Strategic Plan

To download a pdf of the Strategic Plan in its original published form, please click here.

The Enduring Vision: The Philadelphia School Strategic Plan 2008-2013
(published November 2008)

Strategic Planning Committee
Dan Diadul, President, Board of Trustees
Amy Purcell Vorenberg, Head of School
Co-chairs Jeff Hurok, Gina Marie Moore, Medha Narvekar

Robert Adelson
Michael Berman ‘84
Susan Bodley
David Colman
Shannon Coulter
Alisa Field
Nica Waters Fleming
Jill Garland
Maureen Glaccum
Fred Goodman
Frank Gould
Stephen Kastenberg
Zachary Klehr ‘92
Natasha Mitchell ‘93
Jeffrey Mordan
Betsy Neiva
Carlye Nelson-Major
Emily Barry Marston
Randy Mintz Presant
Mady Prowler
Nancy Rafferty
Jennifer Rice
Alyssa Rickels
Darren Spielman ‘86
Mary Stitt
Marco Velis
Lois West

Mission
The Philadelphia School is a coeducational, nonsectarian independent school educating children from preschool through eighth grade. As a progressive school and vibrant learning community, our mission is to educate the character and intellect of children. We want our students to become engaged citizens who are critical thinkers, creative problem solvers, and lifelong learners.

Commitments
With an eye to our future needs, our strategic plan renews the school’s mission and its fundamental commitments as

a progressive school educating preschoolers through eighth graders
a school committed to being a diverse community
a City Country Classroom where children learn to be active stewards of the urban and natural environments

The Philadelphia School was founded in 1972, yet progressive education has been around since the 1880s, when Francis Parker, often called the father of progressive education, developed an approach to education that rejected rote learning and enlisted the natural curiosity of children.

STRATEGIC GOAL 1
Reaffirm our commitment to progressive education in the context of a City Country Classroom as it educates its students in the 21st Century.

Articulate what we mean by progressive education through documentation of core values and the skills, content, assessments, and resources used and developed across subject areas throughout the school.
Enhance the curriculum in support of multicultural and affective education and the experience of the whole child.
In the context of 21st-Century demographics and global society, review science, technology, and Spanish curricula. Explore further integration of “country” elements in a city campus.
Provide additional experiences in drama across the units.
Examine all auxiliary after-school and summer programs to clarify program offerings and policies.
Cultivate connections to other progressive institutions in the region and across the nation.

The Philadelphia School opened its doors 36 years ago with an enrollment of 14. In 2008 the school enrolled 380 children and enjoyed an impressively high admissions yield and low attrition rate. As we move forward, we need to identify our optimal size, balancing the changing demographics of the city with the benefits of our “small school” feel.

STRATEGIC GOAL 2

It was amazing how close I was with all my teachers and fellow classmates.”
Alumna response to Strategic Planning Survey

Manage our enrollment to achieve an optimal school size, with low student-to-teacher ratios in support of a “small school” feeling within a diverse community.

Review our admission policies and procedures to ensure their effectiveness in enrolling students who will succeed in a progressive school environment.
Fully examine the school’s sibling and affiliate policy and its effect on enrollment trends.
Assess entry and attrition points across the school, focusing on opportunities for adding new students in the upper grades.

Throughout its history, The PhiladelphiaSchol has had an extraordinarily talented and dedicated faculty, staff, and board of trustees. The school is indebted to them, as are the hundreds of children who have benefited from a TPS education.

STRATEGIC GOAL 3
Invest in and support a diverse, talented, and committed faculty, staff, and board of trustees.

Provide greater administrative support for faculty and their programs.
Provide greater opportunities for professional development and strengthen the connection between professional development and teacher evaluation.
Articulate a clear hiring protocol and establish an orientation program or mentoring system for new teachers.
Publish a comprehensive employee handbook.
Regularly review salaries and benefits to remain competitive in the marketplace and to optimize opportunities for recruiting and retaining an excellent and diverse faculty and staff.
Continue to involve a diverse array of parents on committees of the Board of Trustees in order to increase participation in board-related activities and as a means to identify future board members.
Strengthen board governance through regular self-evaluation and education, making use of resources for trustees available from the National Association of Independent Schools.

The Philadelphia School began in rented rooms in a synagogue on Broad Street. It moved to 2501 Lombard Street as a renter in 1976 and bought “its own home” in 1989. The school is outgrowing that home, and additional space is needed to respond to programmatic needs and innovations.

STRATEGIC GOAL 4
Provide facilities that will support the school’s programs, enhance a sense of “one school,” and reflect the school’s commitment to environmental responsibility.

Build “green” and renovate the current play yard and parking lot with the goals of environmental sustainability, beautification, and connection to the neighborhood.
Create a space for all-school performances and celebrations.
Create a library media center to provide resources and services for students and faculty, as well as to serve as a community gathering area.
Ensure access to an outdoor site for environmental education.

We recognize the need to increase diversity and create an environment inclusive of all. Diversity is essential to excellence in education.

STRATEGIC GOAL 5
Grow and sustain a diverse, inclusive community that embraces differences in race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, family structure, sexual orientation, and learning styles.

Broaden outreach efforts and create measurable benchmarks for documenting progress in recruiting, welcoming, and retaining a diverse faculty, administration, and student body.
Provide institutional clarity regarding the range of learning differences that can be well served at TPS.
Continue to increase funding in support of financial aid.

We can take pride in our sound financial stewardship. As the school addresses its strategic goals, there is need for a forward-looking financial plan, which includes an approach to fund raising that engages all constituents in ensuring a vibrant future for The Philadelphia School.

STRATEGIC GOAL 6
Strengthen and diversify financial resources to ensure the school’s mission, secure long-term financial stability, and realize strategic goals.

Strengthen the culture of philanthropy at The Philadelphia School.
Engage sophisticated support for the management of the school’s financial resources to ensure that the appropriate financial structure is achieved and maintained to meet the operating and long-term goals of the school.
Maintain affordable tuition rates.
Seek creative, non-tuition revenue sources, such as expanded summer/vacation programming and teacher-training institutes.

In this time of ever-increasing and ever-changing modes of communication, The Philadelphia School faces the challenge of delivering the right information to the right audience at the right time. The school must work to convey who we are, what we do, and why we do it—not only to our own constituencies but also to our neighbors and the broader community.

STRATEGIC GOAL 7
Provide meaningful and effective communication to foster positive, lifelong relationships with our constituencies.

Conduct a communications audit to identify effective communication methods.
Ensure community understanding of the school’s mission, strategic goals, and curriculum.
Assess opportunities for parents to be welcomed into the daily life of the school.