Education Funding

Ambitious Goals for New Philadelphia School Partnership

By Andrew L. Yarrow — October 26, 2010 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

With how many grains of salt should one take the proclaimed goal of a new group to make “Philadelphia the highest performing city in the country in terms of educational achievement by 2015"?

It reminds one a bit of those old Soviet five-year plans, in which stupendous growth was always forecast, and progress would always march on.

Let’s hope for the best for the new Philadelphia School Partnership—a collaboration among business leaders, foundations, city leaders and public, charter, and parochial schools—which was established last week. The new organization, which was launched with $16 million in anonymously given seed money, set a five-year goal to raise $100 million and invest in initiatives to boost student performance.

“The Philadelphia School Partnership speaks, acts, and stands for quality education for the children of Philadelphia, wherever they attend school,” said Mike O’Neill, chairman of the Philadelphia School Partnership board of directors. “This organization is a public recognition that we share more educational goals than differences and that now, more than ever, Philadelphia has to pull together to support this common agenda.”

One of a burgeoning number of public-private partnerships for schools, Philadelphia’s partnership plans to monitor schools’ student achievement and invest in the most promising. Will this strategy help every child become college-ready, or will it only reinforce schools and students who are already doing well? In addition, how well can businesses and educators work together to improve student achievement? Beyond the broad vision, can they collaborate well on nuts-and-bolts teaching and learning?

Related Tags:

A version of this news article first appeared in the K-12, Parents & the Public blog.

Events

Federal Webinar The Trump Budget and Schools: Subscriber Exclusive Quick Hit
EdWeek subscribers, join this 30-minute webinar to find out what the latest federal policy changes mean for K-12 education.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Curriculum Webinar
End Student Boredom: K-12 Publisher's Guide to 70% Engagement Boost
Calling all K-12 Publishers! Student engagement flatlining? Learn how to boost it by up to 70%.
Content provided by KITABOO
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management
Moving the Needle on Attendance: What’s Working NOW
See how family engagement is improving attendance, and how to put it to work in schools.
Content provided by TalkingPoints

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Funding Trump's Cancellation of States' COVID-Relief Funding Is on Hold Again
Pandemic-relief funds in 16 states have been temporarily restored—again—just days before they were set to expire.
3 min read
3d Render Red glossy Glass Dollar Sign icon in circle Blue Soft Maze, problems, solutions, strategy concept
iStock/Getty
Education Funding Education Department Adds $60 Million in Grants for Charter Schools
The department will free up the funding after it gained more spending leeway in a March budget bill.
5 min read
From the left, kindergarteners Kiera Lee, Jenny Sun, Gilbert Li, and Avelyn Fong, wait in line to walk the red carpet while listening to music from Beauty and the Beast, on the first day of school, at the Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School, K to 1, on South Broad Street, in Philadelphia on Sept. 9, 2019.
Students wait in line on the first day of school at the Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School in Philadelphia on Sept. 9, 2019. The Trump administration has increased funding for charter school grants by $60 million.
Jessica Griffin/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP
Education Funding Kennedy Assures Congress Funding for Head Start Will Not Be Cut
Kennedy said the administration would “emphasize healthy eating in Head Start."
1 min read
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears before a Senate committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing at the U.S. Capitol on May 14, 2025, in Washington.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears before the Senate's Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee at the U.S. Capitol on May 14, 2025. The secretary told lawmakers the Trump administration wouldn't cut funding for Head Start after an early budget draft proposed eliminating the early childhood program for children from low-income families.
John McDonnell/AP
Education Funding Billions for Schools Are in Limbo as Trump Admin. Denies State Funding Requests
Chaos and confusion continue to reign as states scramble to spend the last of their COVID relief funds under new deadlines.
8 min read
Illustration of a man pushing half of clock and half of a money coin forward on a red arrow
iStock/Getty Images Plus