PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — At a forum at one of the city’s top magnet schools, the Philadelphia School District’s controversial admissions lottery was widely rejected by the city’s mayoral candidates.
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Students at Central High School questioned nine candidates on a variety of issues including gun violence and the state of public transportation during the 90-minute event Wednesday.
Crime and public safety topped the candidates’ priority lists, but Central students also asked the candidates about the school district’s new lottery to admit qualified students to criteria-based schools. Central is one of those schools. Principals previously had some say in the admissions process. The lottery was established to promote equity, but a major consequence has been potential staff cuts because of a drop in 9th grade enrollment.
Candidates were given one minute each to respond to a student question on whether they favored continued use of the lottery.
“I think this lottery system has created a lot of havoc across the board,” said former Councilmember Allan Domb. “It’s really a symptom that we have failed in our schools across the city of Philadelphia.”
Former Councilmember Helen Gym said eighth graders at fifth-through-twelfth grade schools such as Masterman shouldn’t have to reapply to continue at their schools. “Lotteries are not equity,” Gym said. “Equity is purposeful. Lotteries are random. I’ve made it clear that the process was botched from the very beginning.”
“That process of a lottery is someone else’s idea of where you should be and who you should be,” said former Councilmember David Oh, who is running unopposed for the Republican mayoral nomination.
“We all know the lottery system is ridiculous, and it should be taken away,” said retired municipal court judge James DeLeon.
Former Councilmember Maria Quiñones-Sánchez said the district shouldn’t rely so heavily on standardized testing, which she said can be discriminatory. “I’m very disappointed that, in our first attempt to get equity around our schools, that we messed it up,” she said.
“We can’t fix equity by creating a random lottery, that some students don’t get into any of their five choices,” said former City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart.
State Rep. Amen Brown responded that he’d create equity by evening out the quality of schools. "Our plan is going to make sure that each and every school is equal.”
“If it’s concerning students having a right to go wherever they want to go, choose whatever school they want to attend, I’m in favor of that,” said community organizer and minister Warren Bloom.
“What some of the candidates said about equity is important,” said Central senior Erin Adams, one of the student panelists. “They should be more involved in the school and how the lottery affects us.”
Former Councilmember Derek Green arrived at the forum after the lottery discussion. Jeff Brown and Cherelle Parker did not attend the forum.
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