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From YouTube: Committee on Education 6-7-2019
Description
The Committee on Education of the Council of the City of Philadelphia will hold a Public Hearing on Friday, June 7, 2019, at 10:00 AM, in Room 400, City Hall, to hear testimony on the following item:
190323 Resolution authorizing the City Council Committee on Education to hold hearings to discuss how well the School District of Philadelphia education curriculum is preparing its students for actual jobs in the workforce, increasing their cultural awareness, and what needs to be done to bridge the gap between education and workforce preparation.
Committee on Education
Chair: Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell (3rd District)
Vice Chair: Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown (At Large)
A
Milica
Savoy
Brooks
chief
academic
support
officer
school
district
to
come
forward:
Otis
Hackney,
chief
Education
Officer,
mayor's
office
of
education
and
Sheila
Ireland
director
office
of
work
force
development
to
come
forward
and
we
are
going
to.
We
want
to
thank
Bhoomi
for
being
here,
because
this
is
a
doom
Day
weekend.
We
will
let
her
be
first
and
because
she
has
to
leave
and
we've
holding
her
up
now.
But
clerk.
Please
read
the
title
of
the
resolution.
B
1903
2/3
resolution
authorizing
the
city
council
committee
on
education
to
hold
hearings
to
discuss
how
well
the
School
District
of
Philadelphia
education
curriculum
is
repairing
its
students
for
actual
jobs
in
the
workforce,
increasing
their
cultural
awareness
and
what
needs
to
be
done
to
bridge
that
gap
between
education
and
workforce.
Preparation.
A
Thank
you
very
much
and
dr.
Walter,
Palmer
I
also
promised
you
and
so
I
know
you
have
to
leave
as
well.
He
says
always
make
him
last,
so
we're
not
gonna
do
that
to
them,
and
we
have
so
many
of
you.
We
know
that
you
cannot
stay,
and
so
we
thank
you
again
and
we're.
Let
me
say
that
I
have
copies
of
a
book.
If
they
are
not
here,
I
have
Bumi's
book
and
I
will
let
her
speak
in
on
then
I'll
calm
that
thank
you.
We
love
you
thank.
C
You
so
much
Council
and
good
morning,
everyone
Thank
You
Councilwoman
for
allowing
me
to
testify
this
morning.
My
name
is
ocean.
Gloomy
Fernandes,
West
I
am
the
CEO
of
ho
Doon
day
I'm
honored
to
be
here.
I'm
gonna
speak
from
the
perspective
of
the
importance
of
culture
in
the
schools.
Oh
doom
Day
was
created
by
my
mother
in
1975,
has
been
a
cultural
icon,
a
cultural
staple
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia,
in
October
of
2011
I
created
a
365
cultural
program
where
we
provide
cultural
program
all
year,
long
and
schools.
C
One
year
in
October
of
2011
or
duner
365
was
created.
We
provide
cultural
programs
to
schools,
universities,
colleges,
recreation,
centers
and
community
centers.
Oh,
do
they
365
consist
of
African
dance,
African,
drumming
ballet
jazz,
hip-hop,
a
modeling
program,
a
videography
program,
a
karate
program,
and
we
just
fit
or
do
they
365
fitness.
When
we
choose
fitness
nutrition
of
children,
a
lot
of
schools
do
not
have
due
to
limited
funding.
C
They
do
not
have
gym
class
anymore,
so
do
they
335
fitness
goes
into
those
schools
and
those
sites
and
educates
to
your
children
but
hands-on
fitness
program.
So
we're
excited
to
be
here.
We
know
that
children
who
are
exposed
to
culture
are
less
likely
to
drop
out
of
school
and
more
likely
to
become
a
productive
citizen
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia.
So
we
ask
that
we
want
to
bring
or
donate
which
department
to
more
schools
we're
trying
to
find
the
funding
to
do
that.
C
We
hope
that
City
Council
can
approve
funding
which
will
allow
programs
like
o
to
day
365,
to
go
into
more
school
and
to
effect
more
lives.
We
do
realize
that
when
you
educate
a
child
to
educate
a
family,
we
realize
that
when
our
students
take
home
the
old
una
365
information
packets,
that
is,
they
shared
with
their
parents
and
their
siblings.
So
as
we
had
as
a
domino
effect
or
doing
a
365
has
been
affecting
children
since
2011
over
20,000
children
have
been
impacted
and
have
taken
to
have
taken
another
day,
365
class.
A
Listen
for
the
concerns
that
come
up
out
of
our
committee,
because
we're
going
to
ask
got
you
in
the
mayor's
office,
in
addition
to
dr.
heit
and
those
of
you
who
are
here
chief
academic
support
officer,
to
respond
to
the
issues
that
we
raised
and
that
are
raised
by
others.
Here
we
are
really
interested
and
really
are
requesting
that
Bumi's
book
be
made
part
of
the
curriculum.
A
I
have
another:
oh
gosh,
I
didn't
bring
them
I
have
another
young
lady
I
hope
we
contacted
her
who's
written
the
book,
if
not
I'll,
get
that
to
you
and
we're
asking
you
to
respond
to
those
issues
that
they
be
considered
part
of
the
school
curriculum,
and
that
is
why
we
had
this
resolution
to
raise
issues
that
we
otherwise
would
not
formally
be
able
to
raise
other
than
at
the
school
board.
So
we
clear
you
all,
have
any
questions
for
me
and.
C
I
would
say
one
thing
as
well:
if
I
may
about
the
I
am
blooming
book.
I
created
this
book
the
beginning
of
this
year
last
year.
I
am
boo.
Me
boo
me
stands
for
a
beautiful,
unique,
magnificent
individual
and
we
teach
children
how
to
love
themselves.
So
me
and
children
test
your
self-esteem
to
how
many
likes
to
get
on
social
media,
but
we
teach
sugar
how
to
love
them
cell
phone
with
them.
So
this
is
a
book.
C
A
You
for
me,
will
you
be,
do
you
have
two
to
give
each
of
them?
Yes,
so
you
all
have
been
formerly
served
as
they
say
in
court,
and
we
are
asking
that
they
be
considered
part
of
the
curriculum
and
again
I'm
asking
for
response
to
Mia's
chair
and
with
regard
to
us
making
this
part
of
the
curriculum,
and
my
week
we
clear
guys
mr.
Hackney
and
Miss
Brooks,
that's
my
maiden
name,
so
you
gotta
be
nice
and
willing,
because
you
got
my
made.
C
A
D
Good
morning,
councilman
Blackwell
and
members
of
the
council
education
committee,
I,
am
Malika
subway,
Brooks
chief
academic,
supports
chief
of
academic
supports
for
the
School
District
of
Philadelphia
I'm
here
to
share
the
status
and
the
plan
for
the
school
district
of
Philadelphia's
efforts
to
ensure
that
graduating
seniors
are
prepared
for
post-secondary
experiences
in
the
workforce
and
or
higher
education.
Before
I
begin
to
talk
about
our
programming,
I
wanna
SH
I
would
like
to
share
some
facts
about
our
high
school
sector.
D
D
Twenty
one
point:
six
percent
of
students
are
proficient
and
advanced
in
math,
and
that
course,
that
assessment
is
taken
at
the
end
of
the
Algebra
one
math
course
and
twenty
eight
point.
Seven
percent
of
students
are
proficient
in
science,
which
is
taken
at
the
end
of
biology.
The
biology
course
in
2017
and
2018.
Our
attendance
data
shows
that
fifty
nine
point
two
percent
of
high
school
students
attended,
95
or
more
days
of
school
as
a
district.
Our
number
one
goal
is
to
ensure
their
1
percent
of
students
graduate
ready
for
college
and
career.
D
That's
our
first
anchor
goal.
Students
exiting
12th
grade
will
be
prepared
for
post-secondary
success
in
the
workforce
and
post-secondary
institutions
when
we
ensure
that
all
students
have
access
to
grade
level
content
ensure
all
students
are
supported
to
be
successful
in
rigorous
coursework
and
compelling
programs,
including
Career
and
Technical
Education
AP
and
IB
courses
and
project-based
learning,
also
to
promote
and
support.
Excellent
teaching
in
all
schools
ensure
all
teachers
and
leaders
have
knowledge
of
the
and
utilize.
D
The
district's
curriculum
engine
provide
and
support
meaningful
professional
learning
in
the
implementation
of
evidence
based
highly
effective
instructional
practices
to
advance
the
intellectual
growth
of
all
the
students.
We
serve,
lastly,
to
provide
opportunities
for
every
high
school
student
to
develop
the
knowledge,
skills
and
experience
to
graduate
on
time
and
persist
in
post-secondary
opportunities.
D
We
are
constantly
reviewing
our
work
to
inch
to
understand
how
well
we
are
preparing
students
for
college
and
workforce.
We
currently
have
40
CTE
college
and
career
Career
and
Technical
Education
programs
in
32
high
schools.
We
offer
6380
for
CTE
slots,
of
which
5828
or
91%
were
filled
this
year.
We
also
have
80
students
enrolled
in
apprenticeships
that
are
in
Tennessee's,
School,
District
facilities,
school
district,
urban
tech,
finishing
trade
and
finishing
trades
Institute.
Also,
30
of
our
high
schools
participated
in
dual
enrollment
programs,
with
458
students
taking
2952
credits.
D
D
90
percent
of
students
who
participated
in
the
International
Baccalaureate
programs
receive
the
IB
Diploma
according
to
the
measures
for
future
ready
index,
which
illustrates
students
and
school
success
via
three
color-coded
categories,
which
are
academic
performance,
student
progress
in
college
and
career
readiness,
we've
had
a
65
percent
increase
in
the
number
of
students
who
participated
in
career
awareness.
Activities
to
high
schools
participate
in
peer
for
it,
which
uses
peer
influence
and
mentoring
ship
to
support
students,
career
decision
making.
D
This
school
year
we
have
focused
on
developing
a
plan
for
high
schools
that
will
increase
the
number
of
students,
earning
high-quality
credits
and
opportunities
to
apply,
learn,
content
and
skills
through
in
school
and
in
the
workplace
experiences.
We
clarified
our
goals
for
high
school
and
have
a
unified
vision
of
what
it
means
for
students
to
be
college
and
career-ready.
D
High
schools
will
be
learning
organizations
that
are
designed
to
equip
students
with
the
intellectual
capacity,
cognitive
and
interpersonal
skills
and
readiness
experiences
for
after
high
school
success.
We
developed
a
plan
to
be
published
in
July
that
outlines
how
stakeholders
can
be
part
of
the
strategy
to
improve
the
high
school
experience
for
students.
I
5u
our
five-year
high
school
strategy
is
focused
on
improvement
in
instructional
outcomes
for
all
students,
access
and
participation
in
advanced
academic,
coursework,
development
of
afterschool
career
learning
plans
and
an
increase
in
student
engagement
in
the
school
setting.
