Yesterday we announced four investments in public and private schools, including our first investments to help transform a neighborhood district high school – Roxborough High – and a Catholic High School, Neumann-Goretti in South Philadelphia. Read about the investments in today’s Inquirer. These investments underscore the fact that Philadelphia has great schools of all types, but …
school transformation
School Spotlight: James G. Blaine Academics Plus Elementary School
The process of transformation began almost one year ago for Blaine Academics Plus School, when Principal Gianeen Powell applied for and secured a $1.5 million turnaround grant. Blaine, a District neighborhood school located in North Philadelphia, is a traditionally under-performing school with about 40% of students scoring proficient on the PSSAs. Principal Powell, with the …
Today’s front page news: New plans for 2 troubled schools
Last year, we invested $3 million in two North Philadelphia district schools to dramatically improve student achievement. After months of intensive planning, the talented school leaders at Blaine and Kelley will be granted new autonomy to build their teams. Read today’s WHYY piece about how the leaders will work with great new and returning teachers to …
Philadelphia Inquirer: New money, new plans for 2 troubled Phila. schools
Khyrie Brown stood outside his school and enumerated the things he was going to tell School Reform Commission Chairman Bill Green on a tour of Blaine Elementary on Monday.
The school lacks adequate supplies, said Khyrie, an eighth grader. Its equipment is old, its classes are too big, and it doesn't have enough staff.
WHYY: Two North Philly grade schools to undergo massive staffing changes in hopes of ‘turnaround’
Two elementary schools in North Philadelphia will undergo massive staffing changes before the 2014-15 school year in an attempt to transform school culture and student performance.
Blaine Elementary in Strawberry Mansion and W.D. Kelley Elementary in Brewerytown have been selected for what the Philadelphia School District is calling a "district-led renaissance turnaround."
Daily News op-ed: Schools – Why the runaround on turnarounds?
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.
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 …
Philadelphia Magazine: Philadelphia School Crisis – A City on the Brink
Unless we fix the schools, Philly is doomed. But what can be done when the city’s leadership class lacks the will to face the problem head-on? Here are eight changes we need to demand right now—before it’s too late.
Philadelphia Inquirer: 2 Philly public schools to split $3 million in grants
Two Philadelphia School District elementary schools will receive grants totaling $3 million to upgrade their academics as they absorb students from nearby schools that have closed.
The Philadelphia School Partnership announced Wednesday that William D. Kelley in Brewerytown and James G. Blaine in Strawberry Mansion would each receive a $1.5 million grant over several years to develop academic turnaround plans.
PSP invests $3 million in turnaround of two public schools
Grants will support turnarounds at Kelley and Blaine Elementary Schools, each of which is expanding enrollment by 50% due to nearby closing schools The Philadelphia School Partnership (PSP) today announced it will invest $3 million from its Great Schools Fund to support the turnaround of two district-managed public elementary schools in North Philadelphia, William D. …