Notes from the Field
Submitted by Frank Murphy on September 6, 2011
The start of a new school year has been an important event for me for most of my life. I have experienced the first day of school as a student, a teacher, a principal and a parent. Amazingly, on each of these occasions I have been filled with the same excitement, anticipation and hope that a new beginning can engender.
A new beginning …… that has always been what the start of another school year has meant to me. It is a time for renewal and hope that stems from the belief that you can simply start over one day and make your life better than what it was in the previous year. This is a notion that I know I share with many others.
We start this new school year as a district in turmoil. The public’s confidence in the ability of the School Reform Commission to effectively manage its business has been badly shaken by recent events. The burden of having to close a 630 million dollar deficit has reduced school staffing and diminished school programs. Staff morale is low. And the prospect of a contentious school closing process looms ahead. If ever there was a time for positive thinking, this is it.
Today I feel optimistic that this will be a better school year. I am confident that we as a city can find a way to overcome the financial, management and morale problems that have nearly paralyzed our school system in the last year. It is time to put behind us the drama and hard feelings that have ensued from the bitter and long good bye of Arlene Ackerman.
It is highly doubtful that first grade students in our city are expressing their dissatisfaction over the fact that Arlene Ackerman is no longer the superintendent of their schools. It is also unlikely that many students in other grade level have taken much of an interest in the District’s recent leadership turnover. The concerns of our children as they start a new school year can be pretty much summed up in the following way: Who will be my new teacher? Will any of my friends be in my classroom? Will this year’s work be harder than last year’s? The answers to all three of these questions will come from the teachers and principals who play a major role in the daily lives of their students.
These are the school leaders who primarily gain our children’s attention and earn their respect. These are the people who are most responsible for determining the success of any school. The steady increase in student test scores that have taken place in Philadelphia for the last nine years is mainly attributable to the hard work of these educators. They are the people who have moved our district forward and they are the people who will get us through our current crisis.
It is our children’s teachers who will make far more of a difference in their lives than their school superintendent.If the teachers delivering the instructional programs are highly effective, their students will thrive and make good progress. As a result of the actions of these competent and knowledgeable teachers, students will be educated in classroom environments that are orderly, safe, challenging and age-appropriate.
The competency of a child’s teacher is a significant factor in a child’s school success. Fortunately for the children who attend our public schools, the vast majority of their teachers will do an excellent job of providing them with a quality educational experience.
As this year begins, I am hopeful that our elected leaders and appointed school commissioners can get beyond the finger pointing and heated rhetoric that has been side tracking them from the important business of the district. It is time for them to focus their attention on providing teachers and principals with the supports they need to do their jobs well. It is time for a new beginning for all of us in Philadelphia’s schools.