I’ve been trying to write this post for a while, but I keep worrying that I might get someone in trouble. However, it’s a story that’s been sticking with me, so I feel it’s important. So … I’m going to write it with as little identifying info as possible …

I visited the a highly visual Philly charter school last week. I made an appointment because I want to learn about their project-based curriculum, how it’s implemented, what the student day is like – that sort of thing. I arrived on the first day of school for students – not a great day to sit down and have a curriculum conversation. I was told I would have to wait. No problem – I sat down in a crowded waiting room that was clearly tension-filled. It seemed that three girls had received acceptance letters to attend the school, went for orientation over the summer, their parents paid the insurance fee and attended parent orientation night. When the girls showed up for school in the morning morning, however, their names did not appear in the district database and the principal insisted that the kids had to leave to attend their neighborhood schools.

Not to make disparaging remarks about the Philadelphia School District (I taught in West Philly for a year) … but clearly some schools are better than others. These three girls has been notified in July that they were attending a great charter (even giving up placement in other charter schools) based on their superb test scores. They received all paperwork and orientation materials and their parents were now being told the girls would have to attend their neighborhood schools. Meanwhile, the girls were unaware of all the drama, as they had been sent to their new advisory classes …

The tension increased with parents begging, yelling, crying, negotiating … the principal remained firm. Calls were placed to the district office. The principal left to address the student body; while she was gone, the parents strategized and tried to develop a plan. Finally, she returned and the debate continued. “I’m between a rock and a hard place,” she tried to explain. “But my child has worked so hard and now you’re taking this way from her!” was the response. Even more insulting, another school employee whined, “We’ve been getting forged letters all the time. How do we know you have real acceptance letters?” The parents just looked stunned, holding inch-thick folders of contracts, district communications, and acceptance forms.

Finally the principal asked for the students to be pulled out of their classes. The girls walked in the office looking confused. One mom turned to her daughter and reported, “they say you can’t go to school here; we’ll have to leave.” Tears streamed down the girls’ faces.

I watched the principal carefully … surely this couldn’t be happening to these kids. Finally she leaned over to the parents and whispered, “If it ever gets out that I let you in, I’ll be inundated with requests. This has to be between us. Girls, go on back to class.” The students didn’t say a word, just turned and walked out as quickly as possible, as if to prevent any chance she would change her mind.

The parents practically leapt over the desk crying and shaking her hand and saying, “God bless you!”

My question … did those girls’ lives change in that moment? Does it really matter so much where you go to school?