New year, new superintendent, new challenges for Philly schools
by thenotebook on Sep 07 2012 Posted in Latest news
New Philadelphia Superintendent William Hite walks a contingent of AMY Northwest students to school on the first day of the new year.
By Benjamin Herold
for Newsworks, a Notebook news partner
Incoming Philadelphia Superintendent of Schools William Hite and other city education leaders officially kicked off the new school year Friday, focusing on the promise of a new beginning while largely putting to the side the mammoth challenges facing city schools.
"The first day of any school year always gives you the thought that you can accomplish anything," Hite told the students and staff of AMY Northwest Middle School during the District's annual bell-ringing ceremony.
"For school systems, it's always an opportunity to begin anew," Hite said.
Listen to Benjamin Herold's radio report
A crowd of more than 100 parents, community members, and dignitaries filled the school's concrete yard during the ceremony.
For parent Benjamin Frazier Jr. and his son Benjamin Frazier III, it was a morning unlike any other.
"I was really surprised for the superintendent to come to my home and have breakfast and talk to me," said the younger Frazier, a 12-year-old 7th-grader at AMY Northwest.
Frazier was one of a contingent of students who took public transportation to school with Hite, part of the District's effort to show that the relocation of the school from its former home in Mount Airy to its new home in Roxborough was a success.
"He seems like he's going to be a great new superintendent," Benjamin said of Hite.
A lifetime of first days for superintendent
A career educator with two children of his own, Hite said Friday's ceremony was just the latest in a lifetime of first days of school.
"I still get butterflies," he said.
The 51-year-old former teacher and principal was tapped to head the District in June, but he won't take the helm full time until Oct. 1. In the meantime, he's been spending a couple of days a week in Philadelphia while continuing to lead the Prince George's County Public Schools in Maryland, which he helped open last month.
In an interview Friday morning, Hite said the focus of his transition has been getting up to speed on the many reports and plans for overhauling the District now on the table, as well as meeting with a wide range of elected officials.
As ever, the focus has been the District's dire budget situation. New cuts likely will have to be announced in the coming weeks, and preparation for next year's budget process has already begun, Hite said.
But this year, he promised, the budgeting process won't just be about cuts.
"One thing I plan to do is really advocate for increased funding for the school district," Hite said. "I plan to be out as the key advocate for our school system and for our children, both at the state level and the city level."
Hite reiterated that the District intends to close dozens of school buildings by next fall, saying the target number of 40 facilities that District officials have put forth for months is an "approximate" number that "could be lower or could be higher."
Later this month, the School Reform Commission will begin hosting a series of community meetings to hear public input on the criteria for identifying schools to be closed.
"It's conversation we have to have," Hite said.
No tolerance for cheaters
Hite also addressed Philadelphia's brewing state-test cheating scandal. A state-commissioned analysis found overwhelming signs of cheating at dozens of traditional and charter schools across the state between 2009 and 2011. Those still under suspicion include 53 District-managed schools. For months, state and District investigators have been interviewing staff from about a third of the schools, hoping to find hard evidence of cheating.
Hite emphasized the need to wait for the results of the ongoing investigations before drawing conclusions. But he vowed a hard line for any adults proven to have cheated.
"When you cheat our children, we have no room for you here," he said.
For the most part, though, the new superintendent and other leaders on hand Friday sought to emphasize the good work that has been happening under difficult circumstances for months.
A District representative said city schools opened the year with only 12 teacher vacancies, all of which were the result of last-minute resignations on the eve of the first day.
And Hite said he toured seven District schools on Thursday and was "taken aback" by the energy he found inside classrooms.
"There was a level of excitement that was inspiring," he said.
Even the selection of AMY Northwest as the host site for the bell-ringing ceremony was full of import.
AMY Northwest as an example
A magnet middle school that has moved from location to location in recent years, AMY Northwest has in recent months been at the center of two of the major reforms under way in the District.
This year, the school is adding roughly 130 students, part of the citywide push to add more "high-performing seats" in city schools.
And earlier this summer, AMY Northwest also moved into the building formerly occupied by Levering Elementary, a consequence of the initial round of school closings and relocations approved by the SRC last spring.
"We wanted to show the public that the work of relocating a school, work that we will have to do in the future, is something that we can do as a district," said spokesman Fernando Gallard.
A number of parents on hand for Friday's ceremony said they were excited about the new school year and new building for AMY Northwest, but expressed lingering concern about some of the logistics associated with the changes.
"I'm glad that AMY has its own building now. I just have some small concerns about the transportation situation," said parent Larry Cooley.
Cooley said his two children now will have to take as many as three SEPTA buses each way between the school and their home in West Oak Lane.
Comments (15)
Submitted by Rich Migliore (not verified) on Sat, 09/08/2012 - 09:04.
What a wonderful picture of Dr. Hite and children he serves. It is heartwarming and inspirational. I hope that picture can symbolize his tenure as our leader.
