership and "teachers that are horrible"! (please note the sarcasm)
Submitted by Erika Owens on Mon, 10/17/2011 - 17:25.
Yeah, identifying which cohort the schools are in was meant to clarify any potential confusion there. Clemente is the only school that was a Renaissance School during the reporting period.
Submitted by TheKeithNewman (not verified) on Tue, 10/18/2011 - 13:58.
Sorry, but that is incorrect.
VAUX HIGH SCHOOL (not middle school as it is being called, shouldn't the state know that we've been a high school for six years?) was in the first cohort of Promise Academies and had a culture shift towards a positive learning experience.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/17/2011 - 18:08.
Of course, the charters have to pretend and the press will do as told. Money Talks as always. Don't believe anything good about charters and you'll be much better off. Read John Baer's article today--money from the poor to be given to the pols and the rich--that's all they are.
Submitted by Timothy Boyle on Mon, 10/17/2011 - 17:23.
Do these numbers reflect serious incident numbers for 2010/2011?
Submitted by Erika Owens on Mon, 10/17/2011 - 17:27.
Yes, it's for incidents during the 2010-11 school year. The press release identifies it as the 2011-12 list, but that is pretty confusing since it's incidents reported from last school year.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/18/2011 - 05:11.
I find it very frustrating that NE continues to be on that list. While we do have serious incidents, we are the biggest school in the district and our incident/student ratio is certainly not in the persistently dangerous realm. I never have any fear in our hallways. Some of our students are a bit edgy and there are the typical "fighters," but really our hallways are pretty calm. I must add that I commend our administration and security staff this year so far, despite having lost officers and NTA's, I am seeing less hall roaming and more students moving in the right direction than I have for the last two years. I love my job.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/18/2011 - 06:19.
Roberts Vaux is now a high school, and also a Promise Academy, cohort 1.
Submitted by Erika Owens on Tue, 10/18/2011 - 10:54.
Thanks for the clarification. Should have double checked that listing from the District's press release.
Submitted by Erika Owens on Wed, 10/19/2011 - 09:46.
FYI, I have updated this post with the list on the state's website, and with info Kristen Graham reported yesterday. Audenried and Gratz High Schools are on the persistently dangerous schools list, but were not listed in the initial release from the District.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 12/05/2011 - 21:36.
The reason Roberto Clemente is off the list is because the data is fake... the school is still a mad house.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 12/14/2011 - 21:47.
Well, by the end of the year last year it wasn't. There was a big transformation from Sept of last year to June. Is it because about half of last years staff was forced to leave because of lay-offs?
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 02/06/2012 - 20:40.
The school would not be a "madhouse where it not for the poor administrators who spend more time gunning for hardworking teachers in order to protect their own reputations. Shame on Philadelphia for allowing the principal to remain in charge of that building. He has most of his underling administrators so fearful of his wrath that they would throw their own mothers under the bus.
That building has more than a fair share of hard working teachers who come in every day and put their hearts and souls into reaching these kids. What it does not have is an administrative staff that has as its first goal to develop programs that meet the needs of its population. When students are reading two and three years below grade level, you cannot have administrators who write special ed teachers up for modifying curriculum to meet the needs of the studens. Still, this is a routine occurence. Don't these people know that ieps, goals and objectives must be adhered to or the district could face a serious liability under the Americans with disabilities act? You want to see a major improvement in this school? Change the administrators..
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