D
Preparation
for
workforce
careers
in
post-secondary
planning
begins
in
kindergarten.
The
office
of
academic
supports
is
responsible
for
the
development
of
curricula
that
ensures
students
are
equipped
with
high-quality
instructional
services
that
will
enable
each
individual
to
perform
at
one's
highest
potential,
regardless
of
their
socio-economic,
cultural
or
ethnic
backgrounds.
We
contribute
to
the
development
of
an
educational
system
by
providing
fluid
structures
that
will
enable
an
attitude
of
self
efficacy,
intellectual
development
and
social
well-being.
D
The
system-wide
gains
we
seek
for
all
children
can
never
be
fully
achieved
without
using
the
lens
of
equity
and
inclusion
in
every
facet
of
our
work,
which
our
curriculum
instruction
assessment,
professional
learning
services
in
extracurricular
activities
to
help
all
of
our
diverse
learners
reach
their
full
potential.
We
must
strengthen
our
efforts
to
provide
student-centered
learning
environments
that
affirm
cultural
identities,
foster
positive
academic
outcomes,
develop
students,
ability
to
connect
across
lines
of
differences
and
promote
readiness
for
success
in
graduation
and
beyond
to
support
this
work.
D
The
office
of
academic
supports
is
convening
a
group
of
stakeholders
and
experts
to
develop
culturally
to
develop
a
culturally
responsive
and
inclusive
curriculum
framework
that
ensures
pedagogy
content,
environments
and
resources
reflect
the
ethnicity,
race,
gender
identity,
developmental
age
ability
and
intellectual
capacity
of
students.
We
align
our
current
and
future
strategy
to
align
to
the
school
districts
of
Philadelphia's
action
plan
and
anchor
goals.
In
addition
to
the
previous
testimony
other
high-level
programming
to
achieve
anchor
goal,
one
100%
of
our
students
are
college
and
career
ready.
D
We
are
entering
the
2019
2020
school
year
by
providing
prevention
and
intervention
strategies
to
support
access
and
mastery
of
grade-level
instruction
for
all
learners,
providing
professional
learning
opportunities
Alliance
to
the
implementation
of
our
curriculum,
providing
academic,
coaching
and
feedback
to
specific
groups
of
teachers
through
various
coaching
groups.
We
have
professional
learning
is
specialist
academic,
coaches
and
collaborative
teachers.
D
We
are
leading
the
implementation
of
the
high
school
plan
focused
on
supporting
leaders,
teachers,
students
and
staff
in
instructional,
rigorous
social-emotional
development,
student
engagement
and
college
and
career
readiness,
we're
developing
communicating
and
executing
a
plan
to
engage
athletic
directors
and
coaches
and
monitoring
the
on
track.
Off-Track
status,
attendance
and
post-secondary
opportunities
for
athletes
we're
providing
an
operational,
technical
and
instructional
support
to
staff
that
is
aligned
as
it
aligns
to
the
high
school
plan.
D
We
are
embedding
art
and
music
lessons
in
ela
math
sciences,
social
studies,
curricula.
We
are
identifying
in
a
per
innovative
approaches
to
high
school
improvement
and
where
I
already
say
that
we're
facilitating
the
partner
meeting.
Lastly,
we
are
investigating
we
are
investigating
progress,
monitoring
and
supporting
the
implementation
of
innovative
strategies
and
our
high
schools.
Thank
you
for
engaging
us
in
this
conversation
to
highlight
our
current
and
future
programming
Alliant
to
advancing
the
intellectual
capacity
and
post-secondary
readiness
of
our
students
and
my
testimony
that
was
submitted.
I
attached,
the
appendix
that
lists.
D
All
of
the
current
programs
and
initiatives
that
support
college
and
career
readiness
throughout
our
system.
Lastly,
I
have
and
I'm
not
sure.
If
council
has
this
yet
or
not,
this
is
the
document
that
we
sent
in
to
we
distribute
it
in
July,
I
mean
in
January
as
part
of
our
first
phase
of
our
get
ready
leave
ready,
which
is
the
high
school
planning
process
again.
The
final
draft
will
be
completed,
I'm
actually
going
through
the
final
draft
now,
so
the
final
document
will
be
completed
and
published
in
July
Thank.
E
Yes,
good
morning,
my
name
is
Otis
Hackney
and
I'm.
The
chief
Education
Officer
for
the
city
of
Philadelphia
I
would
like
to
begin
by
thanking
chair
Blackwell
and
the
members
of
the
committee,
the
Committee
on
education,
for
inviting
me
to
offer
testimony
to
gate
today
regarding
career
preparation
for
students
in
Philadelphia's,
Public
Schools.
Today,
I
share
updates
from
the
city's
Community
Schools
Initiative,
and
the
career
exploration
and
preparation
opportunities
available
to
students
and
community
schools.
Community
Schools
are
set
apart
are
set
of
partnerships
between
schools,
city
departments
and
community
organizations
already
grounded
in
cross-section
collaboration.
E
The
initiative
is
well
poised
to
support
students
in
a
transition
from
school
to
career.
Since
the
original
implementation,
the
Community,
Schools
and
2016.
We
have
made
progress
in
creating
system
level
and
school
specific
partnerships
to
improve
student
student's,
career
preparation
at
the
system's
level.
Community,
Schools
and
Department
human
services
dhhs
are
investing
together
in
out-of-school
time.
E
We
refer
to
as
OST
programming,
which
includes
school
year,
after-school
programs,
summer
camp
and
work
opportunities
for
all
the
17
community
schools,
DHS
standards
for
quality
OST
reflect
the
city
and
school
districts,
shared
interests
and
career
awareness
and
career
preparedness,
particularly
at
the
high
school
level.
As
a
result
of
this
partnership,
hundreds
of
students
and
community
schools
will
have
new
access
to
quality
career-focused
OST
programming
next
year.
E
In
the
meantime,
multiple
partnerships
with
city
departments
and
local
nonprofits
have
allowed
us
to
provide
career
preparation
and
career
pathways
to
high
school
students
in
the
cities
for
community
high
schools.
Many
of
these
partnerships
engage
our
four
schools.
For
example,
the
beginning
of
2016
6
community
schools,
6
community
school
students
participated
in
a
survey
technology
internship
with
the
survey
bureau
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia
streets
department.
E
The
internship
was
paid
full-time
positions
that
spanned
two
summers:
upon't
upon
graduation
in
2018,
three
of
the
students
completed
and
passed
the
civil
service
exam
and
cart
and
are
currently
employed
by
the
city
in
the
position.
Engineering,
a
to
two
former
interns
and
now
full-time
college
students
in
the
six
is
pursuing
a
career
in
a
separate
field
of
interest.
The
street
department
has
just
hired
six
new
interns
from
from
the
for
height
four
highest
for
high
school
community
schools
to
begin
training
in
the
summer
of
2019.
E
This,
the
city's
office
of
Workforce
Development
provided
90
seniors
opportunity
to
meet
business
owners
from
a
variety
of
fields
and
learn
more
about
potential
career
paths
at
George,
Washington,
High,
School,
15
students
travel
to
Orleans,
Technical
Institute,
every
eight
weeks
to
spend
the
school
day,
learning
about
and
gaining
practical
experience
in
the
various
trades,
ensuring
that
students
ensuring
that
students
have
the
skills
and
opportunities
to
pursue
their
full
potential.
Before
and
after
graduation
is
key
to
our
success
as
an
initiative
and
as
a
city
as
a
community
school
initiative
continues
to
develop
and
expand.
E
We
look
forward
to
sharing
more
success
successes
with
this
committee.
I
would
like
to
close
by
thanking
City
Council
for
their
ongoing
partnership
and
support
and
the
creation
and
development
of
Community
Schools
and
thinking
in
thanking
this
committee
for
the
opportunity
to
highlight
some
of
the
early
successes
of
the
program.
F
Good
morning,
chairman
Lachlan
and
members
of
the
Education
Committee,
my
name
is
Sheila
Harlan
and
I
serve
as
the
executive
director
of
the
office
of
workforce
development
for
the
city
of
Philadelphia.
It
is
my
pleasure
to
testify
this
morning
about
the
work
we
are
doing
to
support
the
school
districts,
commitment
to
equipping
all
students
with
the
skills
and
experience
they
need
to
graduate
from
high
school
prepared
for
both
college
and
career.
F
This
work
is
essential
to
realizing
the
ambitious
goals
outlined
in
the
city's
workforce,
development
strategy,
fueling
Philadelphia's
talent,
engine
and,
more
importantly,
to
ensure
the
financial,
health
and
vibrancy
of
our
city.
We
are
in
a
time
of
rapid
digital
innovation,
making
it
increasingly
challenging
to
predict
the
jobs
that
students
will
be
competing
for
over
the
next
decade
and
beyond,
more
than
ever
before.
It
is
essential
that
we
equip
students
with
critical
thinking
and
problem-solving
skills
and
provide
them
with
the
hands-on
opportunity
to
experience
the
world
of
work.
F
They
need
to
understand
that
career
success
depends
on
a
commitment
to
lifelong
learning.
In
many
ways
we
are
already
doing
this
and,
as
you
are
likely
aware,
there
are
students
in
schools
across
the
city
engaged
in
high-quality
career
exposure
and
preparation
activities
designed
in
partnership
with
employers,
the
city's
fleet
department,
for
example,
recently
celebrated
25
years
of
partnering,
with
the
school
district
on
an
automotive
apprenticeship
program
that
engages
students
beginning
in
their
10th
grade
year
and
puts
them
on
the
to
permanent
employment
with
the
city.
F
More
recently,
my
staff
worked
with
Councilman
Heenan's
office,
the
Philadelphia
youth
network
and
businesses
and
the
Mayfair
Improvement
District
to
prepare
in
place
a
correction
for
the
record.
It's
Lincoln
High
School,
not
Frankfort,
so
Lincoln
High
School
students
into
10
paid
internships
with
local
employers.
These
and
other
activities
informed
by
employer
need
and
often
supported
by
nonprofit
workforce
development
organizations
are
providing
young
people
with
the
skills
and
experience
required
to
enter
and
succeed
in
the
workforce.
F
The
city
is
also
deeply
invested
in
supporting
young
people
beyond
the
school
day,
focusing
significant
investments
in
career
readiness
programming
during
after-school
and
summer
hours,
the
Department
of
Human
Services,
19
million
dollar
investment
and
out-of-school
time.
Programming
supports
activities
that
promote
college
and
career
readiness
outcomes
in
partnership
with
Philadelphia
Works.
F
Our
vision
is
that
this
system
will
grow
over
time
into
a
strong
with
strong
working
relationships
with
the
district,
higher
education,
employer,
collectives
and
Workforce
intermediaries.
