Poems

Unknown

Hand in hand.

Walking to a place unknown.

Complaining to not go.

But then.


Through the open door, lie

so many little faces unknown.

All sitting on a carpet, starring.

Starring as I stand besides mom.

I look up at her and into her eyes,

as my eyes start to water.

I begin to cry.


A unknown lady walked forward.

Speaks in a language so unknown.

They all speak in the language unknown.

But a language I must learn.


She looked at me, pulled me toward

the carpet but I didn't let go of mom.

She asked mom to sit on a chair 

in the back of the room.

I didn't want mom to go and

leave me with these unknown people.

But mom letted go and made me understand.

The lady pulled me to sit on the carpet again.


I went and sat down next to my mom's, friend son.

The lady spoke and the children answered her questions, 

as I sat there quietly being unknown. 

I looked back at mom but she told me to focus.


So I did. Listened and tried to understand the lady. 

She went on and on about something I didn't even know.

But then came the fun part. She gave us books with pictures

to color in and some colorful pencils. I got busy.


Then I looked back. 

I didn't see my mom. 

Didn't know where she was.

Then I ran to the window.

Pushed my face so close.

Looked through.

Tears rolled down my small cheeks.

And there she was, outside. 

Walking away from here and

leaving me in a place unknown.


Do's and Don'ts of being me

Do go to school and get a really good education; so you can succeed in life. 

Don't get below A's in report cards. 

Do the right things.

Don't do the wrong things. 

Do think before you say something. 

Don't say and then think.

Do dress yourself in a nice way. 

Don't dress this way.

Do make friends at school.

Don't talk to boys because we won't let you have him.

Do tell boys that you can't love them because your different.

Don't love someone out of your own race or religion.

Do listen to your family and have them first before falling for another.

Don't love any other men besides the one your family picks for you.

Do have a nice heart.

Don't build up a cruel heart.

Do smile everyday.

Don't make mistakes or break rules.

Do listen to your heart and have fun.

Don't forget to life

WITH ALL THESE DO'S AND DON'TS HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO FOLLOW THEM ALL AND NOT BREAK RULES!!



Part Of My Life
Writing assignment: 

 The instructor said, 

Go home and write 

a page tonight.

And let that page come out of you ---

Then, it will be true.


I'm sit here thinking, wondering how to fill up this page. 

I'm a girl who's fifteen, born in Bangladesh but now living in Philly.

My parents moved here so my older siblings and I

could get a better education and succeed in life.

I went to Charles R. Drew and now in SLA.


Along the way I've made so many friends that have 

changed my life in so many ways. Out of all my 

friends there is one that completes my life every 

second that I'm alive and means the world to me.

I can never thank them enough.

But for now I'll sit here and write:


On this path of life I have always had 

ups and down but it hasn't all been bad.

I've had those crazy mood swings. I'll be 

happy one second then maybe mad,

and then at night I might end up crying. 

Call me crazy but cryings maybe the only

way I get my crazy fillings out. People 

barley know about this because I hold it in

and stay strong. Their is one person 

in my life that knows all their is to know

about me and like I said I'll never be able

to thank them enough.  


From the outside I'm the type of girl thats 

so happy, always telling jokes, smiling, laughing 

and having the time of my life. Most of the time

I am that girl in every way but sometimes 

deep inside I'm dying, my heart's broken 

but not bleeding. I'm tired of crazy drama 

but never of life because I have so much

planned for it. I act like everything is perfect 

so for most I am one of the happiest girl they know. 

And Some think that I have no problem and that my 

life is completely perfect. I don't mind that at all because

I know whatever has happened in my past has made

me the girl I am now.


Someone has to really get to know me well enough, 

in order to know the truths, before they can

know me and all that is hidden about me from the world. 


And this is my paper for English B.

By. MONISHA DAS

Annotations

Annotation 1:

Fazlollah, Mark. Lawsuit: Cops plated evidence on trio.February 01, 2013
The Philadelphia Police Department got removed from the elite drug unit because apparently they were accused of arresting the suspect on invalid charges after breaching the wrong apartment. This is a great example because the Police were accused of planting drugs on the suspects but there are no evidence that states such. It’s situations like these that make it hard for there to be a one hundred percent sure case in the Philadelphia Police Department because there is no evidence that proves such and there is no evidence proving that the suspects are lying or not.

Annotation 2: Fazlollah, Mark. Lawsuit: Cops plated evidence on trio.February 01, 2013 Also, there were six officers involved that have not yet made a comment about the situation. The officers were withdrawn from at least 260 criminal cases because they were just accused of planted drugs on the suspects. There are no evidence that proves so so why is everything happening with out no real proof?

Annotation 3:  Fazlollah, Mark. Lawsuit: Cops plated evidence on trio.February 01, 2013 The lawsuit says that the Agents that deal with narcotics busted in the apartment and there was a statement stating that the warrant that they were using wasn't for that apartment it was for a completely other apartment. But there is no proof that states all this? The article's most commonly used word is "apparently" and "accused" witch means that they are not one hundred percent sure that everything is.

