With the recent departure of Philadelphia School District Superintendent Arlene Ackerman amid severe budget cuts and political infighting, Philadelphia's students started school in a district uncertain about its future. Organized in conjunction with the Princeton Club of Philadelphia and Princeton AlumniCorps, Tuesday’s forum brought together educational leaders to discuss the future of Philadelphia’s education system and ongoing reform efforts. The panel featured Dr. Leroy Nunery, the acting CEO and Superintendent. It also included Marc Mannella, CEO of KIPP Philadelphia, Edward Mensah, Director of Steppingstone Scholars, Alyson Goodner '00, founder of The School Collective, and Matt Troha, Principal of Mastery Turnaround School Thomas Campus. The panel discussion was moderated by Rosalind Echols '05, a high school teacher at the Science Leadership Academy.
The focus of the discussion was on education reform and turning around a school district that for far too long has been underachieving. How can Philadelphia attract the best teachers and keep them? How can teachers from charter, public, and private schools collaborate to ensure that they are using the most innovative and effective learning techniques? How do we provide a quality public education when funding to the School District has been cut drastically by the state? How does the School District work most effectively with the Teachers Union? These were just some of the main topics covered in a lengthy question and answer session.
The overall takeaway of the evening was that while the challenges we face within Philadelphia's education system are difficult, they are not insurmountable. There are many dedicated educators and reformers who are committed to improving classrooms and making sure Philadelphia's students are college-ready and can compete in the new global economy.
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