Philadelphia, PA (February 27, 2013) — Following the Philadelphia School Reform Commission’s (SRC) decisions on school closures Thursday, Public Citizens for Children and Youth today released the following statement calling on the SRC to now focus priority attention on the safe, productive transfers of about 6 percent of the School District’s students from closed schools into their new schools:
The District must ensure that the new schools into which students transfer are as good as –or better than — the closed schools. This means that at a minimum class sizes should be conducive to learning and the supports students received in the closed buildings should be available in the new buildings.
To create positive bonds among the new student bodies, the District must create and implement an enrichment plan that brings students together this school year and with some regularity over the summer. In addition, professional and support staff in the receiving buildings should be trained in creative and sound instructional and school climate strategies to produce the best conditions for the next academic year.
Student safety must be a key priority in planning for this transition. To this end, the District must examine all transportation routes and boost safety by engaging community members and coordinating with SEPTA, the Police Department, and school security personnel to help students travel safely through new neighborhoods.
The transfer of students, staff and student records — as well as parental engagement strategies — must be implemented effectively. Therefore, the District should put one person in charge of this Transition, and it should create a clear Transition plan. That plan should seek out and adopt lessons learned by the 2012 school closings, create firm and reasonable timelines for all transfer activities and include a communications plan that ensures that parents, students and staff understand the timelines and protocols.
PCCY urges the SRC to ask the District to produce a comprehensive transition plan in the next 30 days that at a minimum addresses the elements of the PCCY School Closure Checklist referenced above.
“Having made the difficult decisions regarding school closures, the SRC needs to now insist that the District performs the heavy lifting of ensuring that students experience real benefits from these transfers,” said PCCY Executive Director Donna Cooper.
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NOTE: PCCY Executive Director Donna Cooper is available for further comment and can be reached by cell at 215-596-9167 or donnac@childrenfirstpa.org. PCCY, the area’s leading children’s organization,works to improve the lives and life chances of the region’s children through thoughtful and informed advocacy.