3 N Columbus Blvd #MD313
Philadelphia, PA 19106

I used to substitute here. The school has gone downhill, it seems. It used to be a highly reputable magnet school, and it is still advertised as such. It used to have rigorous academic standards and required students to interview with the principal, and it was meant to accept students who wanted an education geared to law, politics, and government. It still has a fine faculty, and many of the students are still earnest and hardworking. However, about two years ago, the district forced the school to eliminate the academic standards and interview process due to 'equity' concerns. Instead, students are chosen simply by lottery. The result is class after class of disruptive, unmotivated, and undisciplined students. The students have finally been given the enriched, well-funded educational environment their communities have demanded for years, and they waste these resources disobeying and disrespecting their teachers. All of this seems a little unfair to the students who might actually have wanted to learn. If the school district does not restore the original magnet philosophy, the school should be revamped into a neighborhood school or simply shut down.

Currently I have a middle school student graduating from McCall this spring and I had two older sons graduate in 2018 and 2020. McCall Elementary school is a wonderful school and the teachers and staff are outstanding. I recommend this school to anyone that has a child in the Center City catchment. My students did well in this diverse community and participated in extra curricular activities run by the teachers and staff. The years at McCall instilled in my children the love of learning and the importance of doing their best work. We will miss this community!