Annotation 4: Fazlollah, Mark. Lawsuit: Cops plated evidence on trio.February 01, 2013 "After finding no drugs, the suit said, one officer "planted a bag of narcotics in the apartment and claimed to have found it there." It did not identify the officer supposedly involved in planting drugs." was a section that stood out for me in the whole article because what proof is there proving that the officer did the act? Why are the officers being treated such when there are just witnesses that could be lying or covering for someone. I think that they should be more organized when dealing with cases like this.


Annotation 5: Slobodzian A. Joseph. Case Of Philadelphia Priest raping. January 25, 2013 This article titled "Case of Philadelphia priest and former teacher accused of raping altar boy headed to jury" was an article that was surrounded by assumptions towards the 49 year old man. Just because the man has a criminal record, everyone attacks him and believes everyone else towards him with little evidence just because he has a history. I think that the man should not be treated in such manner just because he is accused with little evidence which could be proven wrong.

College Rate

http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=76

 

   This website gives you a over view of the rates of cost in colleges over the years. 


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/business/economy/09leonhardt.html?_r=1&


  This site talks about how the colleges are failing with their graduation rates. It mainly talks about the university of Massachusetts and how it’s rates have fallen over the years. 


Interview with Kerina Hershfiled 


 In the interview we tried to talk about collage graduation rates and found out that they are very hard to calculate. They only just recently found out how to do that and only just recently put them up. 


http://www.supportingevidence.com/Education/College_Grad_Rates.html


 This cite has a graph showing the changing rate from 1940 to 2008. This is a useful visual source. 


http://middleclasspoliticaleconomist.blogspot.com/2012/04/america-shows-no-increase-in-college.html


  This source tells about how over time the graduation rates haven’t increased. IT explains how and why this might be. 

Philly Letter

Sergey Kuznetsov 

Favorite Spot: University city 

About Me: 17 year old kid 

Current Home: West Philly 

Years in Philly: 5 

Dear Philly
I know we might now have been on the best of terms recently, and I appreciate the attempts that you made recently for us to get back together, but I am afraid this isn’t really working out. You see, well, to put it bluntly, there is someone else. Now don’t cry, we have had a good run, but I am afraid that, well, just the way you have been action, how should I put this… well, it isn’t what I am looking for in a relationship. You see, I have applied to universities in other cities. Chicago is my first choice. Now, don’t be mad, I am still applying to Drexel and UPenn, but… I am just not too sure that the whole thing will really work out. We could still be friends, I will come by every now and then and say hello, but… the whole thing won’t be official, if you get what I mean. All right, I won’t take up any more of your time, you bee good now, and… I am sure you’ll find someone else, there are millions of people around you, I am sure you’ll find the right one! This is good-bye. 

Sergey~

Annotations

What is your job and what do you do at your job?

I am a certified medical assistant and i work with children at the children hospital of philadelphia


How does your job benefit the welfare of children?

By keeping them healthy, making sure they get the correct vaccines they need for their age


Do the children you work with come from broken homes?

The majority of them do.


Are majority of the children’s household considered low income?

Yes the majority of them do, i would say 85% of them are low income and receive government insurance


Have you ever worked with upper class or middle families?

Yes


What are some struggles with your job?

Some of them do not have insurance and have to pay out of pocket, we have family planning that teens come in without any insurance getting tested for STD and pregnancies, and they are seen under government grant which pays for their testing.


What struggles do you help the families with?

We try to get them government insurance if they do not have insurance, we refer families to government offices so they can get some type of insurance, and we also have a program that is called charity care which is for single mothers that are low income and that have babies that need vaccines and their age starts from new born to 12 months. 


Does your job have plans to fit “anybody’s” budget ?

Yes, we have a payment plan that if the costumer does not have all the money to pay at one time we will charge them every month or so at least $20 to assure that they pay off the plan or insurance needed.


For each class what kind of plans do they have?

Low income people that have government insurance have more benefits than those with private insurance or paying in cash because the government is paying for everything that they need to get checked on.

These questions were helpful because it was factual and actually a person view on things, like a person that sees different situations and stuff go on everyday making a difference to the poor and the rich. Also shows how it effects the poor and the rich, even because the person in this interview was and has been front row of it all.


AJ Houweling, Tanja. "Huge poor–rich inequalities in maternity care: an international comparative study of maternity and child care in developing countries." (October 2007): n. page. Print. <http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/85/10/06-038588/en/>.

This website and information on here helps tell how the money can be a problem for the women that are pregnant and can’t afford to give birth to their child, so it has a big impact on there lives and money, not giving them the same opportunities as the ones with money that can actually pay and have a child born without worrying bout the price.


"HUMAN ARCHITECTURE: JOURNAL OF THE SOCIOLOGY OF SELF-KNOWLEDGE." (Fall of 2002): n. page. Print. <http://www.okcir.com/Articles I 2/HAfall02p37-46.pdf>.

