Some Lessons from Philadelphia

by Rogers M. Smith

The National Seminar on "War and Civil Liberties," May 2005. (Left to right: National Fellows Keysiah M. Middleton, Philadelphia; Justin Boucher, New Haven; Planning Director Alan J. Lee, Philadelphia; and Seminar Leader Rogers M. Smith.)

In 2001, I moved to the University of Pennsylvania after having taught at Yale since 1980. My time at Yale had been terrific, with nothing more fulfilling than my work from 1994 on with the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute. By 2001 I had offered five local seminars, two "National Intensive" seminars, and served on the Institute's National Demonstration Project. The chance to work closely with teachers performing the nation's most crucial educational tasks always proved exciting. Talking over issues with the teachers, seeing the creative curriculum units they wrote, was inspiring. Though going to Penn was right for my family, I knew that I'd greatly miss the Teachers Institute.

So I soon began thinking about how we might create a Teachers Institute at Penn. But starting a Teachers Institute is time-consuming, because many groups must be involved. There must be a corps of teachers that are eager to take seminars and to recruit others, and they must have the support of top school administrators. There must also be university or college faculty members who wish to lead seminars, and their institutions' officers must commit significant resources to the endeavor. None of that can happen unless there are at least one or two people willing to devote significant time to engaging these different parties. At first I couldn't do that. I knew only a few people at Penn, no Philadelphia teachers, and no school administrators.

But after several years, I knew many more Penn administrators and faculty members and felt that most would strongly support a Teachers Institute. I'd also met Dr. Alan Lee, an outstanding Philadelphia high school teacher who'd earned a Penn Ph.D. during his spare time and who had since taught at the university periodically. Alan was nearing retirement after 35 years of public school teaching, and we discussed my Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute experiences. He immediately grasped the program's nature and strengths, so I asked him to work with me to begin to bring together people who could help create a Teachers Institute of Philadelphia. He agreed, probably not realizing that he would spend untold uncompensated hours trying to make something happen that perhaps never would.

We began by forming a Planning Committee of Penn faculty and administrators. It is not necessary to start with the university, as opposed to teachers or district administrators, and of course it is ultimately necessary to win support from all. But I knew many at Penn who could contribute different strengths to a Planning Committee and who were likely to serve. In deciding whom to ask, we bore in mind that Penn differs from Yale in important ways. It has a Graduate School of Education (GSE) and also a Center for Community Partnerships (CCP) that work extensively with the Philadelphia schools. We knew we could benefit from the knowledge of the leaders of these programs, and we hoped the Institute could work in partnership with their initiatives. So, in addition to leading School of Arts and Sciences faculty members like History Professor Walter Licht and English Professor Peter Conn, we included in our Planning Committee GSE Associate Dean Nancy Streim and Professor Vivian Gadsen, as well as CCP Director Ira Harkavy and Associate Director Cory Bowman, among others. This group proved invaluable in suggesting how to structure the Institute so that it would both fulfill all features of the Yale model and also fit Penn, working in synergy with kindred endeavors. We asked Yale's National Initiative Director James Vivian to meet with this Planning Group early on, and his visit greatly strengthened the understanding and resolve for the project of all involved.

As this occurred, Dr. Amy Gutmann, a political theorist who had written extensively on democratic education, became Penn's new President. Her vision for the university stressed community engagement, and she saw how well a Teachers Institute embodied her priorities, especially if linked with the university's other community programs. President Gutmann obtained two major donations to start the Institute, and her assistant for educational outreach, Dr. Sigal Ben-Porath, became an invaluable Planning Group member. When Provost Ron Daniels came to Penn in July 2005, he also quickly committed to give the Institute substantial support, including hiring Alan Lee as the Institute's Planning Director in fall, 2005. Again, a Jim Vivian visit helped give the new Provost confidence that he was supporting a program with a proven track record.

While the "Penn side" of the Institute came together, Alan visited schools and officials to build a network of Teacher Representatives. That effort received a great boost when Dr. Shirl Gilbert became Regional Superintendent for West Philadelphia and helped to recruit five teachers to participate in a National Intensive Seminar in New Haven in summer, 2005. This group became the heart of the vibrant team of Teacher Representatives Alan built in the fall. With support lined up from Penn, with enthusiastic teachers, and with the backing of our Regional Superintendent, we began meeting with Dr. Gregory Thornton, the Chief Academic Officer of the Philadelphia School District, to establish the Institute as a full partnership between the District and the University. He expressed strong enthusiasm, reinforced once more by Jim Vivian's presence at an early meeting. Soon thereafter, Dean Rebecca Bushnell of Penn's School of Arts and Sciences arranged for office space for the new Institute in spring 2006. Having built up so much momentum, it was essential to sustain it. By late fall 2005, the Teacher Representatives had identified topics on which West and Southwest Philadelphia teachers wanted seminars. The Planning Group felt that, if Penn faculty members could be found to offer those seminars in spring 2006, we should do so. In a gratifying display of faculty commitment, it took Alan Lee only a few weeks to find outstanding faculty members who agreed to add another seminar to their next semester's load. As Alan describes here, the four seminars proved to be wonderful experiences for all concerned, culminating a successful pilot year.

What lessons for starting an Institute emerge from all this? First, start with whatever group you belong to, as a faculty member, teacher, school or university administrator. Form a Planning Committee of that group--looking especially for people who know people in the other key constituencies. Finding someone like Alan Lee, respected in both the school district and university and willing to give time to Institute-building, is invaluable.

Second, the Yale National Initiative provides excellent guides on the tasks to be accomplished. Jim Vivian is a fount of great advice and adds credibility to any meeting with university and school officials. The Directors at the other sites, along with their teachers and faculty members, are resources as well. Visiting Dr. Helen Faison, Director of Pittsburgh's Institute, greatly helped Alan Lee.

Third, work systematically to get support from each of the key constituencies not already on board, building on relationships with existing participants as far as possible--but don't be afraid to "cold-call." The prospect of participating in the summer National Intensive Seminars at Yale can be a great way to get teachers and school district officials engaged in Institute-building.

Fourth, identify potential funders, usually private foundations, early on and begin discussions as soon as possible, since many have long lead times. Again, Jim Vivian and the Directors of the other Institutes can provide advice.

Fifth, keep plugging away! Initial responses from busy people who do not know this program (so they often mistake it for something else already being done) may be discouraging. But our experience confirms what was already shown in the National Demonstration Project: when teachers, faculty members, university and school officials really grasp what a Teachers Institute is, they find it the best way teachers can continue their professional development, and one of the most satisfying contributions that a university and its faculty members can make to their community.

Rogers M. Smith is the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Political Science at University of Pennsylvania.