Ron Reilly has spent seven years as the principal of Francis E. Willard Elementary School, a tenure that overlaps with some of the biggest changes in the school’s 108-year history.
Willard, a K-4 school located in one of the roughest sections of Kensington, opened a new facility in 2011. That same year, massive education cuts rocked the School District of Philadelphia, forcing schools to lay off teachers, aides, nurses and guidance counselors.
Budget constraints continue to hamper Philly schools. Willard is no exception.
But Reilly and the Media Mobilizing Project — a grassroots organization that gives voice to the poor through media platforms — see a vast potential for Willard.
The organization released a 10-minute film Tuesday featuring Willard’s triumphs, struggles and potential. The film is the last of its five-part “Revival From the Roots” series, which follows Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Jerry Jordan and education activist (and at-large council candidate) Helen Gym on tours of several district schools.
“It is really to show that we cannot turn our backs on our neighborhood public schools,” co-Executive Director Rebekah Phillips said. “These are things that every community wants and needs. We need to be investing in them more, particularly in places where students are struggling with poverty or learning English as a second language.
“Those are places that we need to provide more resources, not less. When we do that, we can see that they can actually thrive.”
Willard, the film notes, has lost various personnel, including teachers, aides and a librarian.
The school’s library now sits unused. A nurse is available just three days per week, forcing Reilly — or a volunteer parent who works as an EMT — to cover when necessary.
There is little flexibiity in the budget to hire more classroom aides or bring back afterschool and summer programs, Reilly told PhillyVoice in a follow-up interview.
“There’s no funding for those sorts of things,” Reilly said. “It’s just bare bones.”
Yet, Reilly said, the new building at 1930 E. Elkhart St. has uplifted spirits and enabled new possibilities. The school's former facility spread its 800 students across one main building and two annexes.
Unlike the former facility, the new school has a gymnasium and a lunchroom. It also has the latest technological amenities, including smart boards.
Perhaps most importantly, much of Willard’s teaching staff has taught there for more than a decade, a rarity among district schools.
“Often times I think of successful schools as being the most stable schools,” Reilly said. “We really provide a stable environment. There’s not a lot of change with the teaching staff or the leadership team.”
A Willard Elementary School student sits outside during a group activity. ("Revival From the Roots" screen shot / Courtesy of The Media Mobilizing Project)
Reilly envisions Willard becoming a “lighthouse” for a community that includes many impoverished families and students learning English as a second language. The school sits in a neighborhood ripe with drug activity, Reilly said. Less than a half mile away is what has been called the worst drug corner in the city, Kensington Avenue and Somerset Street.
He foresees the building being used as a nighttime community center for athletic events, afterschool activities, parent meetings and summer programs.
“They’re all possibilities,” Reilly said.
The Media Mobilizing Project released the film as Philadelphia’s mayoral candidates debate the best ways to improve — and fund — the city’s beleaguered education system.
Much of the funding debate centers on charter schools, which traditional public school advocates decry as draining crucial district resources. Charter school proponents argue charters offer better educational opportunities than many district schools.
The Media Mobilizing Project was impressed by Willard’s model as a community school that includes wraparound services, an engaging curriculum, positive behavior and parent engagement.
“We just think there’s a mix of really powerful vision and strong leadership there that all of our schools really deserve,” Phillips said. “We see them striving for that in so many different ways.”
"Revival From the Roots" screen shot/Courtesy of The Media Mobilizing Project