We
will
support
a
robust
range
of
career
readiness
activities
district-wide,
including
everything
from
introductory
career
panels,
to
more
advanced
programming
like
internships
and
apprenticeships.
As
this
work
gets
underway,
we
look
forward
to
engaging
you
and
your
staff
as
partners
and
champions.
We
hope
that
you
will
help
us
by
engaging
business
in
your
districts
and
by
directing
attention
and
investments
to
partnerships
that
support
students
in
every
school
to
succeed.
F
Only
by
working
together
can
we
move
from
our
current
school
by
school
program
by
program
approach
to
one
that
ensures
that
every
student
can
expect
their
school
experience
will
include
opportunities
to
learn
about
and
prepare
for
careers
that
provide
a
pathway
to
economic
mobility
and
personal
fulfillment.
Thank
you
for
the
opportunity.
Thank.
A
You
very
much
we
are
going
to
ask
next
to
come.
We're
going
to
ask
all
of
you
to
stay.
I
want
to
ask
a
few
questions,
though,
and
we're
going
to
ask
if
you
sit
in
two
black
chairs
behind
you,
because
if
the
school
district
and
the
school
board
decided
not
to
come,
which
I
just
found
out
about
it,
then
and
you
representing
them,
then
you
all
will
need
to
respond
to
take
our
word
and
our
concerns
back
I
wanted
to
ask
you
a
little
bit
about
CTE
your
career,
technical
education
programs.
A
B
Good
morning,
Michelle
Michelle
Armstrong
office
of
Career
and
Technical
Education.
All
of
our
current
education
programs
are
aligned
to
industry
standards
which
is
mandated
by
the
state.
They
provide
competencies
that
all
of
our
young
people
must
master
by
time
they
graduate
from
our
CTE
programming
with
the
compensation
technique
of
common
C's.
We
also
ensure
that
we
align
what
we
call
cew
career
education
work
standards
as
well
as
math
and
ela
standards,
and
it's
all
embedded
within
the
curriculum
or
the
learning
guys
that
we
that
our
teachers
share
with
our
young
people.
So.
B
In
addition
to
that,
all
of
our
Career
and
Technical
Education
programs
are
aligned
to
industry,
certifications
which
are
recommended
by
industry.
So
all
of
the
certifications
that
our
young
people
have
the
opportunity
to
obtain
is
what
businesses
recommend
and
what
they
recognize
in
industry.
So
you
work.
A
A
You
know
that
these
programs
work
and
that
our
students
have
a
chance.
Thank
you.
Thank
you
very
much.
I'm
gonna
ask
dr.
Naomi
Booker
to
come
forward
before
we
continue
with
our
panel,
because
there
are
some
serious
issues.
I
need
her
to
address
as
she
comes
forward
and
I.
Thank
her
for
a
leadership.
You
know
she
has
one
of
the
most
beautiful
schools
at
4601
Gerard,
which
is
right
across
the
street
from
my
district.
But
here
we
school
a
50-second
and
find
the
old
Yui
is
in
my
district.
A
B
G
I
was
asked
to
talk
about
the
exposure
gap
and
the
achievement
gap
regarding
african-americans
and
whites
in
our
school
system
and
in
the
city.
There
has
been
much
conversation
about
how
to
close
that
achievement
gap
suffered
by
urban
minority
students
and
throughout
my
career
I
have
worked
in
Philadelphia's
most
challenged.
G
Neighborhoods
I
have
witnessed
the
devastating
impact
that
limited
access
to
quality
learning
has
on
the
less
fortunate
I
have
found
that
we
can
close
America's
achievement
gap
if
we
close
what
I
call
the
exposure
gap,
which
is
lack
of
access
of
learning
opportunities
outside
of
the
classroom.
When
I
began
my
career
as
an
elementary
school
teacher
in
Philadelphia,
my
students
were
provided
with
non
Illustrated
pamphlets
about
Philadelphia's
history
and
for
me,
I
knew
that
I
could
not
teach
my
children
through
a
pamphlet
when
I
lived
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia.
G
Lack
of
these
resources
forced
me
to
think
unconventionally.
The
need
to
supplement
materials
led
me
to
extend
learning
outside
of
the
classroom.
When
my
third-grade
students
studied
Philadelphia
in
class,
we
embarked
upon
learning
excursions
to
sites
such
as
the
Liberty
Bell
dependent,
small
and
mother
Bethel
AME
Church,
where
Richard
Allen
is
very.
This
exposure
engaged
my
scholars
in
a
way.
No
textbook
or
classroom
could
I
later
added
exposure
to
activities
that
were
then
predominantly
Caucasian.
G
When
I
joined
the
Charter
world,
I
pushed
new
boundaries
outside
of
the
classroom
and
then
it
hit
me.
Why
should
there
be
any
boundaries
when
we
studied
Philadelphia
went
to
the
Liberty
down,
so
why
couldn't
we
follow
the
Underground
Railroad
through
Canada,
when
we
study
the
enslavement
of
Africans?
G
Why
couldn't
we
visit
Atlanta,
Birmingham
and
Memphis
when
we
studied
the
civil
rights
movement
and
when
we
studied
the
transatlantic
slave
trade?
Why
couldn't
we
visit
the
Caribbean,
namely
Bahamas
and
Haiti
or
Africa?
If
we
could,
these
excursions
led
to
the
development
of
a
global
studies,
curriculum
that
is
now
in
its
second
decade
decade
at
the
Global
Leadership,
Academy,
Charter,
School,
west
and
southwest,
and
our
scholars
engaged
in
an
intensive
study
of
30
countries
and
travel
internationally
to
experience
firsthand
what
they
have
learned
in
the
classroom.
G
They
have
attended
school
in
the
Bahamas
as
schools
in
Haiti
that
had
no
floors
or
restrooms.
They
have
seen
Asian
homelessness,
which
led
one
scholar
to
observe
the
difference
between
homelessness
in
Philadelphia
and
homelessness
in
Haiti
Haiti,
and
she
concluded
that
because
they
Asian
homeless,
live
in
the
mountains
and
they
make
their
items
to
sell
in
marketplaces
where,
in
Philadelphia
and
many
homeless
rely
on
charitable
acts
and
Bank.
This
is
not
the
kind
of
learning
one
glean
from
textbooks.
G
G
G
My
concern
is:
how
do
we
close
that
gap,
because
our
young
people
live
in
a
ten-block
radius
and
that's
where
they
stay?
And
when
we
talk
about
achievement,
we
can
give
them
all
the
books
in
the
world,
but
if
we
don't
let
the
books
walk
with
them
into
the
world
and
open
up
these
doors
of
opportunities
for
them,
we
will
see
that
they
will
stay
in
an
underexposed
area.
G
We
are
trying
to
do
that
this
year
by
trying
to
extend
past
the
eighth
grade
and
going
to
12th
grade
and
trying
to
make
sure
that
our
young
people
will
be
able
to
be
a
part
of
the
world
as
they
express
their
9th
through
12th
grade
experiences,
when
society
fails
to
invest
in
all
public
school
children.
Equally,
so
much
brilliance,
talent
and
potential
are
thwarted
to
end
America's.
Achievement
gap
is
to
eliminate
this
exposure
gap
created
by
denying
minorities
and
poor
students
access
to
equal
educational
opportunities,
and
these
answers
exists
right
outside
of
the
classroom.
A
You
very
much,
and
one
of
the
reasons
I
asked
you
all
to
say
you
who
are
representing
the
board
in
the
mayor,
is
that
we
have
not
yet
heard
that
global
leadership
has
received
their
extension,
so
I'm
asking
everyone
here
who
is
formally
employed
by
the
mayor's
office
under
school
district
to
deal
with
this,
because
this
is
a
fighting
issue
for
us.
We
have
wonderful
schools,
schools
that
we
need
and
people
do
a
fabulous
job.
I
mean
she
travels
with
her
children.
A
B
A
G
And
so
I
listened
to
some
of
the
programs
that
are
going
on,
but
I
don't
see
the
results
of
that
when
I
see
a
pipeline
to
prison
which
is
happening
here
in
this
city.
I
also
have
big
concerns
about
who's
running
our
schools
and
who
is
providing
this
kind
of
education
for
our
children,
and
there
are
african-american
leaders
in
this
city
that
are
being
shut
down
and
me
being
one
of
them,
because
I
am
trying
to
right
now.
What
I
feel
is
that
I'm
being
punished
for
helping
those
of
my
children
who
are
black?
G
A
H
I'm
sorry,
I'm,
Katherine,
Blount,
I,
retired
teacher
and
I
am
a
member
of
the
board
of
EDS
community
and
parent
Council,
but
I'm,
not
speaking
for
that
council
I'm
speaking
for
myself
thanks.
So
this
is
a
matter
that
even
our
young
people
in
our
schools
feel
deeply
and
have
deep
concerns
about
which
they
express
two
of
them
expressed
such
in
the
May
31st
2019
Philadelphia
Inquirer
article
and
their
names
are
Kevin
Davis
for
strawberry
Medicine,
high
school
Angela,
Toma
Schultz
of
mastery
charter
shoemaker.
So
they
responded
to
the
prompt.
If,
if
I
could?
H
What
would
I
change
about?
My
city
Kevin
observed
the
quality
of
life
disparities
evident
in
his
and
other
communities
of
color
in
comparison
to
white
communities,
Kevin
noted
how
a
lack
of
jobs
contribute
to
the
poverty
they
live
in
and
calls
for
opportunities
for
internships
and
our
jobs
routines
that
are
available
throughout
the
entire
year.
He
thank
Heaven,
Upshur
and
Tootsie
line
for
bright
for
providing
him.
His
first
jobs
at
the
age
of
14
January
called
walking
her
neighborhood
with
her
dad
and
noticing
trash
and
debris
everywhere.
She
realized
these
were
symptoms
of
a
prevailing.
H
Lack
of
self-worth
that
comes
from
living
in
communities
of
colors
color,
while
many
parts
of
the
city
are
thriving.
She
states
I
have
found
that
my
peers
feel
insignificant,
because
they've
been
told
or
seen
through
daily
long-term
actions
that
they
matter
less
than
other
people.
She
adds
I've
seen
more
and
more
gentrification
in
neighborhoods
of
color
for
a
lot
of
people
of
color.
That
means
once
white
people
move
in
their
neighborhood
start
to
get
improvements
that
longtime
residents
have
never
seen
before
street
cleaning,
more
attention
to
detail
and
more
economic
interest
being
taken.
H
Philadelphia
is
once
thriving
middle
class.
African-American
economic
communities
have
been
failing
over
a
long
period
of
time
producing
this
stable
twenty
six
percent
poverty
rate,
which
is
one
fourth
of
population
or
almost
400,000
residents
of
a
population
of
1.5
million
people.
There
is
an
urgency
in
the
city
for
this
population,
these
students
in
the
school
district.
