BOLSTER CHILD ACHIEVEMENT AT EVERY LEVEL OF EDUCATION

Ensure that Every Child Has Access to Early Education. Every parent and community stakeholder should understand the importance of early childhood education. During the 2004-2005 school year, the percentage of children entering Philadelphia's public school kindergartens that received formal early child care and education fell to 66 percent from 70 percent the previous year. Four decades of social science research tells us that investing in the minds of children between the ages of three and five yields extraordinary returns to both our society and our economy. As Mayor, Chaka Fattah will create a network of early child care and education centers, available to all Philadelphians.

Focus on Literacy in Elementary School. An early grasp of literacy is the cornerstone of future academic achievement. To promote literacy in our city's elementary schools, Mayor Fattah will call on teacher trainers like the Children's Literacy Initiative and others to make sure all of our early elementary school teachers have the training to effectively teach literacy. He will also provide parents with basic training in literacy education through teacher training programs and the Free Library of Philadelphia. Finally, Fattah will look for new ways to provide reading materials to children, including through the Wireless Philadelphia Initiative, local cable television and new library outreach efforts.

Make Philadelphia a Leader in Math and Science Instruction. Philadelphia is blessed with a number of leading scientific companies and institutions including the Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Philadelphia Zoo, the Morris Arboretum, University of the Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Rohm & Haas, Temple University and the math, science and medical programs at all of our region's first-class universities. Mayor Fattah will bring the expertise of these institutions into our city's math and science classrooms by asking representatives of these institutions to help develop the math and science curriculum for our city's schools. This will ensure that our math and science teachers have the necessary professional development to effectively implement this curriculum. Similarly, Fattah will attempt to bring all of our city's science classrooms to these institutions for hands-on learning. Finally, Fattah will expand the Educational Advancement Alliance's mobile learning lab program to provide every elementary and middle school student access to a hands-on learning experience in science.

Build Cutting-Edge Community and After School Centers. Project H.O.M.E.'s Honickman Learning Center and Comcast Technology Labs is a state-of-the-art learning center, which is outfitted with cutting edge hardware and software systems, and which provides after school programs for area children and teens with evening GED and literacy classes for adults. The Center focuses on helping Philadelphians increase their educational and employment opportunities through comprehensive technology and literacy instruction. Mayor Fattah will expand this model and build 21st Century community and after-school centers in other regions of the city to provide support and valuable educational tools to our city's children, youth and families.

Make Every Classroom a Classroom of the Future. Philadelphia cannot afford to overhaul each of the city's 270 schools, but it can modernize every classroom for grades six through twelve, with Smart Boards, wireless internet connections and laptops for every child. In order to maximize the usefulness of this new technology, the Fattah Administration and the School District will design and implement a Smart classroom training course for all teachers, so that they will know how to effectively utilize this new technology. This effort will utilize various state funding sources as well as city dollars.

Expand Paid High School Internships. Mayor Fattah will work with the School District of Philadelphia, the Chamber of Commerce, labor groups and other area employers to increase the number of paid internships offered to students, including providing incentives to area businesses that provide internships. The Chamber's recent announcement that it will provide 1,000 paid internships is a great start on this effort, and more can be done. Internships can be a valuable tool for high school retention by providing an incentive that can bolster future employability.

Increase Apprenticeship Opportunities for High School Graduates. Chaka Fattah full supports the recent agreement between the Building and Construction Trades Council and the School Reform Commission to accept 250 to 425 high school graduates from the city's public schools over four years in exchange for participation in the city's $1.8 billion school construction plan. As Mayor, Fattah would use other government contracts to leverage apprenticeships and internships for the city's high school students and graduates.

Help Philadelphia High School Students Get a Jump on College. The Fattah Administration will call on the 83 institutions of higher education in the Philadelphia region to partner with the city's neighborhood high schools to create Early College High Schools. Early College High Schools provide high school students the opportunity to earn an Associate's degree or college credits. Under the program, earned college credits are paid for at public expense. Instruction is compressed into four or five years and emphasizes rigorous instruction, relevant curriculum and supportive relationships. Finally, Early College High Schools focus on serving students traditionally underrepresented in higher education and target first-generation, low-income, English language learner, and minority students. By offering the chance to get a jump on college, our city's comprehensive neighborhood schools will improve student retention and help students prepare for and experience advanced learning. The possibility of earning two years of college credit while still in high school will draw some of our strongest students back to neighborhood schools, reduce the financial burden of college and increase the chances that Philadelphia students complete their degrees.

Increase Access to College for All Philadelphians. Chaka Fattah is committed to fully endowing the Core Philly Program regardless of the outcome of the Mayoral election. This program offers all Philadelphia high school seniors - whether from the public, private, charter or parochial systems - a unique opportunity to attend select Pennsylvania colleges and universities through need-based, last-dollar scholarships up to $3,000. Currently, CORE Philly Scholarships help students pay for their first year of college. Once the first year has been fully endowed, Chaka Fattah will explore expanding this program to provide funding for the second year of college as well.

Create an Incentive Program to Institute a Culture of Excellence in Philadelphia. Mayor Fattah will work with the Opportunity Foundation to build a culture of excellence in Philadelphia by providing incentives for success. The aim will be to recognize and reinforce success and excellence at every educational level, for achievements large and small in order to change how our city thinks about education and opportunity. Incentives and rewards could range from certificates of recognition to scholarships and other awards which will help Philadelphians move beyond self-sufficiency and significantly increase their life chances.

Read the whole thing here.

"Mayor Fattah will call on teacher trainers like the Children's Literacy Initiative and others to make sure all of our early elementary school teachers have the training to effectively teach literacy"

Oh, I forgot teachers don't know how to do this. (forgive my sarcasm)

"Make Philadelphia a Leader in Math and Science Instruction. Philadelphia is blessed with a number of leading scientific companies and institutions including the Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Philadelphia Zoo, the Morris Arboretum, University of the Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Rohm & Haas, Temple University and the math, science and medical programs at all of our region's first-class universities. Mayor Fattah will bring the expertise of these institutions into our city's math and science classrooms by asking representatives of these institutions to help develop the math and science curriculum for our city's schools. This will ensure that our math and science teachers have the necessary professional development to effectively implement this curriculum."

Already being done

"Once the first year has been fully endowed, Chaka Fattah will explore expanding this program to provide funding for the second year of college as well."

Are you sure you want tell us Fattah has plans to make his ideas real and there not just pipe dreams?

"Increase Apprenticeship Opportunities for High School Graduates. Chaka Fattah full supports the recent agreement between the Building and Construction Trades Council and the School Reform Commission"

That's leadership baby, support what others have already accomplished and take credit for it yourself.

Where's Fattahs's plan to make schools safer, or his funding to modernize our buildings, or to immediatly reduce the dropout rate?
How about smaller classes, the number one way to improve education. I guess we'll only find that on Nutters 12 page plan.