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.
Opinion
Why aren’t we doing more of this?
Be sure to read this op-ed in today’s Daily News: PSP’s Helen Cunningham and Mark Gleason call on District leadership to continue its highly successful school turnaround efforts. In the last five years, nearly two dozen persistently failing schools have been turned around with dramatic results, both academically and for the community… all while serving …
Hear from our Board member Janine Yass
We wanted to be sure you saw this opinion piece in this morning’s Inquirer by PSP Board Member, Janine Yass. Janine makes the case for why investing in what’s working – including the District’s Renaissance school turnaround program – is making a real difference for Philadelphia families and calls on our city’s leaders to embrace …
Did you read this?
As lawmakers in Harrisburg enter the final days of negotiation on the state budget, we wanted to be sure you read two pieces in today’s Inquirer that articulate why we must focus on both fully funding our schools and ensuring any new funding better serves our kids. First, public school parent Christine Carlson explains how …
Daily News Editorial: District must fix teacher policies
Contentious contract negotiations, like those involving the School District and the teachers’ union, are usually at heart a battle of narratives – between management, which is often in financial crisis, and labor, whose narrative is about protecting beleaguered workers from being exploited. They are rarely a celebration of hard data and facts about hiring, compensation …
Reforms for next school contract
It's not every day that we can point to a labor negotiation as a great opportunity for children.
We are members of the Coalition for Effective Teaching, a coalition of the city's education, business, and community leaders who want the public to know that, while the discussion about the Philadelphia School District contract likely will focus on money and budget issues, the negotiations also present a unique opportunity to boost the effectiveness of teaching and learning in our schools.
Philadelphia Inquirer Op-ed: Build on district’s improvements
With a $304 million budget gap, the School District of Philadelphia faces a financial crisis. Superintendent William Hite and the School Reform Commission have requested a combination of new revenues and savings. But these requests are about more than closing a deficit.