DVHS in upheaval

[friendlynerd]

How unfortunate.

[seand]

#1 Shouldn't oversight for disciplinary schools be higher, not more lax, because these are kids who have proven they are on the wrong track and need closer monitoring. I.E. if the kids need enhanced monitoring, logically it follows that the finances and qualifications of the teachers and administrators do as well

#2 Who the hell takes a job in a disciplinary school under federal investigation that just fired all of its teachers for talking about funny business with their paychecks? "Hmmm School X just fired all of their teachers for blabbing about how they promised Y amount of pay and they all got shortchanged. I'll take a job there and trust they won't do the same thing to me." Clearly not the brightest bulbs are going for this job.

[Lakey]

#1 Shouldn't oversight for disciplinary schools be higher, not more lax, because these are kids who have proven they are on the wrong track and need closer monitoring. I.E. if the kids need enhanced monitoring, logically it follows that the finances and qualifications of the teachers and administrators do as well

#2 Who the hell takes a job in a disciplinary school under federal investigation that just fired all of its teachers for talking about funny business with their paychecks? "Hmmm School X just fired all of their teachers for blabbing about how they promised Y amount of pay and they all got shortchanged. I'll take a job there and trust they won't do the same thing to me." Clearly not the brightest bulbs are going for this job.

#2 is a function of the lousy job market especially for recent graduates. Teacher hiring is seasonal. Those not hired now will most likely have to wait another year to find a teaching job. There are plenty of people underemployed or unemployed who are presumably desperate enough to take the risk of working there even with the knowledge that there is a good chance they'll get screwed. Working at DVHS at least allows them to have something other than barista on their resumes. Undoubtedly DVHS is counting on exactly that dynamic to help them fill their positions.

As for #1, yes you would think so. But as with so many things involving the SRC and 440, this is all about money for the politically connected; not about education.

[Jayfar]

District severs ties with alternative school provider

Attorney Alan E. Casnoff, who represents Delaware Valley, disputed the district's claim and said negotiations are ongoing.

"There are some very open legal issues due to the timing of the notice, and the appropriateness of the notice," Casnoff said. "Their position may be that it's closed. Mine is that it's not."

[billy ross]

District severs ties with alternative school provider

Wow.

Two thoughts come to mind. One is that this is the beauty of using contractors. If you're unhappy with how they do business, you have the option of not renewing their contract. It's so much easier and cleaner than keeping failed schools (or other government service providers) open hoping that the pigs feeding at the trough will figure out that the people that pay the bills to keep the lights on are disgusted with the operations' performance while everyone hopes that things will miraculously change for the better, despite decades of poor performance. The second is that this opens up a $25k per month hole in Mark Sherman's cash flow and open this site to possible redevelopment.

And so the worm turns.

[Speedbump]

U.S. Rep. C. Fattah needs to answer to the community for dumping this thing on our waterfront. He has no compunctions whatsoever about crapping in his own backyard.

[Mike D]

U.S. Rep. C. Fattah needs to answer to the community for dumping this thing on our waterfront. He has no compunctions whatsoever about crapping in his own backyard.

I would have to say it would be logical for the FBI to be investigating what role if any the congressman has had in this whole thing considering it is his son that started the ball rolling.

[annie]

Charter school owner says former employees incited violence

What's next for the former Delaware Valley High School site in East Falls?

[Sue P]

The "school" was misrepresented to begin with so I am glad it is gone! When people came to my door with a petition, they flatly denied that it was a discipline school. A real discipline school has guards and strict discipline. I refused to sign the petition but who listens to me anyway? SDP wasted a lot of money at that location and continues to take money from neighborhood schools with charters that are politically connected. The stolen funds, lack of oversight and lack of positive results is disgraceful. The state is trying their best to destroy SDP. As a tax payer and former teacher, I resent the whole situation. I am really glad that I don't have any kids to educate right now. I wouldn't want to do it in Philly. I believe in public education, my daughter went to public schools, and I worked my butt off for 31+ years in the system. The kids of Philly deserve better!

[annie]

Someone in the comments of the article pointed out that, based on the reflection in his glasses, it appears Mr. Shulick took the accompanying photo himself.

[IrishCD]

There is an article on Philly.com now too. School owner says former employees incited violence

That location would be great for a small market like Whole Foods or Trader Joes. It's going to be prime retail real estate with the development of Ridge Flats....a girl can only dream!

[friendlynerd]

Yes, yes, 1000 times yes.

[The Catfish]

There is an article on Philly.com now too. School owner says former employees incited violence

That location would be great for a small market like Whole Foods or Trader Joes. It's going to be prime retail real estate with the development of Ridge Flats....a girl can only dream!

I have it on very good authority that Wegman's is interested in putting a 150,000 square foot net-zero super store on that site, with the largest "Vegan Village" in the world, and a brew pub. And a bike share program. And free cowbells for the bike race.

[friendlynerd]

I have it on very good authority that Wegman's is interested in putting a 150,000 square foot net-zero super store on that site, with the largest "Vegan Village" in the world, and a brew pub. And a bike share program. And free cowbells for the bike race.

This stopped being cute right about when this old joke started. It really would be a great spot for a smaller market, which is something East Falls currently lacks. My cynicism says, however, that Sherman will either botch it and it stays vacant or something equally as useless as DVHS goes in. I hope I'm wrong.

[The Count]

This stopped being cute right about when this old joke started. It really would be a great spot for a smaller market, which is something East Falls currently lacks. My cynicism says, however, that Sherman will either botch it and it stays vacant or something equally as useless as DVHS goes in. I hope I'm wrong.

Sherman would love nothing more than to sell his site to While Foods or Traders; it's not like we (EFDC) just forgot to call those guys. They've been approached multiple times in the past and I can tell you that the demographics within a 1 and 3 mile radius do not suit them.

[billy ross]

Sherman would love nothing more than to sell his site to While Foods or Traders; it's not like we (EFDC) just forgot to call those guys. They've been approached multiple times in the past and I can tell you that the demographics within a 1 and 3 mile radius do not suit them.

Which shows how stupid they are, and inconsistent. As if the demographics within a 1 and 3 mile radius of 20th and Pennsylvania at the time the Whole Foods opened in North Philly (I know people think of it as Center City, but it's well north of Vine Street, and I remember how dicey that area used to be B.W.F), with abandoned properties across the street and all around it, were what they were looking for. Don't their formulae take commuting routes into account? There are enough people who drive directly by the site on Kelly Drive twice per day to be able to support a quality market there. If they got right turn only ingress and egress from Kelly Drive, it'd be easy in, easy out.

[efalls81]

Don't their formulae take commuting routes into account? There are enough people who drive directly by the site on Kelly Drive twice per day to be able to support a quality market there. If they got right turn only ingress and egress from Kelly Drive, it'd be easy in, easy out.

Agreed. I'm sure there are people smarter and more informed than me making those decisions for Trader Joe's et al, but I've always thought that the lack of a similar store in East Falls/Manayunk/Roxborough, combined with the number of commuters passing directly in front of this property every day, would pretty much guarantee a successful venture there.

[friendlynerd]

Don't their formulae take commuting routes into account? There are enough people who drive directly by the site on Kelly Drive twice per day to be able to support a quality market there.

My thoughts exactly.

[OldMama]

There have been fantastic sites available in Roxborough, petitions signed, etc. and they're just not interested in this area.

[PASnow]

Jeff Cole had a pretty good piece on DVHS & a run-in with Shulick which aired last night..

FOX 29 Investigates: School Contracts Probe - Philadelphia News, Weather and Sports from WTXF FOX 29