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School reform advocates from West Philly will no doubt be on hand for a rally today in front of the Philadelphia School District offices at 440 N. Broad St. to call on the district to open up the process of reform to students, parents, teachers and community members.

Teacher Action Group (TAG), an organization of reform-minded teachers, is organizing the rally, which is scheduled for 4 p.m.

Some of the nearly 100 students who walked out of West Philadelphia High School last week talk with reporters. (Photo courtesy of The Notebook.)

West Philly resident, professor and blogger Drick Boyd published an insightful post on Sunday about what is happening at West Philly High and the lengthy string of changes that have been made this year, including three different principals. About 100 students voiced their anger at the changes by walking out of the school on Feb. 11.

Today about 40 students walked out of Audenried High School on Tasker Street to protest their school’s conversion to a charter school. The “process” that Boyd writes about at West Philly High is the sweeping nature of the changes with seemingly little consultation with students or parents.

He writes:

The mild “uprisings” in West Philadelphia and South Philadelphia are a sign that people in those communities care about education and their kids and they want an authentic seat at the table. They don’t want to be pawns in quick fixes or faddish educational ideas. More than anyone, they know that the future of precious lives are at stake, because those lives are either theirs (students) or the lives of people about whom they deeply care (parents and community members).

Boyd’s post also appeared on The Notbook site today.

The entrance to West Philadelphia High School.

The success of the Penn Alexander school (4209 Spruce St.) sometimes overshadows what happens at other schools in the neighborhood. The fact is that many of these schools, while having individual successes, are struggling overall. The students are bright, the teachers are usually qualified and engaged, but the schools are not living up to their potential.

One problem is the lack of parental involvement in schools. Research has consistently shown that parental involvement is a key factor in a students success as well as a school success. Another factor, activists argue, is the school system itself.

The Enterprise Center hosted a screening of a school reform documentary called “A Community Concern,” which chronicles grassroots neighborhood reform efforts in the Bronx, Oakland and Boston. The documentary makes it clear thast school reform is rarely just a top-down process – that there has to be movement from below, among parents, community leaders, teachers and students to make real change. After the screening, several community members involved in school reform in West Philly discussed their efforts. These include parents from West Philadelphia High School (4700 Walnut St.), Henry C. Lea Elementary (4700 Locust St.) and Alain Locke Elementary School (4550 Haverford Ave.).

The same grassroots organizing that changed schools in Oakland, Boston and New York is alive in West Philadelphia as well with groups such as the West Philly Coalition of Neighborhood Schools.

The following excerpts from the discussion will provide an important primer on the efforts in local schools and a window into the issues that need to be addressed.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3 (it says “part 2,” but it’s part 3):