August 27, 2026
Molly McVety/PhillyVoice
Superintendent Tony Watlington, shown in June, says that establishing a parent ambassador program for select schools is a ‘priority’ for the 2026-27 academic year. The program would pay parents and community members to serve as influencers that can help improve attendance, among other district priorities.
The School District of Philadelphia plans to implement a new program this school year that pays influential figures from select school communities, including parents, to serve as ambassadors that promote the district's goals.
So far, few details about the Parent and Community Ambassador Program have been released, but Superintendent Tony Watlington Sr. said he believes the program could help the district lower dropout rates, increase attendance and strengthen relationships between school communities and district officials.
"If there are places where we need to significantly improve student attendance, we've got some boots on the ground in communities who have influence that can help us do that," Watlington said Wednesday during an interview with PhillyVoice. "They can also help us with things like families who need support in navigating the relationship between schools and communities."
The program initially will be rolled out at schools with lower academic performance or attendance rates, Watlington said. The district will attempt to recruit people with "major influence" in those communities. Ambassadors will receive a small stipend.
"You don't need to have a college degree, you don't necessarily need to be a parent, you don't have to meet certain hurdles or requirements," he said. "What's most important is, do you bring a history and an experience to being a key influencer for good in your school community? If that's the case, then we want to figure out how to tap into those kinds of individuals."
The precise role of a district ambassador, other than helping communities "develop deeper, stronger, equal partnerships" as Watlington said, is still largely unclear. Aside from being an advocate for the district's goals, ambassadors also can present their community's priorities to the district.
"It's a different way of doing schooling," he said. "It's a different way of thinking about how we work with the community."
The specifics of the program are still being determined, including the number of ambassadors slated to be hired, the specific school communities that will receive them and the amount of money the district will dedicate to the program. But Watlington said the district considers the program a "priority."
Similar concepts have been tested in other public school districts. Most notably, Detroit Public Schools Community District began employing student influencers last year to share positive messages about its schools in hopes of boosting enrollment. Applicants were approved by the school board and tasked with promoting events and creating content from them. Students earn $250 for every month they post content, according to Chalkbeat Detroit. Similar influencer programs have been established in Irving, Texas and Hutto, Texas.
Detroit also established an unpaid ambassador program, in which parents and district staffers share good news about the district.
Philadelphia's iteration of this program was first included in Watlington's five-year strategic plan, released in 2023. Its implementation this school year is meant to contribute to Watlington's goal to strengthen the district's relationship with parents and guardians. A mobile app that will streamline school and student-specific information for parents also will be rolled out this fall.
"Educators can't do all this alone and parents can't do this all alone," Watlington said. "We need to work together and we need to find the right voices and right people who can help us build those bridges and relationships and improve outcomes."
