Mission & History - Mastery Schools

Mission

All students learn the academic and personal skills they need to be truly prepared for success after graduation and able to pursue their dreams.

Plan 2029

Pursue. Persist. Proper.

The Mastery Schools strategic plan outlines our plan to continue raising the bar for students and setting the course for students to thrive in their selected post-secondary pathway.

 

Values

Student Achievement -- Above All

Student achievement is the civil rights issue of our time and the reason we exist.   Each staff member is responsible for our students’ success.

Pursue Equity

We disrupt systemic racism and the inequities that limit our students’ choices. We nurture a culture where all staff, students, and families are seen and valued.

We Serve

We serve students and their families first.  Our business is their success.

The High Road

We do the right thing.  We are fair and treat folks with respect.

Joy and Humor

Our positive, caring culture supports student and staff success. We like fun.  We love to laugh.

Straight Talk

We face reality, communicate honestly and respectfully, and hold each other accountable.

Open Doors

Everybody is welcome to talk to anybody.  We are open and transparent.

Continuous Improvement

We seek a better way — always.  We are engaged in an ongoing cycle of goal setting, action, measurement, and analysis.

One Team

We are in this together.  We may disagree, but at the end of the day, we support each other 100%.

14,000

Students

7,500

Alumni

Mastery's History & Milestones

2001

Mastery Charter Schools is founded as High Tech High, opening with 100 9th grade students.

2002

High Tech High is renamed Mastery Charter Schools and moves to Old City to the newly renovated Lenfest Campus.

2005

Citing the success of the Lenfest Campus, the School District of Philadelphia invites Mastery to turn around Thomas Middle School.

79 Lenfest students become a part of Mastery’s first graduating class.

2006

Mastery is selected to turn around Philadelphia’s second-most violent middle school, Shoemaker Middle School.

2007

Mastery is chosen to turn around Pickett Middle School, one of the lowest performing schools in the city.

2010

The School District of Philadelphia Renaissance Schools Initiative is launched.  Mastery is selected by parent committees to turn around three struggling elementary schools – Harrity, Mann and Smedley.

Mastery Charter Schools-Thomas Campus has its first graduating class of 90 students.

In 2010-2011 academic year, Mastery serves 4,000 students throughout Philadelphia.

2011

Mastery is chosen to manage two more Renaissance Schools – Clymer Elementary and Simon Gratz High School.

Hardy Williams Academy becomes a part the Mastery Charter Schools network.

Shoemaker has its first graduating class of 80 students.

2012

Grover Cleveland Elementary School becomes Mastery’s 6th Renaissance School.

Mastery opens Hardy Williams High School.

Mastery Charter Schools – Pickett Campus has its first graduating class of 73 students.

2013

Mastery opens Thomas Elementary School.

Mastery turns around Francis D. Pastorius Elementary School.

Mastery Charter Prep opens in Simon Gratz High School, serving students in 7th and 8th grades.

2014

Mastery Schools of Camden is established, opening two schools in Camden, New Jersey – North Camden Elementary and Cramer Hill Elementary.

2015

Mastery is chosen to operate another Renaissance School – Frederick Douglass Elementary School.

Mastery is chosen to turn around three low-performing Camden City District schools – McGraw Elementary, Molina Elementary and East Camden Middle School.

2016

Mastery is chosen to operate its 8th Renaissance School – John Wister Elementary School.

Mastery Schools of Camden opens Mastery High School of Camden, serving students in 9th grade.

2017

North Camden Elementary and Cramer Hill Elementary merged and moved to a new state-of-the-art building serving grades K-8.

Mastery High School of Camden added 10th grade.

 

2018

Mastery Prep Elementary Charter School opens as a K-2 school serving over 200 students.

Mastery High School of Camden adds 11th grade and opens in a new building becoming the first high school in North Camden.

On October 30, 2018 Francis D. Pastorius Elementary is renamed Pastorius-Richardson Elementary in honor of Representative David P. Richardson, Jr.

 

2019

Mastery Prep Elementary adds 3rd grade.

Mastery High School of Camden has its first graduating class.

 

2020

Pursue Equity is added as a Mastery Value.

Mastery Schools provides COVID-safe in-person learning by launching weekly COVID testing and investing in ventilation upgrades to improve air quality and circulation.

 Mastery Schools ensures every student has full access to technology, laptops and home internet access, to support their learning.

 Mastery Prep Elementary adds 4th grade.

2021

Mastery Prep Elementary adds 5th grade.

Mastery launches Rebound, a gun violence protection program.

2022

Mastery Prep Elementary adds 6th grade.

Mastery Schools has 23 schools in two states, serving 14,000 students.

Mastery Schools employs more than 1,850 people.

Mastery Schools has 7,500 alumni.

23

Years of making an impact in Philadelphia and Camden