Philadelphia families, educators, and community members are driving a bold vision for the city’s public schools. In May 2023, their voices helped shape Accelerate Philly, the school district’s five-year strategic plan focused on improving student safety, academic achievement, and well-being across the district.
Its core goal is to have the School District of Philadelphia become the fastest-improving large urban district in the country by 2028.
In response, the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE) has launched a set of targeted initiatives that support the district’s vision. Working in alignment with the district’s priorities, Penn GSE programs like the Academy at Penn, Algebra I Fellowship, and PASS (Pioneering AI in School Systems) are expanding opportunities for students, empowering educators, and helping schools implement innovation with equity in mind.
“You [came] to me and [said], ‘we need help with this.’ And I immediately put the clarion call out to the faculty and staff at Penn GSE,” said Penn GSE Dean Katharine Strunk while sitting down with School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington to discuss their dynamic partnership.
“‘This is what the superintendent says they need, here is his evidence […] who do we have who can do this?’” she continued. “I have yet to have a point when I’ve said that, where I haven’t had more people than we could support come forward and say, ‘we can do this, we want to do this, we want to support our local community.’”
Superintendent Tony Watlington sits down with Dean Katharine Strunk to discuss how the partnership between the School District of Philadelphia and Penn’s Graduate School of Education is creating stronger educational outcomes for local students in Philly.
“We’re doing this good, great work because we want to provide something different and better for the children of Philadelphia that will outlast both of us,” added Watlington. “I have no doubt that we are well on our way together to position the School District of Philadelphia to be the fastest improving big city school district in the country.”