One month ago, we started the 208th year of public education in our great city.<\/p>\n
There is something about the first days of school that never gets old\u2014not even after 208 years. It is the excitement, the energy and the sense of possibility that comes with a new beginning.<\/p>\n
Our children are back. Our educators are ready. And our village is once again preparing to do what Philadelphia does best: show up for our young people.<\/p>\n
That is the promise of public education. Every student should be able to walk through the doors of a public school\u2014with a world of possibilities in front of them\u2014and leave with the knowledge, confidence and opportunity to pursue the future they envision for themselves.<\/p>\n
The Philadelphia Board of Education believes deeply in that promise. We believe that quality public education can be a great equalizer\u2014and that every child, in every neighborhood, deserves a safe, welcoming and enriching school with access to strong academics, the arts, athletics and the experiences that make for a well-rounded education.<\/p>\n
But belief alone is not enough. It requires good governance.<\/p>\n
From promise to action<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n As a Board, our responsibility is to turn that promise into action by keeping our focus squarely on what matters most: student outcomes.<\/p>\n That is what student outcomes governance means. It means setting clear expectations for what we want students to know and be able to do, establishing the conditions necessary for their success, and holding ourselves accountable for whether our decisions are helping students move closer to those goals.<\/p>\n Through the Board’s work to establish Goals and Guardrails, we are bringing greater clarity to that responsibility. The Goals identify the outcomes we want to see for Philadelphia’s young people. The Guardrails help ensure that, in pursuing those outcomes, we do not lose sight of the values, conditions and commitments our community expects us to uphold.<\/p>\n This approach requires discipline. It asks us to look beyond individual decisions and consider the larger question: Will this help create better opportunities and outcomes for students?<\/p>\n That question is guiding some of the most consequential work before the Board.<\/p>\n