Penn GSE journal highlights work in Philly schools

The latest issue of Penn GSE’s student-run journal examines Philadelphia schools and the different ways educators are working to effect positive change in the city.

 The Spring 2015 issue of Perspectives on Urban Education, out now, includes articles and essays from Penn GSE students and faculty, as well as contributions from Philadelphia teachers and researchers from the School District of Philadelphia. 

“The major themes running through this Philadelphia-centric issue include the importance of networks, the drive for equity, and the experiences of marginalized groups in urban school settings,” note editors Gina Cappelletti and Cat McManus.

“These articles simultaneously illustrate our shared interest in improving schools in Philadelphia (and similar urban environments) and demonstrate a small collection of the many approaches to doing so, from focusing on teacher networks as a mechanism to re-professionalize teachers, to how to construct ecosystems to facilitate school improvement, and beyond.”

The online journal, now in its twelfth year of publication, solicits completed research as well as studies in progress from graduate students, practitioners, policymakers, and researchers. Editors Cappelletti and McManus are both doctoral students in Penn GSE’s Educational Leadership program. They are joined on the editorial board by Andy Danilchick and Andrew J. Schiera, both doctoral students in Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education. Frances O’Connell Rust is the journal’s faculty advisor.