Philadelphia Hebrew Public approved by School Reform Commission New charter school in East Falls set to open to students August 26, 2019
(NOTE: This is a press release from Hebrew Public Charter School)
In a May 24 meeting of the School Reform Commission (SRC), the majority of members present voted to approve with conditions the charter of Philadelphia Hebrew Public Charter School. Hebrew Public currently operates three nonprofit public charter schools in New York and supports an affiliated network of schools across the country.
Hebrew Public is a leading network in the emerging movement of “diverse-by-design” charter schools: schools that are intentionally designed to be racially and economically diverse, and to help reduce patterns of racial and economic isolation in America’s public schools. At a time of persistent racial and economic isolation in our nation’s schools, neighborhoods like East Falls and Allegheny can benefit from sensitive, inclusive educational options.
“We have a national model of success that we are excited to bring to Philadelphia,” said President and CEO Jon Rosenberg. “We are educating a cohort of global citizens through our diverse student body and rigorous curriculum. Hebrew Public has seen these values across Philadelphia which is echoed in an outpouring of support. We have been working in a multitude of neighborhoods and are looking forward to this vision becoming a reality next Fall.”
Philadelphia Hebrew Public Charter School’s mission is to inspire and prepare its diverse student body for advanced studies through a rigorous K-8 curriculum, instruction in Modern Hebrew, and the integration of global citizenship competencies. Ultimately, the school aims to serve as a model of how meaningful integration in public schools can boost academic outcomes and positively develop student skills and values. Students will emerge as highly educated, globally aware, ethical citizens who are prepared with a foundation for success in high school, college, the workplace, and society. (Above video presentation from last Nov’s Ridge Allegheny Hunting Park Civic Association meeting.)
The application received extensive support from community organizations, potential partners, politicians, preschool centers, and interested families including more pre-enrollment forms than there are spots available in the opening year. The school will open in in August 2019 serving 156 students in grades K-1 in its inaugural year and expand to 702 students in grades K-8 by 2026-27.
For those looking for more information on the school and pre-enrollment are encouraged to visit philadelphiahebrewpublic.org and follow them on Facebook.
Philadelphia Hebrew Public Charter School
3300 Henry Avenue Philadelphia
info@philadelphiahebrewpublic.org
267-225-1511
Read the Local’s report from last November
Please share additional perspectives on this charter approval and why it is so damaging to our neighborhood public school. And what the promised “diversity by design” model fails to deliver. It is so important to have fully researched and multi-perspective content out to our community!
“Hebrew Public promoted a “diversity by design” model, one in which schools are intentionally diverse, as a selling point. This is absurd, given that the perpetually underfunded District provides no transportation for students in grades K-5 that might allow its schools to increase their diversity by including students outside their catchment. If such a model is really something that the District values, the leadership should be working on ways to implement it for all schools.” – http://thenotebook.org/articles/2018/06/04/srcs-last-charter-approvals-undermine-neighborhood-schools/
Hi, Lynsey, thanks for chiming in. We are all about sharing additional perspectives, and hope readers will click on the link you provided. As you know, the charter/pubic school debate is a very complex issue that’s hardly black & white. While the Notebook.org editorial is a great starting point, it’d be really helpful if you could jump in with a local perspective addressing concerns at the neighborhood level. As a small independent community newspaper, we do our best to update the neighborhood on current issues, and depend on contributors to create dialogue we can all learn from.