If I were him, I would post that picture on my wall, and look at it whenever the political pressures engulf him and he needs to focuson his moral purpose.
What we need most from you Dr. Hite is moral leadership.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 09/08/2012 - 10:10.
Amen
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 09/08/2012 - 19:27.
If by moral leadership, you mean to confront the charter lie, don't hold your breath.
Submitted by Paul Socolar on Sat, 09/08/2012 - 13:36.
The Inquirer reports Saturday that Hite will start in Philadelphia two weeks earlier than planned - the week of Sept. 17. The Washington Post reported Thursday that Hite's last day in Prince George's would be Friday.
Submitted by Tired from Tacony (not verified) on Sun, 09/09/2012 - 08:31.
MY OWN FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL was not nearly so happy as Dr. Hite's. We are two teaching days into the semester and I am ALREADY fried. Next to being a minesweeper in Afghanistan, I can't think of anything more stressful and less rewarding than being a Special Education instructor in Philadelphia. I am now the last one left at our high school - we suddenly went from three to me. The massive waves of people deserting SPED has left those of us who remain feeling pretty battered.. "What can we do?" one adminocrat at 440 asked me when I called to complain. "Everybody's leaving the field and the ones coming in get overwhelmed by all the behaviors and all the paperwork and they don't stay. It's not just Philly, you know." It doesn't make me feel any better to know that she is telling the absolute truth. Or knowing that I may or may not get some know-nothing "Teach for America" type or somebody certified in Early Childhood Ed to "plug in the holes." Or knowing that if I simply walk away, the situation for my kids will be infinitely worse.
On Tuesday morning, I discovered that 14 more students were added to my caseload. Only 3 of them have IEP's that are current. 7 are out of compliance on their re-eval's. (So much for charter school kids being better tended to.) About half have behavioral plans. Before I could even begin the long slog to getting them all in compliance, 2 more were added. Then I was informed that I would be on the Discipline Committee, the Building Safety Committee, and the State Testing Committee.
I am 42. After teaching SPED for 17 years, I easily look fifteen years older. I have high blood pressure, migraines and heart palpitations. And I'm frankly wondering what the hell I did it all for. My husband's advice is "Just do what you can. If it gets done, it gets done. If not ... oh, well." How I wish it were that easy! But in Special Ed, if it doesn't get done, you'll very likely find yourself the target of a million dollar lawsuit filed by a rapacious parent and an ambulance chasing lawyer out to get rich by destroying your reputation.
I wish I had a few answers. I hope to God that Suprintendent Hite has. He looks very enthusiastic and energetic and maybe he WILL be the one to turn things around in Philly. My prayers are with him. The Special Ed (and non-Special Ed teachers) in this District need relief - and we need it this school year.
God bless you all.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 09/09/2012 - 11:29.
The public NEEDS to here this, have you considered an Op-Ed piece or the PFT's communication's office to tell your story?
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 09/09/2012 - 13:36.
Your situation sounds overwhelming. This year, with Response to Instruction and Intervention (RtII), ALL classroom teachers have to maintain behavior and academic plans for all students. In high schools, this may mean 165 students. Counselors are no longer responsible - everything falls on the classroom teacher. If you look at the list of "interventions" - there are hundreds - they are the same as an IEP. Most are behavioral; the rest are for reading and math. (All other areas / content do not matter.) We know this will be used to ensure that if a student fails a class, the teacher will have to demonstrate all the "interventions" used to ensure the student doesn't fail. This will increase "passing" and "graduation" rates but not learning. Some teachers will give out "assignments" to do this in class; others will do it after school. There is no time/compensation.
Individualization works when aligned with small class size and access to all resources. Until then, RtII is more "paper work."
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 09/09/2012 - 15:02.
Hasn't it occurred to you what RTII is truly all about? It's about that fact that Special Education teachers are a vanishing species (and understandably so), and so to cover a school district's legal rump, special needs interventions and instruction - and the response (academic/behavioral) to these will no longer be the domain of Special Ed teachers, but Regular Ed teachers. SPED teachers are rare and costly and they have a very short shelf life - better to dump all the paperwork on us (regular teachers) - there's never any dearth of us. 10 POINTS TO YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THAT RtII's ARE ACTUALLY IEP'S FOR THE REGULAR ED TEACHER. Trust me, just like IEP's, they will grow longer and more complex by the year. Very shortly, we'll all wake up and find ourselves in Special Ed.
Submitted by g (not verified) on Sun, 09/09/2012 - 15:08.
