Philly School District to introduce new English language arts curriculum as part of $70M overhaul

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — When classes begin on Aug. 26, teachers in the School District of Philadelphia will use a new English language arts curriculum.

It's part of a $70 million curriculum overhaul under Superintendent Tony Watlington . A new math curriculum was launched for the 2023-24 school year.

Watlington, in a back-to-school interview with KYW Newsradio, said one thing he learned last year was that even though 83% of teachers said they felt qualified to teach with the new materials, they wanted more training.

"The one Achilles heel is they didn't have enough time for professional development," Watlington said. As a result, he said, teacher training would be a major focus during this school year.

"(a) It's really important to hear the voices of teachers and (b) once we hear the voices of teachers, listen to it and do something about it," Watlington said.

Ideally, the superintendent continued, teachers would be given a year or two before introducing a new curriculum to students. "Unfortunately, the conditions for many of our students were such that we could not afford to wait," he said. Only 21% of third through eighth graders were proficient in math on the state PSSA exams in the 2022-23 school year.

The K-8 English language arts curriculum focuses on building skills, while the high school materials delve into literature.

Watlington said a benefit of standardizing the district's curriculum is that if students move to a different district school, they won't be unfamiliar with the material.