School districts in Philadelphia reopened Monday and are still facing staff shortages and struggling to recover from the effects of the pandemic. As a result, the school building was closed for over a year, and the loss of student learning is still being assessed.
Despite these challenges, new Superintendent Tony Watlington was optimistic and confident as Mayor Jim Kenny and other officials celebrated the first day of classes.
“I love the first day of school,” Watlington said at the Paul Lawrence Dunbar School in North Philadelphia. “Every day, we do our best to create life-changing opportunities so that our children can experience life-changing results.”
In a reminder of the hurdles facing schools, Watlington announced late Monday that 100 schools will close three hours early on Tuesday and Wednesday over concerns about the intense heat.
In many ways, Dunbar represents the hardships and New Year’s promises that will prove particularly challenging for Watlington, who succeeded former Superintendent William Hydt in June. Located in the heart of North Philadelphia, the school boasts a nearly 100% poverty rate. Last year, only about 250 students enrolled, half capacity. Declining enrollment in cities across the country has emerged as a major concern for many schools.
Mayor Jim Kenny (left) and Superintendent Tony Watlington (second from right) join education and government leaders at the Paul L. Dunbar School in North Philadelphia on the first day of school in Philadelphia on Monday. standing in
Dale Mezzakappa / Chokebeat
“The pandemic has had a lingering effect on us and may continue to present some challenges,” said Watlington.
At the same time, the district expects 350 students to enroll in Dunbar this year, an increase of about 40 percent from last year, said Assistant Superintendent Ariel Lahara. The school is reportedly at full capacity. The school also participates in the city’s community school initiative aimed at providing better service and support to students in need.
Watlington visited six schools in the city to welcome the students. Among them was the first school in Philadelphia’s history to carry her LGBTQ pride flag. It was months after the school was renamed to her LGBTQ civil rights leader.
Watlington said there are still about 200 teacher vacancies across the city, adding that every classroom will be staffed with a “qualified” educator this week. He said the school is 98% staffed, a slight improvement from his 97.4% figure he used last week.
Recruitment is ongoing and includes the Teach in Philly website, he said.
“We really want to understand what the children are telling us,” Watlington said. We also want to help them re-acclimate to a regular grade, if there is such a thing.”
Kenny, on the other hand, praised Watrington as the “best choice” to move the district forward.
Daniel Mina, in her second year as Dunbar’s principal, emphasized a “fresh start” and said it was important for teachers and other members of the school community to be responsive to students’ emotional and academic needs. .
“One of the priorities of the school here in Dunbar is joy,” he said. “We know that for children to love school, they must not only be physically and mentally safe, but more than that, they must feel joy at school.”
Dunbar is one of three new community schools working closely with the city to ensure families get the social services they need. Launched in 2017, the Community Schools program is a signature initiative of the Kenny Administration and City Council Speaker Darrell C. Clarke. In addition to Dunbar, B. Anderson Elementary School and Frankford High School were added to the program this year, bringing the total to 20.
Maxwell Akuamoah-Boateng, director of operations for the city’s community schools, consults with parents and residents, manages partnerships with non-profit organizations, and organizes a summer school to develop plans that will best benefit Dunbar. You said you’ve been working on it for a long time.
A key factor, he said, is “out-of-school time,” citing the importance of “getting kids involved on a social level” and “keep them off the streets.”
His office works with teachers and staff to “see what they’re already doing that works and what they can do to complement it,” Akuamoah-Boateng said.
Members of the Temple University athletics team welcomed the Dunbar students on their first day, cheering them on as they walked the red carpet at the school gates. Temple is one of Dunbar’s partners in her community school program.
Kensington school raises pride flag for first time
Kensington’s Gloria Casares Elementary School on Monday became the first school to raise a pride flag in honor of its namesake, who was an advocate for Philadelphia’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. made history.
In an effort to remove the names of racist historical figures from school buildings, the Philadelphia Board of Education renamed the school in May so that students who attended the school when it was Philip H. Sheridan Elementary School We voted in honor of Casares, who was Sheridan is considered one of the most famous Union generals of the Civil War, but he is also famous for overseeing his terrifying campaign against the Native Americans.
Gloria Casares Elementary School in Kensington made history on Monday as the first school in Philadelphia to raise a pride flag in honor of the school of the same name.
Johann Calhoun / Chokebeat
Casares, the city’s first LGBT director, died of breast cancer in 2014.
“Like Gloria, each of you is a leader and a changemaker with the power to make positive changes in your school and community,” Casares’ wife, Tricia Dressel, told students at school on Monday. “Today you walk through the doors and hallways with pride because you are a teacher and student at the best school in the city of Philadelphia.”
Watlington said the school’s renaming was “a very bold step” to ensure that “students and families feel empowered, valued and respected.” Serena Morrison, current director of the city’s LGBT office, said Monday’s event at the school is a memorial to Casares’ legacy.
Casares Principal Awilda Aguila Balbuena also used the opportunity to emphasize the importance of expression to students.
Like Dunbar, the number of students at Casares Elementary seems to be on the rise. About 465 students were greeted by school leaders on their first day back in class, according to Casares Vice Principal Julio Nunez. That’s up from about 415 last year, an increase of about 12%. On Monday morning, the playground was packed with students lined up by grade level, with the teachers in the front.
Executive Director Johann Calhoun is responsible for K-12 schools and early childhood education in Philadelphia. He oversees his Chalkbeat Philadelphia educational coverage.contact Johann jcalhoun@chalkbeat.org.
Dale Mezzacappa is a Senior Writer for Chalkbeat Philadelphia, covering K-12 schools and early childhood education in Philadelphia. Please contact Dale at dmezzacappa@chalkbeat.org.