You are so right! I was actually told that doing RTII will result in quicker "turnarounds"(cures) for all of the students' problems! We have overflowing classes and the only"interventions" we can choose from the menu are those that will be done by the classroom teacher. In other words, do your best, do all that you already do to try to help all of your kids but do more frequent documentation-and do it on-line.The large number of children with serious needs, along with the lack of actual support (PEOPLE) ensures that "regular" children will get the short end of the instructional stick. ONE teacher-no matter how dedicated,energetic, and talented is still only ONE adult. While that teacher is giving needed one-on-one attention to a student in need(maybe X 10) the other twenty or so kids must do a lot of WAITING for attention.No amount of independent work or projects assigned to them will take the place of the actual instruction that THEY will miss.Unfortunately, many of their families, good families, that we need in our city-will leave for greener pastures and smaller-more well-supported classrooms-taking the tax base with them. Personally-I did the math. It was cheaper to assist my own adult child to buy a home in Abington-than to pay for Catholic School tuition for three grandchildren.( and I love Philadelphia!)
Our new superintendent will not be able to change all of this- What he needs to do is put all of the high-paid paper pushers BACK into the CLASSROOM to give more actual support. Then he needs to be brutally honest with Corbett and not pretend-even for a short while-that we can achieve the same results as wealthier districts with fewer needy kids and smaller class sizes. We need much more support! This would earn him the respect of all of his classroom teachers. Oh yeah-Hornbeck tried to be this honest-it brought the wrath of the state down upon us all! One last thing-EVERYBODY in Philadelphia needs to come out and VOTE at mid-term elections because another four years of Corbett will be the death of our school system and our city.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 09/09/2012 - 15:33.
14 more sp. ed. students. What's the total #?
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 09/09/2012 - 16:56.
I know one "Special Education Liaison" who has 45 KIDS assigned to her! She does their IEP's, Re-evals, Monthly and Quarterly Reports, Behavioral Plans, Services Billing, Testing Accomodations, etc., etc., etc. When she has time away from her paperwork, she actually sees a few kids.
What I want to know is - When did we stop being teachers and start becoming clerks? When the paperwork is more important than the student, then our mania for "accountability" has really gone off the deep end. What I also want to know is - How long before this madness engulfs us Regular Ed teachers?
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 09/09/2012 - 20:33.
RTII is just CSAP under a new name. Both are truly a load of CRAP. More lawyers trying to avert law suits for the Philadelphia School District by putting the responsibility for special ed students on the teachers. How can a school district that can't even supply paper and necessary text books expect teachers to come up with the material for all these bogus "interventions". Parents of Philadelphia you're being played.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 09/10/2012 - 13:13.
PAY ATTENTION TO THE CHICAGO TEACHERS STRIKE JERRY JORDAN---THEIR UNION SAID NO WAY TO TYING TEST SCORES TO TEACHER EVALUATIONS----POOR RAHM EMANUEL IS PISSED AND SAID THE STRIKE WAS USELESS AND UNCALLED FOR (EVEN TRIED TO GO SCHOOL TO SCHOOL TO GET TEACHERS TO IGNORE THE CONTRACT). THE LABOR BOARD IN ILLINOIS SAID NO WAY TO EMANUEL. KEEP IN MIND A DEMOCRAT WHO DOESN'T LIKE UNIONS (THINK ANTHONY HAR HAR WILLIAMS AND NUTTER)
Submitted by Jack (not verified) on Mon, 09/10/2012 - 14:10.
First, stop with the capital letters. Nothing turns pople off like trying to read a paragraph like this.
Second, call the union and tell them.
Third, it is illegal to strike. You know that. You can be fired and I think the SDP would do it too because there are no shortage of teachers out there who need a job. I think they would out up with the disruptions just to prove their point and use that to tell everyone that they are saving money. Not that it's right but that's what they could do.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 09/10/2012 - 16:59.
I LIKE TO TYPE THIS WAY AND FOR THE 3 YEARS I HAVE BEEN ON THIS WEBSITE YOU ARE THE FIRST TO WHINE ABOUT IT--SO, I AM NOT CHANGING (MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT IN LIFE THAN HOW ONE TYPES).
IT IS OBVIOUS YOU DON'T KNOW JACK ABOUT JACK--CASE IN POINT--SRC BREAKS THE CONTRACT OR IF THE CONTRACT EXPIRES THEN THERE IS NO CONTRACT!!! IF THERE IS NO CONTRACT TEACHERS CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT TO!!! YOU, UNLIKE SOME OTHERS, DO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN THERE IS NO CONTRACT THEN THERE IS NO CONTRACT. THEN, AND ONLY THEN, CAN YOU WALK!! DON'T BELIEVE ME THEN LOOK IT UP!
AS FAR AS FIRING ALL OF THE TEACHERS---AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN!!! NO ONE IS JUMPING TO TEACH IN PHILLY BUT RATHER THE BURBS. ONLY THE SRC AND ANTI-UNION PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF ARE CRYING THERE IS HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF TEACHERS LINED UP WAITING TO GET INTO PHILLY----FACT IS THERE ISN'T. IT IS ANTI-UNION PROPAGANDA TURNING THAT WHEEL YOU !!
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