Philadelphia City Council To Hold Hearings On School Closures
The Philadelphia School District's decision to close as many as nine schools is prompting City Council to schedule its own inquiry.
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The Philadelphia School District's decision to close as many as nine schools is prompting City Council to schedule its own inquiry.
It's been ten years since the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania took control of the Philadelphia school system, but even those who initially supported the state takeover acknowledge a seemingly neverending torrent of problems.
Public hearings are set on the school district's plan to close nine schools and reconfigure others, under a wide-ranging facilities plan.
Officials at the Philadelphia School District today unveiled the first step in a plan to downsize the district substantially by closing schools across the city.
"We're not giving to the district, we are really giving to the children of Philadelphia because we do care about what happens in schools and what happens to the kids," Federation president Jerry Jordan says.
Cary's novel, "The Price of a Child," was the first "One Book, One Philadelphia" pick in 2003, and she founded Art Sanctuary 13 years ago.
One of the missions this year, according to the mayor, is making further inroads into cutting Philadelphia's high school dropout rate.
"We commit as a commission to work in a transparent and efficient manner. That's going to be extremely important. We have to get the public's respect and trust in this process," Pritchett said.
The help comes in two forms: The mayor's Chief Education Officer Lori Shorr and former district Chief Academic Officer Ed Williams will each serve as executive advisers to acting superintendent Lee Nunery during the search for a permanent superintendent.
The head of Philadelphia's embattled School Reform Commission -- attorney Robert Archie -- has resigned, along with member Johnny Irizarry, and now it is up to Mayor Nutter to fill those seats.
After a tumultuous summer that saw the buyout of Superintendent Arlene Ackerman, a new school year begins today for Philadelphia public school students.
"The last six months have been a debacle of planning, financial mismanagement, a leadership vacuum and a human resource crisis," state senator Mike Stack says.
Now that she's officially unemployed, former Philadelphia schools superintendent Arlene Ackerman is on the offensive. In interviews, she's blaming her departure on politicians and some school district officials. The comments may be jeopardizing her generous buy-out.
The School Reform Commission issued a statement that Ackerman will be paid $905,000, the amount due on the remainder of her contract.
Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter is backing the decision to remove Arlene Ackerman as schools superintendent, and he is glad the taxpayers' portion of the buyout was limited to half a million dollars.
Meanwhile, a political watchdog group in Philadelphia says that private donations for a public sector bailout would be wrong.
It's a win for the teachers' union, who said all along that their contract called for layoffs by seniority and that no group of teachers should be bypassed.
The Pennsylvania Education Department is receiving responses from dozens of school districts across the Commonwealth, including the School District of Philadelphia, that were ordered to look into scoring irregularities on 2009 state standardized test scores.
Where was Superintendent Arlene Ackerman? She was not at Wednesday's School Reform Commission meeting, amid reports that the SRC wants her out.
Amid rumors swirling about the future of Philadelphia schools chief Arlene Ackerman, her administration has announced deep cuts in one of her signature programs.
A School District of Philadelphia educator offers some advice for parents who are already eyeing the "back to school" supply displays at local store.
Summer schools run by the Philadelphia School District are dismissing early on Thursday and closing altogether on Friday because of the heat.
The School District of Philadelphia says a draft document listing perks that were not approved for schools superintendent Arlene Ackerman should have remained under wraps.
The city has released a pile of internal documents the school district provided as part of their so-called "Education Accountability Agreement."
Word of a cheating scandal in Atlanta schools got Pennsylvania state rep Michael McGeehan thinking: what ever happened to a similar case in Philadelphia?
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is overseeing the $19.5 million effort to build the beach back up between 16th Street and Seaview Road.
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The crash happened on the 700 block of South Christopher Columbus Boulevard around 1 a.m. Friday.
This beautiful stretch of weather isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
A 13-year-old boy accused of assaulting two people with fireworks earlier this month in Wilmington faces attempted murder charges, police say.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is overseeing the $19.5 million effort to build the beach back up between 16th Street and Seaview Road.
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The crash happened on the 700 block of South Christopher Columbus Boulevard around 1 a.m. Friday.
The five cases are all in Kent County among people who are not vaccinated and one is in the hospital, health officials said.
This beautiful stretch of weather isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
The crash happened on the 700 block of South Christopher Columbus Boulevard around 1 a.m. Friday.
A Delaware County animal rescue said it has made the heartbreaking decision to stop accepting new animals after reaching capacity.
The founder of Operation Save Our City is facing charges for allegedly stabbing another woman on a SEPTA train.
The investigation at Eugene Horsch's house on Chew Avenue in Olney will take time, an expert says.
SEPTA is investigating after an officer was captured on video shoving a man in Kensington.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is overseeing the $19.5 million effort to build the beach back up between 16th Street and Seaview Road.
