Independence Mission Schools is an independent network of 15 Catholic schools that are providing a transformative Catholic education to children of all faiths across the city of Philadelphia.
Independence Mission Schools is a Pennsylvania nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
We are on a mission to transform young lives and communities through high-quality Catholic education that, guided by the Gospel mandate, forms students spiritually, intellectually and emotionally and prepares them for world-class high schools and Heaven.
Independence Mission Schools provides a transformative Catholic education to children of all faiths across the city of Philadelphia. Unlocking our students’ potential starts with a culture of love that values and embraces each child. The promise of God’s love, shown by our faculty and staff, is at the very core of the Catholic education our schools deliver. This atmosphere sets our students, from Pre-K to Grade 8, on the path to a promising future confident in their own worth so they can be ready to succeed both in and out of the classroom.
Philadelphia is home to the first Catholic schools in the nation and has a long history helping the city’s immigrant population get a successful start. As the urban landscape has evolved, our inner-city population has become much more diverse ethnically, racially, and religiously. Now, more than ever, Catholic education is vitally important to provide the promise of quality education to low-income families.
Independence Mission Schools was born out of the recognition that urban Catholic schools are crucial civic assets and the need for a new model of operation to ensure their survival.
It started with one school — St. Martin de Porres — located in the second poorest congressional district in the country. Once serving a largely Irish immigrant base, and one of many schools in the immediate vicinity, it is now the only Catholic school in this section of Philadelphia. The school serves a student body of 500 children, which is entirely African American and almost entirely non-Catholic. A small pool of dedicated philanthropists took on this school and began investing in the school’s facilities, programs, and strategic planning. Their approach was overwhelmingly successful and created the blueprint for the network that would later become Independence Mission Schools.
In 2012 when the future of Catholic schools across Philadelphia was threatened, this same group of investors, along with a small group of other engaged citizens, rose to the need for leadership and set out to emulate the success of St. Martin de Porres on a broader scale. In 2013 they formed Independence Mission Schools as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, assuming the complete and independent operation of 15 schools from their parishes and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The agreement underlying this transfer is one of national example and unprecedented for the degree of transparency and control of Catholic schools given to an independent organization.
As a graduate of both Villanova University and an IMS elementary school in the Overbrook section of West Philadelphia (St. Frances Cabrini School), Anthony realizes first-hand the positive impact a Catholic education can have on a young person. He hopes to keep those same opportunities available via his work to support the Independence Mission Schools model.
Bill holds a B.S. in Accounting and M.B.A. in Finance from St. Joseph’s University as well as a JD from Temple University School of Law. Through his work at Porter & Curtis, Bill and his team provide insurance, claims administration, and risk management information system support. They are known nationally for their work providing these services to Catholic dioceses.
Following his graduation from Drexel with a Civil Engineering degree, Jack joined L.F. Driscoll and rose through the ranks, becoming President, CEO, and owner. He sold the company in 2009 and retired in 2014. Jack is a parishioner at St. Katharine of Siena Church in Wayne and is a dedicated philanthropist. He received the Humanitarian Award from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in 2016. Learn about the legacy Jack left.
John moved to the Greater Philadelphia region in 2002 following time spent in the Boston area and California. He helped establish a School Board and served as the first board president of the DePaul Catholic School in Germantown, now an IMS school. John currently resides in Bryn Mawr with his wife, Lisa, and their four children.
Bishop Fitzgerald was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 1980 beginning his ministry as Parochial Vicar at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish. In 2010, Bishop Fitzgerald was ordained Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia. He is a Fourth Degree Member of the Knights of Columbus and a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
Dave is an established leader in Philadelphia’s education community. He is the former CEO and Co-Founder of Boys’ Latin of Philadelphia charter school. Dave is a founding board member of the Philadelphia School Partnership and a former board member of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. He currently serves on the boards of the Center for Education Reform and the North Carolina Outward Bound School.
Mike began his career with Ernst & Young, LLP and has over 20 years of experience in tax compliance, financials planning, and wealth transfer strategies. He is a CPA and co-author of two books – The Tools and Techniques of Income Tax Planning and The Tools and Techniques of Financial Planning – which are widely used as educational resource material by those in the financial planning profession.
Brother Richard has been a De La Salle Christian Brother for over fifty years, serving the needs of people in various stages of life. He is a native Philadelphian, proud of his early education from the Sister Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the De La Salle Brothers, and realized early in his youth that he wanted to be a teacher. He recently retired from his position as President of West Catholic Preparatory High School in West Philly.
