6th Grade at John B. Kelly Elementary School

John B. Kelly Elementary has had 6th grade classes for seven years.

Each year that this teaching team has had 6th grade (6 of the 7 years), we've managed to maintain the highest of academic and behavioral standards. We've managed to build rapports with our students that remain to this day. We've also managed to tackle the minimal criteria for academic performance, PSSA test scores. Scores do not measure all that a child has learned, the reason for my use of the term "minimal".

Using that minimal standard for academic progress, the standard that the district and others use, we've managed to increase the students' proficiency in reading and math every single year that we've been a team! Some years the increase reflected single digit percentage point increase and other years reflected double digit percentage point increases, but ALL were increases!

From 5th grade to 6th grade, the students' percentage points as a whole class increased each year in both reading and math! In what may be the final year of 6th grade at J.B. Kelly, the preliminary results show us going out with a (((BANG)))!!

34% of the students were proficient/advanced in reading for 5th grade to 51% in 6th grade
36% of the students were proficient/advanced in math for 5th grade to 65% in 6th grade
Note: it was the same group of children from 5th to 6th, PLUS a few from private and charter schools


The result: Mastery Charter School at Pickett, a few blocks away, will now become a 6th - 12th grade charter school and John B. Kelly Elementary School will now be a K-5th grade elementary school.

Why?

We made it!

There is a verse in the Bible from the book of Acts that states, "And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land."
Paul and his fellow prisoners were shipwrecked and had to find a way to safety. Some made it to shore on boards and some on broken pieces of the ship.

Well, today was the final day for public school teachers in Philadelphia. It has been one "wreck" of a year! Even still, we made it....on broken pieces!

The fight isn't over yet, however. There are more than 3,800 essential personnel who provide essential services who need their jobs restored so that the services our children need are restored. For that reason, many are traveling to Harrisburg to continue the pressure on lawmakers to fund public schools, particularly in urbanized areas, as they should!

For this reason, many who may not be able to make the trip to Harrisburg, will be calling, emailing, tweeting, meeting, stirring up dialogue in barbershops, beauty salons, YMCAs, on buses and rails, all in an attempt to restore services and to adequately fund schools and districts!

Since we started with the Bible, I'll end with it too. Jesus had a special place in his heart for children! He issued strong warnings for those who would offend them!

My two favorite subjects

Earlier today, while taking a nice air-conditioned train ride through town, I reflected on my two favorite subjects in elementary school.

Art.
Music.

I remember the questionnaires we'd get and those two being my responses.

I remember learning to play the violin, viola, and cello.

I remember learning how to read music.

I remember winning an art contest sponsored by the Chapel of Four Chaplains. I remember having to go to the Adam's Mark hotel for a banquet and to receive my $100 check. (I also remember my 1st grade teacher making us open a savings account, the ultimate destination of that $100 check)

I remember Mrs. Serota, the art teacher, Mr. Shelton the music teacher, and Mrs. Christensen, the music teacher who stepped in after Mr. Shelton passed away.

Here's what troubles me; the School District of Philadelphia has passed a budget that cuts such things as art and music. What troubles me is the fact that many schools already had to make a choice between art or music and now those options aren't on the table at all.

There is no reason why a city such as Philadelphia, a culturally significant icon and staple for the arts in the United States and around the world, should have a public school system destitute of such culturally significant and iconic programs!

While celebrating a new mural that pays tribute to the Roots (well deserved), in the same news cast we lament the loss of music and art in our schools!

Smh