H
That
is
evident
that
and
must
be
addressed,
that
the
city
and
school
district
must
look
at
and
find
solution
to,
root
causes
of
poverty
by
providing
educational
opportunities,
employment
opportunities
and
service
solutions
that
empower
neglected
communities
and
residents
to
enable
them
to
take
charge
of
their
destinies
and
become
contributing
citizens.
So
we
hear
about
programs,
but
then,
when
we
look
at
the
end
result
of
those
programs
they're
negligible,
our
communities
are
still
in
poverty
and
they
will
remain
in
poverty
because
it
is
intentional.
H
And
so
when
things
don't
happen
in
our
city,
for
our
children,
in
our
communities
and
in
our
schools,
it
is
because
the
intent
is
for
it
to
happen,
and
so
we
will
not
make
progress
until
we
begin
to
address
the
intentional
I
guess:
discrimination
and
the
disparities
that
come
from
that
that
impact
negatively
our
communities
and
our
children
and
the
future
of
our
children.
If
the
city
wants
to
be
a
world-class
City,
then
it
not.
It
cannot
continue
to
neglect
this
black
children
and
as
black
communities,
and
nor
can
it
intent.
H
Nor
can
it
continue
to
not
address
the
disparities.
That's
evident
in
our
schools,
so
I
believe
that
we
have
to
grow
our
own
professional
workforce
in
order
to
move
the
city
forward
to
become
the
destination
it
seeks.
But
I
also
believe
that
we
have
to
prepare
our
own
students
to
enter
a
post
high
school
world
of
work
that
is
open
to
employing
them
and
providing
additional
and,
if
necessary,
specific
training
to
perform
their
jobs
at
a
proficient
level.
I
You
thank
you
for
having
me
and
everyone
here
this
morning.
My
name
is
Lawrence
Jones
I'm,
the
of
the
richard
allen
preparatory
charter
school.
We
are
middle
charter,
school
middle
school
charter
that
is
located
in
southwest
Philadelphia
and
from
the
start,
I
just
want
to
say
that
if
anybody
has
been
in
Philadelphia
for
many
years,
you
remember
that
they
used
to
talk
about
the
s
schools
and
the
s.
Schools
were
middle
schools
in
western
Southwest
Philadelphia
that
if
you
went
down
to
the
school
district
to
pick
those
schools,
they
would
say,
don't
go
there
well.
I
I
had
the
privilege
of
working
at
an
s
school,
Salisbury,
middle
school
and
one
of
the
things
that
showed
that
middle
school
education
is
a
place
that
sorely
sorely
sorely
needs
to
be
addressed.
It's
it's
where
a
lot
of
students
go
and
find
difficulty,
and
so
we
decided
to
be
in
South,
West,
Philadelphia
and
in
middle
school,
knowing
that
it
was
a
difficult
test
for
that
very
reason
to
make
sure
that
the
students
who
needed
a
different,
a
different
option,
we're
going
to
get
that.
I
So
today,
I'm
here
to
speak
about
the
achievement
gap,
but
more
specifically
to
speak
about
children
being
work
ready
and
the
mission
of
richmallon
prepared
to
a
charter
school
is
to
prepare
students
for
life
after
high
school.
That's
whether
they
go
into
the
military,
whether
they
go
into
post-secondary
education
or
whether
they
go
into
the
workforce,
and
that
is
academically
socially
and
emotionally.
All
three
are
important.
You
have
to
have
all
three
and
what
we
find
now
is
that
we
are
being
given
when
I
say
we
I
mean
the
entire
education
community.
I
So,
for
example,
there
is
a
study
what
it
means
to
be
college
and
work
ready
by
the
National
Center
on
education
in
the
economy,
and
that
study
examined
math
English
requirements
in
first
year
of
two-year
Community
College's,
and
so
why
are
two-year
Community
College
is
important,
they're
important
because
those
are
a
pathway
to
four-year
colleges
and
they're,
also
a
pathway
to
careers.
If
you
can
make
it
in
your
first
year
of
a
two-year
Community
College,
you
should
be
able
to
make
it
in
the
first
year
of
a
four-year
college.
I
So
when
we
talk
about
some
of
the
math
that
we
tell
students
consistently
that
they
need
in
college
things
like
calculus
or
trig,
5
percent
of
the
workforce,
5
percent
of
the
world
really
is
going
to
use
those
high-level
math
abilities.
So
the
students
coming
into
these
college
programs
don't
necessarily
need
them,
but
some
of
the
math
that
they
do
need.
They
are
not
fully
being
educated
with
what
students
are
learning
in
elementary
and
middle
school.
I
What
we
are
being
assessed
by
an
elementary
in
middle
school
are
not
necessarily
the
targets
that
students
need
to
be
successful
post-secondary
and
then
we
get
to
the
issue
of
teachers
being
able
to
teach
that
as
well.
So
it
seems
like
we're
hitting
a
moving
target,
but
it's
not
necessarily
a
target.
That's
going
to
get
us
where
we
need
to
be
one
of
the
things
that
we
look
at
in
literacy.
I
Is
we
expect
that,
because
first-year
community
college
courses
are
working
on
11th
and
12th
grade
text,
that
any
student
who
leaves
a
high
school
in
twelfth
grade
should
be
able
to
succeed.
The
problem
is
that,
nowadays,
our
high
school
texts
are
not
on
an
11th
or
12th
grade
level,
they're
at
a
lower
level.
I
Not
only
do
we
reduce
the
achievement
gap
but
ensuring
that
we
make
sure
our
that
students
are
actually
going
to
be
successful
in
the
workforce.
One
of
the
other
issues
that
we
look
at
are
what
we
call
the
soft
skills,
and
these
are
things
that
people
don't
really
think
about.
How
do
we
interact?
Do
we
have
grip?
Can
we
solve
a
problem?
The
richyallum
prepared
to
a
charter
school?
We
have
been
investing
in
working
in
things
like
peer
mediation,
conflict
resolution.
I
I
These
programs
help
children
not
only
in
the
workforce,
but
in
a
city
where
we've
had
351
homicides
last
year,
where
we
see
violence
continually,
these
soft
skills
being
mandatory
for
all
of
our
children
can
actually
save
a
life
today
and
unfortunately,
many
of
these
soft
skills
are
simply
ignored.
So
when
we
see
students
in
post-secondary,
oh,
we
see
students
in
the
workforce
and
they
have
difficulty
solving
problems
difficulty
with
interpersonal
relationships.
I
I
So
the
next
piece
that
we
get
to
in
that
the
final
piece
which
I
think
may
be
the
most
important
is
who
is
teaching
our
students
when
we
look
around
and
we
want
to
have
things
like
cultural
competency,
it's
very
important
that
children
be
able
to
see
individuals
who
look
like
them
in
positions
of
decision-making
in
positions
of
authority
and
positions
of
also
being
able
to
be
a
role
model
and
a
guide.
A
few
weeks
ago,
I
have
an
assistant
teacher
who
is
a
gentleman
of
color
african-american
male.
I
He
made
a
mistake
and
he
apologized
to
a
young
man.
Now
that
doesn't
seem
like
a
big
deal,
but
when
you
are
told
on
television
that,
especially
as
a
black
man,
your
strength
comes
from
your
ability
to
be
physical
and
be
big
and
to
be
bad.
And
when
you
see
that
real
strength
is
the
ability
to
be
humble
and
apologize
when
needed.
I
That
is
a
huge
lesson
for
children
and
if
we
don't
have
these
gentlemen
and
these
role
models
in
our
schools,
if
our
teaching
staff
are
not
culturally
representative
of
the
Democrat
demographics,
which
they
teach,
then
that's
a
problem.
If
two
percent
of
all
teachers
are
african-american
males
in
the
nation,
we
are
lucky
enough
at
our
school
to
have
twenty
four
percent
and
it
makes
a
big
difference.
So
when
we
look
at
how
to
teach
cultural
competency,
we
have
to
not
only
make
sure
that
we
embedded
in
our
curriculum.
I
We
need
to
also
make
sure
that,
like
dr.
Booker
said
we
are
celebrating
cultures
and
exposing
our
children
to
cultures,
whether
we
are
taking
our
children
to
those
cultures
or
bringing
the
cultures
to
them.
One
of
the
key
features
is
to
make
sure
that
people
who
are
culturally
representative
are
there
and
when
you
have
entities
that
are
operated
by
people
of
color,
there
is
a
larger
degree
that
they
are
going
to
hire
people
of
color
and
I.
Think
it's
been
mentioned
here
before,
but
I
will
mention
it
again.
I
We
have
got
to
protect,
we
have
got
to
hold
up
and
we
have
got
to
lift
up
our
entities
that
are
being
operated
by
people
of
color.
They
not
only
make
a
a
difference
for
the
emotional
well-being
and
academic
well-being
of
children,
but
they
are
having
a
tremendous
economic
boost.
I
am
proud
to
say
that
we
have
three
former
students
working
at
our
school
and
dr.
Booker.
I
We
also
have
gone
to
Atlanta
and
you
will
appreciate
this
because
four
years
ago
we
went
to
Spelman
College
and
one
of
our
students
stepped
out
and
said:
I
am
going
to
go
to
this
school.
She
graduated
from
Spelman
a
few
years
ago.
She
will
be
working
at
our
school,
come
August
and
the
things
that
entities
have
to
do
so
I.
Thank
you
very
much
for
your
time
and
your
consideration,
and
we
appreciate
everything
that
you
do
for
education
to
Philadelphia.
Thank.
A
A
They
still
don't
have
those
things
there
and-
and
let
me
say
every
year
they
were
here.
The
school
board
would
only
laugh
every
year.
I
asked
about
cursive
writing.
It's
never
taken
seriously,
but
I'm
serious
I'll
bring
it
up
again
that
we
need
it
considered
so
that
our
youngsters
can
know
how
to
write
their
signatures
when
they
finish
school,
but
I'm.
A
This
disappointed
I'm
disappointed
in
the
lack
of
interest,
because
we
believe
that
our
youngsters
need
to
culturally
be
educated
as
well
as
to
make
sure
that
that
they
are
prepared
academically
with
regard
to
CTE
and
other
areas.
But
you
know:
we've
been
around
a
long
time.
Forty
five
years
is
a
long
time.
There
isn't
too
much.
Anybody
can
dish
out
that
isn't.
Okay,
but
I
will
say
that
that
we
disappointed
that
people
are
not
interested
and
an
issue
like
what
happens
in
schools
and
in
a
curriculum,
as
all
of
you
are
so
I.
A
J
Thank
You
councilman.
Thank
you.
My
name
is
Walter
Palmer,
a
professor
of
American
racism,
the
University
of
Pennsylvania,
also
the
founder
and
director
of
the
Palmer
foundation
of
research,
training
institute
on
social
justice
and
collaborative
development,
and
currently
been
appointed
to
the
President's
Commission
National
Commission
on
recognizing
the
foreign
that
400th
anniversary
of
slavery
in
America,
which
I
think
is
significant
I,
think
what's
important,
I
mean
I.
