Pennsport: A Union Leader’s Voice Worth Hearing
Kathleen Kramer is a 5th grade teacher at Vare-Washington Elementary School and a union leader for the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. She has been the Union Leader for six years and has many responsibilities, including informing staff of any union issues and keeping track of vision and dental forms. What is the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers? […]
Education: Schools Teeter on the Brink of Financial Crisis
Philadelphia has had a big year. It’s welcomed the pope, honored the Dalai Lama and was named a World Heritage site by UNESCO. But behind the scenes is a building crisis: its schools are failing. Since 2011, the School District of Philadelphia has been operating with inadequate financial support, constrained by lingering budgetary stalemates in […]
Education: Five Ways Budget Cuts Hurt City Schools
It’s the eighth largest district in the country and one of the two poorest. Despite tying with urban Chicago school districts for the most financially disadvantaged, The School District of Philadelphia (SDP) remains one of the most robust in terms of enrollment. Serving more than 200,000 students across 214 public and 86 charter schools, the […]
Nicetown: Will Steel Elementary Become A Charter School?
On May 1, parents will vote on whether to keep Steel Elementary School in the hands of the school district, or to allow Mastery Charter to take over operations. Several parent and teacher groups have been firm in their opposition, claiming that such a takeover would take away resources from students. “Rather than provide schools […]
Spruce Hill: Lottery Brings New Era for Penn Alexander
Penn Alexander School’s kindergarten waitlist ended this year, changing to a contested lottery. Traditionally, parents had waited in line for days to register. School District Superintendent William Hite made the change within days of becoming aware of the situation, said Fernando Gallard, chief of communications for the School District. “It was a change that was […]