Up to the mid 60's, students at Allen High could leave the building for lunch. Scattered in alleys around the the school, garages had been converted into lunch shops and hangouts. The Hutch was in the alley between 17th and West Streets, in the unit block between Hamilton and Linden. Suzy's was behind the Nurse's Dormitory, between Chew and Turner. Another was across Linden from the Annex. They all had the same basic decor, a few pinball machines, a few tables and a small lunch counter. Most of the business was during lunch period, and before and after school. It's my understanding that occasionally a kid or two would skip school and hangout all day. Today these garages, turned into luncheonettes, have long ago reverted back to garages. Most of the current residents of West Park probably don't even know about this commercial history right behind their houses. I missed photo day at Allen for my yearbook, but if anybody has a picture of the gang from the Hutch, I'd appreciate a copy.
reprinted from previous years
I attended that Town Hall, I wrote this review for a facebook page that covers the ASD.Tonight's Townhall
ReplyDeleteHaving attended hundreds of council meetings, school board meetings, and many various civic/political events I've learned that the more words a speaker employs, the less they actually have to say. That was the case tonight. No offense intended to the new superintendent as she has only been here a few days but she demonstrates a mastery of speaking tomes while saying nothing. The mayor not wanting to be outdone did his best to spew banalities into paragraphs and entire chapters. In the end, both the mayor and the new superintendent seemed equally adept at the art.
Fortunately, there was an opportunity for the audience to address the superintendent and the mayor. There were two questions about charter schools, the first asking why this has not been discussed, and the second, posed by myself, asking why, in light of the utter failure of the district to educate students adequately or even make improvements on the failure, parents are not given the opportunity to put their children into charters that can. Both of these questions were answered with many important sounding words that had no real meaning. In other words, neither the mayor (who sent his kids to private schools and charter schools until he decided to run for public office) nor the superintendent are in favor of raising the caps. In other words, they want your children to continue attending failing schools that cannot educate our youth rather than allow you to option to send them to a charter school that can deliver an education.
By the way, unless the weather is awful many, many Allen students come and go as they please all day and after 12pm-ish many students are apparently done with their school day and leave, left to their own devises. When I inquired about this I was told there weren't enough teachers to cover study halls. Why is this? They hire additional redundant administrators annually and create new unnecessary administrative positions but can't cover study halls? Yes, just as with our city government the ASD is completely rotten at the top, run by the people the voters elected.
ReplyDeleteASD School Board needs an overhaul, it has for years. It's not inspiring to watch in action and I doubt the effectiveness of the group when one board member is not sure what she's voting on. The interim superintendent has already been let-go (fired, laid-off, contract-buy-out, whatever you want to say) from two under-performing school districts. She has also let it be known that she hopes to be hired beyond the interim position at ASD. Unfortunately superintendents can serve a very short time and claim a very nice pension based on their highest income years. I don't think ASD can afford any more executive pensions. The idea that kids need to see "someone like them" in positions of educational leadership is not as valid as the SB thinks. High heels and costume jewelry don't make an educator that kids can look up to. To the ASD board, I truly hope you are looking for a qualified, permanent superintendent, beyond candidates that have already proven themselves to be problematic with other districts.
ReplyDeleteI obviously missed the Town Hall. Can anyone link to the article about it?
ReplyDeleteAs to the study hall issue brought up in a previous comment, is the school district running a resort? I can understand that kids could leave early without penalty if their study hall is during the final period of the day (since nobody is there to mark them absent). But how are they getting back into school if they have a mid-day study hall? How are they getting back in (which could be a security issue), and why aren't they being marked absent upon their return?
Beyond that, why aren't the police picking them up as truant? That would be a great way for the city and school district to work together. That seems obvious to me, but the idea somehow must escape our mayor.
The problem with the Allentown School District ultimately lies with the voters.
ReplyDeleteIn a sane world, voters would hold the school board accountable for results in the district (which I hope we can all agree are both terrible and unacceptable).
The school board in turn would hold the Superintendent responsible for performance of the district, and the Superintendent would then hold district employees responsible.
That of course never happens, and voters instead promote those who have failed on the school board (like Nick Miller) to higher office!
Wouldn't it be refreshing to have school board members (and future candidates) tell us the results they hope to accomplish on things like math and reading scores? Then they could communicate clearly to all superintendent candidates how the superintendent's performance will be measured.
Parents, students, and taxpayers deserve a scorecard by which they can judge the district's progress or failure.
But until voters demand accountability from their politicians, ASD (and the city) won't see different results.
Actually things will continue to get worse if nothing changes. The new superintendent said she is all in on restorative justice. That means no discipline. Additionally, from what I have been told, the students being let out early have completed their required classes and the district prefers these students to be out of the building rather than in. In other words the district has given up on them and prefers they make trouble or get into trouble outside rather than inside ASD schools. I find it appalling that so called educators put their self interests above the best interests of the students, parents, and the community.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeletedidn't understand why an interim was necessary while they conduct a search... One of the assistance superintendents could serve temporarily.
Why even have public schools in Allentown any longer? Glorified babysitters?
ReplyDeleteThe board is the responsible agent and never have we had a collection of directors not up to the job. Not so long ago we had directors who acted in the students and districts best interests. These people were generally educated and well spoken, watch the live stream of the next board meeting, and see what passes now. By the way, the student population has been majority low income for at least two decades, only recently however have all the wheels come off the district and standards and results fallen through the floor.. The rot is now at the top, don't blame this on the kids.
ReplyDeleteIf you think your taxes are insane now, imagine what they would be if there were no charter schools. New buildings would need to be built, and more bureaucracy would be added to the already bloated ASD administration.
ReplyDeleteCharter schools are not the reason for your high taxes, it's the ineptitude of the ASD school board and administration to control their spending. Returning charter school kids to the ASD would be digging a deeper hole.
The ASD would be better - both tax-wise and student performance-wise, if the ASD would send all their kids to charter schools.
People should be concerned about results, not propping up a failed educational system.
Actually the district has built two new elementary schools and I believe has plans for a new middle school. All this built with borrowed money. Now keep in mind around 25% of ASD students have already left the district schools for charters yet the additional, high priced hires and expensive news building with plans for more continue. Rather than focus and basic teaching, improving test results, and outcomes, the board and supers choose to distract us with glitzy building projects and puffed up resume hires. Meanwhile they are failing the children and should be ashamed at the harm they are inflicting. I agree, it is time to stop propping up the ASD!
ReplyDelete