By Helen Cunningham and Mark Gleason
Amid extensive coverage of the very real challenges facing our public schools, we shouldn’t lose sight of what’s actually working. Right now, outstanding educators are working closely with families of all backgrounds to transform Philadelphia’s lowest performing schools into some of the best schools in the city. Yet, not enough people are talking about Renaissance schools.
Philadelphia’s turnaround efforts began nearly a decade ago when Mastery Charter Schools assumed management of three chronically failing schools: Thomas, in South Philadelphia; Shoemaker, in West Philadelphia; and Pickett, in Germantown.