One place that must absolutely go on your bucket list if you are visiting Philadelphia is Reading Terminal Market (RTM). It’s located next to the Pennsylvania Convention Center and near City Hall. Reading Terminal is a huge, indoor market that is home to over 80 different merchants that sell a wide variety of foods and products. It is also one of the nation’s oldest public markets, opening in 1893. This year it has celebrated its 130th anniversary!
The writing on the bottom reads: “Reading Terminal Market and train shed at the turn of the century. Note the gas streetlights, steam engines in the train shed and horse drawn carriages. During the winter, farmers would bring their products into market by horse-drawn sleighs.”
In 1890, the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company purchased a block of land in the city for its new terminal. However, two major markets were already located there, and they refused to move. The two parties ended up agreeing to having a new, combined market underneath the train tracks, and voilà! Reading Terminal Market was born! The market is 78,000 sq. ft and laid out in a grid system with 12 aisles running east-west and 4 avenues running north-south. The location of the market actually worked out for the benefit of everyone. The train company and RTM prospered off one another for years. Travelers could grab some food from the market, and there was also a delivery service. People living near Reading or Pennsylvania Railroad stations could place orders and get their food and products dropped off nearby. Even during the Great Depression and WWII, Reading Terminal managed to stay afloat. In 1944, 97% of the stalls were still occupied.
It wasn’t until railroad companies began to go out of business that the market faced the real possibility of shutting down. RTM gradually fell into a state of disrepair, and efforts to revive it didn’t begin until the 1980s. Eventually, the Pennsylvania Convention Center acquired the market from the Reading Company in 1990 and helped to bring it back to its former glory, while maintaining its historical charm.
Miller’s Twist
DiNic’s
Bassetts Ice Cream
Today, Reading Terminal is visited by thousands of tourists and regulars every week. You could get your breakfast, lunch, dinner and even dessert there if you really wanted to. Amish merchants from Lancaster County sell their freshly baked goods, including … pretzels! Workers at Miller’s Twist make all the pretzels by hand, and people can also buy breakfast pretzels stuffed with eggs, cheese, and/or meat.
For lunch, a great stop is DiNic’s Roast Pork and Beef for some quality sandwiches or cheesesteaks. The business has been family owned and operated for four generations. It started out as a butcher shop in the city in 1918 and eventually led to the sandwich shop in the late 1970s. DiNic’s opened in the market in 1980, and its roast pork sandwich has since been crowned the Best Sandwich in America in 2013.
After a nice big lunch, feel free to walk over to Bassetts Ice Cream, which calls Reading Terminal and Philadelphia home. Established in 1861, it’s the oldest ice cream company in America. Back in 1892, it became the first merchant to sign a lease at RTM, and the business continues to be operated by the very same family! There are around 40 different flavors to choose from, with vanilla being Bassetts’ signature classic.
With the abundance of food found at Reading Terminal Market, it is nearly impossible to walk out of there still feeling hungry.
Closing the Excellence Gaps to Diversify Gifted Education Programs
Gifted programs in the United States have been around for over a century, and the controversies surrounding them have been around for almost as long. The programs rose to prominence in the mid-1900s during the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. When the Sputnik satellite was launched, Americans feared that the U.S. educational system was lacking.1 In response, Congress approved the National Defense and Education Act in 1958, which provided federal funding for more education in mathematics and science. It also placed greater emphasis on educating gifted students.2
Today, gifted programs are meant to enhance the learning of students who are considered above average or exceptional in one or more areas compared to their peers. However, the identification of these students is subjective and varies from state to state and even from district to district. Oftentimes, an IQ test is used to determine whether a child is “gifted”, but this disproportionately favors middle to upper class students, many of whom are white or Asian. This creates excellence gaps between low-income students and their peers. Oftentimes, underrepresentation of certain racial and ethnic groups is correlated to the fact that schools have no methods in place to change this unequal system. Unfortunately, these glaring inequalities in gifted programs are caused by a myriad of national issues, not only poor identification. Poverty, domestic violence, and/or other adverse childhood experiences also play a role.3 Nonetheless, by legally requiring schools to provide funding and training for teachers and administrators to close their excellence gaps on the state level, gifted programs would become more racially and economically diverse and would be more equitable to all students.
