Philly’s school board has approved the district’s five-year roadmap

Philadelphia’s school board signed off on Tony B. Watlington Sr.’s long-term vision Thursday night, endorsing a five-year plan the superintendent pitched as the way to move city schools forward.

“Accelerate Philly” includes 62 specific strategies, from $70 million worth of new English, math, and science curricula to pilots in year-round education and high-dosage tutoring.

“This is an exciting moment for Philadelphia,” school board president Reginald Streater said at the special board meeting.

» READ MORE: ‘Paid parents,’ year-round school, new curriculum, and swimming instruction: Here’s Philly’s 5-year school roadmap

Board member Lisa Salley likened the school system, where just 16% of students meet state standards in math and 34% in English, to a “train that’s off the track.”

And, Salley said, “what this plan represents to me really is beginning to think about how to hoist the train back up on the track.”

The plan was amended slightly since its presentation to the public last week, addressing concerns around a lack of specific actions around multilingual students and other diverse learners. Among the fixes: Watlington specified that the two-way communications system the district hopes to purchase “will have multilingual capabilities” and said teachers will get more support around culturally and linguistically relevant instructional practices.

Watlington said the cost of the final strategic plan has not yet been calculated, but that one would be presented later this month.

Regardless of the bottom line, Watlington pledged the district would stay within its budget, suggesting that parts of the plan would end up getting jettisoned if more funds are not made available.

The district hopes to pilot year-round school at 10 schools, Watlington said, but “if we have budgets annually that only facilitate five or four or two, we will implement what we have the budget to implement.”

The school system lacks the ability to raise its own tax revenue; it’s alone in Pennsylvania in that regard. Based on current state and local funding, it’s projecting a budget deficit by 2028.

Michael Phelts, a district teacher, said he was alarmed by the idea of signing off on a plan without knowing how much it would cost taxpayers.

“I’m saying that the strategic plan should not be adopted or approved in its current format,” Phelts told the school board.

» READ MORE: Cherelle Parker wants year-round school. Philly tried it before.

Kristin Luebbert, another district teacher, said the district’s inadequate facilities mean the school system is likely to be limited in its ability to implement the plan. Officials announced Thursday that 91 schools will close early Friday because of hot weather and inadequate cooling.

“Our buildings are inadequate to the test of protecting our students and staff,” Luebbert said. “It’s only June 1. Schools have to close because of the heat, but you want to run a pilot of year-round schools? It does not make sense.”