BY DOROTHY PHILBIN | CNBNews Contributor
When I taught at West Philadelphia High School a student named S.M. was the valedictorian the first year I was there. I’m happy for everyone who works hard enough to place first in a class of more than 300 students. He should have been very proud.
At that time the CEO (Superintendent) of the district was Paul Vallas who, in my opinion, was doing a wonderful job. His first priority was to buy all new textbooks for every student. Other, similar priorities quickly followed. Sadly, for S.M. it was too little, too late. Even though he was valedictorian he had to take a remedial math course over the summer to enter college in September. The school hadn’t prepared him to take an entry-level college math course.
Sadly, S.M. could not pass the remedial course. That was the end of his college career.
Several years and several CEOs have gone by but I’m not sure much has or will change. In recent articles members of the district’s School Reform Commission* (school board) have named the three finalists to replace the current CEO. Before naming them let me start by saying they are all from heavily Democratic districts. That, in and of itself, makes all three qualified. The candidates are:
– John Davis from the Baltimore School District. If you remember Baltimore came into the national limelight recently because the senior class had an equal number of potential graduates reading on a kindergarten level as they had students reading on grade level. What can this man do to improve the struggling schools in Philadelphia?
– Krish Mahip is from Chicago as was Paul Vallas decades ago. The difference is that Chicago students haven’t gotten new textbooks in decades. How do you think students are going to learn in the recent political and racial strife? Absences are at a ridiculous level. I can understand why someone would want to leave Chicago but what does he have to offer Philadelphia? Not much that I can see.
– Tony Watlington is probably the best candidate of the three. He meets the most important criteria – he is from a Democratic district. He has a long history in the field of education but a very short career as senior management in education. His district is bigger than Gloucester City in both numbers of students and the physical area. However, in all other areas, the two districts are similar. If he were being considered for Superintendent in Gloucester City, I’d say yes in a minute but not for a district as large as Philadelphia.
So, once again our students’ education is secondary to politics. Is the Philadelphia School Reform Commission choosing the most qualified candidate or the most politically acceptable candidate?
* Note: Philadelphia has had a School Reform Commission rather than a School Board for decades. Many years ago, the state board of education determined that the district was not capable of ruling itself. So, the state made a “committee” with nine members, the majority of which were appointed by the state and the minority being appointed by the mayor. It has been decades and to the best of my knowledge the city has won a few more appointees but the state is still involved.