OUR IMPACT
Learn more about how Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders is working to advance education in Philadelphia.
“The Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders believes all children are entitled to an education that enables them to pursue and achieve their dreams.”
Joseph Neubauer
Chair, Board of Directors
Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders
DEAR FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS,
The Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders believes all children are entitled to an education that enables them to pursue and achieve their dreams. A successful learning environment requires strong leadership. There are no great schools without great principals.
Over the last eight years, School Leaders’ programs have identified and recruited high-potential talent—ambitious school leaders aspiring to improve the academic outcomes and social-emotional well-being of their students. As lifelong learners themselves, program participants have committed to furthering their own development to better serve their school communities. Meeting during summers, weekends, and occasional school nights, school leaders collaborate in peer groups to support curriculum and instruction focused on improving student outcomes. They learn how to strategically plan, to gather and interpret data that indicates, in real time, where success is being achieved and where intervention is required. They learn to build stronger school cultures—coaching faculty and engaging families and the community. They learn to deal with crises and disasters.
By many crucial measures, these leaders are succeeding. In Neubauer Fellow-led schools, principal retention is high, student attendance is up, and turnover of high-performing teachers is low. Scholastic achievement is climbing, although not as quickly as hoped. While significant progress is being made, there is still a lot to do.
We are very proud of our leaders and the impact that they’ve had. Across all School Leaders programs, we serve more than 180 school and system leaders and more than 96,000 students. Honored for their significant leadership and humanitarian contributions to their school communities, nearly three-quarters of the Lindback Awards for Distinguished Principals in recent years have been bestowed upon Neubauer Fellows. Twenty-eight Fellows have progressed beyond the principalship into system leadership roles.
The information on the pages of the 2021–2022 Impact Report (PDF), also presented in this section of the website, share in greater detail the impact of our programs and program participants. We are grateful to you for the support that has made such progress possible. I hope you will be as pleased with the results from the year as I am.
With gratitude,
Joseph Neubauer
Chair, Board of Directors
Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders