This week, PA Education Secretary Pedro Rivera visited Logan Elementary as a part of Governor Wolf’s “Schools That Teach” tour to learn about Philadelphia’s community schools initiative and to discuss the Wolf Administration’s vision for improving education for students across the commonwealth.

During the visit, Rivera was joined by local officials from the Mayor’s Office of Education, the School District of Philadelphia, the School Reform Commission, and members of the General Assembly.

In July 2016, Logan Elementary was one of the first nine schools in Philadelphia to be selected as a community school. Now, a little over half a year later, Rivera got to sit down with Principal Sanders-Thomas, Community School Coordinator Richard Washington, several students, and other school support staff to hear how becoming a community school has improved the climate of the school.

The group talked about the various programs Logan has to help engage parents and bring them into the school to receive services and resources. One of these programs is a new partnership with Common Market, which hosts a farmers market with fresh, affordable produce for students and families.

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They also discussed the flourishing relationships the school has with both LaSalle University and the 35th Police District, which recently hosted a clean-up day in for the area around the school.

Overall, Rivera was impressed by the great work that Logan has been doing. “We really want to combat inequities in schools,” he said. “When a school serves families with all different kinds of needs, it impacts the quality of education.”

Read more about the visit via the Philadelphia Inquirer.