VIDEO: Vaux High School students do ‘Harlem Shake’ to protest closure
The Promise Academy at Roberts Vaux High School in North Philadelphia is slated to close under the Philadelphia School District’s revised recommendation to shutter 29 city schools.
Students are rallying to raise awareness of the closure in the hopes of saving their school. In a video uploaded to YouTube yesterday, they can be seen performing a rendition of the “Harlem Shake” – and we have to say, it’s probably the best student version we’ve seen yet.
Check it out:
Under the School District’s proposal, students at Vaux will be assigned to other area schools and a new Promise Academy will be constructed in North Philadelphia to compensate for the loss.
Despite the school’s uncertain future, three students last month won Philadelphia’s African American History Challenge, locally sponsored by 100 Black Men of Philadelphia, and will go on to represent the city in the National African American History Challenge this June, according to Collaborate Philly.
The School Reform Commission will hold a vote on the School District’s recommendations tonight. Community leaders on Monday held a rally calling for a one-year moratorium on school closures so alternative options can be more thoroughly investigated.