The Notebook

Stories tagged: leadership

When collaboration worked

by Sheila Simmons Posted in February 2010 Edition | Permalink

November 12, 2007, was Veterans’ Day, a day that few of the people in the room at 440 N. Broad Street were required to work. Yet, 60 advocates, educators, community activists, parents, juvenile justice liaisons, attorneys, service providers, and other stakeholders gathered for a seven-and-a-half-hour “retreat,” to begin reshaping the delivery of alternative education in Philadelphia schools.

Teacher contract is signed; 'Real work begins now'

by Dale Mezzacappa Posted in February 2010 Edition | Permalink

The contract negotiated between the District and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers has been hailed as a major step forward, with words like “groundbreaking,” “historic,” “transformative,” and “bold vision.”

But whether it advances the cause of education reform in Philadelphia will depend on how well the union and administration are able to work together to implement some of its more far-reaching provisions.

“The real work begins now,” said Mayor Michael Nutter.

Ackerman's team says conditions ripe for turnaround

by Dale Mezzacappa Posted in February 2010 Edition | Permalink

Philadelphia is a school district long plagued with race and class segregation, internal inequities, conflict with the teachers’ union, and a constant scramble for resources. It is also no stranger to dramatic reform efforts that were launched with great promise and ended, if not with a thud, then with a whimper.

Chicago: A national laboratory for school overhauls

by Meghan McHugh Posted in February 2010 Edition | Permalink

On the last day of school in 2004, parents of students in 20 of 22 neighborhood public schools in the Mid-South section of Chicago were told that their child’s school was slated for closure.

Over the following years, 60 schools across the city would be closed for low enrollment or poor performance. Meanwhile Chicago Public Schools (CPS), led by then-CEO Arne Duncan, promised to replace them with 100 new contract, charter, and CPS “performing” schools in an initiative called Renaissance 2010.

Waiting for the Renaissance

by Bill Hangley Jr. Posted in February 2010 Edition | Permalink

It’s nothing new for Janiece Jones to wonder about the future of her child’s school.

“It was supposed to be closed down,” she said as she stood in front of the Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School in North Philadelphia. “[Then] they just said that someone was going to try and change the performance of the school.”

The first rumor didn’t come to pass. But the second just might, in potentially dramatic fashion.

Waiting for the Renaissance

Submitted by thenotebook on Mon, 02/01/2010 - 10:34 | Permalink

This is the front page article from our February 2010 edition of the paper. Look for more stories online and the print edition later this week!

Article by Bill Hangley, Jr.

It’s nothing new for Janiece Jones to wonder about the future of her child’s school.

The first rumor didn’t come to pass. But the second just might, in potentially dramatic fashion.

After Chinatown meeting, boycott suspended

Submitted by Paul Socolar on Tue, 12/15/2009 - 20:54 Posted in Latest news | Permalink

Superintendent Arlene Ackerman, South Philadelphia High School Principal LaGreta Brown, and other District officials went to Chinatown late Tuesday afternoon to meet privately with students from South Philadelphia - and the meeting ended with Asian students from the school announcing that they plan to suspend their boycott, which was in its second week.

South Philly principal had troubles in NJ

Submitted by Dale Mezzacappa on Thu, 12/10/2009 - 22:50 Posted in Latest news | Permalink

South Philadelphia High School principal LaGreta Brown, who has been notably silent during the recent controversy regarding the safety of Asian students, once received a “no-confidence” vote from her faculty when she was principal of Atlantic City High School.

[EDIT: After a press conference Friday morning, when asked for comment about the controversies around her tenure in Atlantic City, Brown said, "It speaks for itself that all the issues were resolved."}

A growing expulsion pipeline

by Wendy Harris Posted in Winter 2009 Edition | Permalink

Unlike some 11th graders, Kyle Mechin knows exactly what he would like to do after high school.

“I want to go to UCLA film school. I want to be a horror movie director,” he said.

An A and B student at Swenson Arts and Technology High School, Mechin was on his way to achieving his goal. He was taking a digital media arts class to learn filmmaking, and was encouraged by news that a friend who took the same class received a full scholarship to the college of her choice because of her work in that course.

Principals struggle with gray areas in a zero-tolerance environment

by Sarah Peterson Posted in Winter 2009 Edition | Permalink

Principals in Philadelphia who responded to an online Notebook survey overwhelmingly say they do not receive enough training or District support so they can fairly and consistently implement its zero-tolerance discipline policy.

In follow-up interviews, some principals said they feel the District sends conflicting messages about handling incidents. And the majority of those who consented to interviews also said they do not think that their schools are safer because of zero tolerance.