The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded Philadelphia $2.5 million Wednesday to promote collaboration between public and charter schools and fund projects aimed at boosting teacher training and principal leadership, among other things.
Philadelphia was one of seven cities nationwide to get Gates money, which will be distributed over three years.
Philadelphia’s collaboration among public, charter, and Catholic schools is getting a financial shot in the arm from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The effort among Philadelphia’s district, charter, and archdiocesan schools known as the “Great Schools Compact” has received a $2.5-million grant from the Gates Foundation.
Philadelphia's traditional public schools, charters and Catholic schools historically have been rivals.
Now they are receiving $2.5 million over the next three years from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to foster greater collaboration.
Luciana Boone is a parent of a freshman at Philadelphia High School for Girls and an eighth-grader at KIPP West Philadelphia Charter School.
Like most parents, she is concerned about the quality of the education her kids receive and, ultimately, how to find the right school for them.
Call it Consumer Reports for Philadelphia schools.
On Monday, officials launched GreatPhillySchools.org, a website where families can get information about every city school, public, charter, Catholic, and private - details from extracurricular activities offered to violent incidents per 100 students.
