Sad News for Roxborough High Commuity: Speak up to help the school and our neighborhood!

Principal Steve Brandt recently announced to staff and students that he will not be returning to Roxborough next year. He is leaving the district, and made it clear that it is due to not being able to work under their current philosophies and ways of operating.

This is awful news for so many reasons.

Selfishly, yes, I want to see him stay. Roxborough has been a bright spot in my travels between high schools. It is BY FAR the best school climate I have seen in 3 years of traveling the district, and is miles ahead of where other neighborhood high schools are.

This school has turned around in his few years here, and he completely deserved the Lindback award for principal of the year.

I simply do not understand how a district that is struggling as ours is, cannot do more to keep one of the best and brightest young leaders that it has.

How can we ever expect to change things if this is how we operate? Forget budgets and contracts and school closings for a minute....take a look at what type of people you want here. It doesn't make sense.

Sorry, this is by the seat of my pants on the morning of hearing this news, as I was floored with this announcement, but I'm apalled.

Steve is a product of this district, graduating from Roxborough himself. He really cares about this place. He poured his heart into this school.

And now, he's given his recommendation that Ms. Jenkins, his assistant principal replace him. This would be a great transition. She understands this building and what makes it work. However, the tone seems to be that this recommendation doesn't matter. The understanding is that the district will place who they see fit into this position.

I question, based on what exactly?!?! If you care about these students, and see how far they've come in a few years, why on earth would you possibly change that for them? This is an especially unique situation, with students pouring into Roxborough next year from the Germantown closure.

School District of Philadelphia, open your eyes. Save one of your neighborhood schools next year, by maintaining some continuity for the students and staff.

You are already losing an amazing principal; please don't throw away an entire school as well.

As a community, I encourage you all to SPEAK UP!!! Keep Ms. Jenkins here if we are to keep this school moving in the right direction.