J
J
And
if,
in
terms
of
Education
I've
come
here
before
you
invited
me
many
times,
I've
come
a
number
of
times.
This
seems
like
something's
changed.
Some
things,
never
change,
60
years
of
working
on
education,
education,
I
believe,
was
a
tool
for
liberation,
and
that
was
borne
out
in
my
efforts
in
the
1950s
to
create
the
black
people's
University
of
Philadelphia,
which
was
the
first
contemporary
modern
freedom
school
in
America
freedom.
J
There
experimented
on
for
the
benefit
of
the
general
society
when,
in
fact
slavery
was
abolished,
slaves
would
read
it.
They
were
forced
to
breed
I
think
it's
so
important
to
understand
this
history
and
the
impact
physical,
mental,
emotional
and
spiritual
impact
it
has
had
historically
for
generations.
This
practice
did
not
stop
in
the
16
17
and
1800's.
J
They
experimented
even
beyond
the
1800
1900,
not
just
the
Tuskegee
Experiment,
but
other
experiments
in
the
prisons.
The
incarceration
of
African
American
boys
and
men
and
later
on
women
were
significant
in
that
period
of
time.
The
what
I'm
pointing
out
is
take
a
look
at
what
has
happened
between
1619
and
1954,
with
the
brown
decision
desegregating
schools
in
America,
and
ask
yourself
what
are
some
of
the
salient
things
that
are
happening
to
African
Americans.
J
J
J
The
idea
of
reading
writing,
math
and
science
is
great
and
was
great
for
trying
to
get
a
job
at
large
for
the
dominant
culture.
But
the
idea
of
reading
writing.
Math
and
science
never
became
the
solution
for
being
able
to
overcome
that
social
history
that
I
just
mentioned,
see
I
think
that
what
happens
is
unless
we
focus
on
the
conditions
that
we
are
fighting
and
make
them
be
incorporated
into
education.
J
Where
reading
writing,
math
and
science
become
tools
for
learning
how
to
overcome
hunger,
poverty,
homelessness,
disease,
mental
illness,
then
education
really
has
a
limited
relevance,
and
that
was
in
fact
a
proposition
in
1955
when
we
created
the
black
people's
University,
teach
them
about
self-help,
self-reliance
self-determination
teach
them
to
take
a
look
at
the
community.
Take
a
look
at
family
take
a
look
at
ways
in
which
they
can
in
fact
serve
others
as
opposed
just
serving
themselves.
J
We
are
two
generations
now
that
I've
gotten
too
much
too
soon
for
too
little
they
paid
no
price,
both
black
kids
and
white,
both
they're
very
selfish,
they're,
very
Hellenistic,
and
they
have
no
connection
between
this
very
history.
We're
talking
about
to
understand
how
they
use.
That
is
the
basis
for
solving
real
problems
and
I.
Think
that
when
you
talk
Councilwoman
to
the
Board
of
Education
of
others
about
this
idea
of
looking
at
curriculum,
it
has
to
be.
With
that
in
mind.
J
What
history
are
we
going
to
encourage
African,
American
men
and
women,
boys
and
girls,
to
make
in
order
to
change
and
to
forge
a
new
history?
It
is
all
centered.
This
whole
idea
of
overcoming
and
closing
the
gap
between
black
and
white,
largely
centered
around
the
idea
of
how
we
help
these
young
people
begin
to
understand
what
it
is
that
makes
them
have
such
anger.
J
What
it
is
that
makes
them
want
to
just
reach
out
and
cry
what
it
is
that
makes
them
feel
as
though
they
have
a
compulsion
to
want
to
attack.
Another
person,
Cornel
West
talks
about
in
his
book,
race
matters
and
race
does
matter
in
American
society.
How
the
central
thing
for
overcoming
nihilism,
which
is
his
self-hatred,
is
the
idea
of
love.
J
How
do
you
institute
love?
What
we
found,
particularly
in
the
freedom
schools,
and
we
found
in
the
charter
schools
when
we
led
that
fight
in
the
1980s
to
get
charter
schools,
and
we
finally
got
it
here
in
the
state
of
Pennsylvania
in
1997
ninety
nine.
We
found
that
the
charter
schools
had
an
opportunity
to
be
able
to
incorporate
some
of
these
things.
I
certainly
did
in
my
school,
the
Palmer
school,
and
it
made
a
difference
when
you
look
at
low
self-esteem
and
we
hear
that
all
the
time.
J
The
most
common
age
that
is
given
to
a
young
african-american
person
who
you
arrested
in
the
end
to
get
into
the
system
is
12
years
old
between
12
and
15
years
old
testify.
That
was
certainly
the
age
for
me
when
I
had
my
first
arrest,
I
want
to
say
that
we
cannot
keep
ignoring
it.
Dr.
Julius,
Wilson
who's,
a
great
sociologist
had
this
to
say
about
the
implications
of
not
looking
at
race
in
our
society.
J
J
The
idea
of
high-stakes
mandated
testing
has
always
been
an
abomination,
and
luckily
there
are
some
families
across
America
that
are
challenging
that,
and
there
are
other
ways
to
really
have
tell
how
people
health,
young
people
are
intelligent.
There
are
multiple
intelligences
and
there
multiple
ways
in
which
to
do
it,
but
I.
J
Concur
that
the
importance
of
taking
a
look
at
the
social
phenomena
and
incorporating
that
as
curriculum
in
the
schools,
as
we
did,
between
the
50s
and
60s
and
70s
and
80s
and
90s
with
success
for
the
at-risk
child
and
the
mainstream
child,
are
essential
for
closing
this
gap,
because
the
gap
is
not
closed
by
the
academics.
It's
closed
about
from
the
affirmation
of
their
own
human
experience
in
their
own
humanity
and
that's
what's
missing.
Thank
you.
So
much.
G
Can
I
can
I
speak
to
listening
to
you
and
offer
my
disappointment
for
this
room
not
being
full
of
people
who
can
make
a
difference
when
you
have
a
call
here
about
trying
to
close
the
achievement
gap?
You
know
this
room
should
be
with
people,
your
your
council,
people
who
are
not
here,
who
everybody
ran
on
an
election
talking
about
education
and
what
we're
gonna
do
for
the
people
in
this
city,
for
people
who
are
at
the
school
district
and
are
not
sitting
in
this
room
at
this
moment
because
it
for
me.
G
I'm
told
that
one
of
the
reasons
that
we
they
don't
want
to
do
a
high
schools,
because
the
schools
in
West
Philadelphia,
say
er
and
overbook
and
West
Philly
are
empty.
Does
that
anybody
ever
think
about
why
they're
empty?
Why
is
it
when
I
left
the
district
and
I
worked
in
a
district?
For
thirty
years
there
were
220,000
children
that
were
being
educated
and
now
there's
a
hundred
and
thirty
thousand,
and
why
is
it
that,
though
the
city
is
not
falling
apart?
G
There's
those
60
65
thousand
children
are
in
places
that
are
schools
of
choice
that
people
have
the
right
to
do
and
what
mr.
dr.
Palmer
was
talking
about,
and
what
mr.
Jones
was
talking
about.
We
sit
here
as
three
African
American
CEOs
in
this
city,
who
have
given
their
life
to
this
city
and
about
this
education
for
our
children
and
I,
applaud
you
because
of
you
of
all
of
the
council
people
and
that
I
know
in
this
city
sit
here
every
day
and
talk
about
the
education
of
our
young
people
and
I.
G
J
Just
wanted
to
say
one
other
thing:
cows,
one
and
a
top
of
dr.
Booker.
We
have
more
so
much
in
this
city.
It
was
really
the
community
that
really
propelled
so
many
black
people
into
government
in
the
1950s
1960s.
When
I
used
to
come
to
these
halls
and
knock
down
these
doors,
there
were
no
blacks
eat
at
Paul.
Mantz
was
the
only
black
person
in
this
building
of
any
significance.
Very
few
black
judges.
J
When
I
went
to
University
of
Pennsylvania
1960s,
there
were
no
black
administrators
and
for
a
few
black
teachers
we're
suffering
now
we're
experiencing.
Now
the
50th
anniversary
of
the
days
was
I
helped
create
American
racism
as
required
course
as
a
pen
pens
first
school
in
American
history,
academic
history.
To
do
that,
there
are
so
many
things
that
have
happened
and
taking
place
and
make
it
possible
for
every
America
to
be
where
they
are.
There
was
no
black
caucus
in
the
state
legislature.
There
was
little
or
no
black
folks
sitting
up
there.
Okay,
the
black
policeman.
J
We
had
the
Guardian
Civic
League
with
Louisville
farms
of
deal,
but
the
reality
was
black
policeman
for
the
most
part
had
little
and
no
real
say
in
terms
of
how
they
would
able
to
function
and
do
their
daily
job.
We
have
a
black
commissioner.
We
have
largely
black
counsel
yet,
but
it
was
community
people.
It
was
community
people
when
we
organized
and
shut
down
the
school
district
in
67
it
was
community
people,
thousands
of
community
people
fighting
for
reform
in
1970
this
article
printed
in
1970,
when
the
board
orig.
J
When
the
when
the
unions
shut
down
schools
and
the
schools
were
closed,
we
set
up
a
hundred
school
centers
around
the
city
of
Philadelphia
and
had
volunteers
coming
in
for
teachers,
families,
parents
and
students
teaching
our
children.
The
absence
of
real
significant
community
drive
is
really
the
failing
dr.
Booker
I.
Don't
really
think
there's
going
to
be
a
lot
of
change
in
the
absence
that
the
mayor
Wilson
good,
when
he
came,
we
lost
a
lot
of
the
plain
community
people
who
got
him
elected.
J
We
lost
many
of
them
because
it
became
dependent
when
John
Street
came
it
doubled.
So
more
and
more
community
people
dependent
on
elected
officials
or
politicians
and
not
on
themselves,
and
that
means
that
I
don't
know
where
this
generation
is
gonna,
go
where
it's
going
to
get
his
source
of
power
right
or
whether
or
not
it's
gonna
continue
to
copy
order
to
allow
itself
to
cater
in
and
get
came
into.
The
the
corporate
forces
that
take
place.
The
charter,
schools
I've,
said
time
and
time
again
are
facing
a
white
hostile
corporate
takeover.
J
That's
what
it
really
is,
but
reality
is
that
most
black
people
who
know
that
won't
say
it
don't
have
the
guts.
Don't
have
the
tenacity
just
say
that
and
make
it
clear,
make
it
abundantly
clear
and
then
and
create
allies
for
that
and
I
just
I
just
poured
you
open
up.
I
know
you
well
and
only
known
Lou,
black
well
you're,
the
last
of
community
service
for
the
city
Philadelphia.
