Focus on School Funding
October 2010 Vol. 18 No. 2
It's just a few miles from Overbrook High School (left) at 59th Street and Lancaster Avenue across City Avenue to the new building that houses Lower Merion High School.
Parallel worlds: Two schools a short journey apart
by Bill Hangley, Jr.
The two schools are less than four miles apart. But what separates Lower Merion High from Overbrook High is more than distance.
On a balmy night in early September, the parents of new freshmen are streaming through Lower Merion’s gleaming glass doors. They file down the halls into a soaring auditorium that smells like a new car. There, Principal Sean Hughes welcomes them to a brand new building and a world of high expectations.
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Rendell: Education investments 'moved the ball forward'
by Dale Mezzacappa and Rajiv Venkataramanan
Gov. Ed Rendell will leave office in a few months confident that he “dramatically moved the ball forward” to improve education in Pennsylvania.
He cites a new funding formula more closely based on student need, rising test scores, more early childhood education, expanded full-day kindergarten, tutoring for more than 100,000 students, and programs to improve schools’ use of technology.
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From inside and out, a push for better fiscal oversight
by Paul Socolar
Philadelphia has no shortage of critics, particularly in the Pennsylvania legislature, who are eager to argue that city schools don’t deserve additional funds. The last thing that District officials want to do is to give these critics ammunition. That makes the job of overseeing Philadelphia’s $3.2 billion schools budget a high-stakes task.
A fiasco like the “surprise” $73 million deficit of 2006 can undermine years of persuasion that putting additional funds into Philadelphia schools is a wise investment.
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Table of Contents
Theme articles
- Parallel worlds: Two schools a short journey apart by Bill Hangley, Jr.
- Following the money: How Philadelphia and Pa. pay for schools by Rajiv Venkataramanan and Dale Mezzacappa
- District tries new weighted funding approach for equity by Daniel Denvir
- Rendell: Education investments 'moved the ball forward' by Dale Mezzacappa and Rajiv Venkataramanan
- Web Exclusive Changes in federal role, funding continue under Obama by Katherine Saviskas
- Hot topic in governor's race: State funds for private tuition by Rajiv Venkataramanan
- Legislators are taking issue with state's funding formula by Rajiv Venkataramanan
- Despite empty coffers, state is divided on raising money by Rajiv Venkataramanan
- From inside and out, a push for better fiscal oversight by Paul Socolar
- A friend of education funding is moving on by Bill Hangley, Jr.
- Web resources on funding
- Quicktakes: How have you creatively maximized resources for your school? by Benjamin Herold
Other news & features
- Open for business, looking to expand by Benjamin Herold
- South Philly starts year with high hopes for change by Daniel Denvir
- Facing sharp funding drop, District examines its options by Paul Socolar
- Confessions of a fifth-year teacher by Molly Thacker
Member profile
- A history of involvement for more than two decades by Benjamin Herold
Cartoon
- October edition cartoon by Eric Joselyn
In our opinion
- Trouble ahead
- Home-grown reform
From our readers
- Military presence in high schools
- Higher standards from our public schools
Eye on special education
- Reform of state's special ed funding: Just a step away from being realized by Daniel Denvir
School snapshot
- West Philly Hybrid X Team
Activism around the city
- Community members plan for future of William Penn H.S. by Brad Gibson
- YUC survey takes hard look at zero tolerance policies by Brad Gibson
- PSU ties its fair funding work to campaign for safe schools by Brad Gibson
News in brief
- Multilingual services expanded; advocates say more are needed by Gustavo Martínez Contreras
- Under new policy, SRC allows 17 charters to add students by Monika Zaleska
- Reports from ARC, Law Center examine alternative education by Monika Zaleska
Sports stories
- Coach's summer game plan: SAT prep by Benjamin Herold
En español
- Asunto candente en las elecciones para gobernador: Dólares estatales para matrícula en escuela privada por Rajiv Venkataramanan
- Distritos reciben distintas asignaciones del presupuesto estatal por Rajiv Venkataramanan y Dale Mezzacappa
- Se necesitan más fondos estatales para las escuelas, dijo estudio del 2008 por Rajiv Venkataramanan y Dale Mezzacappa
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