Recently, Furness has experienced structural problems with the building itself since the facility is a hundred years old. The roof has been consistently leaky and parts of the building have visible mold. The top floor of the building in completely sealed off and unusable due to water damage and asbestos. Furness has simply been using "band-aids" to mend leaks in recent years because redoing the roof entirely would cost millions of dollars to fix.
Furness has also experienced severe under enrollment over the last fifteen years. The teachers attribute this decline to the increased number of charter schools and school choice in the School District of Philadelphia. Fifteen years ago, Furness had about 1200 students enrolled and by 2010 that number was cut in half. Over the last year, however, enrollment at Furness was up to 700 students.
The Fight to Keep Furness Open
According to a Notebook article published October 14th, 2011 and WHYY Radio Report, Furness was one of just two neighborhood high schools to make AYP in the previous school year. Furness was one of the preliminary 26 schools in the District recommended to be shut down because of the District's inability to budget the money to fix the building and the fact that Furness was operating at less than half capacity
Students, teachers, and Principal McKenna worked hard to prevent Furness from being shutdown after the School District's watch list was released. The fight came in the form of student testimony at a School Reform Commission meeting and a letter to the acting Superintendent. Two hundred students rallied and traveled to Capa High School to keep Furness open, and as a result of this advocacy, Furness stayed open regardless of the building's conditions and under-enrollment. Since the victory, the school has improved technologically in terms of the number of smart boards and laptops available for students. Furness also has increased its number of sports and clubs such as BuildOn and Out of School Time that continue to build the school's sense of community.
Daniel Peou: Furness's Principal
Daniel Peou took over as Furness's principal three years ago when Furness's previous principal, Tim McKenna, became the new principal of Central High School in 2012. Starting in 2008 at Furness, McKenna helped reduce violence and save Furness from closing during his time at the school. In interviews, McKenna was credited with roaming the halls to prevent students from skipping class and "playing hardball with the kids".
Principal Peou has been described as "more forgiving" by teachers at Furness. Peou is a Cambodian refugee who attended Furness, a junior high school at the time, as a student in the 1980s. He first learned English through his ESOL classes and established friendships across cultures during his time at Furness. Peou was the assistant principal to Tim McKenna before taking over the position in 2012. In interviews, Peou was praised because of his knowledge of the neighborhood and the students since "he walked the halls himself and if definitely not an outsider"
Principal Peou has been described as "more forgiving" by teachers at Furness. Peou is a Cambodian refugee who attended Furness, a junior high school at the time, as a student in the 1980s. He first learned English through his ESOL classes and established friendships across cultures during his time at Furness. Peou was the assistant principal to Tim McKenna before taking over the position in 2012. In interviews, Peou was praised because of his knowledge of the neighborhood and the students since "he walked the halls himself and if definitely not an outsider"