Education – Broke in Philly

Comcast must open Wi-Fi networks to get 20,000 Philadelphia students online

May 29, 2020

About 20,000 Philadelphia students without internet connections have been unable to attend school for months, and yet, when asked directly by Dr. Hite, Superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia, to open their residential Wi-Fi networks so students could actually use the more than 80,000 laptops distributed by an already fiscally underwater school district, Comcast refused. | From: The Philadelphia Inquirer (Read more.)

The Remote School Year Is Almost Over. Here’s How Philly Schools Fared

May 28, 2020

As the novel coronavirus pandemic wears on, at least 124,000 U.S. schools containing roughly 55.1 million students have been closed. As schools pivot to remote learning as a result, school districts in cities like Washington D.C., Sacramento, and Philadelphia are working to ensure that students can access their digital classes by putting laptops directly in the hands of students. With more than a quarter of residents living below the poverty line and growing gaps between rich and poor school districts across Pennsylvania, Philadelphia’s efforts are particularly important. | From: Next City (Read more.)

Adjunct professors in fear due to coronavirus hitting higher-ed

May 28, 2020

As an adjunct professor, Anderson has no guarantee of work this fall. That’s always been the case. But this summer — with dire enrollment predictions circulating — there’s added uncertainty. Fewer students means fewer classes. And fewer classes likely means fewer adjuncts. | From: WHYY (Read more.)

Philly school families get pandemic cash bonus for food, so those who don’t need it plan donation drive

May 26, 2020

Under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Pennsylvania is distributing more than $300 million in SNAP benefits to families whose children are eligible for free lunch. Because all Philadelphia public school students receive free lunch at school, this means all families are eligible to receive an extra $365 in pandemic aid — even those that are financially secure. | From: Billy Penn (Read more.)

In Philly, just over half of students participate in remote school during coronavirus pandemic

May 21, 2020

In the Philadelphia School District’s first week of graded teacher-led instruction since schools were shut down in March by the pandemic, 57% of students participated in school remotely, officials said Thursday. | From: The Inquirer (Read more.)

Philly-area college students owe rent for their now-empty apartments, with little to no recourse

May 15, 2020

Many students are obligated to pay rent under leases that run until August, even as many have lost their jobs and most aren’t eligible to receive the government stimulus aid. Some complexes have offered a month of rent forgiveness and payment plans, but students — and their parents who are listed as co-signers — are desperate to terminate their leases. | From: The Philadelphia Inquirer (Read more.)

Tackling the Covid slide may be simpler than we think

May 14, 2020

Recognizing all of the constraints that low-income parents, in particular, are facing, we must offer them strategies that they can use in a relatively short amount of time in order to help their child learn at home in a meaningful way. | From: The Philadelphia Citizen (Read more.)

Philadelphia School District Working to Find at Least 500 ‘Unaccounted’ Students

May 14, 2020

Though the School District of Philadelphia has made inroads in recent weeks to locate students after the end of in-person instruction, at least 500 of them have yet to log in to school-issued Chromebooks or otherwise check in with their teachers or principals. | From: NBC10/Telemundo62 (Read more.)

How Philly institutions can create a more equitable post-coronavirus region

May 11, 2020

How our anchor institutions spend money in the immediate aftermath of COVID-19 could be the linchpin of an equitable post-pandemic economy — and to building a more resilient region for the future. | From: Billy Penn (Read more.)

When coronavirus hit, schools moved online. Some students didn’t.

April 30, 2020

As the pandemic has forced classes online, not all students have been able to follow. Weeks after the interruption of in-person learning, some pupils still haven’t logged in or communicated with teachers. | From: The Philadelphia Inquirer (Read more.)