Poverty can be a big thing when it comes to being passed down generation to generation, it is shown that when it is being passed down every generation the food consumption and healthcare is more challenging to get and obtain because of the constant change in economy, and also government laws.


Jason, Howerton. "CALIF. TEACHERS UNION RELEASES CARTOON VIDEO FEATURING ‘THE RICH’ URINATING ON THE POOR." n. page. Print. <http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2012/12/04/calif-teachers-union-releases-cartoon-video-featuring-the-rich-urinating-on-the-poor/>.

This right here shows how the society of now in days shows the inequality of the poor and the rich, letting people know that the rich have more power and rights over the ones that make way more less money than they do. They show a picture of a rich person who seems to be peeing over the poor and middle class. The video says and shows how the rich only got richer because they evade taxes and use loopholes to hold onto their own money without having to ever worry about losing them. Which the poor cannot do because they do not have any money to begin with.

"Poverty - Consequences Of Poverty." n. page. Print. <http://social.jrank.org/pages/500/Poverty-Consequences-Poverty.html>.

This annotation helps you realize and hear the life of the poverty and how much they struggle to keep up with life, they go through hard times because of the fact that they can not afford anything that the rich or  so called wealthy can. It is said that the poor can not escape poverty because of the fact that once they living it, it is hard to gain money and have the opportunity to escape it cause we do not have the same amount of opportunities as the wealthy does.

Annotations

1. Herold, Benjamin. Philadelphia High School Dropouts And The Job Market: No Diploma, No Job. Huffingtonpost: Benjamin Herold, 2012. “http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/07/philadelphia-high-school-_n_1260466.html

This article titled “Philadelphia High School Dropouts And The Job Market: No Diploma, No Job”  talks about a young women that is named Monica Reyes (That is her Online Name) and how she struggled to find a job because of her missing her high school diploma. In the article Monica reyes stated “Growing up in that neighborhood, I went through war”. She grew up in Kensington where she lived in a not so good neighborhood. After behind shot she grew afraid of the place she lives in. In 2011 Mayor Nutter made graduating high school a priority which increased graduation rates a little bit above 60%.



2. Mattleman, Marciene. The Dropout Problem. Place of Publication: CBS Philly,KYW NewsRadio, 2010.
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2010/11/10/the-dropout-problem/

This article titled “The Dropout Problem” is about why people go to school and why they drop out and how that creates a problem. This article states that a majority of people drop out of school because they feel as though school is useless and they prefer to pursue what they want to be in life such as a sport or hobby that doesn’t really have much to do with school. Also it tells that research has shown that most kids that drop out of high school come from a low income family. With that happening it creates less achieving people which adds on to the problem of dropping out. Then it shows statistics of how much money the u.s could of saved if kids decided not to drop out of high school.


3. Woodall, Martha. Task force cites high dropout rates for African American, Latino students
. Place of Publication: Philly.com, 2010. “http://articles.philly.com/2010-09-03/news/24973951_1_task-force-dropout-national-graduation-rate

This source talks about how African American and Latinos are the major cause of the high school dropout rates. It includes how Mayor Nutter and the task force is trying to prevent more dropouts by adding more extra activities for school and having the students engage in more fun activities so they can enjoy coming to school instead of staying home. It also tells me that the national graduation rate was 48 percent African American males and 49 percent Latino males whereas for females it is incredibly lower. Also it says that teachers must treat students with respect and fair or else a student could feel as if the teacher dislikes them which will make that person not like that class and just stop going.

4. Scott, Maiken. A New Beginning For Philadelphia High School Dropouts. Place of Publication: Newswork.com, 2010.”http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local//behavioral-health/6560-a-new-beginning-for-philadelphia-high-school-drop-outs


This source talks about a program where students that drop out of high school with regrets gets a restart on there mistake and gets a diploma. Its each days of having to be at this program on time and be prepared to work following basic school rules. The program has you do something you want such as help building a house. This programs gets funding from charter school and private fundraising. This program changes people's lives around in a good way. It also tells why people drop out and one of the biggest reason was disrespectful kids. Jefferies, a high school dropout, had left school because he couldn't take the people at his school and because of family problems making it worse for him. Most of the people that join this program are useless on the line of failure or becoming homeless. This article talks about how people in there 20’s that once lost it all and didn’t have a high school diploma to live good to having another chance to get there shine back.

5. Petrillo, Matthew. Drop-In Program Gives Dropouts A second Chance. Place of Publication: Voanews, 2011. “http://www.voanews.com/content/drop-in-program-gives-drop-outs-a-second-chance-117418128/163509.html

This source talks about another program that was made to help obama achieve his goal of making the dropout rates lower. This program is for kids that are considering dropping out. It basically shows the good side of schools and how hard work can give you good things. This programs awards you for doing good well basically bribes you, for you to do good in school. The program started off small and as a telephone hotline but now this program runs in about 11 schools. This program helps kids stay in school and make school a better place, also show that if they do stay in school that they are capable in way more. Over the past couple of years high school rates increased but this past two years it decreased which is really good.

