[UPDATE]: A list of 25 pilot schools for the “Extended Day, Extended Year” initiative set forth by Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker has been revealed. However, contrary to initial beliefs, this new program is not to be confused with year-round schooling.
In fact, it will be voluntary for families and students to participate.
“The extended day pilot program is not changing the school calendar. It’s not mandatory for students to participate,” Parker said.
As a part of the initiative these 25 schools will offer before-school programming starting at 7:30 a.m. and after-school programming until 6 p.m. for students K-8. During half days, these schools will also remain open by offering educational opportunities.
Additionally, during winter and summer break, these 25 pilot schools will remain open as well as for 6 weeks in the summer.
The schools were chosen based on their capacity to stay open for an extended period of time including if they had air-conditioning. Lastly, schools were chosen based on whether they were located in at-risk neighborhoods.
Extended Day, Extended Year
Twenty schools are located in the district. Five schools are city Charter Schools. Below is the list of the 25 pilot schools for the “Extended Day, Extended Year”.
The Philadelphia District Schools:
- Vare-Washington Elementary School
- Southwark Elementary School
- Thomas G. Morton Elementary School
- George Childs Elementary School
- Add B Anderson Elementary School
- Alain Locke Elementary School
- Samuel Gompers Elementary School
- Overbrook Educational Center
- Richard R. Wright Elementary School
- Edward Gideon Elementary School
- Solomon Solis-Cohen Elementary School
- John H. Webster Elementary School
- Juniata Park Academy
- William Cramp Elementary School
- Thomas M. Peirce Elementary School
- Joseph Pennell Elementary School
- Franklin S. Edmonds Elementary School
- Laura Carnell Elementary School
- Louis Farrell Elementary School
- Joseph Greenberg Elementary School
Charter schools:
- Belmont Charter School
- Northwood Charter School
- Pan American Charter School
- Mastery Pickett (6-8 only)
- Universal Creighton Charter School
Philadelphia School District Superintendent Tony Watlington said this new initiative will not impede or add more to the current teachers and faculty. Instead, they are seeking assistance from universtities and other sources for staffing.
“We have a number of universities. We’ll be tapping on that expertise,” said Superintendent Tony Watlington.
Year-Round Schooling In Philadelphia
[Orignally published May, 7th, 2024] Year-round schooling in Philadelphia could one day become a reality. In fact, a test run of new pilot program is being rolled out, bringing the idea one step closer to fruition.
Mayor Cherelle Parker has many new initiatives on her agenda as the new Mayor in Philadelphia. One such initiative is to combat the “summer slide”.
In education, the summer slide is the period when school ends for the year and students lose some of the knowledge and skills learned throughout. As a result of this “slide” or disengagement, educators have to spend a portion of the beginning of the school reteaching last year’s material instead of focusing on new material.
The solution to this, Superintendent Tony Watlington believes is year-round schooling in Philadelphia.
At a city council budget hearing this week, Watlington discussed a new test run of a pilot program that extends the school year to year-round. Specifically, Watlington says they are meeting regularly with the mayor’s team to stand up 20 school pilots for the 2024-2025 school year.
“Who’s to say that the school day should just be 180 days,” said Watlington to WHYY.
“Schools are a safe haven; we want more time, not less time in school. Many of our children get food at schools, they get social and emotional support at schools. They get a lot of structure, and their needs are met at school.”
The Future Ahead
Indeed, things still have to be ironed out when rolling out this test program. Specifically, the chosen schools will have to have air conditioner in the summer months. Of course, it will also cost money to have the schools open all year.
Nevertheless, the plan is to move forward for the 2024-2025 school year. The 20 pilot schools will have an extended calendar year than the other schools in the district.
“Where they actually start school before the other schools in the district, and we eliminate the long break in the summer, but they’ll get breaks during the year,” said Watlington. “So they won’t go to school 365 days or 300 days a year. They’ll have holidays and they’ll have small breaks built in.”
The pilot program will focus on reading, math, and science enrichment. The hope is that by implementing year-round schooling in Philadelphia, the summer slide of knowledge regression can be eliminated.