Here's the scoop, Dave. University City HS belongs administratively to a
different region from Penn Alexander, correct, and it is a regional HS.
That means it is obligated to take any student from any middle school in
its region. So any Powel School kid who doesn't get into some other HS
will go to University City HS, and any Penn Alexander School kid who
doesn't get into some other HS will go to West Philadelphia HS.
These regional boundaries are fundamental building blocks of the
public-school system. They are rigid and rarely change.
When University City HS is closed for repairs, it will cease to exist
unless the School District decides to move it somewhere else. Most
likely it won't. The School District will use that building any new way
it chooses. (I have no idea what the "Restructured/EMO Region" is.)
The University of Penn HS exists already as a school-in-the-making. It
is recruiting students and it is also looking for quarters. It may start
in temporary quarters and later move into permanent quarters. As of this
minute, it has no quarters at all, thus no address. It tried to get
started last year, but the whole School District budget crisis messed
that up.
The University of Penn HS will not be a regional HS. It will not be
restricted to students from any one region. It will, however, have a
unique relationship with other schools in the Penn Partnership, since
the same partner is involved in them.
Other special-theme HSs do have similar hand-tailored geographical
semi-commitments. The Gates Foundation's HS of the Future, for instance,
in Fairmount Park, must take something like 75% of its students from the
West Philadelphia region, but the rest can come from anywhere.
Philadelphia high-schooling is mind-bogglingly complicated, and getting
more so.
-- Tony West
Dave Axler wrote:
>> The existance of Penn Alexander is causing its catchment
area to undergo gentrification, and that would be increased if UC High
became "Penn-Assisted High".
If so, then what explains the gentrification of the areas outside the
catchment area, such as the North side of the 4400 block of Sansom, my
own 4400 block of Chestnut, and similar parts of UC? It can't be the
school, since the residents don't benefit from it. At best, Penn
Alexander is one of many causes of gentrification within its catchment
area.
Also, high-school students living in Penn Alexander's catchment area
would probably* be in the catchment area of West Philadelphia HS, not
University City HS. According to the School District's website, West
Philadelphia HS and Penn Alexander are both in the "South" region,
while UCHS is in the "Restructured/EMO Region". (Curiously, the site
also lists a "University of Penn HS", but without any address. Dunno
what that means...)
*I searched the PSD site to no avail for catchment maps. If anyone
knows where to find 'em, or can otherwise confirm or disprove my
supposition, go for it!
-----Original Message-----
From: KAREN ALLEN <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: SH <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; [email protected]
Sent: Fri, 4 Apr 2008 12:29 pm
Subject: RE: [UC] Penn schools
> Don't you think that Penn is mainly interested in getting free
schooling for their professors and well paid staff in the neighborhood
who normally would send their children to private school?
> Sharon
Yes.
And also to make Penn's graduate education program more competitive by
offering its own student teachers internships in a highly acclaimed
"urban" elementary school [Penn Alexander], populated by a
well-behaved, highly motivated, upper middle class student body. If
UC High becomes a Penn partnership school, then Penn can offer its
grad students teaching opportunities in a similar "urban" high school,
and Penn Alexander grads will have a top-notch neighborhood high school.
http://www.gse.upenn.edu/cms/cms.php?id=171
http://www.upenn.edu/campus/westphilly/pas.html#PAS4
Although Penn's website mentions working with Philadelphia public
schools other than Penn Alexander, having what amounts to its own
elementary and high school gives Penn's Graduate School of Education
(GSE) its own "lab". This arrangement accomplishes two goals
simultaneously: both the GSE student teachers and the Penn Alexander
students receive a stellar education. And the GSE has the advantage
of not having to waste precious educational time dealing with the
social ills that other public schools have do deal with.
The existance of Penn Alexander is causing its catchment
area to undergo gentrification, and that would be increased if UC High
became "Penn-Assisted High". Penn employees and young people with
children will want to send their children to a top-notch public
school, and will move to the catchment areas, in turn creating a more
upscale neighborhood, in turn reversing the public perception of the
neighborhood being dangerous, in turn making it easier for Penn to
market the University. Rising property values would eventually force
those deemed undesirable out of the area.
While Penn is saying that 70% of a new UC High's students would come
from the neighborhood, the gentrification that Penn-Assisted High
would very likely cause would mean that the "neighborhood"
would probably not consist of the same people who live there now.
Having top-notch public schools is the obvious ideal, and if Penn
Alexander and possibly UC High are such schools, that is wonderful.
But these schools have to exist across the board, not just in select
neighborhoods for select demographics. The key is creating Penn
Alexanders in all of the city neighborhoods.
Motivated, advantaged kids are going to do well in any event, because
their parents have the ability and resources to see that they do. The
really hard job is in creating strategies that will reach
disadvantaged kids and their families and in doing whatever it takes
to make sure that those kids can also take full advantage of the
opportunities those schools present. THAT would be world-changing!
Penn, are you up to THAT job?
=
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