The Parkway Program
by Steve . Rosenzweig
Secondary Ed and all other
students in education-----Be
ware! Beware of the institutional
hassle and surroundings of a
traditional school. Get smart, get
with it, be bold, be creative and
go to Philadelphia's Parkway
Program and learn what teaching
is all about.
The discipline and
regimentation of a traditional
school is going to be taboo in
the future. So, when it's time to
student teach, get into the
system of the future. The system
that's happening at
Philadelphia's Parkway Program.
Parkway is a free school at
the secondary education level.
Unfortunately, you El Ed majors
may not have a way out. But,
the lucky few in secondary
education can student teach at
the Parkway and see some of the
changes taking place in our new
educational system.
It's very informal at Parkway
and there's no formalities of the
traditional school. No silly
channels to go through when
you want something to be done.
It gives the teacher the freedom
to be bold, innovative, creative
and honest with his students.
The Parkway Program and all it's
ideals may seem like some
fantasy out of Dr. Eisenstein's
Ed. 314 classes, but it's here and
Leiters To The Editor
Dear Editor:
This week I attended a
meeting where we discussed the
progress made in confronting a
very serious problem in today's
society—drugs. We cited new
educational programs, new
inroads to scientific studies,
progress of acceptance, and
other important methods. All
these programs "arebeginning,
going, and on-going; but who is
listening to us?
The adults of tomorrow are
listening. They are listening with
a wary ear while intently
watching for us to prove that
our society and its individual
members do not need
stimulants, irritants and
depressants to function on a
day-to-day basis. They are
thinking! They are thinking
about what we say should be
done to eradicate our problems,
but they are also confused by
the example of what we are
doing.
Why are they confused? At
the meeting we discussed our
"progress" in a room filled with
the smoke of cigarettes, cigars
and pipes. The burning sensation
in our lungs and our nervousness
was anthesitized by the drinking
of our favorite brewer's art. As I
sat there I visualized an average
(below average or above average)
Staff of the
capitalist.
• CONTRI BUTORS:
Samantha Bower
Gregg Crescenzo
Jane McDonald
Steve Wesley
COPY EDITOR: Cheryl Boyes
Tom Hagan Don Lewis
MANAGING EDITOR: Tom Black
Lee Nell Steve Rosenzweig
Michael Collins
Associate Editors:
Bob Bona ker
Mike Welliver PHOTOGRAPHERS;
Cliff Belson
Business Manager: Charlie Zings
John Wolford
copies of it are opening
throughout the country.
The "School Without Walls"
is in and you students at Capitol
can have the opportunity of a
lifetime to teach there. Of
course, many of you may want
to teach fulltime in such an
environment, but when the
economic squeeze pinches you,
you'll get your hair cut, buy
some new suits, and begin your
babysitting job at a Woodrow
Wilson, Abraham Lincoln,
Thomas Jefferson, or "who you
have" traditional school. So, if
you have the opportunity to
intern at the Parkway, do it.
Maybe when you go out to teach
in the traditional school you'll
retain some of Parkway's ideals.
Remember, the best way to
change a system is from inside it.
The learning you develop at
Parkway might just be applied
inside the traditional school to
help chance it.
Now, let's talk about some
fantasies of the Program. Don't
get too excited and start
visioning students roaming
around the streets because they
don't feel like going to class that
day. Don't envision it as a school
of selected "A" students. And,
don't imagine teachers and
students sitting around in class
getting high. This is all folklore
which is connected to the
Parkway Program.
student at our program raising
his/her hand to" ask some
questions of our dedicated
programmers. This young adult
seemed disoriented, shaken and
worried. The same condition
seems to exist for all persons
when they see (or know of)
someone close to them (a
parent, sister or uncle?)
participating in the very
common usage of sleeping pills,
tranquilizers, stimulants, alcohol
and tobacco.
The student's questions are
What is the real difference for
the youngster who wrecks
his/her life via the thrilling sting
of the needle or by the tang of a
alcoholic-rendering,
family-wrecking social beverage?
What is the difference to the
individual's life and happiness
when he/she chooses the smoke
of a "joint" to the cool
refreshing taste of the best
selling menthol filter-tipped,
cancerous cigarette?
Is there a difference? Is there
a better way? Why haven't most
people found the answer to this
better life without "crutches"?
We ask, "Why. Drugs?!!" Their
answer has been, "Why not?"
Don't you think it's time for
you and me, and everyone else,
to begin practicing what we are
preaching?
THE CAPITOLIST
Let's rid thee of thy fantasy.
First, the student must attend
class. It's not the Summerhill
enviromnent where the students
go to class when they're ready.
They must attend classes and do
all that is required of them as in
a traditional school. But, they
can choose the courses they
want which is more than I can
say for most traditional schools.
Of course there are bounderies
placed on the courses they want
to take. Because, as a Woodrow
Wilson High, they must meet
certain state requirements in
history and english. But,
Parkway students don't have to
take U.S. History, World
History, Grammar, English
Poetry, or the likes just to
mention a few, unless they
desire to do so. They can choose
history options from courses
concerning the depression, the
South's view on the civil war,
the Roaring 20's, or even one
entitled Future Shock which is
based on the current best seller.
