Chalkbeat

Philly will launch 2 schools in new Promise Zone program even as school closures loom

Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington, right, gives his State of Schools address on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026 at Thomas Edison High School in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia will open two new schools as part of the new North Philadelphia Promise Zone, which is meant to boost student achievement and provide additional support to families in one of the city’s poorest areas, Superintendent Tony Watlington said.

The program will be modeled on the Harlem Children’s Zone, a high-profile education program launched in New York City in the 1990s.

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