PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The School District of Philadelphia is launching an effort to cultivate and principals from within its ranks, with an aim to increase the representation of Black men, Latino and Asian people.
Right now, 24% of the students in the Philadelphia School District are Black men, but only 13% of the principals are. 24% of the students are Latino but 7% of the principals are. 10% of students are Asian, while 3% of principals are.
To close the gaps, the new "Pathway to Leadership" program gives district educators $25,000 for credential courses at Temple University or the University of Pennsylvania, according to Michael Farrell, the district's deputy chief of leadership development.
"While the program is open to future leaders of all backgrounds, future leaders of color are strongly encouraged to apply," said Farrell. He added the program partners have tailored the classes to include real-world lessons from district staff on budgeting or education law.
"We're working closely with Temple and Penn to make sure their course work is really geared toward what it means to be a School District of Philadelphia school leader," he said.
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"We have great leaders within our schools already and want to ensure that we have pathways for those individuals to pursue leadership opportunities," said superintendent William Hite.
Darnell Bolds, the current climate manager at Steel Elementary in Nicetown, went through a pilot version of the program.
"I was scared, but yet excited at the opportunity to learn more about leadership, and the opportunity to impart my knowledge on a wider audience of students," he shared.
The district is spending $3.1 million on the program over three years, with the goal of developing a diverse pool of 75 aspiring principals and assistant principals.