September 6, 2022
“I can still hear Miss Alice Graham’s voice reminding my classmates and me at West Philadelphia High School that corresponding parts of congruent triangles are equal. She would tap the chalkboard, reminding us of the mnemonic device, and we'd jot ‘CPCTE’ down in our notebooks. Surely, I wasn't frantically writing down the geometry lesson because I had dreams of becoming a mathematician – I liked math well enough, but Miss Graham was teaching, and I was listening. Miss Graham offered what so many great educators do: a feeling of belonging. She made her students feel valued and capable.”
“I think back to my days in Miss Graham's class as emblematic of the fantastic education I received at West Philadelphia High School. The resources that my classmates and I were provided – including our choice of five languages and a host of activities, electives and a robust course catalog, are resources that we are fighting so hard for today – if we are truly committed to a better tomorrow for all of our communities, equitably resourced public education is nonnegotiable.”
Read the full piece in City & State PA.