While controversy swirls, life goes on for many at West
by Benjamin Herold on Jun 08 2010 Posted in Latest news
Yet another battle over the future of West Philadelphia High School broke out Tuesday morning in the school’s auditorium.
But for the moment, at least, the latest struggle didn’t involve any accusations against parents, dire predictions by teachers, District denials, or behind-the-scenes posturing by community groups and consultants - all of which have come to define West’s strange and oft-delayed foray into Superintendent Arlene Ackerman's Renaissance Schools initiative.
That intrigue will apparently resume at Wednesday afternoon's meeting of the School Reform Commission (SRC), according to an announcement by the West School Advisory Council (SAC). Tuesday, the council members made public their demand that the SRC vote to ratify the council's recommendation to match West with turnaround partner Johns Hopkins/Diplomas Now for next year.
But this morning’s drama, part of West’s annual “Move-up Day,” bore no trace of the messy politics that currently cloud West's future. Instead, the battle centered around a dance-off between this year’s outgoing seniors (the self-described “Class of Dimes”) and the juniors who will replace them next year as part of West's Class of 2011 (the "Class with Class").
”At the end of each year, the seniors move up, [the juniors] move into their spots