Elevate 215

Congratulations to Tamika Knight! We're excited to see a dedicated educator at our grantee school receive this Teacher of the Month recognition.

As Principal Appreciation Month comes to a close, we want to thank the dedicated principals of the K-8 schools that received our BTO planning grants last year. We awarded these planning grants to six K-8 schools: Alliance for Progress, Morton McMichael, Middle Years Alternative, Juniata Park Academy, Pan American Academy, and Young Scholars. The students at these schools have shown remarkable progress, successfully “beating the odds” (BTO) by meeting specific performance criteria. The school grantees support nearly 3,000 students, with 90% identifying as Black or Hispanic and 85% coming from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The grants have facilitated a variety of impactful practices, including the development of student learning data systems, staff training for effective data analysis, and the integration of culturally responsive educational approaches into daily instruction. Over the past year, our school investments team has met with each school’s planning team to assist in integrating these practices in the classroom. We would like to especially thank Brian Cameron, Dr. Dollette Smith, Dr. Toni Damon, Marisol Rivera Rodriguez, Dr. Darcy Russotto, and Beth Birnkrant for your unwavering commitment to your schools and students. The successes of your students are a testament to your leadership and dedication, and you continue to foster an environment where they can learn, grow, and succeed every day. https://lnkd.in/erZtQywf

🌟 Exciting Highlights from the Teacher Retention Toolbox Reception! 🌟 The TeachPHL team had a great time connecting with leaders dedicated to enhancing teacher retention in Philadelphia schools at the Teacher Retention Toolbox Reception. The program, led by Elevate 215’s Deputy Chief of Talent Initiatives Scott Gaiber, gave insights as to what schools and the district are doing to support teacher retention. We heard from Dr. Debora Carrera, Chief Officer of Education in the Mayor’s Office, Kaylan Connally, Chief Talent Officer at the School District of Philadelphia, Serena Amos, Chief People Officer at Mastery Schools, and Jelissa Gonzalez, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Esperanza Academy. Key takeaways included: ✅ Legacy in Education: Jelissa Gonzalez shared how Esperanza fosters a culture where former students return to teach, coupled with tuition reimbursement for staff. This emphasizes the importance of creating an uplifting school culture, a key strategy of the Toolbox. ✅ Modernizing Teaching: Mastery Schools has increased starting salaries for first-year teachers, a critical strategy for attracting and retaining talent. The ability to modernize the profession is another key strategy the Toolbox lists, expressing the importance of competitive salaries and a dynamic work environment. ✅ Collaboration Efforts: The speakers emphasized their excitement for the Toolbox’s collaborative nature, referencing being able to learn from each other and utilize similar resources to ensure a comprehensive quality education standard across the city. The Toolbox serves as a collaborative system to tackle pressing challenges in education and teacher retention. Our speakers passionately emphasized that the solutions lie within our communities, and together, we can empower schools and leaders to implement meaningful changes—especially for new and BIPOC teachers. Check out the article here: https://buff.ly/3YoD68G Let’s continue to work together to build a brighter future for our educators! 📚 #TeacherRetention #EducationLeadership #TeachPHL #Collaboration #Empowerment

The Philadelphia Citywide Talent Coalition released the “Teacher Retention Toolbox” report with four key strategies to help Philadelphia’s district and charter schools retain their most vulnerable teachers. The report highlights the alarming trends of teacher attrition in Philadelphia, particularly among BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) teachers and newer educators. With only 35% of the teacher workforce identifying as people of color—compared to 86% of the student population—schools face a significant challenge in building a more representative and effective teaching force. Further compounding the issue, newer teachers and teachers of color are leaving the profession at higher rates than their counterparts. This is a call to action for schools and school systems to take immediate steps by assessing their current efforts and leveraging the resources within the Toolbox to improve retention of newer teachers and teachers of color. Go to our Elevate 215 website to see the report: https://lnkd.in/et287MxF

📢 Attention Philadelphia Families The deadline to apply to The School District of Philadelphia's special admissions schools or any school outside your neighborhood is tomorrow, Wednesday, October 23rd at 11:59 p.m. Go to the District's School Selection webpage to learn more about how to apply: https://lnkd.in/en8WSuFF

To celebrate Principal Appreciation Month, we want to recognize the dedicated high school principals that received our BTO planning grants. In August, Elevate 215 awarded planning grants to four outstanding Philadelphia high schools: Building 21 Philadelphia, Imhotep Institute Charter High School, Mastery Charter Shoemaker, and Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School. These schools have demonstrated remarkable resilience, as their students are “beating the odds” (BTO) by meeting specific performance criteria and thriving after graduation. We are excited to collaborate with each school’s planning team to analyze performance data, reflect on effective practices, and develop actionable plans to amplify their impact. A heartfelt thank you to Ben Koch, Dr. Jury Segers, Derrick Cartwright, and Tameka Bowman for your unwavering commitment to support your students. Your leadership has provided the essential tools for your schools and students to succeed. https://lnkd.in/eA3iWbTJ

Reliving the 2024 K-12 Philly School Fair: A Record-Breaking Event of Empowerment and Choice We were thrilled to welcome over 6,000 families to the city’s largest school selection event last month! Families connected with representatives from 200+ district, charter, private, and faith-based schools to make informed decisions for the 2025-26 school year. Key Milestones: - Record-breaking participation from schools across the region - Ambassadors offering one-on-one guidance to families - New enhancements like geographical K-8 groupings and performing arts showcases for high schools Thank you to everyone who made this event so impactful in guiding families on their path to academic success. Read more about the school fair on our website (https://lnkd.in/ebCMYTx4) and check out all the amazing photos! Here are just a few examples...

Last week, Bloom staff had the great opportunity of volunteering for the 2024 Philly K–12 School Fair hosted by Elevate 215. The school fair is a great way for students and families to explore the educational landscape of the city and we were excited to see so many of our client-partners represented. Katy, Tony, and Rachel had a great time volunteering while Neil and his family attended the fair for their own exploration of Philly middle schools. If you know of a Philly student who is looking into options for the 2025-2026 school year, the School Selection Process is open through October 23rd, 2024: https://lnkd.in/en8WSuFF 
We look forward to seeing everyone in 2025!

Innovageous partnered with Elevate 215 to support Philadelphia families as they navigate the school selection process. We spent time at the Great Philly Schools Fair coaching families and developed a worksheet tool to walk them through - step by step. Beyond families and students, this worksheet can support teachers and counselors to help students make choices that are the best for them. Access the worksheet here: innovageous.com/families This year's application deadline is October 23! #SchoolSelection #InformedFamilies #SchoolOptions #EmpowerParents #StudentSuccess #SelectYourSchool #GreatPhillySchools #EducationPathways #CareerPrep #PostsecondaryPrep #CTE

TOMORROW: Join One Million Teachers of Color for a virtual panel discussion about the campaign's new brief, Creating Conditions for Success: Building and Sustaining a Stronger and More Diverse Educator Workforce. It explores how districts can address local policy to support educators and students of color. The webinar offers actionable insights from the brief that focus on creating the necessary conditions to recruit and retain high-quality, diverse educators and ensure all students benefit from a more inclusive learning experience. Register to attend the event tomorrow, October 2nd from 2 - 3 PM ET: https://lnkd.in/g9dZrwEM