Notes from SRC meeting on student engagement now posted
by Khoury JohnsonAt the Dec. 16 School Reform Commission meeting, a group of high school students led their peers in a series of roundtable discussions to talk about what the District can do to keep...
View ArticleBill Green to chair SRC, Jimenez to replace Dworetzky, sources say
Notebook sources and other news reports indicate that Gov. Corbett intends to nominate Councilman Bill Green as chair of the School Reform Commission on Friday and appoint Farah Jimenez, executive...
View ArticleExit interview: SRC's Dworetzky on hopes, frustrations, and the future of...
by Kevin McCorry for NewsWorksIn many ways, Joseph Dworetzky was the voice of the people during his four-year tenure as a School Reform Commission member — often casting the lone "no" vote on SRC...
View ArticleSenate approves Green and Jimenez for School Reform Commission
The State Senate approved the nominations of City Councilman Bill Green and People’s Emergency Center executive director Farah Jimenez to the School Reform Commission in a vote of 44-2 this afternoon....
View ArticleDay one for Bill Green, the 'change agent'
The boos began as soon as Bill Green walked in the door. He waited 32 minutes to bang his gavel – the first he’s ever wielded.“I really wanted a bigger gavel,” he said later with a laugh. “But they...
View ArticleSRC approves building sales, ratifies principals' contract
The School Reform Commission approved the sales of six vacant properties Thursday night, most of them schools that were closed within the last two years.It also ratified a contract with the...
View ArticleLump sum budget counts on $440 million not yet secured; principals storm Council
The School Reform Commission voted Thursday to approve a $2.8 billion “lump sum” budget for fiscal 2015 that counts on receiving $440 million more in revenue than it currently has secured.It did so...
View ArticleNew arguments in legal battle over teacher work rules; PDE and SRC press urgency
The legal battle over whether Philadelphia's School Reform Commission has the power to unilaterally impose new work rules on the District's teachers is getting more intense with the filing of new...
View ArticleDistrict officials plead again with City Council for funds to avert a new...
City Council summoned School District leadership Wednesday to answer more questions on the needs of the schools and to argue over what the city can and should provide.But after three hours of sharp...
View ArticleSRC won't adopt 'Doomsday II' budget
Updated | 11:30 p.m.The School Reform Commission declined Thursday to adopt a budget proposal that would raise class sizes as high as 41, cut 800 teachers, reduce special education services to their...
View ArticleSRC renews one charter, postpones two others; goes with Maramont for food...
The School Reform Commission voted Thursday to grant a five-year renewal to New Foundations Charter School, but postponed a decision on two others.It also gave a $93 million, three-year contract to...
View ArticleSRC votes to revoke New Media charter, renew three others, sell William Penn
In one of the quieter School Reform Commission meetings in recent months, commissioners voted Thursday to revoke the charter of Mount Airy’s New Media Charter School, while renewing five-year charters...
View ArticleThe path forward: A statement from PSP's Mark Gleason
As the head of the Philadelphia School Partnership, Mark Gleason sits at the heart of the school reform movement in Philadelphia.PSP is the conduit for tens of millions in philanthropic dollars, which...
View ArticleThe path forward: Q&A with Lisa Haver
Lisa Haver, a retired teacher and a founder of the Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools (APPS), is a fixture at School Reform Commission meetings and a consistent advocate for transparency,...
View Article5 things to know about the District's decision to open schools on time
Flanked by four members of the School Reform Commission, Superintendent William Hite announced Friday morning that Philadelphia schools would open on time Sept. 8, but that another round of "difficult...
View ArticleWith talks paused, Weingarten tells teachers to work to defeat Corbett
There have been no meaningful teachers' contract negotiations all summer because District leaders have declined to schedule any talks, union leaders told several hundred members who came to a general...
View ArticleA guide for student bike commuters
ByLine: Payne Schroeder In response to the District’s proposed budget cuts to subsidized public transportation, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia has created a guide for high school...
View ArticleStudents take to the streets to protest termination of teachers' contract
ByLine: Kevin McCorry for NewsWorks Philadelphia students refused to attend classes at two District high schools Wednesday morning to express solidarity with their teachers, who students think have...
View ArticleSRC listens to anger for hours, after thousands protest contract cancellaton
ByLine: Dale Mezzacappa For nearly three hours Thursday night, the School Reform Commission listened to harsh and bitter criticism of its move last week to cancel its contract with the Philadelphia...
View ArticleStudy looks at question of local governance for Philly schools
Is it time to abolish the School Reform Commission?Lately, the topic has made its way from the parlor chatter of policy wonks to the eyes and ears of an education-minded public.And state and city...
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