Powel School ranks as city's second-best elementary

TO HEAR Valerie Douglas tell it, the principal, staff and teachers at Powel Elementary are like magicians.

The principal is "a listener, she hears you and then she acts. The staff here they listen, they hear, they remember just little things that happen with your child," said the grandmother of two children at the school. "They pay attention to detail."

Douglas, a West Philadelphia resident, isn't alone in her assessment of the neighborhood K-4 school. Powel, on 36th Street near Pearl, ranked second among elementary schools, behind only Anne Frank in Northeast Philly, according to the 2013-14 School Progress Report.

With an enrollment of about 260, Powel posted strong outcomes across the board - achievement, student progress and school climate.

Douglas enrolled her grandchildren there late last year after they relocated from Pittsburgh. She tried home schooling, but that didn't work. So, a friend recommended Powel. Douglas said her grandchildren - one is in first grade, the other in fourth - love the school so much that they hate to miss a day.

She praised the staff for inspiring kids and being responsive to parents. When they had a problem with bullying last year, the school immediately resolved it.

"At Powel, we have been just elated," she said. "The children have blossomed and bloomed.

"I don't know how they do it, but they get the job done."

Michelle Harrison, the friend who referred Douglas to Powel, has a second-grader there and a son who graduated from Powel and attends Masterman. She, too, lauded the staff for being involved and caring, adding that parents also play an active role.

"Everybody seems like they're happy to do what they do, and that's what makes me happy about bringing her here," Harrison said of her daughter. "It's not just a job. For some people, I'm sure it is. But for these teachers, they love the kids, they love teaching, and that makes the kids love it."

Kimberly Ellerbee, Powel's principal, attributed the school's achievement to having a clear vision and rallying teachers, volunteers, parents and its more than 20 community partners around that vision.

"We're really about focusing on the whole child, and what that means for us is certainly preparing them academically to be successful at the next level, but it's also about preparing them socially and emotionally to be successful . . . in life," she said.

Pupils learn themes of persistence, respect, kindness and problem-solving across the curriculum and through various ways, Ellerbee said. Preparation for standardized tests is not emphasized.

Ellerbee also complimented parents - the school has an active Home and School Association - for their involvement.

And the partners, which include Drexel University, the Neubauer Family Foundation and the West Philadelphia Alliance for Children, have helped make up for the loss of district resources.

In essence, the school seems to have the perfect mix of dynamic leadership, dedicated faculty and involved parents, according to those who spoke with the Daily News.

"The staff and the leadership are just phenomenal at this school," said Robin Dominick, a member of Powel's HSA.

"I think all the staff and leadership are on the same page and really focused on the kids and the education of the kids."

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