‘All the children are not well': Officials present 1st-ever State of Public Education address

Philadelphia's 100th mayor, Cherelle Parker, joined School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington on Tuesday morning as Watlington delivered his first -- and, according to Parker, the city's first -- "State of Public Education" address.

During the morning, officials said that the district is facing a number of issues, but it is working to be the "fastest improving large urban district in the country," according to Watlington.

Parker opened the morning by discussing issues the city faces, but noted that it's budget season and it's time to make sure school needs are met as legislators determine where tax dollars are spent.

"Now is the time for us to decide whether or not our children should be grateful and we should be standing up giving a round of applause when they are given crumbles, crumbles, crumbles of funding when they really do deserve a full loaf," said the city's newest mayor.

She also discussed a need for educational institutions to work closely with local government to help "make sure that our people have pathways" to opportunity and guide them into successful careers.

"How are we going to deal with violence in the City of Philadelphia? Put our young people on a path to self sufficiency," she said.

She also, once again, indicated support for a year-round education plan that is aimed at equipping students for society and reducing crime.

"I want our young people to have access to those opportunities year-round," Parker said.

During the day, Watlington detailed moves the district has made in the first year of implementation of the district's five year "Accelerate Philly" plan.

But, he opened his remarks with a question that, Watlington said, comes from the Maasai people of Kenya and parts of Africa, that he hopes to embrace -- "And how are the children?"

"I think that's the key question we want to couch this state of the schools address in, 'how are the children?' We can't rest, just like the Maasai peoples, until we can resoundingly, across this great city, answer that question by saying or answering quite simply 'all the children are well," he said. "Unfortunately, all the children are not well. It is no secret."

However, he said the district is making progress by "accelerating," leading into discussion on the five-year "Accelerate Philly" plan.

The initiative was announced last year, and it covers five priority areas and includes 63 strategic actions.

The effort, Watlington said at that time, was the result of a listening tour with 3300 stakeholders during his first 100 days on the job.

"It will allow us to focus very intently on school safety. And it will allow us to accelerate academic achievement such that we can become the fastest improving large urban school district in the country," he said then.

During Tuesday's address, Watlington said the plan focuses on five areas: improving safety and wellbeing, partnering with family and community, alignment with the school board's goals and guardrails to accelerate student achievement, diversify teaching and workforce "so it looks like the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," and, finally, deliver efficient, high-quality, cost-effective operations.

And, he said, already, in the first year of the plan, the school has seen some improvement in attendance -- from about 57% in regular attendance in the past to 60% last year.

He said they are working on retaining teachers and reducing the district's drop out rate to help support students in the long-term.

"We can't rest until we get to a point where none of our children drop out of school and feel like they need to be out on the streets or finding whatever way they can survive," said the superintendent.

He also said the past year has seen improvement in 13 out of 17 academic areas. Though, he admitted in some areas, like Algebra and Biology, students in the district fell behind.

To close this gap, Watlington said they have launched a new math initiative and they are focused on adding new supports to schools and have hired deputy superintendents to help improve student outcomes, as well.

Also, he said, there has been new investment in district facilities. There's the new Thomas M. Peirce Elementary school building in North Philadelphia, which opened this month -- a $43.9 million effort -- and there are three more schools "in the hopper," he said.

And, as part of Accelerate Philly, he said the board has appropriated $2.5 billion in the capitol budget to improve schools, including more than $450 million for major renovations.

"There is some significant work going on in this school district as we speak to address the fact that our average age of buildings is some 73 years and we have many schools that are more than 120 years old," he said. "And, our students deserve the very best."

And, he said, moving forward, Watlington hopes to use this funding to invest in parents, families and caregivers by relaunching the Parent University -- an initiative started under former superintendent Arlene Ackerman, as well as year-round school, investing in staff and faculty retention and continuing to invest in facilities throughout the district, among other initiatives.

He ended the day by shouting aloud a response to the question, "and how are the children?"

"We are accelerating!" he shouted.