One Student's Perspective
In discussions with a recent graduate of Masterman High School, he spoke to us of the school climate and how it affects his learning and interactions with peers and teachers. In terms of his fellow students, he says that they make a lot of fuss about high expectations and heavy workload. Teachers expect a lot from their students, and a strenuous amount of homework is the norm. Students are very goal-oriented, creating an environment that is focused on grades and highly competitive. The student says that the teaching style is generally in the "Chalk and Talk" traditional education style, and that content tends to be narrow but deep, diving into specific subjects rather than looking at them from a more comprehensive and broad lens. The school itself, he says, has recently been facing difficulties due to budget cuts. This has personally affected him in the realm of athletics. Due to lack of funding, his team was cut - the fact that they hadn't lost in years couldn't save them from the chopping block. Still, though, he spoke highly of the school. Despite it being overcrowded in classrooms and hallways, the passion of teachers and the drive of students made Masterman a school that he was proud to attend.
In discussions with a recent graduate of Masterman High School, he spoke to us of the school climate and how it affects his learning and interactions with peers and teachers. In terms of his fellow students, he says that they make a lot of fuss about high expectations and heavy workload. Teachers expect a lot from their students, and a strenuous amount of homework is the norm. Students are very goal-oriented, creating an environment that is focused on grades and highly competitive. The student says that the teaching style is generally in the "Chalk and Talk" traditional education style, and that content tends to be narrow but deep, diving into specific subjects rather than looking at them from a more comprehensive and broad lens. The school itself, he says, has recently been facing difficulties due to budget cuts. This has personally affected him in the realm of athletics. Due to lack of funding, his team was cut - the fact that they hadn't lost in years couldn't save them from the chopping block. Still, though, he spoke highly of the school. Despite it being overcrowded in classrooms and hallways, the passion of teachers and the drive of students made Masterman a school that he was proud to attend.
One Teacher's Perspective
There are about 425 kids in HS, 1200 all together but the building was designed for 800. So it is pretty crowded. The building is pretty, but utilization is very high so some classes meet in odd places, possibly even in the basement.
In the earlier part of the year, when the weather outside is still quite warm, be aware that there is no AC in most classrooms so with an average of about 33 students per classroom, it get hot.
In general, most of the students are motivated and bright which makes teaching a lot of fun. They seek challenge and will challenge you to do so. In many classrooms, "Traditional" teaching methods prevail, but with the new principal coming this year, that could change.
There are about 425 kids in HS, 1200 all together but the building was designed for 800. So it is pretty crowded. The building is pretty, but utilization is very high so some classes meet in odd places, possibly even in the basement.
In the earlier part of the year, when the weather outside is still quite warm, be aware that there is no AC in most classrooms so with an average of about 33 students per classroom, it get hot.
In general, most of the students are motivated and bright which makes teaching a lot of fun. They seek challenge and will challenge you to do so. In many classrooms, "Traditional" teaching methods prevail, but with the new principal coming this year, that could change.
Another Teacher's Viewpoint
A conversation with a current high school English teacher at Masterman provided a useful perspective on the school community. She has been working in the school for six years, and provided a useful understanding of what the school values and how it functions. First and foremost, the students are highly motivated learners who hold high expectations for themselves and generally exceed them. Were the school to be judged on the functionality of its facilities, however, it would receive failing grades across the board. Lack of air conditioning, overcrowded classrooms, and minimal resources might create a detrimental learning environment. Fortunately, the school body is not a reflection of the school building. As seen in the demographics section, the student population at Masterman is highly diversified, both by the city neighborhoods that they call home and their cultural background. Students come to Masterman from every corner of Philadelphia, and they come to Philadelphia from every corner of the world. With families who have recently immigrated from Asia and Europe and Africa, these students compose a remarkably diverse learning environment where values, language, and religion are inextricably intertwined in a multicultural web that provides a wide range of perspectives. These students are what makes the school great. They are driven and motivated, and they want teachers who will push them to fulfill their potential.
The school is not without its problems, though. The achievement numbers are certainly very appealing, and Masterman is consistently one of the best schools in the state, yet improvements could be made. The building itself is in need of major renovations, as discussed in the previous paragraph. Another key issue that this teacher addressed arises from the diversity - many of the students at Masterman struggle because English is their second language, and the school does not provide the resources for them to attain proficiency. Recent budget cuts have made such problems more distinct across the district, and these students will have to find their own ways to mitigate their negative effects. Masterman has just hired a new principal; teachers are hopeful that she can install policies that will provide students the resources they require.
In spite of these troubles, Masterman remains a city and state educational standard year in and year out. It is because of the quality of students who are never satisfied and teachers who will continue to push them to succeed that the school has earned its reputation.
