Education   

 

Phila. teachers' contract extended 60 days

The Philadelphia School District and the 16,000-member Philadelphia Federation of Teachers yesterday agreed to extend their pact, which was to expire early tomorrow, for 60 days.

 

Souderton teachers authorize strike Tuesday

Teachers in Montgomery County's Souderton Area School District voted yesterday to strike on Tuesday if there's no contract agreement. Representatives of the 512-member Souderton Area Education Association and the school board will meet on Labor Day in an effort to reach an agreement before the strike deadline - the first day of school for the 6,900 students.

 

Teacher says she was framed in terror plot

A series of anonymous notes helped convict Susan Romanyszyn. Now, attorneys for the former standout teacher hope a new set of anonymous letters will help clear her name.

 

Phila. sees surge in 'persistently dangerous' schools

A surging number of Philadelphia schools have been labeled "persistently dangerous" - so unsafe that parents have a right to send their children elsewhere.

 

Shallcross school staying put

A controversial plan to turn the former Orleans Technical Institute in Rhawnhurst into a disciplinary school is dead, and next week 250 elementary-age children will start school there instead.

 

Temple U. turning Phila. into a classroom

Temple University this fall will roll out a new core curriculum that will turn the city of Philadelphia into a modern-day classroom more than ever before in the urban school's history.

 

Neighbors object to disciplinary school

Plans to open a privately run disciplinary school for 400 Philadelphia students on Sept. 4 in the Rhawnhurst neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia are on hold after an outcry from residents and politicians forced a reevaluation by the Philadelphia School District.

 

Many school districts without contracts

As the first day of school approaches for most Philadelphia-area school districts, 18, including Philadelphia, have unsettled teachers' contracts, with the possibility of a strike looming in Montgomery County's Souderton Area School District.

 

School uniforms become mandatory in Pottstown

During the dozen or so years that the Pottstown School District considered requiring uniforms for all students, the plan has been discussed, postponed, re-discussed and then finally approved in April.

 

11 S. Jersey teacher pacts unsettled

Five are in Gloucester County, four in Burlington County and two in Camden County.

As the first day of school approaches for most Philadelphia-area school districts, 11 South Jersey teachers' contracts still have not been settled.

 

Newly arriving school stirs up Rhawnhurst

The relocation of a privately managed disciplinary school to a site in Northeast Philadelphia has some neighbors - and lawmakers - in a tizzy.

 

Campuses give 'green' that old college try

Driven by their students, schools are teaching and learning the concrete values of sustainability.

A "green" conscience is sweeping the nation's colleges and universities and manifesting itself in virtually every aspect of campus life, from academics to operations, from the trash can to the president's office.

 

Campuses give ‘green’ that old college try

Driven by their students, schools are teaching and learning the concrete values of sustainability.

A "green" conscience is sweeping the nation's colleges and universities and manifesting itself in virtually every aspect of campus life, from academics to operations, from the trash can to the president's office.

 

Violence, serious incidents jump in Pa. schools

Violence and other serious incidents in Pennsylvania schools jumped statewide by 13.1 percent in 2006-07, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education's annual school safety report, released yesterday.

 

Phelps inspires young Pa., South Jersey swimmers

Elise Levito didn't have to wait too long to hear about her tryout with the Upper Main Line YMCA swim team. She received the good news from coaches right after she got out of the pool.

 

Exhibit views black experience

The Constitution Center will host the study of four centuries of African American life in the U.S.

The National Constitution Center will host the debut of a major traveling exhibition exploring the four-century sweep of the black American experience, from slavery to the cusp of the presidency, officials announced yesterday.

 

New city schools chief outlines her to-do list

Building small high schools was a costly exercise in inequality. Teacher pay should be revamped, with financial rewards for special skills, not just longevity.

 

Drexel's new rankings bring smiles to campus

Officials at Drexel University were smiling yesterday. Just one day after a little-known publication ranked it the ugliest campus - a notoriety that Drexel officials quickly decried as outdated and unfair - the much better known U.S. News and World Report's rankings gave it quite a boost.

 

Phila. schools chief vows support for arts

With dozens of heavy hitters in the arts community looking on, Philadelphia schools chief Arlene Ackerman said yesterday that she would solidify the leadership in art and music education by the end of the month.

 

Colleges get drinking debate they asked for

More than 100 presidents called for rethinking whether the age could begin at 18. MADD, for one, said that would be irresponsible.

A Pandora's bottle was uncorked yesterday over a national proposal that calls for rethinking the legal drinking age. Known as the Amethyst Initiative, it urges "dispassionate public debate" and has the signatures of presidents at St. Joseph's, Arcadia, Duke, Dartmouth and scores of other universities and colleges.

 

A path to success opens quietly for dropouts

It's a big boost for a city with one of the highest dropout rates in the country. The Philadelphia School District yesterday threw open the doors of its new Re-Engagement Center, a one-stop spot that matches students who have left school with appropriate programs and services and provides support after they enroll.

 

Upheaval over arts, music funding in Phila. schools

With a major funding source threatening to pull support for Philadelphia's music program and with turmoil over who will teach and direct the arts, some in the arts community are questioning the state of art and music education in the Philadelphia School District.

 

Tyler School of Art will relocate

Tyler School of Art was founded in Elkins Park as an idyllic retreat where students could get away from the distractions of the city and immerse themselves totally in the arts.

 

College lending tight but available

Most students are finding loans for tuition even as some banks opt out. Rates and fees are higher, though.

With lenders leaving the college loan market, some students face higher interest rates and a scramble to find new banks.

 

Pieces of an educational dream

Twenty years ago, a stranger made a stunning offer to an entire class of sixth graders: A free college education. Some triumphed, others faltered.

Twenty years have passed since the members of the sixth-grade class at Belmont Elementary School in West Philadelphia were catapulted out of the ranks of urban America's most unfortunate children. They suddenly became some of its luckiest. As they fidgeted in their graduation best and families cheered and wept, a wealthy stranger on the auditorium stage offered all 112 free college educations. Now they are having an anniversary - one to celebrate, or rue, or forget.