But in Kensington, systemic racial and economic disparities map onto our public spaces: libraries and recreation centers. | From: Kensington Voice (Read more.)
Geanna Williams-Davis beams at the entrance of a basement room in the Shepard Recreation in West Philly, greeting a line of still-waking adolescents headed in for breakfast. They take plates of baked goods, fruit, and cereal before sitting down at an arrangement of folding tables that will serve as their classroom for the day. | From: WHYY (Read more.)
Emlen is one of more than 100 schools in the School District of Philadelphia — or about 60% — that lack central air conditioning. Coats estimates just about a third of the classrooms at Emlen have functional window units, but his second-floor classroom is not one of them. | From: Plan Philly (Read more.)
The group of fourth graders at the Kensington school, organized to fight for things they believe in, told their truth to the Philadelphia school board — kids speaking in loud, clear voices about how much they love their school, but how much it needs. | From: The Inquirer (Read more.)
In cities like Philadelphia with large numbers of under-resourced schools that many parents and guardians do not consider safe, learning-focused environments for their children, admission to a selective school can be a ticket to success. | From: The Philadelphia Citizen (Read more.)
Philadelphia’s free preschool program doesn’t offer the 6,500 seats city leaders envisioned when it launched more than five years ago, but a modest expansion planned for the coming school year could bring the number to 4,300. | From: Chalkbeat (Read more.)
Project 440, founded by a Philadelphia Orchestra bassist, transforms high school musicians into community-minded entrepreneurs. | From: The Philadelphia Citizen (Read more.)
Penn expanded the program to specifically attract students of color. Recently, they signed an official agreement with five HBCUs: Morehouse College, Howard University, Oakwood University, Spelman College, and Xavier University of Louisiana. | From: WHYY (Read more.)
Philadelphia, the state’s largest district by far, is among the hardest hit. Over the 10-year period studied, special education costs rose by $347 million while state funding increased by just $27 million. Philadelphia’s enrollment is predominantly Black and Hispanic and low-income. | From: Chalkbeat (Read more.)
Philadelphia Futures and Steppingstone Scholars will merge in the fall, creating an organization with a $10 million annual budget that serves 3,000 city students a year. | From: The Inquirer (Read more.)
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