EDUCATION The Miracle at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Terry flowers, the 32-veaR- old black headmaster at St. Philip’s School, is justifiably proud as he shows a guest around his school, located in the center of one of Dallas’s most impoverished and decrepit neighborhoods. Flowers is gentle and soft-spoken, so much so that one would imagine he came from a privileged class rather than growing up poor in one of Chicago’s toughest areas.

“Hey, Jabri, let’s move it,” Flowers says in a friendly manner. “Let’s see some energy in your walk.” Jabri Beatles, one of St. Philip’s 200 African-American youngsters, seems in no hurry to be anyplace, but he immediately quickens his pace. “You got it, Mr. Flowers,” Jabri says with a wide smile.

Flowers guides the guest up two flights of stairs, where he shows off two new classrooms called the tree house rooms. The attic has been converted into vaulted-ceiling rooms. Third- and fourth-grade children and their teachers are busily preparing for their midmorning classes. All acknowledge his presence with “Hello. Mr. Flowers.” Everyone at St. Philip’s elementary school, the custodians included, gets a cheerful, respectful greeting.

Next Flowers points to a series of glass trophy cases packed with silver cups and plaques. “We don’t make a big deal of these” says the headmaster who once considered a career in professional football. “Our emphasis is on education. Eighty-seven percent of our students score at or above grade level,” he says. The numbers put St. Philip’s scores ahead of achievement scores at most schools-private and public.

He then ushers the guest into the school’s chapel, a large room teeming with small and enthusiastic students, many of whom are in starched uniforms and are singing Bible verses accompanied by James Davis, a middle-aged white man. at the baby grand piano,

Welcome to a model inner-city elementary school: St. Philip’s School and Community Center. The little-known school with a famous address (1600 Pennsylvania Avenue) sits in the middle of an infamous neighborhood filled with crack houses, illicit pool halls, winos, and prostitutes. Police say the area, only a short drive from the center of downtown, is one of Dallas’s worst.

St. Philip’s has been here- as youth center. African-American Episcopal mission. and church-since the turn of the century. In 1968. after the congregation moved to another location, a preschool was added, and the name was lengthened to St. Philip’s School and Community Center. The first class had 15 students. During the next two decades the school struggled and slowly grew to its present size: two preschool classes, a kindergarten, and first through fourth grades.

From 1968 until the beginning of the Eighties. St. Philip’s nearly died several deaths, mainly due to money problems. Many limes during those dark ages it seemed the institution had no future, recalls a longtime St. Philip’s director. But the school survived thanks to the dedication-and dollars-of many generous souls like the late federal Judge Sarah T. Hughes and Hilda Cooper, both founders of St. Philip’s School.

In 1983 Terry Flowers, 25 and out of work, responded to a classified ad for an assistant principal at St. Philip’s. He had recently moved to North Texas after graduating with high honors from Columbia University. Flowers brought with him three master’s degrees in education and a dream of being a school principal. When the directors checked his references, they found the man to be even better than the résumé. He was the answer to many prayers, says Sharon McClendon, one of St. Philip’s 14 instructors.

Hiring Terry Flowers, adds Ms. McClendon, marked a turning point for the struggling little school which, at the time, had 70 students. Nearly bankrupt in the early 1980s, the school now operates on a yearly budget of almost one million dollars. But more important than its financial success, says Flowers, is St. Philip’s academic success. That’s the bottom line, says the headmaster.

“It’s not fair to compare us with public schools because we have the freedom to make certain demands on students and parents public schools can’t.” Flowers says. Then he corrects himself. “They could, but politically they won’t.”

St. Philip’s successes are in large part due to the uncompromising dedication and vision of a board of directors consisting of educators, business and professional people, ministers, housewives, and others. The majority are North Dallas whites. One-third arc African-Americans.

Clarkson P. Moseley, a wealthy independent oil man and a longtime trustee at prestigious and highly rated Trinity University in San Antonio, is chairman of the board. He believes service to an institution like St. Philip’s is the ultimate in social and community service. “There’s nothing I know of that is more important than to help these youngsters get an even break in life,” says Moseley.

In addition to giving their time and talent, board members are expected to give cash and help raise funds. Last year the directors collectively gave more than $24,000 to St. Philip’s.

The board gives Terry Flowers the authority and responsibility to manage the institution. “He is truly a CEO,” says Moseley, “and that is the main reason this school works while so many fail.”

Parents pay $1,750 a year for tuition. which covers about 50 percent of the $3,800 per student cost of running the school. (By comparison , DISD spends about $5,000 per year per student.) Parents unable to pay full tuition may qualify for financial assistance through a scholarship. “Every parent pays something.” says Moseley. “There are no free rides.” In addition to the financial commitment, each parent enters into a written contract requiring a high level of involvement. The home is an extension of the classroom, says Flowers, who believes the lack of parental involvement in the educational process is the principal cause of failure of today’s schools.

Ken Davis, 44 years old and retired from the Air Force, serves as president of the Parents Students Association. The PSA meets once a month, and Davis says about 70 percent of all parents attend. “The others are parents who work nights.” says Davis, who is planning to add a monthly noontime meeting for those who can’t attend the evening meetings. In addition to meetings, a weekly newsletter is mailed to all parents. “It takes a lot of effort on the part of parents to keep this school going,” he says. The PSA helps with fund raising for the institution. Davis reports his group collected $10,000 for St. Philip’s during the past school year.

Davis’s daughter, a tall, slender fourth-grader, wants to be a lawyer when she grows up. “Because I want to help people,” she says with a sincere smile. Veronica likes to “help explain things” to her classmates, “But I don’t give them the answers,” she quickly adds. Her only complaint about St. Philip’s is that some teachers don”t give enough homework assignments. “The teachers are nice, and they can be hard on you.” she says. “I like them to be hard on me so I can be a better student.”

Several students 1 talked with had attended other schools before enrolling at St. Philip’s. Many said the other schools failed to challenge them. Ryan Searcy. another fourth-grader, says, “It’s fun here. The other schools were bor-r-r-ing.’” Ryan was allowed to start in kindergarten, skipping the four-year-old class because, as he proudly says, he already knew everything they were teaching.

Pay scales and benefits at St. Philip’s are below those offered in public and most private schools, yet the school employs a highly motivated and enthusiastic staff. Sharon McClendon knows she could earn more money teaching in DISD. but prefers St. Philip’s because “we bring a God-focus into the class and use it to deal with motivation and discipline issues.”

St. Philip’s has plans for expansion, and no one is concerned about filling the new classrooms. There is a growing waiting list of more than 100 prospective students. In a recent 115-page report on St. Philips School. Dr. Vaughn L. Grisham. University of Mississippi professor of sociology and author, concluded that St. Philip’s stands on the brink of being a national model- praise that came as no surprise to the St. Philip’s community.

As everyone from George Bush to thelocally elected school board is learning.there are no simple answers to America’seducational dilemma. However, a host of St.Philip’s directors, teachers, and parentsbelieve the nation’s educational reformersmay find some clues, and maybe some answers, by closely examining The Miracle at1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.