Building off years of success, Penn and Lea School formalize partnership

Expanding on the University of Pennsylvania’s more than 50-year connection to and increasingly strong partnership with the Henry C. Lea School, Penn and Penn GSE have entered into a new agreement with the School District of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers that will help support the West Philadelphia K-8 school’s key initiatives over the next five years.

This builds on investments from Penn’s Office of the President and GSE of more than $300,000 annually in recent years, which has supported professional development for teachers, support for families, and resources for students. School District of Philadelphia Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. was authorized to negotiate a memorandum of agreement by the Philadelphia School Board at its Jan. 27, 2022, meeting.

“We are inspired by the work being done at the Lea School, which for generations has been vibrant and diverse—from the many languages spoken in its classrooms and hallways, to its skilled and dedicated faculty, to its strong commitment to its students with special needs,” says Penn GSE Dean Pam Grossman. “We have taken a responsive stance in our partnership over the last few years, with a focus on pulling together resources and opportunities based on requests from the principal, faculty, and families. It was important to me that we formalize our relationship in order to create deeper and more flexible support for Principal Gerwer’s ambitious vision as he continues to improve student performance. We are so very appreciative of our partnership with the School District of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, who have come together to build on this success.”

Read the full story at Penn Today.