Prioritizing staff well-being to drive student success

All of us are here to help our scholars—all 200,000 of them in Philadelphia
be able to grow, develop, and dream big. It all starts with 20,000 employees putting on their oxygen masks first and attending to their health and wellness so that they can do great things for our children.

Dr. Tony Watlington

Superintendent

The School District of Philadelphia

A partner to match Philadelphia’s scale and diversity. The School District of Philadelphia employs over 20,000 teachers, school leaders, and administrators—everyone from school principals to cafeteria staff to central office employees—who together support more than 200,000 public school children from varied ethnicities, cultures, and backgrounds and who speak 160+ languages. “Philadelphia is a very vibrant, diverse city,” shared Dr. Watlington. “We have a dedicated workforce that’s willing to go the extra mile to help position this school district to be the fastest improving large urban school district in our nation. And they’re not just doing it for bragging rights. They’re doing it because they recognize that our children in Philadelphia deserve the absolute very best.”

With so many driven, hard-working staff, the District recognized the need for comprehensive mental health support. “They’re so busy pouring into others that it’s very easy for them to forget to pour into themselves,” shared Dr. Watlington. With Lyra, District staff have 24/7/365 access to the highest quality therapy, coaching, self-help tools, and more.

Teacher retention and well-being drive student outcomes. To ensure long-term success for both the students and the District, Dr. Watlington prioritizes teacher retention and staff well-being. He knows that supported educators are essential for student achievement, which is why they chose Lyra to ensure staff are supported, stable, and ready to bring their best to the classroom every day. “Over time in the United States, there’s been a 50% decline in the number of individuals who choose to become a school teacher at a public or private college or university,” shared Dr. Watlington. “And the number one factor—after 50 years of research—in improving academic outcomes for young people, is a highly qualified, well-supported, stable teacher. The number two factor is a highly qualified, well-supported, stable principal. We also need to have well-supported staff. When they’re not well, retention rates go down, and we have more turnover. When turnover rates go up, it’s not good for children. Even when we maintain our staff over time, we absolutely need them to bring their best selves every single day.”

With Lyra’s extensive provider network, District staff can find the right provider for their needs. As Burnett Coke, Director, Leaves Accommodations & Wellness, shared “97% of employees stay with their first provider because they are able to choose based on multiple factors including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and sexual identity. Lyra meets the employee emotionally where they are in times of need.”

Expert support for the toughest moments. “When critical incidents happen, our staff are impacted, our students are impacted, and our families are impacted,” shared Meghan Smith, Deputy Chief for the Office of Prevention and Intervention. “Lyra is who we pull in to provide that direct support for our staff.”

From 2024–2025, the District experienced 115 critical incident cases, including gun violence, unexpected loss of staff and students, and other traumatic events that deeply affected the school community. “Lyra was a part of every single one of those,” shared Meghan. “We are skilled and practiced at working with children. And sure, we can support our staff if we need to, but we really prefer to have the experts in here to do that. The experts for us are Lyra, who make it such an easy process to access care.”

Breaking down barriers: Easy access to high-quality care. “We have some of the brightest, smartest, most creative kids anywhere,” shared Meghan. “We also serve students who face a lot of barriers since Philadelphia has high rates of poverty and crime. Those factors impact our students, and those needs get carried into our schools.” What’s more, noted Meghan, “We live in a city where accessing mental health services can be very, very challenging. We knew that we wanted a convenient program that offered multiple options for our staff, and we knew that Lyra was able to offer that.”

With Lyra, 99.6% of district employees who search for care are instantly matched with a provider, and appointments are available within one day. “It has been a wonderful partnership. It has been an easy partnership,” shared Meghan. “Every time that we access Lyra, whether it’s for individual support for staff, or critical incident support for an entire school community, it has been with ease, and the services have been very impactful and rewarding.”

Real stories, real change. “I loved my therapist. I picked her because of her background and her experience in the type of therapy she had done. She was very there for me whenever I needed her, whether we were meeting once a week, once every two weeks, or once a month. Even when we weren’t meeting, I had the ability to reach out to her through the message center. She was very accessible, very supportive in every aspect.” —Amoni Alexander

“When I start to feel like I’m about to spiral, I take out my phone and I do an activity that my therapist has assigned me. That really resets me. In five minutes, I can open up the app, find an activity to calm myself down, reflect on how I’m feeling, and remind myself about the skills I’ve learned,” shared Katie Fong. “I’m showing up as a better, healthier, more energetic person for my students as well.”

“Lyra completely changed everything. It made me a better employee. It made me a better supervisor. It made me a better mom.” —Meghan Smith