133 schools lack music teacher, 121 lack art teacher

This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.

As of May 2006, 133 Philadelphia schools (roughly half) do not have a full-time music teacher and 121 do not have a full-time art teacher. Of those schools, 66 have neither a full-time music teacher nor a full-time art teacher. All those schools are listed below.

Many of the schools below expose their students to the arts through other partnerships or activities. A classroom teacher in another subject area may play a major role in supporting arts programming (see profiles of teachers). Many schools share one or more of the 73 "itinerant" instrumental music teachers who come once or twice a week to teach a group of students. Schools without full-time music teachers but with a part-time instrumental teacher are marked with an asterisk.

Schools cite several reasons for not offering art and/or music. Some schools have been unable to fill vacancies (any vacant music or art positions are indicated on the lists), and may end up eliminating these positions. Small schools have difficulty supporting both a music and an art teacher out of their discretionary budgets. Budgetary constraints and a focus on reading and math instruction are cited by District officials as reasons schools lack full-time art and music instructors.

Schools cite several reasons for not offering art and/or music. Some schools have been unable to fill vacancies (any vacant music or art positions are indicated on the lists), and may end up eliminating these positions. Small schools have difficulty supporting both a music and an art teacher out of their discretionary budgets. Budgetary constraints and a focus on reading and math instruction are cited by District officials as reasons schools lack full-time art and music instructors.

Schools with neither a full-time music teacher nor a full-time art teacher:

AMY – NW * Birney
Blankenburg *
Bluford * +
Bridesburg *
Carnell *
Carroll
Carver *
Cleveland *
Comegys
Communications Technology
Cook-Wissahickon *
Crossan *
Day *
Dick
Dobson *
F.S. Edmonds *
Elverson
Emlen *
Finletter *
Fulton *
Gideon *
Harrington
Harrison

Hill *
Houston **
Howe
Kensington Business
Kensington Culinary Arts
Kinsey
LaBrum *
Lankenau
Lea *
Leidy *
Levering * +
Logan
J. Marshall
T. Marshall *
McCloskey *
McClure
Meade
Mitchell
Motivation
Olney Elementary *
Overbrook Elementary
Parkway Gamma
Parkway NW
Pennell +
W.S. Peirce *
Phila HS for Business and Technology
Potter-Thomas *
Randolph
Rhoads *
Robeson Human Services
Saul
Sharswood *
Sheridan *
Sheridan West
Smedley
Smith *
Spring Garden *
E.M. Stanton
Stoddart-Fleisher
Turner *
Vaux *
Waring

Schools lacking a full-time art teacher:

Anderson
Arthur
Bartram
JH Brown
Catharine
Cayuga
Comly
Daroff +
Disston
Dobbins
S. Douglas
Ellwood
Feltonville
Fitler
Forrest
Fox Chase
GAMP
Girard
Greenfield
Hackett
Hamilton *
Heston
Holme
A.S. Jenks
J.B. Kelly
Kenderton
Leeds Military Academy
Longstreth
Mann
Mayfair
McDaniel
Meehan
Mifflin
Moffett
Morris
Nebinger
Pastorius
Patterson
T.M. Peirce
Penrose
Powel
Pratt
Rhawnhurst
Rhodes
Rowen
Shoemaker
South Philadelphia
Steel
Sullivan
Washington Elem
Grover Washington
M.Washington
Wright
Youth Study Center
Ziegler

Schools lacking a full-time music teacher:

Adaire *
AMY at James Martin *
Baldi *
Barry
Barton *
Bethune *
Blaine *
Bodine *
Bok
Bregy *
H.A. Brown *
Cassidy
Central East
Clemente * +
Clymer
Cooke
Creighton *
F. Douglass
Drew
Duckrey
Dunbar
H.R. Edmunds * +
Elkin
Ferguson *
Franklin HS
Furness
Gillespie
Gompers *
Hancock
Harding *
Hartranft
Huey *
Jackson
Jones
W.D. Kelley *
Key *
Kirkbride *
Lamberton
Lamberton HS
Leeds
Lewis
Lingelbach *
Lowell *
McKinley *
McMichael
Olney East/705
Parkway-CC
Pennypack
Pennypacker *
Pickett
Prince Hall *
Reynolds
Roosevelt
Roxborough
Rush *
Sheppard
Stetson *
Sulzberger
Swenson *
Taggart
Taylor
E. Vare
Webster *
Whittier *
Willard
Wilson El
Wister
KEY * part-time teacher (in most cases, this is an itinerant instrumental music teacher)
+ vacancy (unfilled art or music teaching position)

Source: School District of Philadelphia