The software company at the center of a New Jersey noncitizen voting controversy fired back Thursday, saying the state is responsible for the snafu.
Three hundred installations at the Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton are combining the restorative powers of being outside with art.
Customers lined up to support Somerdale Cold Cuts as it reopened after a copper theft.
A South Jersey nonprofit that helps provide food and essentials to those in need said they had to temporarily close because they ran out of food.
A 13-year-old boy accused of assaulting two people with fireworks earlier this month in Wilmington faces attempted murder charges, police say.
The Wilmington Blue Rocks officially has a new owner, and with it comes new hope for the future of the ballpark.
New reward announced seven years after Susan Ledyard's body was recovered from the Brandywine River.
The five cases are all in Kent County among people who are not vaccinated and one is in the hospital, health officials said.
Police in Wilmington are increasing patrols after receiving 28 reports of car break-ins and attempted thefts last weekend.
Three hundred installations at the Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton are combining the restorative powers of being outside with art.
Dr. Kirti Chopra, who allegedly put patients at risk with unsanitary practices in her dental office, is allowed to reopen.
The five cases are all in Kent County among people who are not vaccinated and one is in the hospital, health officials said.
Health officials in Delaware have confirmed the first cases of measles in the state in more than a decade.
Taylor Farms said none of its branded salads or kits contain the iceberg lettuce associated with the outbreak.
Customers lined up to support Somerdale Cold Cuts as it reopened after a copper theft.
While some assume landlords are required to provide air conditioning, the law is not nearly as clear-cut as it is for heat in the winter
New Jersey is set to charge companies whose workers have Medicaid health coverage.
Target is voluntarily recalling two types of baby wipes due to concerns that the products may be contaminated with bacteria that may cause "serious and life-threatening infections," the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board says it will begin approving the extended-hours permits for Philadelphia businesses within the next week.
PennDOT is advising drivers about an overnight closure on the Schuylkill Expressway westbound in West Philadelphia between 30th Street and the interchange with I-676 East.
Pennsylvania State Police are investigating two crashes, one of which was fatal, that happened hours apart on I-95 and I-76 in Philadelphia.
An overturned tractor trailer blocked traffic on the southbound lanes of Route 55 after a crash early Monday morning in Gloucester County, New Jersey.
A major rail injection saw service suspensions and delays after a SEPTA Regional Rail train derailed Wednesday in Philadelphia.
Three men died in a plane crash in Maryland Saturday night, police said.
The 2026 Independence Day Regatta begins Friday morning with the championship final scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
Max Muncy hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth inning, as the Dodgers beat the Phillies Wednesday night.
The Philadelphia Union beat the New York Red Bulls 3-1 on Wednesday night for their first win in more than three months.
Max Muncy hit a two-run homer, Justin Wrobleski pitched into the seventh inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat Zack Wheeler and the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 on Tuesday night.
Trea Turner hit two homers, including the 200th of his career, and drove in five runs, Bryce Harper and Brandon Marsh also went deep and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-7.
A warmup jacket worn by Wilt Chamberlain during the 1972 NBA finals that was found in an Oregon thrift store could fetch more than $150,000 in an auction closing Monday.
The actor's agent said he was providing more information following news reports "which contain inaccuracies and outright falsehoods."
Will Ferrell stopped in the Philadelphia area Monday to promote his new Netflix comedy series.
New Zealand actor Sam Neill, known for "Jurassic Park" and "The Piano," died Monday at 78, his family says.
The nominations for the 78th annual Primetime Emmy Awards were announced Wednesday morning in Los Angeles, with the final season of HBO Max's "Hacks" setting a new record for the most nominations in a single year for a comedy series.
Ukee Washington reports.
Natasha Brown reports.
Natasha Brown reports.
Natasha Brown reports.
Ukee Washington reports.
Middle school students in Philadelphia got the opportunity to do hands-on learning during the school district's five-day career and technical camp.
With her Girl Talk mentoring program, one Philadelphia teen turned her camp days into a safe space to discuss social issues young girls face every day.
Recent high school graduate Sylvain Farrell says his temporary position at a local clinic is the pathway to a full-time career.
A Philadelphia student won an award from NFL Films for his documentary on bringing back sports teams at his Kensington school.
A group of East Norriton eighth graders took what started as an Earth Day project and made a whole initiative.
13-year old Adam Chan is taking part in the Ben to the Shore Bike Tour in honor of his dad Andy and to raise money for families of fallen and critically injured first responders.
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The law prohibits stores and third-party delivery apps from using data such as location, browsing history or income to determine how much you pay.
20-year-old Bryce Wolfe was struck and killed while riding his motorcycle near Reservoir Drive in Philadelphia on June 24.
The deadly crash happened just before 1 a.m. Friday in Penn's Landing.