*I think my topic is going to be about diversifying gifted programs by focusing on closing excellence gaps between low-income students and other students, but I’m still not entirely sure about what the best policy maker (mandate, system change, etc.) would be to achieve that so any thoughts would be much appreciated 🙂
Pretzels, both hard and soft, are a staple snack for many and a tradition of Philadelphia. Who hasn’t been to a party or watched a sports game without a tray of pretzels and mustard on the table? But have you ever wondered how this salty treat became so popular? Well, whether you’ve been curious or not, we are going to dive into the history of how the pretzel came to be.
An old painting from the Medieval Ages that depicts a pretzel on the royal family’ table.
The origin of pretzels surprisingly has its roots in religion. There is some controversy on when exactly the first pretzels were created, but many sources date them back to the year 610 CE. The story goes that a monk in either France or Northern Italy used leftover bread dough and twisted it into the pretzel’s classic design as a reward for young pupils who learned their prayers. The twist was meant to represent arms crossed in prayer, and the three holes symbolized the Holy Trinity in Christianity. Some historians believe that the name “pretzel” is derived from the Latin word “pretiola” meaning “little reward.” However, others think it was originally called “bracellae” meaning “little arms”, which then became the German word “bretzel.”
The pretzel bakers’ coat of arms.
Despite the pretzel’s confusing beginnings, it gradually turned into a symbol of prosperity and good fortune across Europe during the Middle Ages. In Vienna, Austria in the 1500s, monks making pretzels in the basement of a monastery helped thwart an invasion by the Ottoman Turks. They heard the Turks approaching and alerted the city. In return, the Austrian emperor awarded the pretzel bakers their own coat of arms. In Germany, it was a tradition to eat pretzels and boiled eggs on Good Friday. For New Year’s, German children wore pretzel necklaces to symbolize good luck.
Julius Sturgis’ original bakery in Lancaster County, PA (about 1 hour outside of Philadelphia).
In the 18th century, German immigrants to Pennsylvania brought over their salted snack. However, there are speculations that pretzels actually came to America even earlier on the Mayflower. Pretzels grew in popularity, and in 1861, Julius Sturgis founded the first commercial pretzel bakery in the U.S. You can tour the bakery located in Lititz in Lancaster County, PA and have a chance to make your own pretzel there. Some also credit Sturgis for baking the first hard pretzels…on purpose. Decades later, the process of twisting pretzels by hand became automated in 1935 by the Reading Pretzel Machinery Company. The pretzel machine could turn out around 250 pretzels per minute, which helped speed up the production process.
Today, Pennsylvania is the leading pretzel-maker in America, and it accounts for 80% of allU.S. made pretzels. On average, Americans consume 1.5 pounds of pretzels annually, while Philadelphians are said to consume nearly 12 times that amount! It’s no wonder that the city is home to a variety of companies and vendors that sell the famous Philly soft-pretzels. In the 1820s, Daniel Christopher Kleiss was recorded as the first street vendor to sell pretzels in Philadelphia, and his trend has become the norm. Philly pretzels are also a different shape; they are more elongated, like a figure 8, with only two holes instead of three. This was a result of the Federal Pretzel Baking Company, established in 1922 in the city, switching to automated machines and conveyor belts for mass-producing pretzels. Other manufacturers and bakeries that got their start in Philly include the Center City Pretzel Company, the Philly Pretzel Factory, and Philadelphia Soft Pretzels, Inc.
All in all, I must say that that the history of pretzels was far more fascinating and dramatic than I had ever imagined. Now, after learning more information about pretzels than you’ll probably ever need to know, I hope everyone is looking forward to celebrating National Pretzel Day on April 26 (in just over a month)!
Welcome to my final civic issue blog post! So far, I have only presented some of the glaring issues with gifted programs, but I have yet to discuss any possible solutions. In this post, I will discuss the different ways schools across the country are addressing gifted education problems.
