Independence Charter School Annual Report

Dear Friends,Less than a decade ago, Independence CharterSchool (Independence Charter) was merely an ideain the minds of a few forward-thinking Philadelphiaparents who wanted a quality educational experiencefor their children, one that prepared them to becitizens locally and globally. These foundersestablished Independence Charter, and set theschool on a path of consistent, demonstrated growthand success. To advance from a simple idea to oneof the most respected charter schools in the Cityof Philadelphia in only eight short years is certainlysomething to celebrate! And with no end in sightto our continuing, innovative evolution, we thinkthat the Independence Charter story is one worthdocumenting. I’m therefore pleased to introducethis, the School’s first Annual Report.Ronith Epelbón HochmanMusic TeacherLast year (Fiscal Year 2007-2008) and extending into thecurrent fiscal year, the school experienced an exceptionalgrowth spurt. Most notably:• We acquired, renovated and moved into ourbeautiful, permanent home at 16th and Lombard(formerly Durham Public School).• We saw commendable growth in the percentageof our students achieving proficient and advancedscores that matched and exceeded the Pennsylvaniastate standardized test score average in reading andmathematics, respectively.• Our eighth grade graduates were accepted intomany of the top public and private high schoolsin the Philadelphia region.• Our school continues to be desirable to Philadelphiafamilies as demonstrated by the 600 student waitinglist for this academic year.Our growth spurt also extended far beyond the School itself.In the past year, we’ve dramatically expanded our presence as“When I think about the meaning of being a Music Teacher at Independence Charter, I think about how lucky I am to be a part of anInstitution where the differences and the singularities of every individual are precious. By being immersed in an environment withplenty of cultural options and by respecting other people’s opinions and ideas, Independence Charter’s students learn the value ofbeing a citizen of the World. And we, the teachers, are encouraged and challenged to bring our best to every lesson to let it happen.”a leader for urban education reform within Philadelphiaand as a respected innovator nationally in the area of globalstudies. In 2007 we were recognized as a Charter Schoolof the Year by the Center for Education Reform. In 2008,Independence Charter was awarded the Goldman SachsFoundation Prize for Excellence in International Educationas an elementary school. It is notable that we are the firsturban public charter school nationally to have won thisprestigious prize.So where do we go from here? We have many excitingplans to enhance the Independence Charter educationalexperience for our students and to share our successfulmodel with others. Plans include expanding the numberof students who receive access to free after school tutoringand precollege track experiences, adding programs thatsupplement classroom instruction in science and engineering,and the expansion of a physical education program, to nameonly a few.With the economy in recession, it is unfortunate that wewill see cuts in public funding that negatively impact ourcity’s youth. Those organizations that will forge ahead, inspite of these setbacks, to improve educational outcomesfor Philadelphia students will need to be forward-thinking,creative, adaptable and experienced at doing more withless. Fortunately for us, these are precisely the attributesthat enabled Independence Charter to grow to our currentstate, and I am confident they will serve us well movingforward. Our goal is not to “weather the storm” of thiseconomic downturn, but to gather our strengths andcreative energies to sail our charted course of growthand success for years to come.Sincerely,Jurate KrokysCEOIndependence Charter SchoolBoard of TrusteesOfficersPresidentRona Buchalter, Ph.D, Fellowships Advisor,Drexel UniversityVice PresidentPamela M. Prell, Professional Development Manager,Need in DeedTreasurerRosina Miller, Ph.D, Executive Director,The Philadelphia CenterSecretaryKristin Nocco, Drug Information Consultant,Independent Drug Information ServiceRebecca Baehr, Esq., Career Planning Specialist,Rutgers University School of Law - CamdenJohn Eagen, Vice President,Alliance National Insurance Company.Eli Lesser, Director of Academic Summer Sessions,University of PennsylvaniaPedro Rodriguez, Interim Director of Open Borders ProjectElsie Stern, Ph.D, Assistant Professor,Reconstructionist Rabbinical CollegeTina KluetmeierParent of two students“After visiting schools and talking to parents and teachersthroughout the city, we chose Independence Charterbecause it offered so many things that the other schoolsdid not: an international education incorporating art,music and dance as well as reading, writing and arithmetic;diversity among students and staff; and languageinstruction infused throughout the curriculum with theexpectation that Independence Charter students willgraduate with high proficiency if not fluency in Spanish.”23