School safety is Philly parents’ top concern, and other takeaways from a new report for the next mayor

Despite differences in the types of schools their children attend, potential Philadelphia voters who are parents are clear on their priorities for the city’s next mayor: They must have a strong plan for education.

Nearly all Philadelphia families want modern learning experiences for their children, but most — 51% — feel that their children are not being prepared to “thrive in life,” according to a survey commissioned by Elevate 215, a nonprofit that has raised and distributed more than $100 million to Philadelphia public, private, and charter schools over the last decade.

The survey polled more than 400 Philadelphia families with children in traditional public, charter, and parochial schools.

Parents listed school safety as their top consideration when deciding what kind of school their children attend. Teacher quality followed closely, and curriculum and instructional practices were also judged to be important.

Well over half — 64% — of those parents polled said that Philadelphia schools are on the wrong track. Respondents felt best about the state of Philadelphia’s teacher quality — 72% rated that measure either excellent, good, or acceptable; and 60% said parent and family engagement was excellent, good, or acceptable.

City schools’ biggest drawback is student safety, parents said, with 44% judging it either poor or very poor. Also, modern facilities and technology didn’t score well, with 40% giving a poor or very poor rating.

Nearly all of those surveyed, 91%, agreed that “in the upcoming mayoral election, a candidate’s plan for improving the education system in the city is key to earning my support.”

Stacy Holland, Elevate 215′s executive director, said the organization commissioned the poll because the organization has spent much time talking to school leaders and policymakers and analyzing data, and “we just figured out that we really needed to talk to parents — they’re the consumers. We really need to understand what they’re looking for.”

The data showed that parents are looking for the same things, regardless of the type of school their children attend, Holland said.

And though the mayor has no say in setting education policy, determining curriculum or hiring staff, they have an outsized role to play in city schools beyond naming school board members and proposing district funding.

“The mayor can be the consummate advocate,” said Holland. “The mayor creates the conditions for the superintendent to be able to tackle curriculum and instruction, to align resources from other parts of the city.”

The next mayor needs to take six action steps to move schools forward, said Holland, whose organization was formerly known as the Philadelphia School Partnership: setting a citywide vision for schools; increasing the number of high-quality schools; investing in safe, modern facilities; improving student safety; implementing a citywide teacher recruitment and retention initiative; and advocating for equitable funding for Philadelphia schools, both in Harrisburg and Washington.

As PSP, the nonprofit was accused by some in education circles as favoring charter schools and deepening educational inequities; on Holland’s watch, Elevate 215 aims to focus on modernizing Philadelphia schools’ learning experiences and elevating strong educational practices. The organization recently awarded millions to three district and two charter schools for accelerating student progress among diverse student bodies where most children come from economically disadvantaged families.