6. Perez, Ricardo. Telephone Interview. 14 Febuary 2013.

1. What is the current status of high school dropouts?

(That person thoughts on high school dropouts today.)

- I would say that a lot of people take school as a joke and that is one of the biggest cause of high school dropouts today. Its like nobody has motivation to go to school anymore. Its sad to say that i’m glad i finished high school before my peers. But according to statistics high school dropouts have lowered over the past couple of years. I think that people that drop out of school make the decision to drop out because of what is going on outside.

2. What is the history of this issue -- how did it come to be this way?

(How were high school dropouts back then? How did it change to the way it is today?)

- Back when the world was different and books were essential, i think a lot more people dropped out because of lack of technology. People were lazy to go to school and do hard work and basically just read. Like today we have advanced technology which makes people have more fun in school because of phones and tablets. Its like a laptop/tablet is used for an replacement for books.

3. Who/what are the main influences on this problem and its future?

( How are the people that you think has made a person drop out?)

- I think that the place the person lives at is the influence. Looking at statistics high income families tend to have less high school dropouts compared to low income families. Its like the kids don’t have much support at home which makes them not want to go to school because of problems they are having at home. And also some kids rather just work and have the ability to help pay for his family.

Teen Motivation

Annotation 1: Lehmann, Christopher, Mr. "Teen Motivation." Personal interview. 13 Feb. 2013.
Mr. Lehmann truly gave me insight on this issue. He’s worked with students for years and has a general idea on what motivates teens not only because he was once a teen but because he speaks with kids on a day to day basis.


Annotation 2: Curwin, Richard L. N.p.: n.p., n.d. ASCD. ASCD, 2010. Web. 19 Feb. 2013.
This article doesn’t only focus on teen motivation but a diverse variety on why teens are the way they are. It gives a lot of options as to what is the cause and what the effect will be. It shows what can be done to help motivate teens and also gives a deep definition of what motivation is.

Annotation 3: Russ, Valerie. "Group Tackles Dropout Crisis." Philly.com. N.p., 18 Feb. 2011. Web. 19 Feb. 2013.

This article doesn't talk about motivation directly but instead talks about why teens drop out. It talks about how most teens aren't determined with the work or have personal problems which make them unmotivated.


Annotation 4:
Duviver, Christine. "Positive Psychology News Daily » How to See More Motivated Teens." Positive Psychology News Daily. N/a, 9 Apr. 2009. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.
This article focuses on not only why teens aren't motivated in schoolwork but more so in daily activities that interest them. They dont care so much for schoolwork but more of a talent that they may have.


Annotation 5: Bushweller, Kevin. "Motivation Matters." Education Week -. N/a, 09 Apr. 2007. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.
This isn't as factual as my previous annotations but I believe this survey is very important due to the opinions in the comments. It shows a general understanding as to why teens aren't motivated.

Teen Pregnancy Annotations: Sterling Perry

1) Daniel, Taylor. "Teen Pregnanc'ys High Cost."Philadelphia Inquirer [Philadelphia] 39 8 2012, n. pag. Print. <http://www.philly.com/philly/health/20120829_Teen_pregnancy_s_high_cost.html>.

- Unbiased link written by Philadelphia Pediatrician Daniel Taylor, drawn from the philly inquirer, giving information on the “cost” of teen pregnancy in terms of money spent by the mother/father, parents, government etc. Also, they touch on emotional cost and situations in which most teen parent face. (ie. check-ups, hospital visits etc)

2) Himelstein, Rima. "Hard Look at Teen Pregnancy."www.Philly.com. N.p., 9 4 2012. Web. 13 Feb 2013. <http://www.philly.com/philly/health/A-hard-look-at-the-risks-of-teenage-pregnancy--.html>.

- Unbiased link, written by Crozer-Keystone Pediatrician and Adolescent medicine specialist, drawn from www.philly.com. This source shows us brutal statistics about teen pregnancy. The site touches on ratios, rates and provides advice for present teen mothers.

3)Preidt, Robert. "Poor Reading Skills Linked to Teen Pregnancy Risks." Philly.com. N.p., 31 10 2012. Web. 14 Feb 2013. <http://www.philly.com/philly/health/topics/HealthDay670066_20121031_Poor_Reading_Skills_Linked_to_Teen_Pregnancy_Risk.html>.

- This article was found on philly.com under the teen section. It is abstracted from the American Public Health Association. It talks to us about how reading levels can be linked to a higher chance of someone becoming a teen parent.  

4) (Google Scholar Source) http://www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=106764&renderforprint=1

- Drawn from google scholar, this source provides statistics about teen pregnancy such as how many teens are pregnant per year (estimated), our rates (USA) compared to other countries and some reasons it might be this way.

5) (Google Scholar Source) http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1997.tb04233.x/abstract

- Drawn from google scholar, this source gives us an overall look at teen pregnancy in america written by a group of pediatricians who felt the need to spread the word.


- Do you see more teens pregnant then adults? 

