Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders

The Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders develops highly effective school leaders who are prepared to overcome the significant challenges confronting Philadelphia’s schools and achieve greater student outcomes.

The Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders’ approach to leadership development is results-driven and evidence-based. Our training prepares leaders to maximize their impact on student achievement and gives them the opportunity to build deeply collaborative relationships with their peers.

Our programs develop skills that experts identify as having the greatest impact on student learning, especially given the unique challenges of urban education. Successful urban educators must be prepared to handle significant challenges yet continue to set high expectations for their students.

Leaders are taught to:

• design and implement a strategic plan that produces measurable, meaningful results
• improve student attendance and family participation
• improve teacher recruitment and retention
• broaden and deepen community support for the school

Philadelphia has a diverse landscape of district-run, charter, and parochial schools serving 225,000 schoolchildren. While schools in these sectors take different approaches to educating students, they often neighbor each other and serve the same families. There is opportunity for leaders of these schools to share resources and expertise in the interest of improving the outcomes of students across the city. Learning in a cross-sector cohort, where each member brings something different to the table, strengthens the learning of all participating school leaders.

Our approach to leadership development equips participants with better tools, skills, and networks to overcome myriad challenges, especially those unique to urban schools, and to inspire high levels of student achievement.

We believe that Philadelphia can become an exemplar of successful urban education – a city full of schools, attractive to parents and students, schools where all students can reach their full potential.