J
A
You
very
much
you
all
are
the
leaders
and
the
ones
to
whom
we
turn
and
we
thank
you
for
your
commitment.
Thank
you
is
dr.
Steven
Jones
associate
dean,
Villanova
Sylvester
mo
Mobley
coded
by
kids,
Nizar
Smith.
If
I
said
it
correctly,
CEO
founder
people's
people's
innovative
movement,
are
they
here
and
as
they're
coming
forward.
Let
me
note
that
we
have
testimony
written
testimony
from
honorable
Jack,
dr.
James
Roebuck
Pennsylvania
state
rep,
who
was
chair
of
the
City
Council.
Excuse
me,
chair
of
the
State
Department
of
Education
in
Harrisburg.
A
We
have
the
statement
also
from
Allen
Edmonds,
president
of
Brandywine
workshop
and
archives,
as
well
as
dr.
Donald
guy
generals.
President
CCP
Community,
College
of
Philadelphia
and
I
know.
He
said
that
the
need
for
employees
with
post-secondary
skills
by
the
Year
2023
will
be
60%
and
that
that
will
be
a
20%
gap.
So
read
his
statement,
it's
very
very
important
as
well
good
evening,
good
afternoon,
gentlemen.
Thank
you
very
much.
Please
identify
yourself
and
begin
your
testimony.
Thank.
K
You
counseling
Blackwell.
Thank
you
good
morning
to
you.
My
name
is
dr.
Steven
Jones
and
I'm
the
associate
dean
in
the
College
of
Engineering
at
Villanova
universe
and
owner
of
sha
publishing
and
education
services.
According
to
the
United
States
Department
of
Education.
In
recent
statistics,
the
national
college,
graduation
rate
for
african-american
students
stands
at
42
percent
and
the
Hispanic
students,
graduation
rate
is
54
percent.
This
same
figure
is
62
percent
for
white
students,
which
represents
for
african-american
about
a
20
percent
gap.
K
The
community
college
graduation
rate
is
in
four
years,
is
28
percent.
We
have
a
lot
of
work
to
do
when
we
talk
about
the
challenges
that
students
face
before
they
even
enter
college.
Many
of
these
students
will
be
the
first
in
their
families
to
attend
college
or
a
trade
school
students
are
not
aware
of
how
their
education
can
lead
to
a
career.
If
you
are
the
first
person
in
your
family
to
go
to
college,
you
have
no
idea
what
to
expect,
and
you
have
little
knowledge
concerning
how
difficult
it
will
be.
K
After
high
school,
there
is
a
total
education
gap,
especially
in
the
areas
of
science,
technology,
engineering
and
math
careers.
A
total
of
75
percent
of
all
engineers
come
from
families
where
the
parents
have
been
engineers,
and
we
lack
that
in
our
community.
A
student
may
be
the
first
one
of
the
best
students
in
their
high
school,
but
still
lack
the
career,
awareness
study,
skills,
test-taking
and
time
management
skills
to
be
a
successful
college
or
trade
school
student
prior
to
working
at
Villanova.
University
I
was
the
accra
one-on-one
program
director
at
Drexel
University.
K
It
took
a
lot
of
one-on-one
academic
advising
tutoring
personal
counseling
support
to
help
economically
challenged.
Students
to
graduate
I
was
excited
today
to
learn
that
you're
looking
at
the
school
districts
curriculum
and
I've
written
a
few
books
that
help
students
to
prepare
for
a
college.
One
focuses
on
study
skills
for
students,
middle
school,
high
school
called
the
seven
secrets
of
how
the
study
I
have
another
book.
The
parents,
ultimate
education
guide
for
parents,
birth
through
twelfth
grade
and
scholarship
book,
with
the
cost
of
college
continually
rising
I
see
that
happening
in
the
future.
K
K
My
goal
is
to
get
more
of
these
resources
into
the
hands
of
students
in
the
School
District
of
Philadelphia
and
beyond,
and
to
reduce
the
high
school
and
college
draft
dropout
rate
which
significantly
affect
our
students
I
hope
in
some
way
that
is,
sharing
this
information
I
could
help
all
those
who
are
here
and
assemble.
Thank
you
very
much.
Thank.
A
L
You
Councilwoman
I
just
want
to
thank
you
for
providing
me
the
opportunity
to
come
and
talk
about
psych
education,
I'm,
Sylvester,
Mobley,
the
CEO
of
coda,
bye,
kids,
I'm
gonna
be
fairly
brief.
The
reality
is,
if
you
look
at
the
city
of
Philadelphia,
we
have
a
city
where
more
than
40%
of
our
population
are
black.
If
you
look
at
tech,
only
2.5
percent
of
people
who
work
in
tech
are
black.
That's
a
crisis.
L
That's
going
to
result
in
a
generation
of
unemployable
people
as
we
look
down
the
road
Tech
is
driving
the
economic
growth
in
our
city.
Tech
is
the
undercurrent
of
most
the
problems
that
we
talked
about.
You
know
we
talked
about
justification
and
things
like
that.
The
growth
in
tech
is
what's
driving
it.
L
So
if
black
and
brown
people
are
shut
out
of
tech,
then
we're
creating
a
system
of
locked-in
inequality,
so
the
organization
that
I
run,
where
our
our
mission,
our
vision,
we're
here
to
ensure
that
every
young
person
has
equal
access
to
the
opportunities
to
ensure
that
they're
able
to
go
into
these
positions.
We
work
with
approximately
550
kids
each
week
we're
design
as
a
multi-year
tiered
program.
What
we
say
is
we're
not
producing
employees
producing
the
next
generation
of
CEOs
and
CTOs.
L
So
we
work
to
make
sure
our
kids
have
all
of
the
support
the
resources,
the
curriculum,
the
programs,
everything
they
need
to
move
into
the
upper
tiers
of
takun
to
address
the
issues
of
the
inequality
area,
so
we're
Oliver
so
we're
in
Philadelphia
Delaware
in
New
Jersey
in
Philadelphia
we're
all
over
the
city,
we're
in
almost
every
neighborhood
of
the
city
of
Philadelphia,
we're
in
between
2025
schools,
community
centers.
We
work
with
other
nonprofits
throughout
the
city
as
well.
E
Good
morning
councilman
thank
you
for
allowing
me
to
come
in
to
share
a
bit
of
a
testimony.
First
and
foremost,
my
name
is
now
Sarah.
Smith
I
am
the
CEO
and
founder
of
the
people's
innovation
movement,
which
is
a
financial
literacy
nonprofit
here
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia
I'm.
Also
the
founder
of
recent
Philly
financial
literacy
week,
in
which
you
have
received
the
resolution
from
council
Councilwoman
Jennie
Blackwell
at
this
past
October.
E
E
When
it
comes
to,
education
is
something
that
is
a
little
scary,
I
should
say
anyway,
but
furthermore,
one
of
the
things
that
and
I'm
gonna
be
very
brief-
is
the
challenge
here
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia
and
I'm,
a
product
of
the
School
District
of
Philadelphia
I
graduated
for
parkways
inner
city
and
attended
and
graduated
from
Penn
State
University
with
a
finance
degree.
One
of
the
main
issues
that
exists
is
that
there
isn't,
if
a
mandated
curriculum
around
financial
education
coding
and
entrepreneurship
in
our
and
our
curriculum
that
existed
in
this
city.
E
If
you
talk
about
industry
standards
going
forward
financial
education
coding,
entrepreneurship,
we'll
be
where
a
lot
of
graduates
will
start
to
indulge
in
and
need
those
type
of
resources
to
further
their
dreams
and
build
a
family
and
and
and
closing
a
gap
that
exists.
A
lot
of
my
work
has
I'm
partnering,
with
a
dozen
of
state
representatives,
different
schools,
to
share
my
perspectives
and
give
the
education
as
someone
who
will
left
an
employer
who
did
not
see
it
as
profitable
to
educate
the
minorities
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia.
E
So
in
closing
I
would
say
my
challenge
to
the
School
District
of
Philadelphia
is
to
implement
a
implement
into
the
curriculum
coding,
entrepreneurship
and
financial
education,
because
this
isn't
even
an
option
anymore,
because
if
you're
talking
to
industry
standards
in
the
next
10
to
15
years,
if
students
are
not
learning
these
things,
then
they
will
not
be
able
to
live
a
sustainable
life.
So
thank
you.
A
D
Yes,
thank
you.
Malika
subway,
full
chief
academic,
Support
Officer
for
the
School
District
of
Philadelphia
I,
just
want
to
put
for
the
record
that
we
do
have
a
financial
literacy
curriculum
actually
from
the
Pennsylvania
Department
of
Education
that
we
implemented
and
is
embedded
in
our
curriculum
I'm,
not
saying
that
we
don't
have
work
to
do,
but
we
do
have
financial
literacy
as
a
part
of
it.
D
In
addition
to
that,
as
part
of
the
high
school
plan,
the
other
part
of
financial
literacy
that
we
haven't
talked
about
in
the
School
District
of
Philadelphia
is
how
we're
supporting
parents
and
families
with
financial
literacy
as
it
relates
to
the
college,
application,
acceptance
and
matriculation
process.
We
wanted
to
ensure
that
whatever
we
were
providing
for
students
outside
of
FAFSA
I
was
one
of
those
students
and
parents
that
assume
that,
if
I
feel
fast,
how
fast
for
that
I
would
be
okay,
so
we
wanted
to
ensure
their
parents
understood
the
requirements
for
FAFSA
the
eligibility.
D
That
goes
with
fast
for
how
to
complete
scholarships,
scholarship
applications
and
the
scholarship
process,
and
also
plan
and
say
for
financial
literacy,
as
it
relates
to
the
college.
Acceptance
and
matriculation
sustainability,
the
other
part
of
that
I
wanted.
The
other
pointed
I
wanted
to
put
on
the
record,
was
regarding
the
culturally
inclusive
and
responsive
curriculum.
D
A
D
Yes,
we
actually,
yes,
so
we've
been
in
contact
with
councilman
Tom
and
his
office.
We've
also
been
in
contact
with
the
Federal
Reserve
Bank,
but
one
of
the
things
that
we
wanted
to
emphasize
was
that
we
didn't
want.
We
had
teachers
who
are
interested
in
financial
literacy.
I
wanted
to
teach
it
via
the
Federal
Reserve's
make
curriculum
in
their
professional
learning,
but
we
also
wanted
to
embed
it
throughout
all
of
our
curriculum,
not
just
in
one
course.
A
Thank
you,
that's
important,
so
we
know
that
with
bhumi
with
another
young
lady,
I'm
an
odyssey
who's,
another
author
and
certainly
with
down
with
his
agenda,
to
educate
young
people
in
financial
literacy.
So
we
certainly
would
like
to
make
sure
that
that
we
received
some
response
with
regard
to
those
three
or
four
individuals.
