Will The School District Squander Its $1.1 Billion Stimulus Windfall?

A history of management snafus under Superintendent Bill Hite can only make you wonder if we’re able to seize this potentially transformative moment

By Larry Platt

What’s the School District Trying To Hide?

It took two requests and an Office of Open Records ruling before the School District of Philadelphia released data to a Broad + Liberty reporter about the increase in students failing classes last year. How can we solve a problem we're not allowed to see?

By Todd Shepherd

Guest Commentary: Parents want school choice. Let’s help them get it.

Black parents, especially, favor more school options for their children. The head of Philly’s Children's Scholarship Fund lays out one way to help increase their choice.

By Keisha Jordan

Mystery Shopper: What the Hybrid?

Phase III of the School District’s back to campus plan launches next week—a colossal effort to give kids eight days of in-person learning. Our Mystery Shopper reviewed how it's going.

Mindfulness for Minors

A local nonprofit has shown measurable progress in helping Philly public school students stay on track through training in an unexpected skill: meditation

By Jessica Blatt Press

What to Do About the Covid Slide

The city has finally started planning for ways to help students make up for pandemic-related learning loss. But do we really want to just get back to normal?

By Roxanne Patel Shepelavy

Penn Did A Great Thing. Now It Could Do More.

Amy Gutmann’s $100 million pledge to the school district proved again how she is making Penn a leader among elite universities. A longtime college president offers ideas for what else Penn could do for Philly.

By Elaine Maimon

Bill Hite, Reconsidered

Philadelphia’s schools superintendent has taken some hits lately. Does he have what it takes to manage—and tame—a $3.5 billion bureaucracy?