One solution to improving the identification process of gifted students is to simply test all students. This is what pilot schools in Aurora, Colorado did to diversify their programs that had an overrepresentation of White and Asian students. The gifted education coordinator, Carol Dallas, stated that the testing showed a 9% increase in the Black gifted population, an 8% increase for Hispanics, and a 5% reduction in Asian overrepresentation (1). There was also more representation for girls, immigrants, low-income students, and English-language learners (1). This pilot test greatly helped to reduce the inequity in Aurora’s gifted programs and identify student populations that are often overlooked.
Aurora’s population compared to its gifted population, broken down by race.
The change in each population after the pilot testing.
Another approach is one I stumbled across early on in my research. The article described schools in Rockville Centre, NY that had eliminated their gifted program and most of their “remedial, average or advanced classes” altogether (2). This change in the system began over 30 years ago, with the goal of less segregation between races, economic status, and academic levels. In many middle and high schools, including my own, once you were placed into a track, it was difficult to move into a more advanced one. This resulted in students either not being challenged or believing that they could never catch up to those in the accelerated tracks.
Instead, South Side High School in Rockville “requires subject teachers in each grade to teach the same content at the same time” (2). Additionally, the school offers advanced classes to anyone who wishes to take them and even requires students to take certain college-level courses, such as English (2). Struggling students can attend support classes where they are taught the material before the actual lesson. This helps prepare them for when they go to their main class. South Side’s approach and higher expectations for all students seems to be working. In 2019, “89% of all students and 67% of economically disadvantaged students earned a New York State Regents with Advanced Designation” compared to 33% statewide (2).
The model in South Side is a version of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) that nearly 4,000 schools in the U.S have implemented (3). The model was created in 1977 by Professor Joseph Renzulli and has since been modified by himself and Professor Sally Reis, both of whom worked at the University of Connecticut. According to the Renzulli Center for Creativity, Gifted Education, and Talent Development, the SEM “promotes ‘a rising tide lifts all ships’ approach” and “provides enriched learning experiences and higher standards for all children through three goals: developing talents in all children, providing a broad range of advanced level enrichment experiences for all students, and providing follow-up advanced learning for children based on interests” (3).
Washington D.C. began implementing the SEM in schools in 2012 after getting rid of their gifted programs in 2005. When it opened in 2019, the Ida B. Wells Middle School had a large population of students performing below grade level (2). Using the SEM, classes were filled with every type of student, including gifted, those learning English, and those who need special education. Each class has 2-3 teachers, depending on the subject, which allows for smaller group instruction. There is also a talent specialist that holds additional classes for struggling and accelerated students (2). However, it remains unclear how beneficial this method of teaching is. In most D.C. SEM schools, students continue to perform below grade level and there has been no increase in racial or economic diversity like the district wanted (2).
A chart from the Seattle Times article that shows the percentages of gifted students by race compared to the overall student population in three separate school districts.
New York and D.C. are not the only places that have altered their gifted programs. In Miami-Dade County Public Schools, students are evaluated differently based on their income or other factors that would influence their ability to get accepted into accelerated programs. This method of screening is allowed by the Florida law known as Plan B (4). From the Seattle Times, “middle-class and affluent kids need IQ scores of at least 130, while low-income children or those whose first language is not English can get in with scores 13 points lower — provided they rate highly in measures of creativity and academic achievement” (4). This controversial system has resulted in Miami’s gifted student population closely matching the district’s demographics. However, these changes also incurred a high cost of $10 million that covered “additional psychologists, teachers, administrators and a battery of nonverbal intelligence tests for kids not yet fluent in English” (4).
According to Florida law, “all teachers of the gifted complete 300 hours of study on the temperament of highly intelligent kids, as well as the best ways to instruct, counsel and draw out their creativity” (4). In addition, teachers in Miami are trained to find and support gifted students. Christy Nudd is one of those trainers who helps educators “spot buried capabilities” (4). She claims that “giftedness is really just potential… it doesn’t mean these students know everything. It means they have the potential to know. And it’s our job to build the bridges” (4). Nudd’s words reflect the growing sentiment about what it means to be gifted. That “giftedness” does not simply mean good grades. Giftedness can manifest in a variety of different ways and in a variety of different kids.
