An almost exclusively black North Philadelphia learning institution, Strawberry Mansion High School in 2013 was spared from closure. Five years later, the status of the building – which houses fewer than 300 students despite it being built to accommodate 1700 – is again in jeopardy.
The School District of Philadelphia this year announced plans to phase out traditional 9th-12th grade sessions and instead utilize the Ridge Ave building to house various alternative education programs. When the next school year begins, no new 9th graders will enter the high school and the last class will graduate in 2021.
Statistics on the high school in its current form aren’t flattering. According to U.S. News and World Report, the graduation rate there is roughly 40 percent. And The Notebook notes that only 25 percent of the students in its catchment area are enrolled at the high school, and only 11 percent of students are present 95 percent of the time.
On Wednesday evening, during a rally outside the high school, neighbors and students also spoke of an institution in dire straits.
“We come here every day, on time, knowing we have a school full of subs,” said one student.
Ms. Tanya Parker, a Committeewoman in the neighborhood who emceed the rainy Wednesday rally, said in the school are students with Ds on their report card who shouldn’t have any marks because they’ve had no teachers.
“Strawberry Mansion right now is unstable. It’s a revolving door of teachers and children,” Ms. Parker said.
The last count by U.S. News and World Report show only nine full-time teachers, with a 42-1 student-teacher ratio. Ms. Parker said there is currently 19 teacher vacancies.
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Mr. Marvin Sharpe, who directs a music program, said the school needs teachers that are not only qualified but that can stay throughout the entire year.
“We have teachers that have left early and have never been replaced,” he said.
Mr. Sharpe also complained that the school doesn’t have a functioning library or any real leadership.
But despite the complaints and gripes, neighbors and allies see a school worth saving. Cars driving pass the rally, which attracted two dozen people, honked their horns in support of the school’s preservation.
Ms. Eileen Duffy, a school nurse and a member of the Caucus of Working Educators, spoke on behalf of the group, saying: “We stand with the educators and students at the Strawberry Mansion High school.”
“It’s not an accident that the district has chosen to close this school, in a community of color. Simply put: one doesn’t see this happening in the far Northeast,” Ms. Duffy asserted.
The district continues to reiterate that they won’t close the school but rather will re-imagine it, albeit not as a comprehensive high school. Supporters of the school appear tenacious, yet several sources say the phase-out plan is already in motion.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney released a statement on the issue. It reads in part:
“Currently, Strawberry Mansion only offers one education option to a small number of students, and most students in the neighborhood choose to go elsewhere. As a result, the District is working with Strawberry Mansion alumni, students, staff and other stakeholders to strengthen and expand access to educational programming in the neighborhood by bringing more options into the building.”
The neighbors I spoke to said they don’t feel as if their voices are being heard in this process, and that a true collaborative effort is not underway. Among their demands is transparency and respect.
Thanks for reading! Until next time, I’m Flood the Drummer® and I’m Drumming for Justice!™
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