In English they can meet state
requirements with courses such
as Fantasy in Literature, Great
Love Stories, or even my class,
Sportwriting. The courses are
quite varied and sometimes are
stretched a bit to meet state
requirements. But, the state does
not say how a student should be
graded, so at Parkway, written
evaluation forms are used as
opposed to Abraham Lincoln's
letter grading or Thomas
Jefferson's numerical grading.
Secondly, students are not
picked from a select group of
applicants. They are drawn by
lottery from any applicant in the
city school system as well as a
few from suburban and
parochial schools. The school is
quite homogeneous both in
ability levels and ethnic
backgrounds. There are more
blacks at Parkway, but this is to
be expected because the
Philadelphia school system has a
black enrollment of over 65
percent.
And fmally, the students at
Parkway don't sit around in class
and get high. They do good
constructive work and learn
as well as any Room 222 student.
The dress may be extremely
informal for both ,the teacher
and the student, but the
education has nothing to do
with the dress code.
Questions about Parkway
have been raised as to where the
"school without walls" holds its
classes. Also, how can the
students learn basic skills of
english and math when their
courses seem to be so
specialized? These two questions
are very valid and commonly
asked.
To answer, let me first say
that limited classrooms in size
and number are in use at the
four separate branches of
Parkway. Though Parkway is
one system it is divided into four
smaller units so to make it more
personnal to the student. The
units based around the city are
Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta.
Each community, as they're
called, has it's own limited space
for classroom use. Usually the
instructor will fmd his own
meeting place. It may consist of
a room in a church, a bank's
conference room, or a room in
the Philadelphia Art Museum.
Fortunately, some businesses in
Philadelphia are receptive to the
idea of Parkway and open their
doors to them for meeting
places. Of course, the four
communities, which consist of
about 180 students each, can
always use more space.
Now, the next question deals
with where the students get their
needed basic skills. The basis of
the Parkway program is the
tutorial session which meets four
times a week. The tutorial is a
combination advisory period and
basic skills class. Students
lacking in math skills will be
placed in a math tutorial just as
students lacking in english skills
will be placed in an english
tutorial. Some of the more
advanced students may be able
to choose from a sewing or
problem-solving tutorial. The
tutorial has it's emphasis on
individualized instruction as
implied by it's name. As I said,
tutorial meets four times a week.
The other day is left in each
community for town meeting.
This is where all tutorials of a
unit get together and discuss any
problems that they may have.
It's like an assembly, but the
students usually preside over it.
Discussing some of the
disadvantages of Parkway let's
first mention overabuse. It's not
so prevelent now, but when the
Program first began students
took their new freedoms and
carried them to extremes until
they were made to realize that
the school wasn't in a totally
free environment. Students
would miss class, be lax on
work, and on occasion use quite
vulgar language. Today most
students know they must attend
classes and do their work.
Four-Letter words may still be
used, but in a serious and
non-vulgar tone. There are some
students who still overabuse
their freedoms, but these are the
ones who are asked to leave the
Program.
Another disadvantage of the
program is the breaking of
meaningful relationships with
students because of a large
turnover of students teachers.
The Program encourages
meaningful relationships
between student and instructor.
But, in many cases a relationship
is short lived because of a large
number of interns coming and
going. In all units the student
teachers are equal to or
outnumber permanent staff. The
student is constantly forced to
change good relationships with
his teachers.
Also, students will try to take
advantage of interns. They will
tell him, "we don't do it this
way at Parkway," but the intern
is usually advised beforehand of
such games and is prepared for
such a situation.
Some advantages •of the
Program include the students
wanting to do the work. The
student realizes he's in a unique
learning environment and
doesn't want to ruin it for
himself. He will be motivated by
Thursday,
the ideals of the Program itself,
and maybe try somewhat harder.
Also, because of the large
homogenity which echoes
throughout the system, the
student has the chance to talk or
argue with someone of a
different ethnic group in a
relaxed and open atmosphere.
The biggest advantage is to
the black male student. He's the
student who is afraid to go to
school in his own neighborhood
because of gang violence.
Parkway gives him the chance to
go to school without this
internal fear. This is because the
Program is located in the center
of the city which seems to be
"neutral turf" for Philadelphia's
gangs. Whether the Parkway
student is a gang member or not,
while in Center City, everything
is cool.
The system is working. You
can see that for yourself after
being there for a short time. It's
working as well as any
traditional school in
Philadelphia, but is has that
something extra that makes it
better. It's hard to describe the
system and what that little extra
is that makes it seem so great. It
might be something charismatic
that attracts both the students
and myself to the Parkway
Program. They my a picture is
worth a thousand words, so
if you have a chance,get involved
with the Parkway.
In conclusion, let me my,
whatever it is about this system
that attracts it to the students,
there should be and will be
many more Parkways like this in
our society in years to come.
Blood Donors Needed!
All Blood Types
$BO.OO/month
We need blood donors
of all types immediately.
For only a few hours of
your time a week, you can
earn $BO per month.
Please call today.
IMMUNO BLOOD SERVICES
2634 N. Third St.
Harrisburg, Pa.
238-6349 or 238-6309