Yes, "nowadays" its easier for teens to get pregnant than adults because of the lack of supply of condoms and condom support from parents

- What advice do you give teens to prepare them for what lies ahead for them

If you are pregnant take responsibility and it can be a beautiful thing and worth the trouble you are going through. Just stick it out. and if you aren't…Stay that way

- In terms of options chosen during teen pregnancy which ones do you see or hear about teens choosing the most? (ie. Abortion, Adoption etc) 

It's sad to say but i have been hearing about a lot of abortions from teen mothers. I just can't bring myself to kill my own child

- What places/organizations do you reccomend teen moms to turn to for help?

i don't know any but personally I turned to my parents. They have helped me through a lot.



Teen Violence_Garcia_Annotation

Annotation 1

Ben, Simmoneau . "Group Of Teens Randomly Attack Man On Kelly Drive." CBS Philly [Philadelphia ] 9 08 2011, n. pag. Web. 15 Feb. 2013. <http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2011/08/09/third-flash-mob-attack-reported/>.

This source includes a story of a man that was attacked by teenagers on Kelly Drive in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. xsOn July 31st, Christopher Dean was biking on the drive when teenagers from 15-18 attacked him. Police then said that the reason for the attack was about of boredom. This site is useful because this gives the presentations a sense of what’s actually going on in Philadelphia and this its not just an average problem.

Annotation 2

. "Facts for Teens: Youth Violence." . Youth Violence Prevention, n.d. Web. 20 Feb 2013. <http://www.herkimercounty.org/content/Departments/View/11:field=services;/content/DepartmentServices/View/68:field=documents;/content/Documents/File/122.PDF>.

This source gives statistical back up to shows that teen violence is one of the main issues in Philadelphia. The data was gathered by the Youth Violence Prevention, stating things such as “More than 1 in 6 high-school students say they have carried a gun, knife, or club in the past month”. Information like this is available on the document which will help show the reality of teen violence, what really goes around us that can’t be seen. Even though the source is from statistics of philadelphia its still shows that overall its an issue that must be resolved.

Annotation 3 (This annotation will include many links that are related)

"New Video Surfaces Showing Unprovoked Attack by Philadelphia Teens Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/08/17/new-video-surfaces-showing-unprovoked-attack-by-philadelphia-teens/

Robert, Moran. "2-year-old shot in mob brawl in S. Philly."Philly.Com [Philadelphia ] 28 Sep 2011, n. pag. Web. 19 Feb. 2013. <http://articles.philly.com/2011-09-28/news/30213218_1_high-school-fight-patrol-car-stable-condition>.

Laurence, Sharen. "News." NBC10. N.p., 31 Jan 2012. Web. 20 Feb 2013. <http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/College-Student-Describes-Violent-Assault-138374229.html>.

The links above are important to use because they show what teen violence has led to. Many people say they were jumped by flash mobs by teens that were just bored. Others have died, a 2 year old and four others were shot after a mob of girls began a high school fight that included guns and injured those who were innocent. Teenagers now don’t know how to handle situations and they feel that violence towards one another is necessary “to live in the streets”. Whats not realized though is that they make it difficult to walk to the streets of Philadelphia. Another of the links show how a group of teens a worker outside of city hall. All of these links are incidents that occurred in Philadelphia. 


Annotation 4


Hoye, Sara. "The effects of Philadelphia's mob violence."Justice. CNN, 12 Apr 2011. Web. 19 Feb 2013. <http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/08/12/philadelphia.flash.mob.violence/index.html>.


This source shows the effects of Philadelphia’s mob violence, and is important to obtain because its shows what is being done so far about the subject. Begins talking about a flashmob that attacked a group of friends near the heart of center city. Then leads of to talk about what mayor Nutter thinks about the situation and what he is doing to resolve. Fridays and Saturdays Curfews have been moves to 9pm for teenagers in Center city, in general 10pm for those under 13 and 12pm for those under 18. He then speaks of the black community in specific and advises the parent to step their game up. 

Annotation 5 (Interview)

Stanford, John. E-mail Interview. 18 Feb 2013.

This source gives a deep understanding of what the Philadelphia Police Department thinks about teen violence. John Stanford gives detailed answers as to what can be done about the subject, who is to blame, and much more. John Stanford talks about the steps that have already been taken to decrease the rates of criminal acts that are caused by teens. Such as creating a curfew, and the many organizations that have been made to create a new environment for teens. This interview shows well how the police department also thinks that Teen violence is a huge problem in Philadelphia. 

Shay's Annotation

Governor Corbett, Tom. "Learn About DPW ."Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare . N.p., 29 February 2012. Web. 14 Feb 2013. <http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/learnaboutdpw/index.htm>.
This is a website that helped me to understand what exactly the Pennsylvania Public Welfare does to help people who are of the lowest income. This website also gave me the most accurate numbers for the amount of people (2,766,182) who receive welfare and public assistance. These numbers helped me because it shows how big of an issue poverty is. Also it shows that because so many people are of the lower class and are raised with no choice but to apply for public assistance so that they can eventually raise in social class.

