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Hello! It’s Rebecca here from Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
Philadelphia school officials don’t want families to leave the district due to planned school closures — so they’re promising the “red carpet treatment” for families at closing schools. But they’ve shared few details about what that will actually look like.
Superintendent Tony Watlington announced Tuesday that he has appointed Assistant Superintendent Shakeera Warthen-Canty to lead the district’s new School Transition Office. And he said the district’s plan to close 17 schools and renovate nearly 170 others “will be all worth it” to provide more class options, better buildings, and more pre-K access.
Also new this week: Only 8% of Philly voters say public education is headed in the right direction, according to a new poll. Read the full story here.
P.S. Have questions about the midterms? Our sister newsroom Votebeat is hosting an event on July 13 to answer them. Votebeat Pennsylvania reporter Carter Walker will be participating and is able to answer questions about how elections work in Philadelphia and the surrounding region. RSVP here for free!
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Local News
Only 8% of Philly voters say public education is headed in the right direction
Most voters say Philadelphia schools are on the wrong track as the district grapples with closures, budget tensions, and staffing challenges.
Teenagers took over Philadelphia city government for a day. Here’s how it went.
At the 2026 Philadelphia City Government Youth Summit, nearly 100 teens debated legislation, negotiated policy, and discovered how difficult governing can be.
Around Chalkbeat
Non-college career pathways have a math problem
A Chalkbeat analysis of federal wage data finds some trades offer middle-class wages, but many common jobs that don’t require bachelor’s degrees fall short.
New Jersey invests record money in preschool, but serving multilingual learners is another story
While state laws mandate districts to provide language services, those services are implemented differently from district to district with no real way to track their impact on preschool-aged multilingual learners.
NYC’s $1.9 billion dilemma: How long can schools be ‘held harmless’ for enrollment losses?
New York City will spend $290 million to ensure schools with declining enrollment don’t lose money this school year. That’s on top of $1.6 billion the city has spent on “hold harmless” over the past six years.
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What We’re Reading
Philadelphia leaders press state officials to step up education funding during visit to Harrisburg, WHYY
What will Philly look like in 25 years? These kids wrote plays about the changes they want to see. The Philadelphia Inquirer (Paywall)
Some Pa. private education leaders join GOP push for the state to join federal school choice program, Pennsylvania Capital-Star
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