Re: [UC] Penn schoolsYes, magnet schools are open to the entire city with the
caveat that one meets the qualifications for the program the school offers.
Thanks! That's what I thought. But the paper stated 70% from the local area
and 30% from the city.
I don't know if anyone has found any maps of what they are going to propose or
if this will be hidden until the last moment.
It seems that this scheme depends on changing the rules for magnet schools and
I'm starting to get more worried than before. Now, I'm thinking of the
precedent.
The special enhanced schools are an attempt to provide an outlet for those kids
that do manage to qualify. These have been available for the high achieving
kids providing an opportunity within the public system. Are other magnet
schools now at risk of "partnership" and being made unavailable as new
catchment areas get drawn around high real estate valued areas? In other
words, it will gaurantee slots to wealthy areas and make the competition that
much more difficult for high achieving kids from poorer areas that need the
opportunity most.
The open policy is at the heart of public magnet schools. The opportunity and
high expectations we were discussing earlier is why we want the availibility of
magnet schools to allow at least some possibilities in an underfunded system.
If this rule changing is allowed, will this be the tip of the iceberg.
Thanks again,
Glenn
----- Original Message -----
From: Wilma de Soto
To: Glenn ; Dave Axler ; UnivCity listserv
Sent: Saturday, April 05, 2008 1:52 PM
Subject: Re: [UC] Penn schools
Yes, magnet schools are open to the entire city with the caveat that one
meets the qualifications for the program the school offers.
High schools to my knowledge have not been traditionally restricted to an
immediate residential area. Rather, they usually accept students who have
attended one of all the elementary schools/middle schools "feeder schools" in
the area. For instance, people who went to Bryant, Huey, Lea, Sayre, (when it
was a middle school), Locke, Blankenburg, Barry, Hamilton could ostensibly wind
up attending West Philly High School.
On 4/5/08 1:07 PM, "Glenn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Wilma,
I have another question. The Phila. magnet schools don't really have a set
catchment area, or am I wrong?
I thought that was a big contradiction in the news reports. I was
wondering if this was an indication that Penn was going to make some special
request.
Remembering the maps when the Sadie Alexander catchment area was drawn, it
was clear that the boundaries were designed through a consideration of real
estate value.
I wondered, what are Penn and Drexel doing by describing a local catchment
area (70%) for this magnet school?? If a magnet school could draw from the
entire city, what does this mean?
Is Penn/Drexel going to actually draw some "unique" catchment district to
reserve the slots around its holdings? I couldn't figure out what they were
trying to pull but something seemed wrong.
I'll try to find the answer too. Are magnet schools open to the entire
city?
Isn't it nice to engage in real discussions with each other without those
goofballs distracting everyone with pot shots to make us keep silent? We've
got a civil public listserv!
Thanks,
Glenn
----- Original Message -----
From: Wilma de Soto <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Dave Axler <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ; UnivCity listserv
<mailto:[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, April 05, 2008 12:39 PM
Subject: Re: [UC] Penn schools
You're welcome.
Traditionally, High Schools don't have catchment areas per se.
That's why I included Drew and Powel school maps since they are in the
immediate vicinity of UC High School. You can also see Martha Washington, and
McMichael's areas which are due north and West of Powel and Drew.
West Philadelphia HS School's area would be included in the H. C. Lea
School's catchment area.
On 4/5/08 12:25 PM, "Dave Axler" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Thanks, Wilma. I have a reasonable idea of Penn Alexander's catchment
area -- at least enough to know that, though I'm 3.5 blocks from the school,
my house is not in that area. What I'm hoping someone can provide -- though
Tony's earlier post offered some verbal insight -- is a map showing the
catchment areas for West Philadelpha HS and UCHS.
-----Original Message-----
From: Wilma de Soto <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Dave Axler <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; UnivCity listserv
<[email protected]>
Sent: Sat, 5 Apr 2008 11:40 am
Subject: Re: [UC] Penn schools
Here's a link to the Alexander School Catchment Area form a Real
Estate site:
http://philadelphiarealestatehub.com/blog/catchment/
On 4/5/08 3:31 AM, "Dave Axler" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 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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