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Panel to discuss pushback on high-stakes testing

Submitted by Helen Gym on Tue, 05/14/2013 - 18:05 Posted in Commentary | Permalink

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.”

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What should be done with University City High School after it closes?

Submitted by thenotebook on Tue, 05/14/2013 - 15:53 Posted in Events | Permalink

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.

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Watch: SRC meeting on blended learning

Submitted by thenotebook on Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:28 | Permalink


 

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. 

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District staff recommends closing Imani Charter

Submitted by David Limm on Mon, 05/13/2013 - 14:39 Posted in Latest news | Permalink

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. 

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District gets tough with two charters over money dispute

Submitted by thenotebook on Mon, 05/13/2013 - 10:34 Posted in Latest news | Permalink

by Benjamin Herold for NewsWorks, a Notebook news partner

Discovery Charter School officials say the District's threat to revoke its charter could lead to default on a bond being used to build a new facility at Belmont and Parkside in West Philadelphia. (Benjamin Herold/WHYY)

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.

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5 Northwest Philly teachers win Lindback awards near end of tumultuous school year

Submitted by thenotebook on Fri, 05/10/2013 - 15:14 Posted in Latest news | Permalink

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.

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Parents are mobilizing, the way they know how

Submitted by thenotebook on Fri, 05/10/2013 - 11:55 Posted in Commentary | Permalink

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.

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Protesting budget cuts, students march on City Hall

Submitted by thenotebook on Thu, 05/09/2013 - 18:26 Posted in Latest news | Permalink

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)

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Schools' need for money center of attention in Philadelphia

Submitted by thenotebook on Thu, 05/09/2013 - 17:54 Posted in Latest news | Permalink

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.

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Parents at North Philly school to protest budget cuts

Submitted by thenotebook on Thu, 05/09/2013 - 13:44 Posted in Latest news | Permalink

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.

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