Elevate 215

This week, Elevate 215 had the opportunity to participate in a workshop hosted by the Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders, featuring Dr. Al Bertani—co-author of "How a City Learned to Improve Its Schools"—which chronicles the remarkable progress of Chicago Schools. We deeply valued the chance to explore effective, research-based educational strategies implemented in Chicago, and collaborate with nonprofit, civic and philanthropic leaders, and Neubauer Fellows on ways to apply these strategies to enhance learning experiences for Philadelphia students. It was inspiring to work alongside partners who share our commitment to elevating educational outcomes for all students in our city. We look forward to more opportunities to collectively dream big for our children's future.

Statement from Elevate 215 on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signing the state budget: “The approval of the Pennsylvania state budget brings significant benefits to Philadelphia students and schools. The additional state funding, combined with Mayor Cherelle Parker and City Council's increased funding at the local level, underscores our collective commitment to providing quality education.   “While this state budget is a positive step in addressing historic underfunding, it is only the beginning. We must continue to push for accelerated academic outcomes and the necessary funding to achieve them. One budget cycle won't solve all our challenges, but this marks progress toward a brighter future.   “Join us in our commitment to advancing Philadelphia schools and ensuring every child receives the education they deserve.”

Yesterday, we attended the unveiling of the new Philadelphia Youth Basketball Alan Horwitz “Sixth Man” Center that is capable of providing nearly 5,000 students with quality out-of-school-time programing that support students' social, emotional, physical, and personal development allowing them to form meaningful relationships and skill sets while avoiding high-risk behaviors. The 100,000 square foot Center features 7 basketball courts, a healthy foods café, a financial empowerment engine, multiple education suites, mental and physical health oases, youth leadership and multimedia labs, and more. As Mayor Parker expressed at the event: “This is something for the entire community at large. Thank you for making sure that the people using this facility know that despite race, class, their zip code, or their religion, they too deserve access and equality, and that we shouldn’t have to sneak across the street to the suburbs in order to get it.” We look forward to seeing the positive impact the Center has with Philadelphia's youth in the years to come!

🌟 Congratulations to Dr. Letisha Laws, Ed.D! 🌟 We are ecstatic to share that Letisha (Tisha) Laws has earned her Ed.D. from Drexel University's School of Education, having successfully defended her dissertation--a qualitative study, that explored the lived experiences of Black principals in high poverty schools, focusing on the intersectionality of race and educational leadership. Dr. Laws’ dedication to lifelong learning and professional growth has been an invaluable asset to the 20 active school grantees she supports as Elevate 215's Senior Program Officer. We are honored to have her on our team and proud of this extraordinary achievement. Please join us in congratulating Philadelphia's own Dr. Tisha Laws on this remarkable milestone! 🎉

Here’s a statement from Elevate 215 Executive Director Stacy Holland, Ed.D.: “Yesterday was a huge win for kids and Philadelphia. “The extended day program announced by Mayor Cherelle Parker will pave the way to build a rigorous, engaged, high-quality learning experience for children. This will allow us to accelerate support for children using all of our city assets. “Thank you, Mayor Parker, for your vision, and thank you to all the stakeholders who took the time to dream big for our students!”

Today Mayor Parker announced the 25 public district and public charter schools that will be part of the Extended Day, Extended Year School pilot program next school year. The pilot will help provide safe environments for students, and enrichment programs that are determined by the schools and based on the needs and interests of the individual school community. Elevate 215 attended the event to celebrate the inclusion of two of our grantee schools in the pilot--The School District of Philadelphia's Juniata Park Academy and Pan American Academy Charter School--and to show our continued support for the Mayor's "One Philly" vision for education that fosters collaboration between ALL public schools and focuses on evidenced-based school practices. #PHLed

Elevate 215 is pleased to announce the hiring of Tanya Ruley-Mayo as chief of staff. Tanya will focus on supporting the organization’s core mission and goals to increase the number of quality schools in Philadelphia. “We are laser focused on elevating the quality of schools in Philadelphia with the goal of achieving better educational outcomes for our children,” said Stacy Holland, Ed.D., Executive Director of Elevate 215. “Tanya has dedicated her career to fostering excellence in K-12 education and has a proven track record in effective teaching and learning. Her expertise and collaboration will help us achieve our goals as an organization, and will significantly benefit the 14,000 students served through our grantee network of schools.” Additionally, the Elevate 215 Board of Directors has appointed the following industry experts and innovative thinkers to support the identification and replication of promising practices in our schools: Jessica Akoto, Amelia Coleman Brown, Ed.D, Kate Houstoun, Dr. Michelle Carrera Morales, Andy Newcomb, and Richard B. Worley. Click the link to learn more about this exciting announcement! #PHLed

Elevate 215 Executive Director Stacy Holland, Ed.D. issued the following statement after the Philadelphia City Council approved Mayor Cherelle Parker’s first city budget: "We must remember that our job is to improve schools for the children. As a city we have to be laser focused on building an educational system that works for every child. "That is why I applaud Mayor Cherelle Parker and the City Council for a budget that boosts education funding and supports progress toward increasing the quality of our schools; modernizing facilities and student-learning environments; and creating a diverse and effective teacher workforce. Mayor Parker is creating the platform for us to work together to give our children what they deserve. "This is another positive step forward for our city..." Click the link to read the full statement. #PHLed

Today, Elevate 215 Executive Director Stacy Holland, Ed.D. participated in a press conference at City Hall alongside Mayor Cherelle Parker, City Council members, The School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr., Ed.D., Mastery Schools CEO Joel Boyd, Children First (formerly PCCY) Executive Director donna cooper and other advocates for public and charter schools. The collective goal was to urge Governor Josh Shapiro and the State Legislature to pass a budget that fully addresses Philadelphia's $1.4 billion education funding gap, including an essential $242 million new funding for our city's schools. Philadelphia's schools are currently grappling with a lack of necessary resources to provide a quality education for all students. Last year's historic court decision underscored this pressing issue, and there is now a promising wave of bipartisan support for substantial increases in state funding for education. The infusion of additional funds would create transformative opportunities for our children, paving the way for a brighter future. We were proud to present a unified call to action with the Mayor, civic leaders, and educational advocates. We hope that our collective voice will resonate in Harrisburg and bring about the needed changes for the benefit of Philadelphia's students. #PHLed

✨100% college acceptance rate. ✨$7.9M+ scholarship earnings. We're talking about Freire High's 20th graduating class, the Class of 2024! Shoutout to Jayda Skeete for delivering thoughtful and inspiring remarks during the class tribute on Monday! Special thank you to Dr. Stacy Holland, Ed.D., Executive Director of Elevate 215 for highlighting our graduates’ brilliance, resilience, growth, and potential. Thank you for encouraging them to think big, write down their dreams, and redesign the future. The “backpack of tools” you shared will come in handy! Onward and upward. Let's build the future, Freire High grads! #FreireSchools