Crowd calls for a voice in Philadelphia's school decisions

BRAVING chilly winds, hundreds of Philadelphia School District teachers, students and community members rallied yesterday outside district headquarters to demand a voice in how city schools are reformed.

The protest, organized by the Teacher Action Group, was prompted by several acts of what it described as "retaliation" against outspoken teachers in the last two weeks, including the banishment of Audenried High School teacher Hope Moffett from her classroom.

"You know that by maintaining silence you passively accept our current situation," said Bridget Finnegan, a teacher at Martin Luther King High School, one of 18 schools set to be transformed next year. "We cannot and will not accept any more tactics of intimidations.

"Today, we are here to demand full collaboration of all who have a vested interest in the future of our community and its youth!"

Teachers have raised questions about how the district decided to convert their schools into charter schools or Promise Academies under Superintendent Arlene Ackerman's Renaissance School initiative. Teachers said the decisions were made without input from teachers, students or parents.

Some of the loudest applause from the crowd of about 400 to 500 came for Moffett.

"If they come into schools in an autocratic way and shut down requests for information and requests to be part of the process, then the gains we have made at Audenried in the past 2 1/2 years will actually disappear," said Moffett, 25. "I appreciate everybody coming out here and for every teacher willing to raise their voice . . . I think that is our best and last hope for change in this district."

Ackerman wasn't in the building, on Broad Street near Spring Garden streets, for the 45-minute rally, said district spokeswoman Shana Kemp.

The district did, however, announce late yesterday that Ackerman had received a one-year contract extension so that she can see through her Imagine 2014 plan. Her contract would have extended automatically if the School Reform Commission hadn't notified her by Wednesday that it was not extending it.

During the protest, Kemp handed out a statement that said the district "respects the right of individual to voice their opinions."

"We understand that emotions are running high in the face of some of the changes being made to the operation of our schools, but we are confident that the positive results generated after implementation will be met with welcome," the statement read.

In the crowd, Germantown High School teacher Ismael Jimenez, 29, said that teachers aren't happy to be named to a Renaissance School because they will all have to reapply for their jobs.

"I love the school. I love the community," Jimenez said. "I think it's important for teachers to live in the communities they teach."