Philadelphia Schools: Progress and Problems: A Citizen-Expert Dialogue

Posted by on March 19, 2007

Thursday, April 5

The Philadelphia Schools: Progress and Problems
A Citizen-Expert Dialogue

This event will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at The Inquirer building, 400 N. Broad St., Philadelphia.

Registration and refreshments will begin at 5:45 p.m.

This program is being co-sponsored by the Philadelphia Cross City Campaign for School Reform. It is intended as a preparatory session for the mayoral candidates forum to be co-sponsored by Great Expectations and the Cross City Campaign on April 12.

The April 5 program will have three parts:

– An expert panel will lay out the facts about what?s gone on in the Philadelphia schools since the state takeover. Michael Casserly of the Council of the Great City Schools will put the Philly reforms in national context. Jolley Christman of the Graduate School of Education at Penn and Research for Action will report on test scores, and what they indicate about how various school management models are working. Sharmain Matlock-Turner of the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition will talk about charters and school choice. Michael Masch, state budget secretary and a former member of the School Reform Commission, will talk about finances and state aid. Darlene Callands Curry of the Black Alliance for Educational Options will talk about the parents? perspective. Given the recent prominence of the discipline issue, we may add a speaker on that.

– Citizens will then gather in small groups to discuss what they heard, how it compares with their impressions coming in, what questions they still have and what steps they?d like to see taken next to improve education in Philadelphia.

– James Nevels, chair of the SRC, and other SRC members will respond to what they?ve heard from the experts and the citizens. It is unclear at this point whether Paul Vallas, schools CEO, will attend.

Space is limited so REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR THE APRIL 5 EVENT.

Register by going to the project Web site at http://go.philly.com/greatexpectations and clicking on the registration link or by calling the project hotline at 215-854-5956.