Education

Mayor Cherelle Parker went to Philadelphia public schools her entire childhood, and she's hoping she can make a positive mark on the 200,000-student school district as an adult. The Philadelphia School District's challenges include low test scores, deteriorating buildings and high teacher attrition. And, like many districts across the U.S., it's also recovering from the impacts of the pandemic. There have been some recent bright spots, including lower dropout rates and higher math scores. Mayor Parker is betting that a multi-pronged approach to education will continue to improve outcomes.

 

Initiatives

A teacher reads to a group of students at Andrew Hamilton school. A new report found that teachers in their first three years of teaching and teachers of color leave their jobs at higher rates than others. (Carly Sitrin/Chalkbeat)

Improve Teacher Retention and Pay

Mayor Cherelle Parker announced the schools participating in the year-round school pilot program at City Hall, June 27, 2024. (Tom MacDonald/WHYY)

Extended Day, Extended Year

School bus at evening on the streets of Philadelphia downtown

Mayor's education efforts include more learning hours and teacher retention

In her 2024 inaugural address, Mayor Cherelle Parker pledged to: 

  • Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for out-of-school programs
  • Modernize school buildings
  • Improve teacher retention and support 

In 2024 city budget, Mayor Parker allocated funds for: 

  • extended-day, extended-year enrichment
  • school facilities improvement 

Key offices and efforts

Key quotes

  • "Our children have the same right to come to school and learn in clean, modern school buildings, with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, as any child does anywhere in our Commonwealth!" (inaugural address, Jan 2024)

  • "A Safer, Cleaner, Greener Philadelphia with Economic Opportunity for All starts with ensuring our children have access to the highest quality education." (announcement of extended Day/ Extended Year program, June 2024)

  • “On public education, our goals are high — they must be. For far too long, our students have struggled with far too little. The days of settling for crumbs are over. Our students deserve a full loaf and they’ll get it." (budget address, Mar 2025) 

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Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, flanked by Superintendent Tony Watlington and Education Chief Debora Carrera, announces that 15 new schools will participate in the “extended day, extended year” school initiative at Philadelphia City Hall on Friday, June 27, 2025. (Carly Sitrin / Chalkbeat)
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atim Byrd (center), a teacher at Strawberry Mansion High School, discusses citywide efforts to attract and retain more teachers and teachers of color in Philadelphia. Kristen A. Graham / Staff
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Clean & Green

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA downtown skyline from the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.

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Solutions Progress Report

The Solutions Progress Report tracks updates on the key issues and initiatives of Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker's administration. 

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