Soon-to-be Philadelphia mayor wants year-round schooling for the city’s students
Christopher Tremoglie
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Last Tuesday, Cherelle Parker won the Democratic primary for the mayor of Philadelphia. While she still has to win the general election in November against her Republican opponent, former City Councilman David Oh, it’s almost a foregone conclusion Parker will be the city’s next mayor.
During her campaign, Parker claimed she wanted to “make Philadelphia a national leader in public education.” She’ll have her work cut out for her. To accomplish this goal, Parker has proposed year-round schooling for students.
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“The whole idea of scheduling in the School District of Philadelphia — it’s antiquated and outdated and doesn’t meet the demands of a 21st-century global economy,” Parker told a local media member last week before the election. “Our children are no longer working the farms during the summertime.”
Undoubtedly, the whole thing is a radical idea. The city needs an education overhaul — students consistently underperform on standardized testing — but is this really what Philadelphia’s children need to succeed in the classroom? Don’t get me wrong; it is nice to see a Democrat trying to raise standards for once instead of lowering them. However, having students in school all year long seems illogical and, more importantly, unnecessary.
Moreover, the better question is why such a drastic tactic is needed. Plenty of schools in the area can survive and perform well without going to school year-round. And if students are struggling and having difficulty performing up to minimal standards now, what will an extension of that educational failure accomplish other than extend the time frame for the flawed school district to fail its students? The critical matter is not the time spent in school but rather the material covered and how it is being taught.
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While I like Parker’s initiative and commitment to improving education in Philadelphia, I disagree with her yearlong plan. I was an impoverished inner-city youth when I was younger. I attended school in some of Philadelphia’s worst socioeconomic ZIP codes. Yet I could read and do arithmetic on appropriate grade levels — and did so while having a summer vacation from my schooling.
Any plan by the future mayor of Philadelphia should include a revamped curriculum and renewed commitment to teacher accountability. It should also focus on educating students on subjects and materials they need to succeed in life instead of the radical left-wing political brainwashing that schools have become known for. Prioritizing education instead of indoctrination will go a long way to helping Parker achieve her educational objectives.