Mayor Michael Nutter announced "Philadelphia's Education Promise" - his plan to improve the city's education system - last night before a crowded auditorium at South Philadelphia High School.
The speech outlined Nutter's plans to involve the entire Philadelphia community in working toward goals that include decreasing the drop out rate and increasing college enrollment.
Before Nutter's speech, Philadelphia schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman described him as "truly an education mayor."
The mayor said he has spent a lot of time recently visiting schools and talking to students, parents and teachers.
Philadelphians "have every right to take pride in our schools," he said, but added that we must "hang our heads in shame for some of the things we have allowed to happen."
Nutter emphasized the importance of adults - parents, teachers, elected officials and the business community - in education. "I believe kids drop out," he said, "only after adults have dropped out of their lives."
Nutter said he had been warned against taking on education as mayor but said, "I can't do that, and I won't do that because education is the lynchpin for everything we are trying to accomplish."
Progress in safety, economic development and government efficiency has been made in the city, Nutter said, but he added, "if we don't fix our education system," all the other accomplishments will have been for nothing.
He reiterated two goals he set forth in his inaugural address: cutting in half the high-school dropout rate in five to seven years and doubling the college-attainment rate within five to 10 years.
Nutter urged parents to enforce bedtimes, limit TV watching, read with their children, praise their children and make sure children are eating nutritious meals.
"We can't teach 'em if they ain't there," he said to stress the importance of parents taking their children to school.
Nutter also acknowledged the work of teachers, but said that they need to set higher standards for their students.
"Help us, help you, help them," Nutter said to the business community, which he called on to support the parental obligations of employees and provide more internships.
Nutter said research from Project U-Turn and Johns Hopkins University about Philadelphia high-school dropouts showed that at least 40 percent of future dropouts could be identified by sixth grade.
Based on this "pre-dropout profile," the School District will implement an "early-warning system," which would target sixth graders who fit the profile, Nutter said.
"Some of the finest schools in the world are in our backyard," Nutter said, calling on regional colleges and universities to provide 1,000 new scholarships each year to graduating high-school students in Philadelphia.
Nutter's speech was met with a standing ovation.
Aaron Couch, a 2001 College alumnus, said he liked that the mayor "talked about investing in the future" but said, "I want to see that reflected in the budget."
Deran Neducsin, a project manager for City Year in Philadelphia, said the speech was "right on the money."
