self in school
Students have a strong commitment to doing well academically and most have a strong academic background. One of our classroom mentors mentioned that with the 9th graders, there tends to be a tendency of “big fish, small pond” syndrome. In their grade schools they did very well but the rigor of Palumbo can be a difficult adjustment. Most do acclimate just fine, but some do leave for their neighborhood schools or a charter.
The school has few sports teams; which may stem in part from lacking facilities. Still, there seems to be little interest in sports or emphasis of sports participation. Most students at Palumbo applied to or previously attended Masterman or Central. Most students who either return to Palumbo or transfer from one of these schools state they were seeking a smaller school and a community feel. It was estimated that the majority of Palumbo’s students come from lower SES backgrounds (60-70%).
One of our mentors also mentioned that Palumbo students do not seem as STEM-oriented as other magnets. However, there are plenty of related clubs and opportunities for those who are inclined in those subjects; this past Spring, Palumbo students competed in the Temple Owlympiad Math Competition.
How is it to teach there? “Great,” said one mentor. The students are nice and the staff is excellent. It supposedly can be a bit isolating because everyone is busy. The only planned collaboration between teachers is a once-per-week content area meeting. It was posited that this is due to high classroom sizes, which currently average 33, the maximum allowed by the current contract. There are many positives, however. The teaching environment is very autonomous and other than meeting state testing requirements, curriculum is implemented as individual teachers deem fit.
According to one mentor, Palumbo’s vision emphasizes college prep. Palumbo has had a 100% graduation rate until this past academic year. One possible reason for the unfortunate change is the rapid expansion of Palumbo’s ranks due to school closings. There has been an anecdotal increase in students who “don’t buy in to the culture at Palumbo.” In addition, like many schools across the district, Palumbo has only one counselor for the entire student body. Still, of about 225 seniors, only eight failed to graduate.
This mentor identified the school’s most prioritized need as smaller class sizes achieved by a smaller student body. The school has eight lunch periods, for example, a result of a small cafeteria and 900 students. The first lunch period starts at 8:27 am! The administrative assistant at the front desk mentioned that most students know which teachers allow eating to circumvent this unfortunate scheduling issue, and most teachers do understand the situation.
The school has few sports teams; which may stem in part from lacking facilities. Still, there seems to be little interest in sports or emphasis of sports participation. Most students at Palumbo applied to or previously attended Masterman or Central. Most students who either return to Palumbo or transfer from one of these schools state they were seeking a smaller school and a community feel. It was estimated that the majority of Palumbo’s students come from lower SES backgrounds (60-70%).
One of our mentors also mentioned that Palumbo students do not seem as STEM-oriented as other magnets. However, there are plenty of related clubs and opportunities for those who are inclined in those subjects; this past Spring, Palumbo students competed in the Temple Owlympiad Math Competition.
How is it to teach there? “Great,” said one mentor. The students are nice and the staff is excellent. It supposedly can be a bit isolating because everyone is busy. The only planned collaboration between teachers is a once-per-week content area meeting. It was posited that this is due to high classroom sizes, which currently average 33, the maximum allowed by the current contract. There are many positives, however. The teaching environment is very autonomous and other than meeting state testing requirements, curriculum is implemented as individual teachers deem fit.
According to one mentor, Palumbo’s vision emphasizes college prep. Palumbo has had a 100% graduation rate until this past academic year. One possible reason for the unfortunate change is the rapid expansion of Palumbo’s ranks due to school closings. There has been an anecdotal increase in students who “don’t buy in to the culture at Palumbo.” In addition, like many schools across the district, Palumbo has only one counselor for the entire student body. Still, of about 225 seniors, only eight failed to graduate.
This mentor identified the school’s most prioritized need as smaller class sizes achieved by a smaller student body. The school has eight lunch periods, for example, a result of a small cafeteria and 900 students. The first lunch period starts at 8:27 am! The administrative assistant at the front desk mentioned that most students know which teachers allow eating to circumvent this unfortunate scheduling issue, and most teachers do understand the situation.