City Schools Enjoy Renewal with NSCC

The Philadelphia Tribune

Tuesday, July 9, 1996

Clair M. Davis  

The Philadelphia School reforms and budget cuts are eating away at the core of some very critical programs.  In this case, let’s cite a program that is having phenomenal effects inside the schools and outreaching beyond the school walls into the heart of the community.  

The National School and Community Corps (NSCC) has taken its roots in many schools throughout the Philadelphia area. Its main objective is to engage an inspired group of individuals in national service which increases the capacity of children, their families, schools and communities to improve their quality of life. The NSCC sites are often schools attended by mostly poor children, often disproportionately minority.

Usually the needs in those kinds of communities are long-term; therefore recruited Corps members serve a maximum of one year.  The McMichael School at 36th street and Fairmount Avenue was one of the first 10 schools in Philadelphia to become a Corps school.  “We jumped at the chance,” said principal Rose Shambourger of McMichael and principal Priscilla Dawson of Gillespie.  “There was a lack of involvement here. The kids were constantly fighting. Corps members came along and introduced the vital elements needed to address these issues,” said Shambourger.  

Samirah Abdul-Fattah is the Corps manager at McMichael. Abdul-Fattah and other Corps members have developed a good rapport with the students and staff. They are part of the backbone holding the school together. The Corps group formed links between community businesses, universities, Corporations, and McMichael. Funds have come in through these organizations and businesses to create additional support systems for the school.  The Family Support Center is a big source of support for the family unit. They deal with problems as they arise during a regular school day and bring parents in as a part of the crisis intervention. “A healthy, strong family gives us a child we can work with; a child who is ready to learn,” said Shambourger.  Saturday and evening classes in the areas of education, recreation, African-American culture and homework assistance are available through the joint planning of Corps members and McMichael staff.  

The children all agree that they would be doing something less constructive if they weren’t involved in the afterschool program.  “Many of us have formed a very close bond with these children,” chimes in Abdul-Fattah. “Sometimes teachers can’t take the extra time with the kids and we can. We reinforce what the teachers teach.”  

Another school that is experiencing a renewal through the NSCC members is Gillespie Middle School.  “Our image was as such that parents didn’t want to send their children here,” says principal, Priscilla Dawson. “Because of NSCC we can now offer adult evening classes, afterschool activities, mentoring and a good nutrition program; the list goes on.”  “When the Corps members first came to Gillespie, we were determined to get the parents involved and motivated,” stated Tai Goodwin, NSCC site manager. “We formed a Parent Patrol.” Corps members went out into the community to talk to parents. They invited them into the school to observe the new avenues open to them and their children.  Parents got excited!! They started volunteering to come in and be a part of their child’s education. Even if it only means that their presence will make their child “act right”. Kids who were out of control have already started to shape up.  

Principal, Priscilla Dawson is quite thrilled about the changes that Tai Goodwin and her group of Corps members has brought about in her students.  This group is a group of dedicated individuals who are opening up new horizons to these children. They are taking them outside of their small world consisting of a few city blocks, and showing them that there is a world of vast opportunities to take full advantage of.  “Looking at the direction the school is heading in with Hornbeck, the NSCC has really tackled the ‘Children Achieving Agenda’,” Dawson started.  

What will happen to NSCC in Philadelphia Schools?  Wallace Switchett, Jacqueline London, Sean Baldwin, Rayvon Sapp, Dolores Stanton, Ted Johnson, Electa Nokes are just a handful of the people who have a personal stake in the outcome of the school reforms.  “Already we are working on an outrageous budget that’s being cut more and more everyday,” responds Jay Williams, NSCC region manager.  For the 1995-96 school year most of the funding for NSCC has come from a federal AmeriCorps grant through the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation to sponsor 19 teams in Philadelphia (200 Corps members), four teams in New York and one team in Wilmington, Delaware.

According to Marty Friedman, Head of NSCC, Philadelphia school sites had to pay $2,000 per member, the school district was putting up another $5,000.  Next year schools are expected to put in $4,500 per member. That’s another $2,500 for each NSCC member.  Will they be able to squeeze and stretch the budget enough?  That’s the big question right now.  

Schools like McMichael that’s into their second year with NSCC have become dependent on Corps member support. They make the budget work. They get the community support.  Schools like Gillespie, into the first year of NSCC programs, may just decide to let the program go, not realizing the long-term detriment to the community and students. They will not be able to rally enough community backing.  Gillespie principal, Dawson said, “The NSCC is so vital to us, we – Tai and I – have already budgeted to divert funds from other areas to keep the group with our school.”