Future neighborhood schools

**qweezyq** · 11-01-2011, 11:56 AM

In light of the recent article in PhillyMag regarding raising (middle class) kids in CC (and surrrounding neighborhoods), it got me thinking which area public schools may drastically improve over the next 5-10 years from the influx of young families staying in the city. Of course there are the few greats that we all know of. Do you expect any others to rise to that level in the near future? If so which ones?

**annie** · 11-01-2011, 12:13 PM

The following neighborhood schools has active "Friends of..." or similar groups behind them: Andrew Jackson, Bache-Martin, Lea, Chester Arthur, Stanton, Cook-Wissahickon and Nebinger. Kearny is also one that has been talked about though I haven't seen mention of an official group.

**L3N** · 11-02-2011, 11:44 AM

I recently published a post on my blog with a similar topic. I identified many of the same schools that Annie did, plus some others. Commenters on the post also submitted other schools....

I definitely see the "Friends of..." movement poised to explode--we'll be seeing a lot of schools improving despite the district scandals we have heard so much about over the last year.
Len

**Eastcoast** · 11-02-2011, 11:53 AM

From my limited perspective I would put your money on Stanton and Nebinger if they are allowed to stay open. If Nebinger closes it could push more neighborhood kids towards Jackson which might exactly what they need to really get things rolling.

I would also guess that Annie is going to singe handedly bash Lea into shape.

**qweezyq** · 11-02-2011, 12:00 PM

Originally Posted by L3N

I recently published a post on my blog with a similar topic. I identified many of the same schools that Annie did, plus some others. Commenters on the post also submitted other schools....

I definitely see the "Friends of..." movement poised to explode--we'll be seeing a lot of schools improving despite the district scandals we have heard so much about over the last year.
Len

Thanks for the wealth of info your site has. I have a lot of reading to do.

**Brian616** · 11-02-2011, 01:43 PM

My money is on Lea to improve the most quickly. There will be a lot of squeezed out PAS kids in that school very soon.

**annie** · 11-02-2011, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by Eastcoast

I would also guess that Annie is going to singe handedly bash Lea into shape.

Hardly! The West Philly Coalition for Neighborhood Schools (which currently focuses on Lea) has 300+ Google Group members, ~100 members on Facebook and an ever growing list of community partners. We have several committees and projects ongoing and quite a few completed ones. I just happen to be the chattiest member (or biggest loudmouth, depending on how you look at it).

If given the chance, I think most people would like to be involved in their neighborhood school and have it be a part of the community. The problem is most people don't know where to start or to whom to reach out. Now that we've provided that for Lea, the community response has been impressive. But we could always use most help, members and donations!

**OldMama** · 11-02-2011, 04:54 PM

Don't be modest, Annie. I think you are being a fantastic cheerleader for Lea.

I am looking forward to hearing which schools are closing. I'm currently selling my house in Levering's catchment. More kids in my neighborhood actually go to Cook-Wiss or Dobson than Levering! If one of those is my new catchment, I think my house will be more sellable!

**Poweltonian** · 11-02-2011, 05:10 PM

Once again, I am surprised that Powel is not mentioned anywhere. I wonder why? The parents who send their kids to Powel love it, and yet it seems not to get much attention in the broader discussion of successful neighborhood schools. http://webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/p/powel

Besides an Active HSA, the Powelton Village Civic Association has a Friends and Alumni of Powel School committee.

**annie** · 11-02-2011, 08:23 PM

No disrespect was intended, Poweltonian. The OP was asking about future strong neighborhood schools and Powel is already a strong school, though it draws most of its students from outside its catchment. To me, the only thing holding it back is the grade configuration. That's why Penn Alexander et al weren't mentioned either.

**annie** · 01-05-2012, 12:07 PM

Urban Studies: Redistricting shakes up Philly parents who bet big on their neighborhood schools.

Still, it works for now. Meg Gardner, who has an 8-year-old son, had signed a lease for a $1,400-a-month apartment because it was in the Penn Alexander catchment. Then her son was put on the school's wait list. She tried "working night and day to send him to private school." When it became too much, she enrolled him at Lea.

So far, she's thrilled ... ish. The art, tennis and hockey are more than her son had access to in private school. But, she says, "When you go into Penn Alexander and they have everything you can imagine, and then you go a few blocks away to Lea and they're like, 'Oh, yay, the bathrooms are fixed,' that's inequality staring us right in the face."

Even if Lea wasn't Gardner's first choice, she now feels lucky to live in the catchment — at least, as it's drawn for now.

But, D'Antonio says, that's just it: "You shouldn't have to be lucky to go to school."

**Dolemite** · 01-05-2012, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by article

But, D'Antonio says, that's just it: "You shouldn't have to be lucky to go to school."

I don't get that last line in relation to the article.

**annie** · 01-05-2012, 02:11 PM

I think it was intended as "your catchment school" meaning both situations like PAS where there might not be enough room in lower grades and other neighborhood schools like the ones discussed in this thread where parents might feel comfortable with a school since its receiving more support from the community.