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Hello and happy Friday. I’m Carly Sitrin with Chalkbeat Philly.
This week has felt like a year. On Monday, we found out the school board would be scheduling a vote on the district’s plan to close 17 schools and modernize nearly 170 others. But then City Councilmembers spent Tuesday and Wednesday blasting district and board leadership for that decision, saying they had major issues with the plan. School closures have quickly become the biggest political fight in the city.
On Thursday, two hours before the board meeting, the board said they’d delay the vote on the closure plan until April 30. So get that date on your calendar and let us know what questions you have about this topic. We’ll be there!
Reach us anytime at [email protected]. If you want text updates about the Philadelphia Board of Education, you can text SCHOOL to 215-709-9650.
Local News
Vote on Philadelphia school closures canceled by Board of Education
The Philadelphia school board will not vote on proposed school closures on April 23 as previously planned. The board reversed course after harsh criticism from members of the City Council.
Your guide to Philadelphia’s upcoming school closure vote
The Philadelphia Board of Education will vote Thursday on whether to move forward with a plan to close 17 schools and modernize nearly 170 more. Here’s what you need to know.
Feud over Philadelphia’s school closure plan leads to threats against district funding
District leaders say financial woes, enrollment declines, and deteriorating buildings have made school closures necessary. But critics say officials are rushing to vote on them.
Sports, AP, and the arts: Here are the looming budget cuts Philadelphia school leaders aren’t discussing
Philadelphia district leaders say 340 school-based jobs are on the line. But educators and principals at some schools say the totality of cuts for next year go much deeper.
Around Chalkbeat
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The mayor’s Moving Newark Schools Forward slate leads this year’s school board election. If the results hold, it will mark yet another win for the group that has won every election since 2016.
Here’s how the school choice tax credit could affect public schools
Critics warn the new federal tax credit could pull students from public schools. But enrollment losses do not automatically translate into smaller budgets.
Is AP Calculus pointless? A teacher defends his subject.
As educators and students debate the value of Advanced Placement Calculus — often a gatekeeper to higher education — the latest P.S. Weekly episode explores some real-world applications from the subject.
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What We’re Reading
Social workers, full-day K and tech ed: How underfunded Pa. school districts are spending new state money, The Philadelphia Inquirer (Paywall)
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Thumbnail image by Rebecca Redelmeier / Chalkbeat
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