
Two schools challenge district's charter revocation recommendations. Daily News
Extra students may put Discovery Charter in jeopardy. Inquirer
A front-runner has emerged to replace Tomalis as education secretary. Inquirer
In the Common Core controversy, state policymakers have three choices. Patriot-News
Boos for Booze: On Nutter's plan. Daily News
March to Harrisburg demands budgets for schools and people, not prisons. City Paper
Panel to discuss pushback on high-stakes testing. Notebook
What should be done with University City High School after it closes? Notebook
Task force will address the biggest problem facing American children. Answer Sheet
News summary from Keystone State Education Coalition
High-stakes testing and communities pushing back have been all over the news lately. Just this week, Senate Democratic leaders held a press conference opposing the implementation of Keystone exams, mandatory end-of-course state exams that will go into effect for September's 9th-grade class. Amid a backdrop of unprecedented statewide cuts under the Corbett administration, Senate leaders said the Keystones would "cost taxpayers dearly" and were being implemented "without a full understanding of the benefits for students, teachers, administrators, and taxpayers.”
AxisPhilly will hold the second of its Schoolhouse Watch forums tomorrow to discuss the fate of University City High School. Solomon Jones will moderate a panel that includes City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell and civic and business leaders from the area.
Community members are encouraged, as part of the ongoing project, to register, attend, and engage with area experts and leaders in a conversation on how best to use the 23 school facilities that will close down later this summer.
The forum will take place at 4 p.m. at Metropolitan Baptist Church, 3500 Baring St. You can also watch the forum live.

District gets tough with two charters over money dispute. Notebook
See also: Discovery School faces loss of charter. Tribune
Pennsylvania's charter schools routinely flout state's Right-To-Know law. Inquirer
Ex-teacher, school settle bias case. Inquirer
Whistleblower suit against Community Charter will move forward after three years. Inquirer
District staff recommends closing Imani Charter. Notebook
Pennsylvania getting swept into national 'Common Core' education debate. Morning Call
How KIPP uses technology. Hechinger Report
News summary from Keystone State Education Coalition
Blended learning is the subject of tonight's School Reform Commission meeting. The list of scheduled speakers includes Chris Lehmann, principal of Science Leadership Academy and Lisa Nutter, head of Philadelphia Academies and wife of the mayor.
The meeting begins at 6 p.m.
Imani Education Circle Charter School in Germantown may have to fight to stay open beyond the end of this school year.
According to a list of pending resolutions for the School Reform Commission's Wednesday meeting, District staff is recommending that the 14-year-old charter be closed down.
by Benjamin Herold for NewsWorks, a Notebook news partner
Philadelphia School District officials are recommending that Discovery Charter School in West Philadelphia be shut down, due to a high-stakes dispute over enrollment caps and $406,000.
Confronted with a similar threat, Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter in Kensington last month repaid the District more than $435,000.
The School Reform Commission could vote on Discovery's future later this week.
With Superintendent William Hite pushing a freeze on charter expansion due to the District's budget crisis, charter operators around the city will be watching the stand-off with Discovery closely as they consider their own plans to grow.

Corbett's education secretary said to be looking for a new job. Inquirer
District's nursing cuts are putting students at risk. NewsWorks
Charter school lawyers ask judge to postpone whistleblower's suit. Inquirer
Teacher: The PSSA is the wrong way to test some schoolchildren. Inquirer
Parents are mobilizing, the way they know how. Notebook
PSP will give $600K to eight Catholic high schools. Inquirer
School funding mess heats up city controller race. Daily News
Councilwomen to Gov: Shadow a Philly kid for a day to see your cuts. Patriot-News
Paul Vallas' "Nixon goes to China" moment. Answer Sheet
Math skills at age 7 predict how much money you'll make. Atlantic
News summary from Keystone State Education Coalition
by Aaron Moselle for NewsWorks
When it comes to teaching, Catherine Michini is exceedingly humble.
In fact, the longtime math teacher said she felt funny receiving the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation's Distinguished Teaching Award this week. The honor is handed out each year to one teacher at each of the city's public high schools.
Being singled out is just not her style.
by Kristen Poole
Hundreds of students marched to City Hall yesterday demanding that the city help with the School District's dire budget shortfall. It was an admirable, even inspiring moment of collective civic action. The students, who came from many different schools, organized a march in the ways expected from young people today: over social media, through text messaging, and by word of mouth.
The demonstration was both highly visible and audible. It could be tracked with news helicopters in the air and documented by iPhones on the ground.
Lately, there has been a surge of activity more difficult to see and hear. I'm referring to the activity of hundreds of parents fighting for the schools. Those of us with work to do, dinner to cook, and kids to car-pool haven’t been staging large Occupy Wall Street-type protests. But don’t mistake our lack of chanting on Broad Street for silence.

Schools' need for money center of attention in Philadelphia. NewsWorks via Notebook
See also: Philly schools seek $304M to avoid harmful cuts. AP
City leaders pledge effort to find $180 million in additional school funding. Inquirer
Students protest at City Hall as debate heats up over school funding. City Paper
See also: Students stage protest march on Broad Street. 6ABC
Protesting budget cuts, students march on City Hall. NewsWorks via Notebook
Students marched on City Hall and School District to protest budget cuts. NBC10
Nutter proposes alcohol, tobacco tax hikes to help fill school budget shortfall. Daily News
If the District wants parental support for more funding, it must redo the budget. Inquirer
Council President: City won’t give School District more money until the state does. CBS Philly
The education gap has narrowed sharply for Latinos the last decade. NY Times
News summary from Keystone State Education Coalition
Two days after hundreds of students from around the city rallied outside School District headquarters protesting budget cuts, hundreds more left school today to march on City Hall. (Video by NewsWorks)
by Tom MacDonald for NewsWorks
Time is running out on efforts to close the Philadelphia School District's $300 million budget shortfall. Mayor Nutter led a rally for school funding in South Philadelphia while City Council continues to wrestle with the budget.
Parents at Julia de Burgos School in the Fairhill section of North Philadelphia plan to protest the District's proposed school budget cuts on Friday morning.
Tassie Rivera, a parent leader at de Burgos, is organizing the rally, which is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. in front of the school. Rivera, whose son is in 3rd grade, said she was shocked into action after she received a letter from the school outlining the slashing impact the District's financial crisis would have on the school's budget and urging parents to help.

South Philly High teacher wins $20K award for ed-tech startup. Notebook
City and state leaders are playing a game of "chicken" against the city's students. Inquirer
How a few Philly high school students organized themselves into a few hundred in four days. AxisPhilly
Plan to fund $60 million School District request begins to take shape. Daily News
Councilwoman tells Corbett to come visit a Philly school. Inquirer
Nutter and Hite will rally in support of cash-starved District. CBS Philly
City Council not a part of mayor's rally to support school funding. Daily News
Musician launches campaign to help save music programs in Philly schools. Burlington County Times
Corbett's liquor-funded grant program bill was introduced to the state House. Patriot-News
How to rejuvenate yourself and your students after testing. Edutopia
Poverty and student achievement: Are we comparing the wrong groups? Answer Sheet
News summary from Keystone State Education Coalition
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