Philadelphia Schools

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: Quiet Drama in Philadelphia

Ellen Brown | Posted 05.22.2012

Ellen Brown

Why does there always seem to be enough money for military expansion, prisons, bank bailouts and tax cuts for the wealthy, but not enough for education -- or for jobs, housing, healthcare, or old age pensions?

Fixing Philadelphia's Broken Pipeline To College

| Benjamin Herold | Posted 05.18.2012

This piece comes to us courtesy of a partnership between the Philadelphia Public School Notebook, WHYY/NewsWorks, American Graduate: Let's Make it Hap...

64 Schools To Close Amid Impending Dissolution Of Philadelphia District

| Dale Mezzacappa | Posted 04.25.2012

This piece comes to us courtesy of the Philadelphia Public School Notebook. District staff and consultants are recommending a sweeping overhaul of ...

Family Arrested After Chanting, Stripping Naked Outside Pennsylvania School

AP | Posted 03.17.2012

UPPER DARBY, Pa. -- Authorities say four family members were arrested after stripping naked outside a suburban Philadelphia high school and chanting "...

8th Grader Arrested For Punching Teacher In Class

AP | Posted 02.13.2012

PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia police say an eighth-grader attacked his science teacher during class and has been arrested. Officer Jillian Russell say...

Philadelphia High School Dropouts And The Job Market: No Diploma, No Job

| Benjamin Herold | Posted 04.08.2012

This piece comes to us courtesy of a partnership between the Philadelphia Public School Notebook, WHYY/NewsWorks, American Graduate: Let's Make it Hap...

Pennsylvania Teacher Working For Free Gets Surprise On Ellen Degeneres Show

Posted 04.03.2012

Teachers from the troubled Chester Upland School District in Pennsylvania made the news when they opted to continue teaching for free, after the distr...

Ousted Schools Chief Denied Unemployment After $900,000 Buyout

AP | Posted 02.02.2012

PHILADELPHIA -- The state has denied the unemployment claim filed by the ousted former head of Philadelphia's public school system after she received ...

Pennsylvania District Bans Fur-lined Boots Over Cellphones

AP | Posted 01.27.2012

POTTSTOWN, Pa. -- A suburban Philadelphia middle school's ban on a popular type of fur-lined boots isn't about fashion, it's about cellphones. Pottst...

Teacher From Troubled District To Sit WIth Michelle Obama During State Of The Union, Write HuffPost Blog

Posted 01.25.2012

When the troubled Chester Upland School District in Pennsylvania was drained of funding, officials realized they couldn't afford to pay its staff afte...

Education Department Seeks Public Input To Prevent Cheating In Schools

AP | Posted 01.20.2012

WASHINGTON -- The Education Department wants the public's input to develop guidelines to prevent and detect cheating. The effort comes after several c...

Crisis In Chester Upland: Putting Private Profits Above Student Success

Dennis Van Roekel | Posted 03.20.2012

Dennis Van Roekel

While the sad saga of the Chester Upland district seems unique, it actually reflects some troubling trends that are all too common in public education today.

Students Rally At Philadelphia Schools Slated To Close

AP | Posted 03.10.2012

PHILADELPHIA — Students at several Philadelphia-area Catholic schools slated for closure staged rallies Monday to voice their opposition to an a...

48 Philadelphia Catholic Schools To Close, Reorganize

AP | KATHY MATHESON | Posted 03.07.2012

PHILADELPHIA — The Archdiocese of Philadelphia plans to shutter about a quarter of its Roman Catholic high schools and close or combine nearly 3...

Boy Was Locked In Cold School Stairwell For Over 9 Hours

AP | Posted 02.16.2012

PHILADELPHIA -- A 13-year-old boy says he spent more than nine cold, hungry and lonely hours trapped in a stairwell at a Philadelphia school. Seventh...

Still Full of Life, 114-Year-Old Philadelphia School Faces Closure

| Benjamin Herold and Jessica Kourkounis | Posted 02.15.2012

This piece comes to us courtesy of the Philadelphia Public School Notebook and WHYY's Newsworks. Isaac A. Sheppard Elementary School, now 114 years...

School Nixes $14 Million Award For Student Injured In Bus Crash

AP | Posted 02.12.2012

FALLSINGTON, Pa. — A suburban Philadelphia school district said Tuesday that it's legally restricted to pay no more than $500,000 to a former hi...

District Sued For Using Webcams To Spy On Students

AP | Posted 12.09.2011

PHILADELPHIA -- A suburban Philadelphia school district that paid more than $600,000 to settle allegations it used laptop webcams to spy on students i...

Embattled Ex-Schools Chief Defends Unemployment Application Despite Huge Buyout

AP | Posted 02.07.2012

PHILADELPHIA — The ousted former head of Philadelphia's public schools says she's only taking what's rightfully hers by applying for unemploymen...

Embattled Ex-Philadelphia Schools Chief Applies For Unemployment

AP | Posted 02.01.2012

PHILADELPHIA -- The former Philadelphia schools superintendent who received more than $900,000 in severance pay is looking to collect unemployment. A...

Catholic School Teachers End Two-Week Strike

AP | Posted 11.19.2011

PHILADELPHIA — Students at Roman Catholic high schools in the Philadelphia area will be returning to class now that a teachers strike has ended....

Teachers And Archdiocese Reach Tentative Agreement After Strikes

AP | Posted 11.19.2011

PHILADELPHIA — Negotiators for Philadelphia's lay Catholic school teachers and the archdiocese said Sunday that they have reached a tentative ag...

Donors Back Out Of Vowed $405,000 In Philly Schools Chief's Nearly $1 Million Buyout

AP | Posted 11.08.2011

PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia school officials say private donors reneged on nearly $405,000 in pledges toward a severance package for the superintende...

Zachary Stalberg: Suspicion Surrounds $1 Million Philly Chief Buyout

| Zachary Stalberg | Posted 11.02.2011

This piece comes to us courtesy of Education Nation's The Learning Curve blog. Zachary Stalberg, president and CEO of Philadelphia government watchdog...

School Bus Driver Sentenced For Fatal Crash Involving Cell Phone

AP | By MARYCLAIRE DALE | Posted 10.25.2011

PHILADELPHIA -- A suburban Philadelphia man once at the center of a national debate on cellphones and driving will spend one to two years behind bars ...