. "Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare Progress report 2010 ." Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare . N.p.. Web. 14 Feb 2013. <http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/ucmprd/groups/webcontent/documents/report/p_003047.pdf>. This website helped me to figure out if the poverty rate was decreasing or increasing. There is a graph on this website that I can used that states how many applications were received by the public welfare system. This website also shows how many people public welfare was able to serve( 2,145,056).Last this website show how much money was issued out to the families and individuals who were served($11,927,060,000).

. "Welfare Statistics." Statistic Brain . N.p.. Web. 14 Feb 2013. <http://www.statisticbrain.com/welfare-statistics/>.
This site provided me with information that will help me have a better understanding on how much welfare is proving for whom they are serving. This helps me because it helps me to tell people big of a roll public assistance is providing. This site also tell me statistics of how long people were on welfare the different statistics for each race and what percentage were on Public Assistance (Welfare).

Piette , Betsey . "Workers World ." Philadelphia poverty, hunger on the rise. N.p., 22 October 2010. Web. 14 Feb 2013. <http://www.workers.org/2010/us/philadelphia_1028/>.
This is a news article written based on information of the U.S Census. It states that Philadelphia is one of the poorest among the countries ten largest cities. This is something that shows that this issue show be brought up espically when it is further brought up that Philadelphia is only 2nd to Bronx, New York. Across the U.S one in every five children are victims of poverty. This is a very big issue because not all of those children and families will receive help that will help, if they will receive any help at all.

Sara Taveras, Amruta Ghanekar. "Tackling the Root Causes of Juvenile Delinquency." PHiladelphia Social Innovation Journal . N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Feb 2013. <http://www.philasocialinnovations.org/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=116:mimic-tackling-the-root-causes-of-juvenile-delinquency&catid=21:featured-social-innovations&Itemid=35&limitstart=1>.
This site states how much of the Philadelphia area is made up of people who are victims of poverty. Also it talks about what affect poverty has on decision making. It States that people who are of this category tend to have higher amount of teenagers who drop out, or just do not pursue a reliable careers. 50% of teenagers were drop outs. This is bad and shows that children living in poverty life style loose hope and settle for what they know. I can use this information in my project to show how much of a problem this for not only citizens of  the united states but also the future if the United States.

White,Marlene. Past recipient of  Public Assistance. In Person Interview. Place of Publication: Publisher, 15 February 2013.  
This gave me the chance to hear get facts and opinion from someone who has experienced being a recipient of Public Assistance and knows the pro’s and con’s of this system. She was able to speak from a personal experience. She was also able to speak about how to get off of public Assistance because she was one who was receiving assistance and overcame her challenge but she was also one who watched many people she knew stay on public assistance because it allowed  them to enable them.

Ryan Shaw Annotations


Interview(Cheryl Kramer):

  1. I’ve been hearing and reading a lot of info about health care insurance costing a lot of money. Why is that?

The overall wealth of the city of philadelphia isn't as high as it should be, while the cost of healthcare continues to rise.


  1. Who do you think is responsible for the cost of insurance?

INsurance Agencies and government subsidiaries

  1. How do you think we could fix the problem of over-expensive health care?

Obama is fixing many of these problems with the new medicare plan, Obamacare.


  1. How has the cost of healthcare change over the past 5 years? What would it be like in the future?

The cost of health care has risen over the past 5 years, but because people aren't making enough money, less and less people are able to get health care.


  1. Who are the main people that are affected by the cost of health care?

Those of lower income, who can't afford it.


  1. What do you think of Obamacare?

I think that it'll help America and that it will help Philadelphia in particular, because it help those who can't afford health care, because it makes their employer buy it for them.


  1. How could the cost of healthcare decrease?

Obamacare is partly helping that, but if health insurance agencies would make special plans for those of lower income, or those who can't afford it.


  1. I read that there are about 137,000 adults who don’t have health insurance, is this number correct? How many children are out there who doesn’t have health insurance?

an estimated 190,000 people don't have insurance in philadelphia. Very few of them are children, because of CHIP.







. "Ambulatory Health Services(Health Centers) ."
Public Health of Philadelphia. N.p.. Web. 15 Feb 2013. <http://www.phila.gov/health/AmbulatoryHealth/hc2.html>.
This website is a list of the health-care centers in the philadelphia area. With this information, I am able to find a place to interview someone about the Philadelphia health care system, and why a lot of people can’t afford it.

. "Health Insurance Programs." Philadelphia Unemployment Project . N.p.. Web. 15 Feb 2013. <http://www.philaup.org/health/hc_ins.html>.

This site has told me a lot about health care in Philadelphia. It’s let me know how it works, and also, a few of the available plans for low-income philadelphians.

. "Benefits Summary." Independence Blue Cross. N.p.. Web. 15 Feb 2013. <http://www.ibx.com/individuals/find_plan/low_income/special_care/benefits.html>.

This site gives us a great idea about how much health care costs at its cheapest. As a plan meant to give the most coverage at the lowest cost, it shows us one of the best possible situations of health care cost.