Thank
you.
A
Let
me
call
forward
now:
mama
Gayle,
an
education
advocate
Horace,
Cloudant
and
Leah
cloudy.
Is
there
anyone?
After
of
these
individuals
who
would
like
to
testify?
Because
we
have
completed
our
listing?
We
thank
you
all
for
being
here.
If
there's
no
one
else
after
they
testify,
we
will
be.
We
will
be
this.
This
hearing
will
be
completed
so
we
expect
to
get
out
of
here
by
before
twelve
o'clock,
and
we
thank
all
of
you
for
coming
good
afternoon.
Family
feel
free
to
identify
yourself
with
the
record
and
begin
your
testimony.
M
Right,
thank
you.
My
name
is
Horace
clouding
mama
Gale.
So
that's
what
Noah
is
in
the
public
anyway.
I
like
to
start
off
by
just
saying
some
words
that
school
district
loves
to
use
healthy
and
Safe,
Schools
literacy
by
the
age
to
a
grades
of
K,
8,
/
4th
grade
looking
for
better
teachers
and
principals,
accountability,
autonomy,
transparency,
better
use
of
space,
teacher
training
and
something
new
is
facilities.
M
Emergency
fund
I
want
to
talk
about
the
area
of
west
and
southwest
Philly
that
cross
cross
district
of
2nd
district
3rd
district
in
the
4th
district
totaling
38
schools
with
1600
and
16789
students.
I
got
that
from
fiscal
year,
19
that
was
in
I,
guess
one
of
the
books
that
you
have
received
from
the
district
out
of
the
west
and
southwest
district.
We
have
one
model
school
and
we
have
two
schools
that
were
classified
as
a
reinforce.
M
That's
out
of
watch
and
intervene
categories.
We
have
one
special
admit
school.
We
have
ten
CTE
programs
that
in
the
ten
high
schools
and
for
that
area
they
have
our
operating.
This
is
the
budget
operating
fund,
allotment
of
163
million
dollars
plus
and
a
grant
for
an
allotment
of
28
million
plus
and
that's
not
even
including
the
nonprofit
dollars.
The
area
also
has
two
Olympic
sized
swimming
pools
that
are
closed.
M
One
of
the
problems
that
we
found
doing
research
through
transparency
was
teachers,
attendance
and
in
those
schools
they
have
us
a
statement
or
sentence
that
says
percentage
of
teachers
attending
ninety
five
percent
or
more
of
days.
Schools
in
that
area
range
from
the
low
40s
to
to
the
high
70s
and
people
always
talking
about
teachers
need
to
be
paid
for
what
they
do
there.
All
this
and
they're
all
of
that
teacher
salaries
range
from
forty
six
thousand
dollars
to
eighty
five
thousand
dollars.
M
Here
again,
we
have
teachers
absent
as
a
family.
We
always
advocated
to
bring
back
to
junior
high
schools.
We
need
these
schools
because
the
K
2/8
are
not
working,
have
no
way
of
getting
children
back
on
grade
on
grade
level.
We
just
have
no
way
of
doing
it.
What's
the
difference
between
a
high
school
graduate
from
a
low-performing
school,
then
a
high-performing
school
I,
don't
know
if
anybody
put
any
dollar
amounts
on
it,
from
unemployment
to
maybe
$20,000
in
salaries
or
even
attending
colleges.
M
To
add
one
just
imagine
a
junior
high
school
largest
space
for
larger
children,
a
full-size
gym,
full-size
lunch
room,
a
full
size
auditorium,
a
full
service,
kitchen
working
showers,
science,
labs,
music
labs.
You
can
introduce
your
stem
programs,
you
can
bring
back
to
shop
classes
that
introduce
life
skills.
Any
new
technology
coming
down
the
pipe
can
be
introduced
at
a
junior
high
school
level
in.
M
West
Philadelphia
and
Southwest
Philadelphia
I
suggest
children,
Beiber,
Sayer
and
Maya.
Be
your
junior
high
schools.
They
were
your
junior
high
schools.
These
schools
are
ready
to
go,
they
can
go
in
September.
No
additional
monies
have
to
be.
No
additional
monies
is
needed
to
start
correcting
this
problem
that
has
has
been
introduced
since
2011
or
2013
whatever
the
date
is.
M
Our
community
needs
it.
Now
to
the
to
the
to
this
to
the
statement
of
emergency
facilities,
emergency
funds,
the
school
district
has
been
getting.
You
know.
They
say
when
testimony
want
backed
up
toilets
on
on
paint
chips
falling
from
ceilings.
These
things
should
never
come
to
a
school
district
meeting.
We're
talking
five
levels
of
management
to
correct
the
problem.
M
M
We
had
testimony
about
toilet
paper
paper,
towels
paper
products,
I
testified
at
a
school
board
meeting
and
told
the
school
board.
You
don't
need
to
be
hearing
stuff
like
that.
You
really
don't
I
didn't
point
the
finger
at
anyone,
but
you
need
to
point
the
finger
out.
Whoever
is
in
charge
of
these
departments
to
do
what
they
need
to
do.
M
We
spoke
of
culture.
This
has
been
an
outfit
I
used
to
work
for
the
school,
but
I'm
retired.
Now,
my
first
days
of
being
a
trainee
I
was
a
I
was
a
gung-ho
trainee,
and
the
first
thing
people
said
to
me
is
hey:
this
is
a
school
board.
We
don't
do
it.
This
is
not
the
school
board
way.
We
don't
do
it
that
way,
meaning
you
don't
need
to
be
gung-ho
here.
M
One
of
the
questions
I
like
if,
if
council
can,
can
X
the
school
district,
how
does
a
special
admit
school
go
backwards
and
grades?
This
is
a
special
amid
school
in
the
West
Philadelphia
area.
How
do
they
go
backwards
in
grades?
You
know
this
is
this
is
through
transparency
of
the
manuals.
I
think
you
received
from
the
school
district,
so
I
don't
know
what
your
research
team
has
been
doing.
I
hope
they
found
the
same
findings
that
I
found
but
I'm
not
making
anything
up.
M
Well,
I
didn't
say
but
I'll
say
if
you
want
me
to
say,
Parkway,
West,
special,
admit,
school
and
what's
ironic
about
Parkway
West
is
they
share
a
building
with
Maya,
which
is
five
to
eight
and
they're
doing
well,
they're
doing
well,
and
so
why,
in
the
same
building
when
the
transitions
from
8th
to
9th
or
from
middle
to
high
school,
the
grading
goes
backwards.
That's
the
school
districts,
transparency
in
the
manual
actually
neck
question
now:
I!
M
Guess:
charters
don't
want
to
put
other
people
in
the
carpet,
but
West
Philly
is
failing,
overbrook's
failing
Bartram
failed.
We
have
failing
high
schools
that
these
K
2/8,
if,
if
they
don't
have
any
transportation
to
get
to
a
high
school
of
their
choice,
those
are
the
only
choices
that
they
have
are
failing:
high
schools.
Here
again,
junior
high
schools
need
to
be
created,
so
we
compete.
We
can
prepare
students
for
high
school.
Why
would
you
suggest
high
school
students
in
a
failing
school
to
go
to
college?
M
That
just
doesn't
make
any
sense,
because
we
know
what's
waiting
for
a
test
is
waiting
for
them
in
college
and
what
what
happens
after
they
take
the
test
they
have
to
take
over
middie
over
here
and
then
plus.
We
know
that
it's
a
50%
dropout
rate
in
college,
so
why
would
you
say,
subject
a
family
to
dead?
M
You
know
it's
just
not
fair
for
us
to
do
that
and
what's
not
fair
is
for
those
that
capitalize
off
of
that
making
a
salary.
So
here
again
I'm
a
prepare,
a
I'm,
a
prepare,
a
detail
report
and
give
it
to
the
council
people
of
district
2,
3
&
4,
because
late
like
I'm
sorry
I
just
found
out
about
this
meeting
a
week
ago
or
a
couple
of
days
ago
and
the
same
thing
with
the
school
board
mean
a
week
ago
today
had
yesterday
so
I'm,
not
I.
M
M
You
know
here
out
of
the
school
district's
own
mouth,
we're
looking
for
better
teachers
and
better
principals.
Well,
evidently,
they
must
know
that
their
people
are
coming
to
work
and
then
this
word
of
autonomy
that
just
means
higher
than
everything.
When
these,
when
these
principals
have
autonomy,
they
are
hiding
everything
and
what
was
evident
of
that
is
when
they
first
started.
M
N
N
We
learned
how
to
be
the
best.
We
learned
that
he
was
supposed
to
do
your
best.
The
best
was
expected
of
you
and
people
that
taught
us
taught
us
the
best
way
they
could.
We
came
from
neighborhoods
where
teachers
cared
where
staff
in
the
buildings
cared.
It
wasn't
just
a
job
in
a
lot
of
cases,
it
was
a
calling
and
so
getting
involved.
N
Excuse
me:
is
there
a
time
period
that
you'll
go
back
to
the
system
that
we
have
now,
which
was
junior
high?
And
he
told
me
my
question
was
so
ludicrous.
He
wasn't
going
to
answer
me
and
that
would
that
propelled
me
to
be
an
activist
for
an
advocate
for
parents
and
children
because
paying
in
private
school.
No
one
had
ever
talked
to
me
like
that.
Even
though
we
had
several
properties,
we
were
paying
property
tax
on
those
properties.
N
Back
then,
and
I
wasn't
used
to
being
spoke
to
that
way
and
I'll
never
get
used
to
that.
But
that's
what
happens
today
in
schools.
So,
as
my
husband
talked
about
autonomy,
one
of
the
things
that
I
see
is
that
teachers
are
given
a
lot
of
power
and
some
of
them
don't
know
how
to
handle
that
I
wanted
to
speak
briefly,
but
before
I
even
go
on
one
of
the
things
that
no
one
wants
to
talk
about.
I
was
so
glad.
N
I
was
here
today
because
in
the
school
board
meetings
and
then
other
meetings
where
we
talk
about
education,
I
shouldn't
say
no
one,
not
enough
people,
because
I
believe
there's
never
no
one
and
never
everybody
so
I'm,
saying
not
enough.
People
talk
about
the
racism
the
other
morning,
I
heard
something
about
the
police
department,
and
it
was
interesting
to
me
because
I
don't
believe
something
can
be
the
RIC
that
the
police
department
and
not
education
in
other,
not
other
areas
where
we
live
so
go
back
to
when
dr.
Ackerman
came
bless.
N
Her
soul
and
I
said
to
dr.
Ackerman
ride
up
and
down
philadelphia
streets
is
when
she
first
came
and
took
the
position
ride
up
and
down
philadelphia
streets.
