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

Progress Updates

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Philly School District: Teaching jobs saved if Parker’s Uber tax passes,

(Inquirer) The Philadelphia School District will reverse its plan to eliminate 340 classroom-based jobs if Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s $1-per-trip rideshare tax passes, officials said Wednesday.

Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. has ordered the cuts in light of a $300 million structural deficit. In total, 148 teachers, 23 counselors, and 119 climate staff would lose positions as the district faces the end of federal COVID-19 relief funds and rising salary, benefit, and charter-school costs — and is unable to raise its own revenue.

“It means destabilizing our schools and in essence setting us back,” the mayor said Wednesday of the budget cuts as she touted her proposal to avoid them and lobbied for the new tax at a City Hall news conference.

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) 

Related News

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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)
Chalkbeat

Philly mayor adds schools to extended-day initiative, says it’s year-round school ‘in my mind’

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker’s signature “extended day, extended year” school initiative is expanding to 15 new schools next year, even as it...
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
The Philadelphia Inquirer

Philly officials want to recruit more teachers of color to address staffing shortage

Philadelphia has about 200,000 students in public and charter schools, and about 12,000 teachers. The Philadelphia Citywide Talent Coalition is...

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

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An aerial view from a rooftop on Magee Avenue in the Cheltenham neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States February 22, 2025

Economic Opportunity

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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. 

Explore the Solutions Progress Report