A conversation with a current high school English teacher at Masterman provided a useful perspective on the school community. She has been working in the school for six years, and provided a useful understanding of what the school values and how it functions. First and foremost, the students are highly motivated learners who hold high expectations for themselves and generally exceed them. Were the school to be judged on the functionality of its facilities, however, it would receive failing grades across the board. Lack of air conditioning, overcrowded classrooms, and minimal resources might create a detrimental learning environment. Fortunately, the school body is not a reflection of the school building. As seen in the demographics section, the student population at Masterman is highly diversified, both by the city neighborhoods that they call home and their cultural background. Students come to Masterman from every corner of Philadelphia, and they come to Philadelphia from every corner of the world. With families who have recently immigrated from Asia and Europe and Africa, these students compose a remarkably diverse learning environment where values, language, and religion are inextricably intertwined in a multicultural web that provides a wide range of perspectives. These students are what makes the school great. They are driven and motivated, and they want teachers who will push them to fulfill their potential.
The school is not without its problems, though. The achievement numbers are certainly very appealing, and Masterman is consistently one of the best schools in the state, yet improvements could be made. The building itself is in need of major renovations, as discussed in the previous paragraph. Another key issue that this teacher addressed arises from the diversity - many of the students at Masterman struggle because English is their second language, and the school does not provide the resources for them to attain proficiency. Recent budget cuts have made such problems more distinct across the district, and these students will have to find their own ways to mitigate their negative effects. Masterman has just hired a new principal; teachers are hopeful that she can install policies that will provide students the resources they require.
In spite of these troubles, Masterman remains a city and state educational standard year in and year out. It is because of the quality of students who are never satisfied and teachers who will continue to push them to succeed that the school has earned its reputation.
Point of View from a Former Teacher
We spoke with a former teacher who spent twelve years as a social studies teacher at Masterman, even serving as head of her department for a time. Although she is no longer in the school, she was a great resource in providing us with a valuable foundation for understanding the school culture fostered in the building amongst teachers, students, parents, and administrators. Here we have included some of her responses that we thought were most relevant to our study.
On students:
Because the vast majority of kids start Masterman in 5th or 6th grade, they learn to work together and be comfortable with each other in spite of their vastly different backgrounds. . . . It's hard to generalize about their lives since they come from so many backgrounds.
On teaching:
It is a great place to teach in that the more one puts into one's lessons, the more the students give back. . . . I was impressed last year how little the students (with whom I was in contact or who I ran into around the city) knew of the pressure the teachers were under, but that is a tribute to the teachers' professionalism rather than an indication of the circumstances.
On administration:
Masterman will have a new principal this year, Jessica Brown, who is coming from the Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush where she was founding principal. . . . like all school district principals right now, she is hamstrung by lack of funding. . . . Masterman went from 5 to 1 and then back to 2 counselors over the past several years. They are quite overworked. . . . Last year, again because of budget cuts, parent volunteers worked as lunch aides, staffed the late desk, monitored arrival/dismissal, answered phones in the office, etc.
On parents:
It's hard to generalize when the parent body ranges from barely literate immigrants to some of your professors at Penn. What unites them, I think, is that they have all taken the initiative and made some kind of sacrifice to get their kids to Masterman
We spoke with a former teacher who spent twelve years as a social studies teacher at Masterman, even serving as head of her department for a time. Although she is no longer in the school, she was a great resource in providing us with a valuable foundation for understanding the school culture fostered in the building amongst teachers, students, parents, and administrators. Here we have included some of her responses that we thought were most relevant to our study.
On students:
Because the vast majority of kids start Masterman in 5th or 6th grade, they learn to work together and be comfortable with each other in spite of their vastly different backgrounds. . . . It's hard to generalize about their lives since they come from so many backgrounds.
On teaching:
It is a great place to teach in that the more one puts into one's lessons, the more the students give back. . . . I was impressed last year how little the students (with whom I was in contact or who I ran into around the city) knew of the pressure the teachers were under, but that is a tribute to the teachers' professionalism rather than an indication of the circumstances.
On administration:
Masterman will have a new principal this year, Jessica Brown, who is coming from the Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush where she was founding principal. . . . like all school district principals right now, she is hamstrung by lack of funding. . . . Masterman went from 5 to 1 and then back to 2 counselors over the past several years. They are quite overworked. . . . Last year, again because of budget cuts, parent volunteers worked as lunch aides, staffed the late desk, monitored arrival/dismissal, answered phones in the office, etc.
On parents:
It's hard to generalize when the parent body ranges from barely literate immigrants to some of your professors at Penn. What unites them, I think, is that they have all taken the initiative and made some kind of sacrifice to get their kids to Masterman