Stu Bykofsky: Straight-A students to get a perk for their work
THE MUMMERS had their day on Jan. 1. It looks like Straight-A Philadelphia public high-school students will have their day - more than one - starting in September.
THE MUMMERS had their day on Jan. 1. It looks like Straight-A Philadelphia public high-school students will have their day - more than one - starting in September.
Important support for a "scholars' reward" program that I suggested last September is rolling in.
* Comcast-Spectacor wants a seat at the table and has promised seats for straight-A students at Sixers, Flyers, Phantoms, Kixx and Wings games.
* The World Champion Phillies are on the bandwagon with free tickets for the overachievers.
* The Eagles love the idea, and have promised home-field tickets for student scholars.
That's not all.
* Allied Advertising Public Relations and Terry Hines & Assoc., which are the Philadelphia representatives for movie studios, have promised free movie preview tickets for age-appropriate movies. If there's a "hot" movie coming out, a "scholars-only" preview can be arranged.
When school started last September, I was in the grasp of an idea.
Bottom-dwelling bad kids in Philadelphia public high schools get a lot of attention - from truant officers, social workers, cops and courts.
Straight-A students, basically, get a pat on the head.
Instead of taking them for granted, I thought that Philadelphia should encourage them, give them the kind of freebies that the low-achievers would envy.
In school, sadly, the straight-A students are often bullied. If Philly, I thought, salutes and rewards them so that they feel appreciated in their hometown, they might want to return after college - and you know these kids are college-bound.
I started with the notion of a Scholars Section in the Mayor's Box at various venues - Citizens Bank Park, the Wachovia Center, Lincoln Financial Field, the Spectrum, the Mann Music Center and Robin Hood Dell East.
Dr. Lori Shorr, the mayor's chief education officer, tells me that the mayor will devote approximately 2,000 of his box seats to the program, which should launch in September. (A small, pilot program for mayoral tickets only may start as early as March.)
In 2007, the last full school year, 642 of the district's 48,000 high-school students got straight-A's. Since the number of straight-A high-schoolers doesn't change much from year to year, this means that each scholar-student would be awarded free tickets several times next year.
The school district would be responsible for identifying the student-scholars for the program, and would be in charge of ticket distribution.
Also being planned are Star Cards, like plastic "charge cards," which the straight-A students could use for discounts at local stores and restaurants. (Any business wanting to sign up can reach me using the info at the end of the column.)
I've reported that such academic achievement plans are used by schools here and elsewhere.
We're not inventing the wheel here. Shorr liked hearing about what was happening at other schools, and said that the school district has to run some numbers. That is happening, and more.
Shorr named Jim Rastogi-Wilson as her point man on the project. He shared with me the "punch list" of what needs to be done.
This includes researching how other incentive programs work, establishing criteria for student inclusion, developing a Web site, designing and manufacturing plastic Star Cards, getting local businesses on board and launching a PR program to get the word out.
This will be happening in the weeks and months ahead to complete the program for a September launch.
As I've promised before, I'll keep on eye on it and report back to you. *
E-mail stubyko@phillynews.com or call 215-854-5977. For recent columns: