That I don¹t know, but it seems a bit like a spinoff of the current Private/Public Management/Charter School Educational Ballyhoo Tsunami.
Instead of just usual two-tiered system of either you go to a special high school magnet program, or the Gulag regular school program with the hoi polloi, you have an added twist of financial investment and partnership of private institutions determining public educational policies. It would seem to me that adds yet another stratum. Either you outspend the educational partner¹,which most community associations can¹t do, or become absorbed by them. Anyone who take public transport during the school rush hours (arrival and dismissal times) would probably think as I do that most Penn professors would not send their children to local area high schools with the the population that is there now. I am not saying they should or should not, only it¹s hard for me to visualize these proposals are specifically targeted with those kids in mind. It just doesn¹t ring true for me. I could be wrong but my gut (and nearly 30 years in the business), tells me it¹s a different ilk they wish to attract when these sorts of financial investments are made in local schools. On 4/5/08 3:10 PM, "Glenn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Yes, 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 <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> >> To: Glenn <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ; Dave Axler >> <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ; UnivCity listserv >> <mailto:[email protected]> >> >> 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 ³feeder schools² >> 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 >>>> >>>> >>>> You¹re welcome. >>>> >>>> Traditionally, High Schools don¹t have catchment areas per se. >>>> >>>> That¹s 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 McMichael¹s areas which are due north and West of Powel >>>> and Drew. >>>> >>>> West Philadelphia HS School¹s area would be included in the H. C. Lea >>>> School¹s 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 >>>>> >>>>> Here¹s 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? >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> = >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Get the MapQuest Toolbar >>>>>> <http://www.mapquest.com/toolbar?NCID=mpqmap00030000000003> , Maps, >>>>>> Traffic, Directions More! >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Get the MapQuest Toolbar >>>>> <http://www.mapquest.com/toolbar?NCID=mpqmap00030000000003> , Maps, >>>>> Traffic, Directions More! >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> No virus found in this incoming message. >>>> Checked by AVG. >>>> Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.7/1361 - Release Date: 4/5/2008 >>>> 7:53 AM >>> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG. >> Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.7/1361 - Release Date: 4/5/2008 >> 7:53 AM >
