This inspirational action shows the children having a hell of a lot more sense than the adults. Stand up for reason and justice! Well done public school students!
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20081003_Phila__students_voice_concerns_on_teacher_pact.html They called attention to data compiled by the Cross City Campaign for School Reform, an alliance of local education groups, that show only 68 percent of teachers in so-called Corrective Action 2 schools - schools that have failed state tests for several years running - are considered highly qualified. These schools are concentrated in the city's poorest neighborhoods. To meet that standard, teachers must have a college degree in the subject they teach, must be state-certified, and must have demonstrated knowledge in their subject. "If we don't have qualified teachers at these schools, how are we going to fix them?" asked Erika Almiron, the Philadelphia Student Union's assistant director. She said that the students had met with union and district representatives, but that their concerns were not being taken seriously. Greg Jordan-Detamore, a junior at Masterman, goes to a school with excellent teachers. But he said he was uncomfortable knowing that his peers did not all have the same experience. "It creates this weird situation," he said. "If I didn't get to go to Masterman - if I went to University City, my neighborhood high school - I'd have a completely different experience. That would set me up for a completely different future." ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.