25 Philly schools will pilot an 'extended day, extended year' program, Mayor Parker says

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker on Thursday announced her plan to pilot “extended-day, extended-year” programs at 25 district and charter schools this fall — an initiative she said would provide both an academic boost for kids, and support for working parents.

Schools will not just be open to provide free before- and after-care, but will stay open during winter and spring breaks and offer six-week summer programs, Parker said.

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and Superintendent Tony B. Watlington both declined to provide details about what the program would look like beyond the first year.

In the pilot programs, "we're going to take the time to talk to teachers, principals, parents ... They'll have the first right to continue into future years," Watlington said. He said officials "don't want parents or schools to feel like something's forced on them," and added that the district was "not going to burn out or overburden" teachers.

In choosing which schools to pilot the program in, officials said both facility conditions and risks faced by children in the community played key roles.

While many district schools lack air conditioning, Debora Carrera, the city’s chief education officer, said the chosen schools have air conditioning that can support summer programs.

During the first phase of the program, which will be targeted to K-8 students, participating district schools will be open for before- and after-school programming from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. — as well as during half days, said Debora Carrera, the city’s chief education officer.

And, for the first time, schools will be open for families during winter and spring breaks, Carrera said.

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker expressed frustration with sources who told The Inquirer of the plan earlier this week. The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers said it was caught off guard by the news.

“When the folks leak the story, this is how you know the intention wasn’t a good intention. They knew we hadn’t completed our check the box list,” Parker said. “You get a reporter going to the stakeholders before the administration has communicated to them.”

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker on Thursday said that 25 schools would be piloting an “extended day, extended year” program this fall — stopping short of calling the pilot “year-round school.”

Parker, who had used the year-round language on the campaign trail, said during a news conference at City Hall that she wanted to clear up misconceptions about the plan.

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker on Thursday is expected to announce details of a plan to launch year-round school opportunities this fall at a number of city schools — the first move toward a pledge to implement year-round programs throughout Philadelphia.

Sources told The Inquirer earlier this week that free before- and aftercare programs would be launching at 20 district schools this fall, along with summer programming. The programs would be staffed by outside providers, not teachers, and be optional for families.

Twenty Philadelphia schools will be part of a pilot program starting this fall that will offer year-round schooling opportunities, including free before- and aftercare.

The year-round school, starting in the 2024-25 year, will not be required for students or teachers. But if school communities buy in, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker intends to move toward a more formal, full-time school calendar for the 2025-26 school year, a move that would require negotiating with the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers.

Year-round school has been tried before in the district: From 2000 through 2004, students enrolled at Grover Washington Jr. Middle School in Olney attended school for 180 days — the minimum number of instructional days required in Pennsylvania and the same as their peers in the rest of the district — but those days were spread throughout the year, with no single, monthslong break.

At the time, officials said they wanted to reduce summer learning loss and help struggling students. Grover Washington administrators hoped the schedule change would cut failure rates by 50%; research shows that such schedules especially benefit students from economically disadvantaged families.

City officials will introduce year-round school opportunities at 20 Philadelphia School District schools this week, sources said — the first step toward more formal school-calendar changes promised by Mayor Cherelle L. Parker during her campaign.

Not to be confused with holding mandatory classes throughout the year, the year-round opportunities will start with the 2024-25 school year, and offer free before- and aftercare at 20 schools, including next summer. Teachers and other unionized workers won’t be required to change their schedules, and families will have the ability to opt into the extra hours.