This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
The School Reform Commission (SRC) has adopted as policy a revised Declaration of Education – guiding principles that say “all children can reach their learning potential and that the achievement gap can be eliminated.”
This vision statement serves as the basis for the District’s five-year strategic plan, a draft of which was unveiled in February. Still to come is a revised set of performance targets to monitor District progress at implementing the Declaration.
The Declaration of Education states that the SRC, in partnership with the District CEO, is “obligated to prepare and empower all students of diverse backgrounds to achieve their full intellectual and social potential in order to become lifelong learners and productive members of society.”
The new version expands its set of visions and commitments from five to seven points, adding pledges that District decisions will be “student-centered” and that “parents are our partners and play a critical role in the education of children.”
“The Declaration is setting the directions and principles that will drive the goals and the strategic plan and more importantly will set the daily work of School District employees to carry out our responsibilities to serve all children with excellence and equity,” said SRC chairwoman Sandra Dungee Glenn.
The first Declaration of Education was introduced in 2004, along with a set of numerical goals for student, school, and District performance called “Measures that Matter.”
Dungee Glenn admits many of those goals were not met, but said that “setting high expectations was extremely important for this district, and we have made significant and measurable progress.” The District has seen steady gains in state test scores.