Quakers Believe in Education
Quaker education has been present in Philadelphia for hundreds of years, with local institutions offering a holistic educational approach rooted in Quaker beliefs that focus on the intellectual, social, moral, and spiritual development of its students. Quaker testimonies (Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship) are central tenants within these institutions that cater to a range of ages including preschool, elementary, secondary, colleges, and universities. Many of our current or former members and/or their children have attended Friends schools.
Visit Friends Council on Education, the only national association of Quaker schools in the United States, to learn more about Quaker Education and access its national directory of Friends Schools including those located within the greater Philadelphia area.
Quakerism in Education
The vast majority of a student body in a Friends school often is not Quaker. How does the Quaker ethos still make itself present in the classroom? Tom Hoopes of George School in Newtown, PA discusses with QuakerSpeak his experience teaching religion in an educational setting where the Quaker testimonies guide the conversation.
Friends Select School
Friends Select is the only Quaker school in Center City that serves students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Their main building is located at the intersection of 17th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, with additional classrooms at 1520 Race Street and Three Parkway at the corner of Cherry Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. In accordance with the school's current bylaws, governance oversight is provided by members of the Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia (MMFP) and Central Philadelphia Friends Meeting (CPFM), who appoint the Board of Trustees.
The board consists of twenty-two persons over the age of twenty, with one-half appointed by the members of each meeting. This structure ensures that the board is representative of the Quaker community and its values, rather than one that maintains control without member involvement. Specifically, six appointees of each monthly meeting must be members of a Quaker meeting, while the remaining five appointees of each monthly meeting (i.e., "at-large" Trustees) must not be members of either MMFP or CPFM.
Friends Select is living their mission statement, "We believe in the Quaker values of respect for all, simplicity, the peaceful resolution of conflict, and a constant search for truth." They are fully committed to the Quaker testimonies (simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship) and practices of the Religious Society of Friends, which are integral to the life of the school and its community.