Lauren Wiley, a fierce advocate for public education, dedicated journalist and community leader, died suddenly of a heart attack in her West Mt. Airy home Feb. 28. She was 50 years old.
Wiley was most recently the director of local development and revenue for Open Campus, a nonprofit news organization that partners with local newsrooms in 17 cities to deliver high-quality coverage of higher education. Her decades-long career spanned journalism, nonprofit leadership and tireless volunteer work for Philadelphia public schools.
"Lauren was a fierce supporter of journalism and a true believer in its ability to make communities better and to hold power to account," said Maria Archangelo, chief revenue officer at Open Campus. "I am proud that she was a member of my team. She was passionate about local news and education, but nothing fueled her spirit like her family, especially her two boys."
Before joining Open Campus in November 2021, Wiley served as fundraiser and then director for the Philadelphia Public School Notebook for four years starting in 2014. The Notebook was an independent, nonprofit news service that provided critical, accurate information about Philadelphia public schools to parents, teachers and community members since its founding in 1994. In 2020, Wiley oversaw the Notebook's merger with Chalkbeat to create Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
Her husband, Jason Ernst, told the Local that Wiley had no previous known history of heart disease. "She had a little hypertension but no heart issues," he said.
Former co-workers at the Philadelphia Public School Notebook were devastated by the news. Darryl C. Murphy posted online, "This is such sad news. I remember Lauren fondly as a kind person, very fun to work with. She was among the folks who helped me develop as a journalist early on. I'm sending love to her family, friends and colleagues."
Wiley's journalism career began after graduating with honors from Syracuse University in 1996, where she majored in journalism and political science and served as an editor of the student-run newspaper, The Daily Orange. Before Syracuse, she had been one of the top students in her class at Milford Area Senior High School in New Hampshire.
Her first reporting job was at The Patriot Ledger in Quincy, Massachusetts, where she covered the school beat — an assignment that sparked her lifelong passion for education reporting and advocacy. She later worked for the Waterbury (Connecticut) Republican-American and AdWeek, the national trade paper for the advertising industry. Her career also included roles at several nonprofits including the American Diabetes Association and the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, which monitors medical laboratory testing. In 2016, she enhanced her nonprofit leadership credentials by earning a master's degree in public administration from Villanova University.
"Lauren tried to do everything," Ernst said. "She was on the committee to decide what schools will be part of School Advisory Councils, collaborative teams of school staffers, students and community members focused on student achievement, an ongoing project of the school district. She was a treasurer at Jenks School, on the board of the Houston Home & School Association and co-president for two years. And she did fundraising for Jenks and Houston."
Her commitment to public education influenced the couple's decision to move to Northwest Philadelphia in 2012. "Before moving here, Lauren did a lot of research about Philly, especially about the public schools," Ernst explained. "After researching all parts of the city, we both decided we had to live in the Northwest, so we moved to an apartment in Chestnut Hill for two-and-a-half years. We loved it, but we wanted a yard, so we bought a house in West Mt. Airy near Cresheim and Mt Pleasant with a yard for the dogs. We've been here for 12 years, and we have loved it. It's a great community."
Beyond education advocacy, Wiley was politically active, knocking on doors for candidates she supported, most recently Kamala Harris.
Wiley married Jeffrey Partyka, and they had a son, Benjamin, who is currently a student at Penn State University. After the couple divorced, Wiley met Jason Ernst, a Kentucky native who spent 21 years in the U.S. Navy, including one tour in Iraq. Ernst came to Philadelphia to attend Temple University, where he earned a degree in philosophy and is now an engineer for Lockheed Martin, a defense and aerospace manufacturer. After meeting Ernst, Wiley moved to Philadelphia in 2012 to be with him. They married in 2013 and had a son, Elliot, who is now a student at Houston Elementary School.
"Lauren was intensely proud of our sons," Ernst said. "She was dedicated to journalism. She believed very strongly in the power of the press and free speech. And she loved our dogs — Bailey, who was rescued from South Carolina, and Lucy, who was rescued from Puerto Rico."
Wiley’s personal talents extended to the kitchen, where she was known as a very good cook and baker. Her banana bread and chocolate chip cookies were regarded as excellent. Locally, her favorite restaurants were Jansen and McNally's.
A viewing for Lauren was held March 8 at the Jacob F. Ruth Funeral Home, 8413 Germantown Ave. Donations in her memory may be made to the Henry H. Houston Home & School Association, 7300 Rural Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19119, or to Open Campus Media, Inc. 1 Thomas Circle, NW, Washington, D.C. 20005.
Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com
