Seven schools and many families living in the federally-designated Promise Zone will benefit from a $30 million, multi-year grant to a consortium led by Drexel University. Drexel President John Fry, Mayor Jim Kenney, Superintendent Dr. William Hite, community members and area elected officials gathered at Morton McMichael Elementary School on Wednesday to announce that the community has won the 2016 Promise Neighborhoods Program Implementation Grant Competition.

The grant provides up to $30 million over five years. The $6 million award that was announced yesterday provides the first year of funding. Some $76 million in matching funds have also been secured from the City and area non-profits, including the William Penn and Lenfest Foundations.

The grant will provide “enrichment” for families living in the Promise Neighborhood, which mirrors the boundaries of the Promise Zone and stretches from the Schuylkill River to 48th Street, and from Girard Avenue to Sansom Street (see map). The grant will also support the following schools: Belmont Charter (K-4); Locke Elementary (K-8); Morton McMichael Elementary (K-8); Martha Washington Elementary (K-8); Samuel Powel Elementary (K-4); SLA Middle School (5-8) and West Philadelphia High School (9-12), according to a Drexel statement.  Continue Reading

The “Philly Schools Town Hall” series is coming back to West Philadelphia on Tuesday, Nov. 15.

Class size, climate and safety and the quality of school facilities will be on the agenda of the West Philadelphia Education Town Hall at Paul Robeson High School at 4125 Ludlow from 5:30-7 p.m. City Council members Helen Gym, Jannie Blackwell, Allan Domb and Derek Green along with folks from Philadelphians Organized to Witness, Empower and Rebuild (POWER) will be on hand.

The views and input from citizens at a series of education town halls last spring helped get nurses and counselors back into public schools, among other important measures.

Everyone in the community is invited to attend and to speak. Folks are asked to RSVP here or to call Steve Paul at 215-686-5380.

On Saturday, Oct. 15, neighbors have a chance to make a difference in the life of a child and a public school community. An adults-only party — with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and a silent auction — in support of Samuel Powel Elementary, a high-performing public school in Powelton Village, will be held at the Indigo Bleu Design & Culture Center (3870 Lancaster Ave), from 6 – 10 p.m.

Proceeds from the party will help fund essential programs at Powel including Playworks, a recess-based, community-building program that benefits 300 students at the school.

You can help (and have fun, too!) by attending or sponsoring this fantastic event. Tickets are $35 online in advance. The Guest Emcee list includes Councilwoman Helen Gym, State Rep. James Roebuck, Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell and Sheriff Jewell Williams.  Continue Reading

The Penn Alexander School (4209 Spruce St.) today was named a National Blue Ribbon School, an award the U.S. Department of Education gives to about 350 schools around the country each year deemed “high performing” or “achievement gap closing.” Both public and private schools are eligible.

Penn Alexander was recognized as an “exemplary achievement gap closing school,” an award that recognizes schools that have consistently improved academic achievement against other schools around the state.

School officials received the award during a ceremony in the school this afternoon.

In its application, Penn Alexander officials wrote that, “Penn Alexander faculty spends a great deal of time developing programming and extracurricular activities to engage and support our diverse community. We believe the growth and achievement outside of the classroom has a direct impact on bridging the gap of student achievement inside the classroom.”

Two other schools in Philadelphia were also awarded the National Blue Ribbon. St. Mary Interparochial School at 5th and Locusts Streets was named an “exemplary high performing school,” as was the Folk Arts-Culture Charter School at 1023 Callowhill St.

Photo via Drexel.edu

A new public middle school has opened in West Philly, in an area that definitely needs one. On Tuesday, Sept. 20, the School District of Philadelphia, Drexel University and Inquiry School will celebrate the opening of the new Science Leadership Academy Middle School (SLA-MS) at Drexel’s Dana and David Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships in the Powelton neighborhood.

Drexel University and Philadelphia School District officials, including Superintendent Dr. William R. Hite, will join SLA-MS students, staff and families at a ribbon-cutting ceremony, which will begin at 10:30 a.m.

Dornsife Center (3509 Spring Garden) is just a temporary location for the new school while plans are underway to build the school’s permanent home on the site of the now demolished former University City High School and Drew Elementary School near 38th and Filbert. Most of the fifth grade students who enrolled in SLA-MS came from nearby Samuel Powel Elementary, a highly rated K-4 school.

Drexel’s School of Education supports the middle school with help in planning and executing the curriculum, similar to the arrangement Penn has with the Penn Alexander School.

The school year has just begun, but we have our first early dismissal due to lingering hot weather. The School District of Philadelphia has announced that all public schools will dismiss at noon on Friday, Sept. 9 due to the high temperatures forecasted for tomorrow (the temperatures are expected to reach the mid-90s). All after-school activities including all athletic programs and professional development classes scheduled for Friday are also canceled as well. All District early childhood centers will remain open as per their regular schedule.

All Archdiocesan schools will also dismiss at noon this Friday.