Students, lawmakers try to preserve Philadelphia’s ‘accelerated schools’

Students and lawmakers are trying to save “accelerated schools” in Philadelphia from budget cuts.

Accelerated schools are for students who are too old to go to conventional public schools or for those who drop out and want to come back. They’re on the chopping block as part of district budget cuts.

Eddie Rosato, a student who just couldn’t achieve at a charter school, said he is thriving in at Fairhill Community High School.

“I felt like I wasn’t going anywhere,” said Rosato. “Some teachers didn’t give me the attention I needed. Now I can say I am a proud student at Fairhill. I understand almost everything they teach me. If I don’t understand, I am not afraid to ask.”

City Councilman Bill Green said the problem is the accelerated schools are not high on the district’s funding priority list.

“In other words, with the money we are talking about providing, we would never get there to funding alternative schools,” said Green.

Green said City Council will work to fund accelerated schools as a condition of providing more money for the district.