Unrest at West Philadelphia High School

Students at West Philadelphia High School walked away from school premises Feb. 11 in an organized protest, stating that they want “Education, Not Incarceration.” The walkout was in response to the school’s policies on student arrests and high faculty turnover.

This incident comes soon after the cease of daytime tutoring by Community School Student Partnerships at the high school — a program that sent Penn students to tutor at the school until last fall.

CSSP decided not to continue tutoring at the school after the management of West’s Student Success Center transferred from the Netter Center, the organization that houses CSSP, director of Community Schools at the Netter Center Chris Bower wrote in an e-mail.

The Student Success Center provides academic resources for West’s students.

“It’s really sad that our tutors aren’t going to be able to tutor at West anymore since students at West were appreciative of Penn students’ presence,” Engineering senior and former site coordinator Brittney Exline said.

The contract between the Netter Center and West’s Success Center was canceled this month, Bower wrote.

Members of CSSP had mixed feelings on the recent walkout.

“I’m really impressed the students got this all together,” Exline said. “I think these are reasonable demands and I think they deserve it.”

“It’s not ideal that they’re walking out of school, but it helps show the leadership that it’s not doing what it’s supposed to,” she added.

College senior and CSSP director Jasmine Hoskins expressed similar sentiments.

“It’s great that students there are taking responsibility for their education,” Hoskins said. “Students should be in school during the day, but they got the school’s attention.”

“Hopefully now the school will listen and these kids will get the education they deserve,” she continued.

Students who previously tutored at West through CSSP have the option of tutoring at University City High School on 36th and Filbert streets or getting involved in one of the program’s other activities, which Hoskins said many have done.

West students distributed a list of their demands Friday, which included ending student arrests for minor infractions, maintaining more consistency in the faculty and increasing respect for student property.

Many of the changes the students were protesting are part of an attempt by the school district to convert West into a Promise Academy — a new model implementing various school reforms.

Reforms would include the hiring of only half of the school’s teachers after they reapply for the jobs they currently hold, and increasing the length of school days and the school year.

“Ultimately, these changes could be good for the school, but there’s already been so much going on so I don’t think now is the right time,” Hoskins said, referring to the fact that there was already a faculty turnover rate of 40 percent last year.

According to a statement released by Shana Kemp — School District of Philadelphia spokeswoman — the principal of West spoke to students yesterday “to remind them that their education is of the utmost importance, despite any frustration that they may be feeling.”

Exline is “not optimistic” about the direction of the school. However, both she and Hoskins expressed their desire for the Netter Center and West to renegotiate the Success Center’s contract.

“Our work at West is a beautiful thing and we hope to get back into West soon,” Hoskins said.

Despite the cancellation of the Success Center contract, the Netter Center still has continuing or expanding operations at West, including the Leonore Annenberg Teacher Fellowship program, a partnership with Beat the Streets and various partnerships between Wharton and the high school’s Business Academy, Bower added.

Note: This article was updated from its original version to more accurately reflect the relationship between CSSP and West Philadelphia High School.

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