Looking at the approaches of these schools, I personally believe that diversifying enrichment programs (in terms of demographics and how they are taught) is important. However, I feel that eliminating them is too extreme. Having no academic level segregation is a nice idea, but it places a heavy burden on teachers. They must be knowledgeable in multiple types of education and subjects versus having a handful of teachers who specialize in a specific area. Even some students at the South Side school are skeptical because it is a “competitive pressure cooker” and “they feel pushed to take advanced classes” (2). Furthermore, many districts do not have the funding to implement some of these strategies, including hiring teachers with the proper qualifications. As for the system in Miami, I’m conflicted about evaluating students differently because I understand both sides of the controversy. But I do like that Miami is focusing on expanding the definition of “gifted”. Ultimately, like many things in life, there are no clear solutions. It’s going to take more experimenting, pilot programs, and further analysis of the current systems to determine the best ways to solve the gifted program issues.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my civic issue blog, and I would love to know your thoughts on the different solutions that schools have implemented!
Since my last passion blog post, the Eagles did end up losing the Super Bowl, which was disappointing, but in my unprofessional opinion, it was at least an exciting game to watch. Moving on from the Birds, I thought for this week’s post I’d take a deeper look into the rich history of Philadelphia that I briefly touched upon in my first post.
The colony of Pennsylvania was created in 1681 when King Charles II of England granted a charter to William Penn. Penn named the main settlement “Philadelphia” which came from a combination of the Greek words “phileo” and “adelphous”, meaning love and brother, respectively. Thus, the city came to be known as the “City of Brotherly Love.” The hope was that the colony would become a place of religious tolerance and freedom for Penn and his fellow Quakers, along with any other religions. For this reason, the city attracted many English, Scots-Irish, and German immigrants, especially as it grew into the largest business and trade city among the colonies.
The 37 foot bronze statue of William Penn that sits atop City Hall.
“Billy Penn” on display in the courtyard in 1893.
The 1700s saw a host of historical firsts occur in Philadelphia. If anyone else has also taken APUSH, then you’ll likely already know that both the First and Second Continental Congresses were held in the Pennsylvania State House—more well known as Independence Hall. The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were also both written in the city in 1776 and 1787 respectively. The iconic Liberty Bell, originally called the State House bell, was adopted as a symbol of the abolitionist movement in the mid-1800s. Because of the city’s historic significance and the “universal principles of freedom and democracy” established in the Declaration and the Constitution, Independence Hall is on the World Heritage list, and in 2015, Philadelphia became America’s first World Heritage City.
The Assembly Room inside Independence Hall.
Beyond the well-known historical facts of Philly, it turns out that it’s home to the nation’s first hospital: Pennsylvania Hospital. It was founded in 1751by Dr. Thomas Bond and Benjamin Franklin because the city’s population was growing rapidly at the time. This meant there was also an increase in diseases and illnesses that could easily spread or were brought over from overseas. Additionally, the Philadelphia Zoo is considered the oldest official zoo in the country (there were some menageries that opened before). Opening in 1874, it has become renowned for its animal care and innovation over the years. The first daily newspaper published in America was the Philadelphia Packet, and Daily Advertiser, which ran from 1784 to 1790. The city also claims the oldest Thanksgiving Day parade, one of the oldest universities, the University of Pennsylvania, and the oldest operating theatre in the U.S., the Walnut Street Theatre.
Personally, I had no idea that Philadelphia has such an abundance of historical places/artifacts, beyond the famous Independence Hall and Liberty Bell. This has honestly made me more interested to learn other less known facts about my home city. What about you? Did you already know some of these historical facts? Are there any interesting facts you know that I did not include here? Let me know in the comments and I hope everyone has a great spring break!!!
Beyond the well-known historical facts of Philly, it turns out that it’s home to the nation’s first hospital: Pennsylvania Hospital. It was founded in 1751