Enlightening Public About Reform

Proposing a united front to fix Philadelphia schools

ACCORDING to Pennsylvania System of School Assessment test results, Philadelphia children perform poorly in comparison with their peers across the state. Despite recent gains in student achievement for Philadelphia's children, only 54 percent of students served directly by the School District of Philadelphia and 57 percent served by charter schools read and perform math at grade level. But the politics of special interests in the education section - no doubt well-intended - often get in the way of progress and results in fear of change. One way to change that is to broaden the conversation about education. To that end, this week, we are publishing a special education-focused edition of the Philadelphia Social Innovation Journal, a quarterly that draws on the best thinking of our region's leaders. "It Starts with a Conversation" introduces readers to alternative and innovative strategies for education reform and extends the conversation to all who care about our children and their education.