PHILADELPHIA - Hundreds of students and teachers from Philadelphia magnet schools gathered Thursday at the district headquarters to protest possible budget and staffing cuts.
The protesters specifically refuted the enrollment policy for special admission schools that relies strictly on PSSA test scores to increase equity.
They say the new testing cut-off has unintended consequences that has lead to lower enrollment, empty seats in classrooms and staffing cuts for highly coveted schools. "Taking away this opportunity for teachers to do their jobs over an algorithm, over a number is unjust and frankly sickening," Connor McFarland, a senior at Franklin Learning Center said.Students at Saul High School in Philadelphia's Upper Roxborough neighborhood organized a walk-out on Thursday to participate in the protests. MORE LOCAL HEADLINES"I love my school, I feel like the programs at my school are going to help people get jobs when they're finished," Kenya Woods, a Saul High School sophomore said.
Heeyoung Yim, a teacher at Franklin Learning Center said in the past, the school was able to cut candidates some slack by speaking with qualified students who may have just missed the cut.