Vouchers: Give Breonna a chance

WHEN CHARTER schools were proposed for Pennsylvania in 1997, the same argument was made against them that's now being used against vouchers:

Competition would destroy the public school system.

Thirteen years later, we've proved them wrong.

Now, one of every five public school students in Philadelphia attends a charter school - the total number is 40,000. That competition is driving changes for the better.

In the next school year, Philadelphia School Superintendent Arlene Ackerman is implementing a new plan (called "Renaissance Schools") to radically restructure 18 chronically failing schools. Eight of the 18 would be turned into charter schools.

The problem is that charter schools in Philadelphia have waiting lists of nearly 30,000.

Which means that thousands of students who want to choose another option will be left in the 91 district schools that qualify as "persistently low-achieving."

What happens to the children who are not part of the Renaissance plan and are in one of 91 failing schools?

Meet Philadelphia BAEO member Michell Williams.

Ms. Williams is a single parent, a grandmother raising four children. She has a seven-year-old grandchild, Breonna, in the second grade at Pastorius Elementary School in Germantown.

Breonna was choked several times by a boy in her class. Two months ago, a student chased Breonna with scissors - when a teacher was present - and cut some of her hair off.

Recently, she came home saying she hurt because another child had elbowed her in the chest.

Ms. Williams filed a complaint with the school about the scissors incident and is still waiting for the results of the school's investigation. She has submitted an "extenuating circumstances" transfer application for Breonna.

Meanwhile, test scores at Pastorious are the pits. Last year, the 2009 PSSA results for the seventh grade showed that only 26 percent of the students scored proficient or better in math.

In reading for the seventh grade, only 29 percent of the students scored proficient or better on the PSSA.

Both the 2009 scores in math and reading for seventh-graders were way below the Philadelphia School District average scores, which had 54 percent scoring proficient or better in math and 43 percent scoring proficient or better in reading.

And what's even more horrifying is that the test scores in reading were a huge drop from the previous year.

Ms. Williams says that she feels that she's failing her grandchildren because she cannot give them the education they deserve.

It's projected that between five and 10 percent of eligible student families will apply for a voucher under Senate Bill 1, the Opportunity Scholarship and Educational Improvement Tax Credit Act, in the first year of the program.

Out of 51,000 eligible Philadelphia students, that means 2,550-5,100 would seek that choice.

Vouchers are one solution for the problem of failing schools.

It would provide immediate rescue for Breonna and children like her.

And it would keep competition going to drive needed changes.

Darlene Callands is president and CEO of Philadelphia BAEO (Black Alliance for Educational Options). For more info, visit philadelphia.baeo.org.