Applications sought for round two of Philly schools redesign, new schools

IF YOU'RE AN EDUCATOR, researcher, parent or institution with a bold plan to transform a Philadelphia public school, today could be your lucky day.

The school district announced yesterday that it is seeking applications for a second round of the School Redesign Initiative, with the goal of boosting student achievement at current neighborhood schools. It is also inviting education buffs to propose, design and help run new high schools.

The district opened three new high schools in September, while the first four schools chosen for the Redesign Initiative will implement their plans next fall.

For round two of the redesign initiative, selected applicants must demonstrate strong leadership and instructional expertise. Those chosen will get $30,000 and a full year to develop the program before implementation in September 2016. The schools would remain district-managed and must continue to serve students in their catchments. The district hopes to increase the number of redesign schools in the second group, Deputy Superintendent Paul Kihn said.

"We would love for this to be big. We would love it to be 15 or 20 schools going through this process," Kihn told reporters on a conference call, adding that the number of schools chosen will depend on the quality of applications.

For the second round of new innovation schools, applicants must address the most underserved high school students. These schools would be open admission and begin with ninth grade in 2016-17, adding a grade each year until they reach full enrollment. Any new schools will be considered based on funding availability and overall need.

The total cost will depend upon the number of applications selected. Kihn said the costs would be included in the budget starting July 1, 2016, but the district could not immediately provide an estimate yesterday.

Philadelphia Federation of Teachers president Jerry Jordan, who supported the redesign initiative last year, expressed skepticism about round two.

"I think that an emphasis needs to be on supporting the current high schools that are underresourced before embarking on opening new schools," Jordan said, pointing to Kensington Urban High School, which opened in 2009 and is slated to close because of low enrollment and poor performance.

He added, "We have absolutely no indications of whether or not the schools that applied for redesigns last year have been successful or will be, because they haven't been implemented yet."

District officials said the first four redesign schools are progressing nicely and have generated significant enthusiasm. Additionally, Kihn said, it takes about three years to determine whether a redesign is truly successful, but the district's review process can help gauge whether a proposal will work.

"It's not a very expensive intervention," he said, noting that the district received a grant to pay for design.

Applications and a timeline are available at philasd.org/callforquality. Letters of intent for new innovation schools must be submitted by July 15. Letters of intent for school redesign must be submitted by July 30.

Source: Philly.com