Every week Mayor Kenney’s calendar is filled with people to meet and places to go. But his favorite part of the week is visiting schools and meeting our city’s future leaders – our kids.
The Mayor looks forward to ringing the bell with the School District of Philadelphia to kick off a new school year, celebrating the end of a successful PHLpreK school year at the annual PHLpreK Move Up Day —and everything in between.
His days are filled with shaking hands, both big and small. Sometimes he even invites students to check out City Hall.
And because education is a top priority for Mayor Kenney, he has visited at least one Philadelphia school every week since his inauguration.
Here’s a look back on the Mayor’s 175 school visits Mayor Kenney has made so far.
- It all started on January 7, 2016 when Mayor Kenney made his first weekly school visit to Penrose Elementary School.
- Since then Mayor Kenney has visited schools in every residential zip code in Philadelphia.
- In fact, on average, Mayor Kenney has visited every residential zip code 4 times for school visits.
- The only zip codes he hasn’t been to for school visits, don’t have schools! Those are 19109, which is the Wells Fargo building on South Broad and 19112, which is the Navy Yard.
Mayor Kenney’s visits give him an inside look into what our students are learning, and what they need in order to thrive. The visits allow him to meet our students first-hand and listen to their stories, strengths, and aspirations.
Through school visits, he’s spent time up close with initiatives such as career readiness programs and the City’s Community Schools initiative.
He’s been welcomed by students who speak a variety of languages, and been to some of the best concerts in town!
“Our students will one day create the future of our City. Ensuring that they’re able to succeed starts with their education. That’s why we work closely with Philadelphia’s educators, parents, partners, and community members to continue the progress of ensuring that our children thrive,” said Mayor Kenney. “I take a lot of meetings every week, and school visits are always my favorite because our children are most important to our shared success.”
So far, Mayor Kenney has visited:
- 57 elementary-middle schools
- 47 high schools
- 23 pre-K programs
- 20 elementary schools
- 10 private schools
- 9 middle schools
- 5 middle-high schools
- 3 elementary-middle-high schools
- And 1 adult education center (the Center for Literacy)
He visits a combination of District-run, charter, and private schools.
On average, since January 2016, Mayor Kenney has visited 5 schools per month. Each unique, and full of students who will shape our city’s future.
The new year will bring in more meetings, more school visits, and more progress. There are still lots of hands to shake, big and small, and we can’t wait! To request Mayor Kenney visits your school in 2019 email education@phila.gov.
