Protest Targets Penn Alexander, Hoping to Increase Incoming Class Size

This will probably end in tears:

Parents of some of next year’s prospective Penn Alexander School kindergartners will rally outside a University of Pennsylvania meeting on Wednesday to persuade the School District of Philadelphia to open up more spots in the school’s kindergarten and first grade. The rally comes as the District confirmed that the lottery was held and that parents would be notified by mail this week.

A group of parents of “kindergarten eligible students” are organizing the rally as Penn’s University Council meets. A representative of the group, a Penn professor, will speak during the “open forum” portion of the meeting, which allows members of the Penn community to raise issues. The meeting is only open to people affiliated with Penn and top Penn administrators are expected to be present. The rally is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. outside of Houston Hall at 3417 Spruce Street.

Right now, Penn Alexander’s incoming classes are capped at 18 students apiece. Protesters want to see that cap raised to 22—still well below the district’s maximum of 30 per class, but also higher than the rates that have made Penn Alexander one of the most sought-after elementary schools in the city