School funding

PSP Statement on Basic Education Funding Commmission Report

PSP Executive Director Mark Gleason issued the following statement on recommendations released by Pennsylvania’s Basic Education Funding Commission: “The Philadelphia School Partnership commends the Basic Education Funding Commission and supports its recommendations for a weighted student funding formula, including implementation of the formula for the distribution of all new basic education funds in the 2015-16 …

Read more

Mark Gleason’s testimony before City Council in support of property tax increase for schools

Mark Gleason, Resident, Taxpayer, Public-School Parent, and Executive Director of the Philadelphia School Partnership Good afternoon. My name is Mark Gleason. I am here today as a city taxpayer, a public-school parent and as executive director of the Philadelphia School Partnership, a nonprofit focused on increasing access to educational opportunity. I am here to urge …

Read more

Our response: An analysis of the cost of charter school expansion

The mission of the Philadelphia School Partnership is to expand the number of great schools in Philadelphia—district-run schools, public charter schools, and private and Catholic schools—thereby increasing access to quality education for low-income families. This mission aligns with the stated goals of Governor Wolf, Mayor Nutter, Superintendent Hite and the School Reform Commission. Dr. Hite’s …

Read more

PSP Statement on Authorization of Cigarette Tax for Schools

Statement from the Philadelphia School Partnership’s Executive Director Mark Gleason: “PSP applauds the leadership and members of the General Assembly for authorizing the Philadelphia cigarette tax, and for coupling the much-needed new funding stream with a charter-school reform that is in the best interest of students and families. “Now those students and families need state …

Read more

Where We Go From Here

by Mark Gleason, Executive Director At the Philadelphia School Partnership, all of our work is focused on ensuring that every child in Philadelphia can attend a school that prepares students for college and careers. PSP’s policy positions and priorities are shaped by our experiences funding more than two dozen District, charter and private schools serving predominantly low-income …

Read more

PSP Supports Quick Approval of $120 million in Recurring School Revenues by City Council

Mark Gleason, executive director of the Philadelphia School Partnership, echoed this morning’s call by a coalition of other nonprofit groups for City Council to move quickly to approve the extension of a 1 percent city sales tax and the redirection of $120 million in resulting revenue to the School District of Philadelphia. “The School District …

Read more

PSP Supports Quick Approval of $120 million in Recurring School Revenues by City Council

Mark Gleason echoed this morning’s call by a coalition of other nonprofit groups for City Council to move quickly to approve the extension of a one percent sales tax Mark Gleason, executive director of the Philadelphia School Partnership, echoed this morning’s call by a coalition of other nonprofit groups for City Council to move quickly …

Read more

Philadelphia Inquirer: Corbett budgets $29 million more for Phila. schools; SRC nominees approved

Philadelphia got two new school reform commissioners Tuesday, and news that Gov. Corbett is proposing $29 million in new money for city schools.

The infusion comes through a new "Ready to Learn" grant that comes with some strings - better-performing districts have more choices on what to spend the funds on, while struggling systems such as Philadelphia's will have fewer options.

Read more