Students at the Samuel Powel School ask speakers questions during a recent program. The School District of Philadelphia will be engaging advisory groups of parents/guardians, principals, teachers, school support staff, students, union leadership and central office staff to help improve the schools (Philadelphia Tribune photo).
By Philadelphia Tribune Staff
PHILADELPHIA — Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. will begin the final part of his three-phase approach to laying a strong foundation to improving academic outcomes for all students and achieving the Philadelphia Board of Education’s Goals and Guardrails.
“We’ve completed a successful listening and learning tour with 90 sessions in the first 100 days,” Watlington said. “We have a transition team with 100 individuals who help us look at our data and who suggest recommendations we should consider going forward.”
The Phase One of the listening and learning sessions, together with the output from the Transition Team, will inform phase three — the development of a new five-year strategic plan for the School District of Philadelphia.
“As I continue to meet with families, students and staff across the city of Philadelphia, I have repeatedly seen the dedication and passion to support our students’ success,” Watlington said. “We are united by this shared goal and working together, we can create a practical, ambitious and comprehensive plan that will serve as the roadmap to become the fastest improving large, urban school district in the country.”
The strategic plan will be driven by teams representing a variety of diverse experience and stakeholders of the district:
- Leadership Team, a group of 25 staff members from central office and school leaders that serve as the decision-making body for the Strategic Plan.
- Steering Committee, a group of 50 central office staff, school-based staff, and students from across Philadelphia that generates the content of the Strategic Plan, which is reviewed by the Leadership Team.
- Advisory Groups, a group of 25 community members who provide critical insights and feedback as pieces of the Strategic Plan are developed. The Steering Committee will engage Advisory Groups of parents and guardians, principals, teachers, school support staff, students, union leadership and central office staff.
“We’re at this critical point in the history of the school district where we’re launching the development of a strategic plan process. It’s important for us to now ask what we do next,” Watlington said. “I want to invite parents and community members, particularly parents and guardians, to be a part of helping us develop that strategic plan.”
Applications will open Monday and close Dec. 18.
Community members are invited to apply to participate in an advisory group that will play a pivotal role in shaping the strategic plan and ultimately, the future of the District. You can apply here.
The strategic plan will be released in spring 2023.
This story first appeared in The Philadelphia Tribune, a publishing partner of the Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
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