The Philadelphia School District announced yesterday that it has accepted a $500,000 grant from Wachovia Corp. to contribute to its Teacher Academies program.
Through this initiative, district teachers will have the opportunity to take free graduate-level courses at local universities in the areas of science, mathematics, social studies and English language arts.
Participating institutions include Penn, Saint Joseph's University and Temple University.
"We thought this initiative was very worthwhile to support," Wachovia spokesman Jim Baum said. "We want Philadelphia to prosper. In order to achieve this prosperity, Philadelphia needs an educated work force, which starts at an elementary level."
Wachovia Delaware and Pennsylvania Chief Executive Officer Hugh Long agreed, noting the benefits of the initiative for both the teachers and the students.
"Under the umbrella of the Teacher Academies, these teachers will hone their skills in core curriculum at no personal cost to themselves, while their students will benefit greatly from the knowledge and insight their teachers gain through these advanced studies," Long said in a press conference yesterday.
Primarily, the graduate courses will work to reinforce teachers' knowledge of classroom subject matter.
However, a portion of the classes will also be used to help teachers prepare for the Praxis exams, subject-certification tests that seventh- and eighth-grade teachers are required to pass under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
While instructors have until the end of the 2005-2006 school year to pass, over half of the district teachers who took the exams in September and November failed.
Graduate School of Education Dean Susan Fuhrman attributed the poor results to a lack of specialization among teachers districtwide.
"I think the Praxis exams are fair," Fuhrman said. "The problem in Pennsylvania is that many middle school teachers have elementary certificates without subject matter specialization."
In any case, District Director of Curriculum Mary Lou Fischer emphasized the importance of these tests, as they will allow "more flexibility in our middle schools for who can teach what grades."
To further augment teachers' knowledge bases and preparation for the Praxis exams, the district is instituting a revamped curriculum that calls for increased teacher training in their subject areas.
"With all the emphasis on accountability, teachers have to up their knowledge base to keep up with our standards this year," Fisher said. "It's all about offering them the professional education that will make them the best teachers for our kids."
