Important changes are starting to ripple throughout the District as a result of Superintendent William Hite’s focus on making all students proficient readers by the time they are 8 years old. The literacy crusade is one of four key “anchor goals” of Hite’s action plan...
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2014 brought charters a chance at expansion – The Philadelphia Public School Notebook – January 27, 2015
As 2014 began, it looked as if it might be the year in which the state legislature would finally revise the nearly two-decade-old charter law. There was anticipation that Republican legislators would try to boost then-Gov. Tom Corbett’s poll numbers – sagging mostly...
DN Editorial: Choking on Charters – The Philadelphia Daily News – January 27, 2015
WHO GETS to make key decisions regarding the future of public education? Those who send their kids to schools? The taxpayers who pay for it? Lawmakers who provide school funding? Experts who study academic data and performance? The good news is that everyone has a...
Rick Smith Talks with Donna Cooper, Executive Director of Public Citizens for Children and Youth, about PA House Leader Mike Turzai’s Attempt to Bully Philly to Sell the Gas Works – Raging Chicken Press – January 27, 2015
Donna Cooper, executive director of Public Citizens for Children and Youth joins Rick to talk about the latest outrageous strong-arm tactic being deployed by GOP Speaker of the House Mike Turzai and the students his bullying will harm. Listen to Donna’s interview HERE...
Who’s involved in the Read! by 4th campaign – The Philadelphia Public School Notebook – January 27, 2015
Memoranda of understanding have been signed by four dozen organizations, detailing what they will do to support three of the main goals of the READ! by 4th initiative – boosting school attendance, reaching out to parents, and preventing summer learning loss. Among the...
Guess What Happens When States Fund Their Schools and How Philadelphia Can Make History on Pre-K – January 23, 2015
New Research Backs the Need for Pennsylvania to Fund its Schools No surprise here! When underfunded schools have proper funding, students do better in the classroom and in life according to a recently released report from researchers from Northwestern and...
Watchdog group says no to new charter schools – The Philadelphia Tribune – January 23, 2015
A new report recommending no new charter school approvals in 2015 finds fault with state legislation that required a new round of applications as a condition of extending a local cigarette sales tax. Public Citizens for Children and Youth, which advocates for quality...
Approve quality charters or reject them all? Which is the irresponsible move? – The Philadelphia Public School Notebook – January 23, 2015
Last week, I received an email from the Philadelphia School Partnership expressing outrage over a recent report by Public Citizens for Children and Youth that recommended the School Reform Commission should not approve any of the 40 pending charter school...
Turzai pushes for many new Phila. charters – The Philadelphia Inquirer – January 22, 2015
On the same day that the Philadelphia School Reform Commission was told it could not scrap the teachers' contract to save money, the state House speaker urged the commission to approve more charter schools. Twenty-seven of the 40 applicants for new charters "are doing...
Teachers praise Wolf’s nomination for education secretary – The Philadelphia Tribune – January 22, 2015
The city teacher’s union has praised the nomination of Pedro Rivera as the state’s next education secretary. Officials said he has experience as a teacher and administrator in the city’s public schools. “Because his career has taken him from teacher, to principal, to...