It
will
remind
you
of
South
Africa,
look
at
who's
working
and
I
meant
that,
because,
with
all
the
men
that
we
know
that
went
to
school
for-
and
that
was
then
when
she
was
in
charge,
but
with
all
the
men
that
we
know
went
to
school
for
vocational
ed
went
to
trade
schools.
Why
weren't
they
working
as
well?
N
N
Many
schools
he's
been
in
over
a
hundred
schools
as
a
relief
engineer,
but
I've
been
in
more
than
over
more
than
a
hundred
schools,
and
so
I
can
tell
you
from
one
end
of
the
city,
to
the
other
on
all
different
levels,
because
I've
sat
in
and
I've
been
involved,
whether
in
training,
when
speak
or
some
kind
of
program
that
I
was
involved
in
when
it
comes
to
vocational
ed.
We
know
what
it
did
for
us
in
our
community
as
far
as
being
able
to
finish
the
things
to
start
things
and
finish
things
for
girls.
N
It
was
home
economics
for
boys,
it
was
was
it
carpentry
when
I
came
to
a
meeting,
it
was
like
a
trade
show
at
the
school
district
a
few
years
ago.
All
these
people,
white
black
I,
call
white
black,
it
didn't
matter,
come
come,
come
they're
talking
about
giving
jobs
to
people
and
trades
come
only
for
them
to
come,
and
people
from
the
school
district
on
the
other
side
of
the
table.
Tell
them
they're,
not
gonna,
hire
you
because
they
can
read,
get
rid
of
us
all.
N
These
people
had
their
hopes
up
and
then
he
said
now
you
got
to
get
another
degree.
If
you
want
to
to
have
a
trade
job,
knowing
they
weren't
gonna
hire
them
the
games
that
have
been
played
with
our
people
with
our
communities,
ain't
speaking
for
nobody
else's
community
right
now,
but
ours,
the
games
that
have
been
played
are
probably
and
I'm,
not
a
lawyer,
but
if
you
sat
down
and
looked
at
what
has
been
what
has
been
hidden,
it
probably
is
criminal.
When
I
talk
about
penrose
parent
Welcome
Center,
you
came
janie
to
see
it.
N
Dr.
heit
came
to
see
it.
There's
been
so
many
things
that
we
haven't
talked
about
that
happen
to
my
daughter
and
I
at
the
school,
because
we
want
parents
involved.
So
when
you
talk
about
community
schools,
I
like
to
interview
people
there
to
see
what
kinds
of
roadblocks
they're
dealing
with,
because
after
you
and
dr.
heit
came
or
the
last
day
of
school,
when
we
feed
the
children
and
we've
been
feeding,
as
my
daughter
calculated
up
to
200
children
and
they
came
to
school,
many
children
came
to
school.
N
On
the
last
day,
the
school
called
a
fire
drill
at
2:45
or
the
last
day
of
school.
Knowing
that's
when
we
feed
these
children
that
are
hungry,
I
couldn't
believe
it.
But
it's
a
long
list
of
things
that
happened
before
them.
I
am
NOT
a
coward.
I
am
NOT
a
punk,
but
I
tell
you
the
hurt
that
I
feel
because
of
children
that
have
already
been
damaged,
wounded,
broken
we're
building
them
up
only
for
the
people
that
are
white
and
black
in
the
same
school
I
walked
through
the
halls
we
walked
through
the
halls.
N
N
We
have
been
through
all
kinds
of
things
and
you
don't
probably
have
time
to
hear
about
it,
but
I'm
telling
you,
as
I
tell
the
school
district.
We
have
been
inundated
with
opportunists,
Road,
blockers,
gatekeepers,
neutralizers
and
just
out-and-out
liars.
As
I
said,
reports
look
good,
but
then
you
have
to
investigate
the
person.
Writing
the
report
and
the
report
itself.
N
People
who
know
about
numbers
you
can
play
with
numbers
any
kind
of
way
you
want,
and
you
can
put
words
to
it.
But
what
I
know
is
on
this
in
this
city.
That's
called
brotherly
love.
We
must
be
better
for
these
children.
We
can't
keep
allowing
people
that
have
no
right
to
be
in
front
of
our
children,
be
in
a
position
to
grave
them,
treat
them
in
such
a
way
that
would
be
considered
inhumane.
A
O
O
On
the
last
day
of
school,
one
thing
we
do
we've
been
doing
for
for
a
long
time
for
months,
we've
been
at
pen
row
since
September,
but
we
started
beating
them,
but
it's
been
about
six
months
so
about
six
months
we've
been
feeding
their
children
every
single
day
or
just
about
every
single
day.
And
now,
on
the
last
day
of
school,
we
bought
a
bunch
of
hot
dogs,
and
we
have.
We
always
have
food
that
we
give
away
such
as
bread.
O
We
give
away
zucchini
squash,
yes,
fruiting
vegetables,
just
about
anything
you'd,
be
surprised
what
we
give
out,
because
we
get
donations
from
Whole
Foods,
so
on
the
last
day
of
school,
instead
of
informing
us
even
a
day
before
or
hours
before,
that
they
were
gonna
run
into
fire
drill.
They
decided
at
2:45
to
run
a
fire
drill.
O
The
children
get
out
at
3
o'clock,
but
the
children
riding
a
bus
leave
at
2:30,
but
I,
don't
even
recall
buses
being
there
to
take
the
children
home,
so
I
don't
think
they
children
showed
up
for
the
last
day
of
school.
So
we
prepared
we
had
juice,
hotdogs
other
things
to
give
the
children
such
as
to
freshers
like
toiletries.
We
have
all
of
that
stuff
and
they
decided
to
run
a
fire
drills.
So
the
only
thing
we
knew
was
to
get
out.
They
told
us
to
leave.
So,
thank
goodness,
my
mother's
quick
thinking.
O
We
decided
to
low
all
the
food
on
the
car
and
roll
it
out
to
him,
because
we
would
have
been
stuck
with
everything,
every
single
thing
and
I
think
I,
don't
know
what
happened
between
the
principal
and
what
we
were
doing
in
this
room.
What
we
doing
is
from
in
our
parent
and
community
centers
that
it's
not
nonprofit,
it's
not
a
for-profit,
it's
just
showing
the
community
that
the
showing
of
parents
a
community
that
the
community
can
do
it
for
ourselves.
We
can.
O
We
can
do
this
if
we
rally
together
put
our
minds,
our
financial,
yes,
our
resources
together,
we
can
make
it
happen,
so
we
wanted
to
show
that
it
can
be
done
so
for
a
year.
That's
what
we
did
in
our
Center
and
it's
just
very
disturbing
that
the
principal
and
her
staff
I'm
not
seeing
all
of
her
staff,
but
many
of
her
staff
would
rally
together
to
to
just
stop
it
or
just
disrupt
it.
O
I
mean
I've,
never
did
we,
we
teach
the
children
to
be
suspect,
--fill
and
it's
amazing
how
we
weren't
respected
in
different
degrees
at
this
location.
So-
and
this
isn't
the
first
time
we
did
it,
we
did
it
at
Huey
school.
We
were
met
the
same
same
way.
It
was
always
a
process,
yes,
the
same
resistance.
O
For
my
child,
you
know,
I,
can't
imagine,
being
a
child
sitting
in
these
classrooms,
receiving
information
that
I'm
receiving,
whether
it's
teaching
them
or
whatever
receiving
information
is
from
teachers,
and
you
know
that
it's
not
they're,
not
very
good
at
delivering
it.
You
know,
we
see
it.
It's
a
parent.
We
see
everything
in
our
streets
when
I
go
to
the
store,
I'm,
so
frustrated,
every
time
I
go
to
a
store.
It's
like
I,
don't
know
where
these
people
went
to
school.
O
It's
disturbing,
and
we
we
see
it
even
on
the
news
from
all
these
murders
that
are
occur
because
they
have
nothing
else
to
do
nothing
else
to
they
feel
useless,
and
it's
just
disturbing
to
to
have
to
live
in
these
kind
of
situations
when
it's
so
unnecessary.
It's
an
easy
fix.
Just
do
your
job.
That's
all
we
ask
is
that
you
do
your
job
and
if
you
need
help
you're,
not
alone,
you
don't
have
to
just
it's
not
just
about
it's
not
just
about
the
teachers
just
doing
their
job.
It
takes
everybody.
O
Everybody
has
to
to
contribute.
You
know,
I
tell
people
all
the
time
when
he
we're
talking
about
voting.
Oh
they're,
not
voting
for
this.
That
my
thing
is
participate,
participate,
don't
sit
back
and
talk
participate.
If
you
don't
want
to
vote,
that's
your
right,
but
I'm,
saying
if
you
don't
vote,
somebody
else
will
vote
for
you
and
somebody
else
will
to
be
able
to
determine
your
existence
and
I'll,
keep
it
at
in
Philadelphia.
A
N
N
There's
too
many
people
who
have
put
themselves
in
a
position
to
stop
our
materials
coming
into
the
school
materials
that
will
help
our
children
and
our
families
and
I'd
like
for
whoever
needs
to
to
look
into
it,
because
people
have
done
some
incredible
incredible
resource
materials
that
can
only
help
and
I
watched
people.
That
don't
look
us
look
like
us
constantly
getting
contracts
and
I'm
just
saying
it's
our
time.
It's
our
time,
it's
our
turn,
and
we
should
have
the
same
open
doors
that
everybody
else
has,
especially
when
our
children
are
suffering
the
most.
A
You
thank
you,
I,
want
to
thank
each
of
you
for
your
testimony.
I
want
to
thank
you
for
all
you're
doing.
As
you
know,
I've
seen
you
at
penny
rose
and
all
of
the
food
and
the
beautiful
environment
that
you
provide
for
children
and
is
unbelievable.
I've
seen
you
thank
you
for
all
you've
done.
It's
air
I've
seen
you
set
up
that.
A
Now,
while
Palmer's
on
that
group
we're
so
thank
God
that
they
are
there,
and
we
really
are
hopeful
that
we
can
create
the
museum
we
need
when
we
do
Africa,
town
and
Southwest
will,
because
there
are
wonderful
people
like
you
and
pastor
Darian
and
many
others
who
realize
that
if
we
want
our
children
save,
we
have
to
try
to
save
them,
and
you
know
there's
so
many
of
us
and
so
many
of
our
people.
We
run
the
school
district.
Now
I'm,
chair
of
Education
and
Finance
chair.
A
We
run
City,
Council,
there's
so
many
of
us
and
more
than
52
percent,
as
the
booklet
says,
of
our
children
in
school,
so
we
should
be
on
one
1/4
shouldn't
be
this
hard.
It
shouldn't
be
this
hard
to
feel
that
we
have
a
positive
agenda
for
our
children,
but
it
is
so
we
thank
you
and
we
note
that
we
have
to
continue
to
struggle.
We
thank
you
for
coming.
We
thank
all
who
are
here.