Doug Oliver expands education-policy proposal from schools to homes and beyond

Education remains the focal issue in Philadelphia mayoral-campaign coversations, and Democratic candidate Doug Oliver made a move on Wednesday to stand out from the ever-covered pack.

At an afternoon press conference inside the Francis E. Willard Elementary School’s annex in Port Richmond, Oliver released a “Homework” addendum to his education policy.

Oliver wants to create separate task forces for city agencies, social-service organizations, nonprofits, and the city’s universities and medical institutions. Those task forces, he said, would work together with the goal of making children better prepared to learn.

“What we seldom consider when seeking solutions for the shortcomings of our Philadelphia education system is the fact that a student’s home life plays a critical role in their future success,” reads the addendum billed as an approach to “extend beyond just the traditional discussions of governance, curriculum and funding policies.”

For more on the Oliver announcement, check out Katie Colaneri’s story via this link.

For comparison’s sakes, here are the education policies of mayoral candidates Lynne Abraham, Nelson Diaz, Jim Kenney and Tony Williams.