Stories of interest to parents
Winners of the Philadelphia student journalism awards
Submitted by thenotebook on Mon, 06/17/2013 - 14:14 Posted in Latest news | Permalink
The Notebook announced the winners of the ninth annual Philadelphia Student Journalism Awards for high school journalists at its “Turning the Page for Change” event last week. The Notebook recognizes and honors the best work of Philadelphia's high school newspaper writers and editors during a special awards ceremony at the annual event. This year, illustrations and photography were also included in the honors.
Twelve high schools submitted entries from print and online publications. Notebook staff and volunteers evaluated the submissions and selected a winner in each of four categories. The winners received prizes, including a cash award, and honorable mentions received citations during the Notebook’s event, which was held last Tuesday at University of the Arts, Hamilton Hall.
Here are this year's winners and honorable mention recipients.
Update: What's going on with the District's closings plan?
Submitted by Wendy Harris on Thu, 05/23/2013 - 11:56 Posted in Latest news | Permalink
In June, the District will close 24 schools for good, displacing about 14,000 students. Since the School Reform Commission voted in March in favor of the closings, many parents and students have been concerned about whether transition plans will go smoothly.
The Notebook asked the District’s Chief of Student Services Karyn Lynch, by email, for an update about the closings process regarding safety plans, teacher placement, student placement, and the preparation at receiving schools.
South Philadelphia High School principal Otis Hackney also gave his perspective about the safety concerns that some have expressed regarding Southern as the receiving school for Bok Technical, which is closing.
59 teachers named Lindback award winners
Submitted by Wendy Harris on Tue, 05/07/2013 - 10:40 Posted in Events | Permalink
Today is National Teacher Day, and this afternoon 59 Philadelphia teachers, one from each District high school, will receive the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation’s Distinguished Teaching Award.
The honorees will join Superintendent William Hite, School Reform Commissioner Wendell Pritchett, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers president Jerry Jordan, three trustees from the Lindback Foundation, and others for the celebration, which will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Prince Music Theater.
Randi Weingarten to speak Tuesday at YUC awards ceremony
Submitted by Wendy Harris on Mon, 05/06/2013 - 14:43 Posted in Events | Permalink
Youth United for Change will hold its 22nd annual award ceremony and reception on Tuesday, May 7. The theme for this year’s event is “Defending Public Education.” American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten will be the keynote speaker.
As a union leader, Weingarten has advocated for partnerships with parents and students around reforms that improve public school education nationwide. In March, she joined hundreds of teachers, students, parents, and other public school advocates outside District headquarters in Philadelphia to protest mass school closings. She later was arrested, along with 18 other protesters, after an organized attempt to block School Reform Commission members from entering a meeting to vote on which schools would be shuttered.
The city and District funding crisis: Use 2002 as a model for 2013
Submitted by thenotebook on Fri, 05/03/2013 - 16:36 Posted in Commentary | Permalink
by Michael Masch
I am struck by how many supposedly politically sophisticated public school advocates appear to be urging City Council to give the Philadelphia School District more money, independent of what the state does. If that happens, most of the horrible cuts now looming will still occur, since $60 million represents less than 20 percent of the District’s identified 2013-14 budget gap.
It seems to me that Council President Darrell Clarke has a point when he says that Council has already increased city funding for the District two years in a row, even as the Commonwealth was cutting and freezing its funding, and it's just not smart for the city to do that again.
Local dance group teaches academics using hip hop
Submitted by thenotebook on Fri, 05/03/2013 - 12:01 Posted in Latest news | Permalink
This guest blog post comes from Aaron Troisi, a board member of the Philadelphia Coalition Advocating for Public Schools.
With the School District cutting programs and closing neighborhood schools, the city’s children may soon receive some educational assistance from an unlikely source – Philadelphia’s hip-hop community.
Hip Hop Fundamentals, a local group of dancers who use breakdancing to teach academic content, are gearing up to tour their empowering “Civil Rights Movements” assembly to 10 neighborhood public schools at no cost to the local schools. But first they have to raise some money.
Curriculum Fair and Education Summit taking place this Saturday
Submitted by Samuel Reed III on Fri, 05/03/2013 - 10:23 Posted in Events | Permalink
Teacher Action Group Philadelphia and the Campaign for Nonviolent Schools will hold the 4th annual Education for Liberation Curriculum Fair and Citywide Summit on Saturday, May 4, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Folks Arts and Cultural Treasures charter school.
The theme for this year’s curriculum fair and summit is “Flipping the Script in Philadelphia.”
Technology fair to help families improve digital literacy
Submitted by thenotebook on Fri, 04/26/2013 - 12:32 Posted in Events | Permalink
Interested in improving your computer skills? As part of Comcast Cares Day and Philly Tech Week, the School District of Philadelphia, Comcast, and KEYSPOT are co-sponsoring a free Digital Resource Fair tomorrow, April 27, for students and families.
PCAPS talks new strategy as it regroups
Submitted by thenotebook on Thu, 04/18/2013 - 14:12 Posted in Latest news | Permalink
by Charlotte Pope
Now that the School Reform Commission has voted to close 23 schools, the Philadelphia Coalition Advocating for Public Schools -- a major voice in the school-closings debate -- is regrouping and laying out its next steps.
About 200 people came together Wednesday evening during the group’s general assembly to hear about a new three-part campaign focusing on school funding, community schools, and charter school accountability.
On-time graduation rate has climbed 20 points in a decade
by Paul Socolar Posted in April 2013 Edition | Permalink
The School District’s on-time graduation rate has continued on its upward trend. For a second year in a row, it climbed three percentage points last year – to 64 percent. That figure tells the percentage of students entering 9th grade in fall 2008 who finished high school by 2012.
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Urban School NewsStories from other cities
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- Closings put community schools in peril
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- In the News: Byrd-Bennett, Lewis offer divergent visions
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