Barret, Kathrine. "Philadelphia's Healthcare Factsheet."healthcare-NOW.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb 2013. <http://www.healthcare-now.org/wp-content/uploads/pdf/finalphilafactsheet2.pdf>.

This pdf has given a lot of facts about how much health insurance costs the city, instead of the average person. This gives us a broader idea about where the money goes that we spend on health insurance, and what kind of legislature is being passed that is helping us.

Ellis, Glenn. "CITY HAS FINE HEALTH CARE, BUT NOT FOR ALL." The Philadelphia Tribune. The Philadelphia Tribune, 14 Jan 2013. Web. 15 Feb 2013. <http://www.phillytrib.com/healtharticles/item/7401-city-has-fine-health-care,-but-not-for-all.html>.

This article is a great example of something along the lines of what we’re trying to say. The article tells about the health insurance coverage for philadelphians, and the problems that a large portion of philadelphians face.







Roger Bracy's Annotations

Herold, Benjamin, comp. "District wants to close 37 schools and relocate or reconfigure dozens more."Soundcloud. Public School Notebook, Dec 2012. web. 19 Feb 2013. <http://thenotebook.org/blog/125429/philadelphia-school-district-wants-close-37-schools-relocate-or-reconfigure-dozens-more>.


This source talks about how the district, in winter of 2012 proposed a 37 school closing effective because of financial reasons. Some information it includes is how a lot of neighborhoods and parents of the district are outraged and sad to see the district take this turn of events. In one of "Public School Notebook's" Podcast in December, information and stats were given on the school closings. I will be using the Podcast's comments on what's problem this is creating for much of the Philadelphia neighborhoods. This source is reliable because it has real responses and reasons for the school district 37 school closings.

. "School District of Philadelphia Facilities Master Plan: Summary of Recommendations ."cbsphilly.files.wordpress. CBS (Philly), n.d. Web. 19 Feb 2013. <http://cbsphilly.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/school_district.pdf>.


This source is helpful in ways as it shows the School District of Philadelphia proposal and overall plan for the school transformation. The document claims to help the school district as it will benefit the future of students. One of the benefits, is that the district choose to merge lower test scored schools, together the two merging schools can raise test scores. Also with the amount of kids transferring into charter schools the school district claims to not be able to run its current budget with the empty facilities. Thus they claim their budget and learning environments need to change.

Jackson, George. "Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Jerry Jordan Responds to the SRC's School Closure Recommendations.". Philadelphia: Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, 12 Dec 2012. 1-1. Web. 19 Feb. 2013. <http://pft.org/Page.aspx?pgid=51>.


This source talks about how the district, is destroying the traditional neighborhood schools of Philadelphia, with proposed a 37 school closing. Some information it includes is how it's not surprising to see the district do this as they have use same tactic of defunding. I will be using the letter as the teacher prospectives, and their comments on what's problem this is creating for much of the school districts neighborhood. This source is reliable because it has real responses from the president of the teachers union of philadelphia on the school district 37 school closings.

Snyder, Susan. "Hite promises changes to Philly school-closings plan." Philly.com. Philadelphia Inquirer, 12 Feb 2013. Web. 19 Feb 2013. <http://articles.philly.com/2013-02-12/news/37060928_1_closings-school-district-school-reform-commission>.


This source talks about how the district's Superintendent William R. Hite Jr., promising changes within the district to lower the deficit of the budget. With proposed a 37 school closing, he claims the district will save 28 million over 5 years. I will be using the source as the Superintendent prospective, and his comments on the pro's of his plan. This source is reliable because it has real responses from the Superintendent of the Schools District of philadelphia.


Interview with Mrs Laufenberg - How have you or your co workers within the Philadelphia school district, been affected by the budget of the district?

Budget cuts have caused a number of decisions to be made that affect teachers.  First, at SLA we needed to cut the budget and decided to reduce the number of Spanish classes taught by a teacher, replacing it with Rosetta Stone.  While this was not a great option, the budget left us few good options.  Additionally, the school has been running without a librarian for over two years.  This loss of resource for the teachers and students is noticeable and leaves us with a void for creating a vibrant space for media exploration.  Finally, the constant cuts have forced transfers, layoffs and shuffling of staff throughout the district that generally destabilizes the functionality of all district schools, which in turn makes it a less effective space for teachers to work with students.

- When you heard of the 37 schools closing in the district, what was your reaction on this, and why was that?

I felt like the number was high.  I was concerned about the confusion, pain and chaos that it will introduce into so many school settings that are already having difficulty with positive momentum.  I also wondered what other creative alternatives we could be pursuing so as to avoid this large number of closures.  

I am always concerned when neighborhood schools are on the chopping block for closure.  Many times the school is the anchoring institution in the neighborhood and the loss of that can affect the entire neighborhood.  


- Having worked in the school district of Philadelphia, over the years what would you change about the district decisions in choosing it’s leaders and making financial decisions?

