TIP Welcomes New Director

On November 1, 2016, Alan J. Lee retired as the Director of the Teachers Institute of Philadelphia. A joint committee of University of Pennsylvania scholars and School District of Philadelphia teachers conducted a search process that selected Edward M. Epstein to be his successor.

Edward Epstein assumes the Director role after five years as Associate Director of Education and Institutional Relations at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Previously, he was Executive Director of the University City Arts League, where he expanded class offerings to serve a growing youth audience. Prior to the Arts League, Mr. Epstein founded the 40^th Street Artist-in-Residence program (AIR) which offers studio space to West Philadelphia artists in exchange for service to the community. As many AIR residents chose to undertake a service project in local public schools, he developed strong relationships with the School District of Philadelphia during this time. Mr. Epstein knows TIP well, having led popular and well-regarded seminars in each of the TIP’s first three years. He has also been a member of TIP’s University Advisory Committee.

Dr. Lee led the Teachers Institute for twelve years, first as the Planning Director in 2005, and starting in 2006 as the founding director through TIP’s first eleven program years. Previously, Dr. Lee spent many years teaching history, social studies, and government in the School District of Philadelphia, and also served as a lecturer in Penn’s Political Science Department.

Please welcome Edward Epstein as he leads TIP into its next chapter of providing extraordinary professional development for School District of Philadelphia teachers!