Youth leaders carry on campaign for small schools

Two student organizations imagine a different kind of high school.

by Gretchen E. L. Suess and Kristine S. Lewis

"In big high schools, there is so much chaos and noise. You can't accomplish anything. But with small schools, you can learn a lot," says Sida Din, a senior at Olney High School and member of Youth United for Change (YUC) for three years.

Through their involvement in YUC and the Philadelphia Student Union (PSU), students such as Din are leading campaigns to re-envision and transform their high schools. They propose small schools characterized not only by their size, but by rigorous education, increased sense of community, and democratic decision-making.

Tiffany Fogle, a new member of PSU and ninth-grade student at West Philadelphia High School ("West"), describes the promise that small schools hold: "My vision for small schools is a new environment - not just a new building but a better education."

For these students, an improved education includes improved relationships with teachers. "In small schools, the teachers and the students get to know each other better," comments Mary Wells, a senior at West and member of PSU for three years. Wells also foresees members of the school community becoming part of a shared school governance process.

PSU and YUC are not just talking about small schools; they are at the forefront of organizing around the issue. Students have done research and written proposals for small schools at Kensington and West. For each site, they envision that the existing large high school would be replaced by a campus of four small autonomous schools with no more than 400 students each. These small schools would share some facilities, but would have their own faculty, administration, curriculum, and governance structure.

Students involved with YUC at Olney High School are now putting together their proposal and hope to see six small schools built.

Two years in the making

Youth leaders of PSU and YUC have shown their determination to have a voice in decisions about the future of their high schools. Two years ago, they began conducting "listening" campaigns, surveying other students about their ideas for the design for a new high school. PSU and YUC members have read literature about small schools and have traveled to small schools in Oakland, Chicago, Rhode Island, and New York City.

Jennifer Howell, a senior at Kensington and member of YUC for four years, says she hopes creating small schools will make Kensington "better in all aspects of education, such as teacher quality and having personal relationships with the principal."

Both YUC and PSU are pursuing and securing the support of parents, advocacy groups, local community organizations, and local and state politicians. For example, through the Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform and the Education First Compact, they have enlisted the support of veteran education reformers in developing a districtwide small schools policy paper. PSU has won backing from a number of neighborhood and faith-based groups in West Philadelphia.

"It's an inspiration to see young people so involved in bettering their education system, not just for the betterment of themselves but for others," says Rev. Rodney Rogers from the Christ of Calvary Church in West Philadelphia.