I would like to see the district and the union be much more transparent about the decision making processes that impacts so many of Philadelphia's residents.  Since the SRC is not elected, there is not true responsiveness to an electorate and I think that it has led to some poor communication and transparency.  I will say, that as of late, I am encouraged that perhaps the district is headed in a more positive direction under the leadership of Dr. Hite. In terms of choosing leaders, I think Philadelphia is a particularly challenging place to hire for... huge district with massive money trouble.  Not many people are going to have a resume that speaks to our serious needs.  


- (Answer only if you have background outside the district) Having worked outside of the school district of Philadelphia, what differences have you notice about school districts outside of philadelphia?

I have worked in three other school districts in three different states and they were all quite diverse.  Each state has its own set of policies and procedures and then as it bubbles down to the local level, even more variety occurs.  One major difference was that the governing boards were elected in every other school system.  Having a school board that is responsive to the electorate is important, in my opinion, and not having that in Philadelphia creates a set of issues.  Philadelphia is by far the largest district I've worked in and navigating the large bureaucratic tangle at 440 is exasperating.  There will always be levels of bureaucracy, but the version I find in Philadelphia was particularly challenging to interact with.  

One thing I enjoy about Philadelphia is the ease with which an experienced teacher can transfer into the system and be compensated for their years of teaching experience.  This was not the case in two of my previous districts.  Additionally, our health benefits were superior to those that I was extended in my previous teaching placements.  Finally, the overall level of monetary compensation far exceeded the levels in my other districts.  

I joined the district and stayed through some incredibly tumultuous years.  I am hopeful that with a new superintendent at the helm, the district will start to stabilize and start functioning like an effective public service.

Matthew's annotations



Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania department of education. State Summary Report. Harrisburg: , 2011. Web.
This pdf gave me insight into the Keystone exam results for 2011. This file goes into detail about how different people did on the keystone exams. The file shows how different races did as well. This file was useful because it gave me actual numbers for the keystones. It made my suspicions, that people did poorly on the exam, fact.

Defields, Lori. Personal Interview. 13 Feb 2013.
Mrs. Defields was quite helpful with insight into Central’s science programs. She was unable to compare Central’s program to other schools, but was helpful in other places. I was able to see what a “privileged” school did with funding of the sciences. Central is in the process of building a robotics lab with funding that they are receiving from alumni from the school.

Obama, Barack. State of the Union Address. Government. White House, Washington DC. 12 Feb. 2013. Address. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/state-of-the-union-2013-president-obamas-address-to-congress-transcript/2013/02/12/d429b574-7574-11e2-95e4-6148e45d7adb_story_4.html>

This source gives me a direct quote from the president. It helped me to get insight into the larger scheme of things. This quote helped me to see what the nation’s science program should be like and then compare it to the current science program locally.

"Temple University Newsroom." Improving Science Education in High School and beyond. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. <http://news.temple.edu/news/improving-science-education-high-school-and-beyond>

This source is supporting my topic. It shows that my topic goes beyond high schools. Temple University was given grants to find out the same things that I am trying to find out, why aren’t people studying science. “These grants are just two of several initiatives now underway at temple.” This statement alone proves that the STEM field in both high schools and colleges is slacking.

Markietra Keese Annotations

Schwartz, Ian. Philadelphia Mayor On Teen Violence: This Nonsense Must Stop, Philadelphia, realclearpolitics.com: 10 August,2011.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/08/10/philadelphia_mayor_on_teen_violence_this_nonsense_must_stop.html

This website is the mayor addressing the people in Philadelphia about the flash mobs that have been happening in recently. He talks to parents about controlling their children, and trying to keep the city as peaceful as possible. Everyone must work together for it to work.


White, Taesha M. "How Do You Help Teens." Personal interview. 14 Feb. 2013.

I interviewed my sister Taesha. She has been in city programs since she was 14 and has been working with teenagers ever since. She gave me a very detailed interview of what it like to wrk with teenagers. 



Socolar, Paul. District On-Time Graduation Rate Surpasses 60 Percent. Philadelphia Neighborhoods: The Notebook, February 2012. 

http://thenotebook.org/february-2012/124482/district-time-graduation-rate-surpasses-60-percent

This website shows a graph of the graduation rate of city from the years of 2002-2011. Most of the graphs shows a increase of people graduating in Philadelphia. The city has a goal to get an increase of students graduating between 4-6 years to 80% by 2014. What the city is doing to get their students to graduate on time is working.


Kefalas, Jason. Philadelphia Youth Solutions Project, Saint Joseph’s University: pysp.org 2011. 

http://pysp.org/

This website gives a bunch of information about teen violence and how they help teenagers. It shows statistics and gives information on the most type of violence that happen in the city. I wanted to find a source that helped teenagers in philadelphia and explained in details how they do it. This helps support my interview that I gave by showing that there are places for teens to get help. 


Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth’s Violence: State Statistics, Atlanta Georgia: cdc.gov 13 May 2011.

http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/stats_at-a_glance/PA.html

This website is the other website with graph. it shows homicide rates for mean and women between the ages of 10-24. One of the graphs that shows ethnicity proves that minorities/ blacks are the main reason for all of these homicides in Philly.