Closed Philly schools — hot properties or a herd of white elephants?
by Elizabeth Fiedler for NewsWorks Sell off closed schools to help keep other Philadelphia schools open. In essence, that's the idea being pushed by City Council President Darrell Clarke. Philadelphia public schools are expected to open on time, despite continuing squabbles over funding. But City Hall politicians are still battling over how to pull together the $50 million dollars in city aid th
Countdown, Day 19: Facing the threat of split-grade classrooms
A big way for school districts to save money is to hire fewer teachers. And one way to hire fewer teachers is to fill each classroom with the maximum number of students allowed under the teachers' contract and to use "split grades," in which students on two grade levels are mixed together. For instance, if there are 44 1st graders and 44 2nd graders in a school, one can have two 1st grades and two
Notes from the news, Aug. 21
Schools bring back staff, but many can only afford aides. Notebook Settlement in charter school whistle-blower suit. Inquirer State Rep. Sims to Pa.: Put your money where your kids are. Philly.com Letter to Mayor Nutter: All Philly school children need your help. NewsWorks Amid cuts and closures, Philly students build a shrine for their school. Next City Students, parents and school staff rally fo