As conversations around school closures intensify across Philadelphia, emotions are understandably running high. Parents worry about their children’s futures. Educators worry about disruption. Communities fear losing institutions that have served as anchors for generations. These concerns are real. They deserve to be heard and respected. But as a city, we must be careful not to mistake the symptom for the problem.

The real debate before Philadelphia is not about school closures. It is whether we are willing to build a system that ensures every child, in every neighborhood, has access to a high-quality public school that prepares them for success in life.

This is the real conversation our children deserve.

For years, Philadelphia has grappled with declining enrollment, aging school buildings, and persistent achievement gaps. Many of our school facilities were built for a city that looked very different from the one today. Student populations have shifted. Neighborhood demographics have changed. Educational needs have evolved. Yet too often, our public conversations focus on individual buildings rather than the broader educational ecosystem those buildings are meant to support.

A school building matters. It matters tremendously. But buildings are not the goal. Student success is the ultimate goal. The purpose of every decision we make, whether about facilities, funding, staffing, transportation, or programming, must be to improve students’ life outcomes.

Our shared goal is ambitious but necessary because, through collective leadership, we are aiming to ensure that every child in every Philadelphia neighborhood has access to a high-quality public school.

Recent citywide student learning data provides both encouragement and urgency. Philadelphia students are making meaningful academic progress. Schools across the city are helping students grow academically at rates that exceed statewide expectations. Graduation rates have increased significantly over the past decade. Those gains deserve recognition. Simultaneously, too many students still are not reading or performing at grade level in mathematics. Too many families continue to experience inequitable access to high-quality educational opportunities. Too many children are still being asked to overcome challenges that no child should have to face alone.

However, progress is happening. But the question that lingers is whether progress is enough. The question before us is how we build on what is working while addressing the barriers that continue to impede student success.

This conversation requires a larger vision.

Philadelphia needs a citywide strategy that connects facilities planning, academic achievement, neighborhood development, and economic mobility. We need to move beyond a conversation focused solely on which buildings stay open and which buildings close. We should be asking the following questions:

• • How do we build and sustain a portfolio of high-quality schools?
  • How do we strengthen Philadelphia’s educator workforce?
  • How do we advance equity-driven funding and resource alignment?
  • How do we create conditions that support equity and mobility?

These are not questions that can be answered by any one institution. These questions require collective leadership. That belief is at the heart of the work being undertaken through the Philadelphia Equity Alliance’s Education Committee, a cross-sector coalition committed to advancing educational equity and opportunity throughout our city.

 The purpose of every decision we make, whether about facilities, funding, staffing, transportation, or programming, must be to improve students’ life outcomes.

Our shared goal is ambitious but necessary because, through collective leadership, we are aiming to ensure that every child in every Philadelphia neighborhood has access to a high-quality public school. Achieving that goal requires business leaders, educators, philanthropists, government officials, labor leaders, community organizations, parents, and residents working together around a common vision. It requires us to think beyond sectors and systems. It requires us to recognize that educational quality is deeply connected to economic mobility, workforce development, neighborhood stability, public safety, and the long-term prosperity of our city.

The future of Philadelphia will be determined, in large part, by the opportunities we create for today’s students. Our focus must remain on creating a portfolio of excellent schools supported by modern facilities, outstanding educators, strong community partnerships, and equitable access to resources. Philadelphia has a unique opportunity to do something transformative and hold city leaders and institutions accountable for students’ success.

As our city approaches the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, we have an opportunity to reflect on the future we want to create for the next generation. We can continue debating one building at a time, or we can come together to build a long-term strategy that places student success at the center of every decision. We need change that reflects courage, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to every child in Philadelphia.

Our children deserve better and nothing less!

Dr. Stacy Holland is the executive director of Elevate 215, a nonprofit education organization that serves as a catalyst for advancing educational outcomes in Philadelphia. Their vision is for Philadelphia schools to be designed as vivid and inspiring learning environments where students discover and reach their fullest potential.

The Citizen welcomes guest commentary from community members who represent that it is their own work and their own opinion based on true facts that they know firsthand.

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