Brian has long been a believer in the importance of the Catholic School system to the city of Philadelphia. In addition to his role with IMS, he serves on the Board of BLOCS, an organization that raises and allocates scholarship funds that allow students to attend Catholic schools. His advocacy in the area of scholarship funding has helped ensure that all families, regardless of income, have access to a high-quality education for their children. Brian received his Bachelor’s Degree and MBA from Drexel University in 1972.
In addition to his 40-year career in Employee Benefits and Financial Services, Dick has been involved in many philanthropic endeavors throughout his life. For almost 30 years, he served The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in various capacities, both nationally and locally. Dick also served on the Board of the Bethesda Project for eleven years, and he is currently a member of the Board of St. Malachy School.
Maris has long been an advocate for youth and education. In addition to IMS, she serves on the Board of the Presbyterian Children’s Village, The Board of St. James School, the Owl Fund Advisory Board, the Carson Valley Children’s Aid Advisory Board and the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society. In her spare time, Maris enjoys gardening, travel, music and woodworking.
Ken joined the U.S. Department of the Treasury as its first ever Chief Risk Officer in November of 2014. Prior to this, he served as the Chief Risk Officer for a number of large financial institutions. Ken holds a JD from Villanova University School of Law and a Masters in Economics from Trinity College, Dublin, and has more than 20 years of experience in finance across risk management, capital markets and structured products.
Now a partner with BA Securities, Dan has more than 20 years of corporate finance and mergers and acquisition experience at several large regional investment banks. He has served on the boards of various corporations, both public and private, and is currently on the boards of St. Malachy School and St. Thomas Aquinas School.
Mike graduated from Ursinus College with a B.A. degree in Economics in 1978. He founded Legacy Advisors, LLC, a premier Planning Advisory Firm serving highly successful business owners and executives. Mike serves as a Board member for Ursinus College, Williamson College of the Trades and the CW and Marjorie J Schrenk Foundation. Mike also founded the Legacy Foundation, the charitable entity used by the associates of Legacy Advisors to give back to the community.
Prior to his work with Morgan Stanley, Marc served as a member of the Private Wealth Management Group of Deutsche Bank. Marc is a member of the Board of Directors of The Agnes Irwin School and St. Martin de Porres, an IMS school.
Joe is a corporate partner at Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads, where he co-chairs the firm’s Technology Law Group. He is a member of the Board of St. Christopher’s Foundation for Children as well as the Board of St. Martin de Porres, an IMS school. Joe is a longtime volunteer at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Michael has advised an array of privately held companies across many different industries, including education. At Stephano Slack, LLC, he is responsible for the firm’s overall practice management and day-to-day operations. Michael has been a CPA in Pennsylvania since 1992 and is an Advisory Board Member of several privately-owned companies. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Villanova University.
Michael founded Classic Management Inc. in 1982, a residential and commercial property management and development firm of which he serves as CEO. He is a member of various Boards including BLOCS, St. Martin de Porres, an IMS school, and Invisible Sentinel. Michael and his wife Sue have helped support inner-city students with scholarships to Philadelphia’s more prestigious high schools for 15 years.
As a 501 (c)(3) private, non-profit organization. Our operating model is built upon delivering transparency and accountability that extends to all of our 15 network schools. You can find out more in the links below.
The dynamic model supporting the operation of Independence Mission Schools is a critical factor in our organization’s overall success. Three key factors are the core of our innovative system:
Modern Operating Infrastructure
Our central office provides support for managing the business of schools, so our schools can be in the business of educating children. Our universal financial aid process, robust accounting and financial systems, and strategic talent acquisition plan are all designed to support school leadership while providing transparency and accountability.
Empowering Autonomy
Our independent schools are at the center of decision-making to best serve their students. This ensures they retain their school identity which is critical to building social capital in their communities. Each school leadership team manages its own budget, makes hiring decisions, and makes and meets its own enrollment goals. Additionally, each school boasts its own local board to support philanthropy efforts and advance their ties to alumni, community and corporate partners.
Faith Driven for Academic Success
Our drive for high-quality academics is intrinsically linked with our strong Catholic identity. Catholic schools have always known it is about more than what you learn in the classroom, it is about who you become. Building on this legacy, the focus of personal responsibility and development is central to our approach and vital to our students’ success.
The short answer: everyone! Independence Mission Schools is a non-profit network of 15 elementary schools with a strong legacy of helping inner-city children succeed. Our goal is to provide high-quality education in a faith-driven environment for students of all faiths and all cultures. Our mission is to provide a transformative Catholic education that closes the achievement gap for our students and empowers them to reach their full potential today and in the future.
IMS is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) managing a network of 15 independent Catholic schools.
