Hoping to push the bounds of a traditional neighborhood public school, the new Penn-assisted school will feature elements of professional development, collaborative governance and the accommodation of community activities.
But perhaps the most radical notion of creating this new school comes in the form of Penn's involvement -- in terms of both financial and academic resources -- something that some in the educational community question.
"Most schools don't like to do it because it's risky," John Cawthorne, associate dean at Boston College's Lynch School of Education, said of starting a new school. "If it fails for any reason, then Penn has egg on its face, even if it's not Penn's fault."
Indeed, one of the most controversial issues during the planning of the new school was establishing which students could attend, as many community members were concerned about equal access. Eventually, a set catchment area was chosen by the Philadelphia School District, despite the wishes of many in the neighborhood to have a lottery system.
And even though the decision was out of Penn's hands, it still caught much of the blame.
"People aimed in the wrong direction," University President Judith Rodin said of the dispute.
Cawthorne said that Boston College felt similar community resentment after it adopted several schools near its campus. It took many years of paying attention to the residents' concerns to win their trust.
"After 10 years, they can trust us, and after 10 years, we're not afraid of them," he said. "It does go both ways."
Likewise, Cawthorne said that Penn also must be committed to the new school for the long haul for its initial investments to begin to pay dividends. But even that might not be enough.
"The American public is fickle," he said. "They want things done tomorrow."
However, Susan Fuhrman, dean of Penn's Graduate School of Education -- which is playing a large role in the setting-up and administrating of the school -- hopes to deliver quickly. While she acknowledged that change will take time, she said that "it will be an excellent school right away."
"We're certainly going to understand where our children are coming from, but we have to hold ourselves accountable for the value added by our school," Fuhrman, who is also a member of the new school's coordinating committee, said.
Other colleges -- such as Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. -- have also attempted to turn around sections of the city through schools, but these colleges' involvement has usually been more limited, and the schools have largely been selective.
For example, at Hartford's "Learning Corridor" -- a $200 million complex of four magnet schools -- Trinity spearheaded the initiative and raised much of the needed funds, but left the running of the schools to the city and others.
"I think that colleges and universities will always focus more internally than externally -- that's the nature of the institution and it's their primary mission," said Kevin Sullivan, Trinity's vice president for community and institutional relations
However, Fuhrman believes that the Penn-assisted school -- even before its opening -- has enhanced the GSE's academic mission, enabling it to have a "sharpened" focus on urban education.
"I think that our mission is to build knowledge and relate it to practice, and that is precisely what this school helps us to do," Fuhrman said.
But despite the larger community and institutional issues that are looming over the new school, its officials maintain that the student learning is still very much at the forefront. However, rather than developing novel teaching standards, its aim will be to stitch together the best of what already exists.
"There are many excellent curricula available right now, but what most schools lack is the commitment to use them collectively," Fuhrman said, explaining that many teachers do not share their ideas. "Our school will be very much a place of collaboration."
In the end, Pedro Noguera, a Harvard University professor of communities and schools, believed that the new school will be a winner for all involved.
"I think it's a great thing that they're doing -- it's very inspiring," he said.
