Kenney, Clarke Commit to Community Schools

PHILADELPHIA- WTXF - Mayor-Elect Jim Kenney and City Council President Darrell Clarke on Monday announced a renewed commitment to expand community schools in Philadelphia. The announcement came after the two officials visited Cincinnati, where all 55 public schools have been converted to Community Learning Centers.

It's about tapping "the resources that are right under our noses" through local institutions, whether universities, nonprofits or local businesses.

Kenney and Clarke appeared at the Tanner G. Duckrey School on Diamond Street to discussed their Cincinnati visit.

"When factors like homelessness, hunger, poverty and lack of medical care inhibit a child's success, it is not enough to provide high-quality education," Kenney said in a statement.

"But as we just saw in Cincinnati, when nonprofits, businesses and other community stakeholders come together to support public schools, the child's whole learning environment can be addressed, and families can access the services that they need to lift themselves up directly in their neighborhood."

"The community buy-in we saw in Cincinnati demonstrates what is possible in every public school in this country, no matter how challenged its student body or surrounding neighborhood," Clarke added

"Philadelphia is home to some of the best universities, hospitals, and tech companies in the world, but Philadelphians are our most valuable asset. Let's put our compassion, our intelligence, and our creativity to work for schools, to ensure every child has a quality education and every neighborhood is a community of choice."