Yes, IMS schools are Catholic schools, but they are not owned or operated by a parish or the Archdiocese. While the majority of our students are non-Catholic, parent surveys show one of their top reasons to choose an IMS school is because they want their child educated in an environment that emphasizes character development. Our curriculum emphasizes respect of the diversity of our student population while teaching from a traditional Catholic perspective, Gospel values that are respected by all faiths.
IMS students who are living in poverty or in high poverty communities face a multitude of challenges including food insecurity, home insecurity, violence and fundamental learning deficits that disrupts focus and their ability to learn. For our students to be successful, we know we must meet these needs first for them to be ready to learn.
Bruce Robinson is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President of Independence Mission Schools (IMS)
Bruce has both private and nonprofit sector leadership experience, and has successfully applied his acquired business skills in the education sector. He is responsible for managing all aspects of IMS, including strategic planning, fundraising, financial sustainability, academics, Catholic culture, talent development and enrollment management. He has education leadership experience from successfully turning around Ss. Neumann Goretti Catholic High School in South Philadelphia, which was struggling academically and financially. His achievements included developing a strategic plan focused on operational and academic excellence, accountability and creating a culture of compassion and positivity. Under his tenure the school saw freshmen enrollment increase significantly, operating deficits decrease and financial support from Foundations and philanthropists flourish.
Bruce previously was a founding investor and executive officer of GMH Communities Trust, a real estate investment trust specializing in college housing properties and military housing privatization. Bruce’s leadership helped the company grow substantially and it went public on the NYSE in 2004. The Company traded for four years before being sold to strategic buyers, including a $2 billion market cap British construction conglomerate Balfour Beatty. He continued to lead the military housing privatization initiative as CEO/President of Balfour Beatty Capital Group, a real estate company with an asset portfolio valued in excess of $5 billion, and which had over 1100 employees in 23 states. Bruce has also served as an adjunct professor at Drexel University in both their undergraduate and graduate programs.
Bruce grew up in Philadelphia and with his wife Anne has raised four children.
Claire Frosch is the Chief Academic Officer (CAO) at Independence Mission Schools (IMS)
Leading the Academic Team, Claire supports our 15 schools as Chief of Schools, having previously served as Deputy Chief Academic Officer. The work of the Academic Team is resulting in measurable improvements in teacher performance and student outcomes and Claire feels honored to serve the network by leading this mission critical work.
Throughout her career, Claire has been driven by her belief that all Philadelphia children are entitled to a high-quality, inclusive education in a loving environment. Prior to joining the IMS academic team, she worked as a high school special education teacher in the School District of Philadelphia and served for three years as a school leader at St. Helena-Incarnation. Under her leadership as principal, her dedicated staff implemented new curriculum and assessments, increased students’ reading proficiency and grew enrollment to become one of the largest independent elementary schools in the region. The team at St. Helena has continued to make significant gains in both reading and math, exceeding national growth norms.
Claire holds a BA in Political Science from Barnard College, Columbia University and graduated with honors from Arcadia University where she obtained her Master of Education in Secondary and Special Education. She earned her principal certification as a member of the first cohort of PhillyPLUS and is an alum of Education Pioneers and Philly Teaching Fellows. She is currently working to obtain her Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Michelle Brown is the Chief Development Officer (CDO) at Independence Mission Schools (IMS)
Michelle comes to IMS with 19 years of non-profit leadership experience in both fundraising and operational capacities. Most recently Michelle served as the Director of Development at Mastery Charter Schools for four years, where she was responsible for overseeing fundraising strategy and implementation for a network of 24 schools.
Michelle’s career began in the Development and Stewardship Office of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 2000, where she successfully led the Catholic Charities Appeal campaign, raising over $9m annually for five years. Michelle then served briefly as the Special Events Coordinator for the Franciscan Ministries Foundation of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, and then at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health for 10 years in both development and operational leadership roles until 2015.
Michelle holds a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications from St. Bonaventure University, where she was also 4-year member of their Division I women’s basketball team. In 2008 she earned her MS in Non-Profit Management from Eastern University.
Michelle serves on the board of Focused Athletics, the Committee for the Media Elementary Playground, and coaches youth boys’ basketball. Michelle grew up in Delaware County and has been a lifelong member of St. Joseph’s parish in Aston. She currently resides in Media with her sons Collin and Andrew.
Last updated: September 17, 2020
The Independence Mission Schools (IMS) network holds the well-being, health and safety of students and staff as a top priority. With this in mind, IMS reopened on September 8th in a fully-virtual model for all students through the end of September.
More information can be found by clicking on one of the four categories below:
Most Recent 2020/21 Back-to-School Updates
Please continue to check this page regularly for the latest back-to-school updates for the 2020/21 school year as it relates to the IMS network.
