Philadelphia
EDUCATION
Deep dive into Jay-Z’s private voucher plan for Philadelphia schools tethers him to Republican interests, faces public backlash
In Roc Nation’s mission to education reform creates negative responses due to the aligning with the conservative-backed PASS It Forward program. The American rapper and business mogul, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, has found himself embroiled in controversy on education reform. Recently, it was discovered that he is in support of “school choice,” which is a policy that provides public funding to parents for their child’s education, even if it is not at a public school.
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania no longer on probation, school says
CHEYNEY, Pa. - Cheyney University, the oldest historically Black college in the United States (HBCU) is no longer on probation. According to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the university has had its accreditation reaffirmed after the commission placed the school on probation last November due to alleged "insufficient evidence" that it was in compliance with multiple university standards.
College Together provides different path for Philadelphia students to earn their degrees
Sign up for Chalkbeat Philadelphia’s free newsletter to keep up with the city’s public school system.Sanya Sek worked hard in high school. She got all As, including in Advanced Placement courses. She applied to college and even got into Bryn Mawr.But her parents, both of whom had fled the Khmer Rouge in war-torn Cambodia when they were young, could not afford college, even though they prized education. The financial aid she was offered fell short of covering all the costs, including room and board, books, and the myriad ancillary fees. So she enrolled instead in Community College of Philadelphia.“I took...
Saving Kids from Failing Schools: The Sequel
Musician and entrepreneur Jay-Z last month joined the ranks of out-of-town billionaires lobbying to expand voucher programs in Pennsylvania. Representatives from his Roc Nation came to Philadelphia to push for passage of PASS (Pennsylvania Award for Student Success), legislation that would divert more tax dollars from the state’s education budget to private schools. Roc Nation representatives repeated claims by voucher supporters, including Governor Josh Shapiro and suburban billionaire Jeffrey Yass, that PASS would give the students an alternative to the city’s “failing schools”. Jay-Z’s spokespersons told reporters that after seeing students “struggling in the public education system, within the lowest performing schools, we wanted to do something to help the community.”
4 Pro-Palestine students at UPenn face suspensions, activist group says
PHILADELPHIA - Four University of Pennsylvania students have been notified by the school’s disciplinary office that they will be suspended due to their involvement in pro-Palestine actions on campus, according to the activist group, Freedom School For Palestine. The group says for months the university has been trying to...
Michelle Hall: Peirce College Graduate’s Journey to Commencement
Michelle Hall is a graduate of the Master of Science in Organizational Leadership & Management program at Peirce College and recipient of the Alumni Association’s Raymond L. Palzer ’52 Academic Leadership Award. Her journey has been an experience!. “Peirce College has changed my life. I am grateful to...
Penn faces lawsuit for allegedly failing to respond to antisemitism on campus
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Days before the University of Pennsylvania's 268th commencement ceremony last May, graduating senior Eyal Yakoby walked through campus with a heavy heart. "People say graduation should be bittersweet," Yakoby said. "It's just bitter at this point."In the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel, Yakoby, who is Jewish, is one of several students suing Penn alleging the university has failed to sufficiently respond to antisemitism on campus and has violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964."In the aftermath, we had a number of Jewish families, both students at Ivy League and other universities,...
Pennsylvania Students Shine in National Community Bank Case Study Competition
HARRISBURG, PA — A group of bright students from the Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania recently clinched first place in the highly competitive Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) 2024 Community Bank Case Study Competition. This achievement not only showcases their academic excellence but also highlights the resilience and innovation within local banking communities.
Salus University’s merger with Drexel made official by Middle States Commission’s approval
John Fry, president of Drexel University in Philadelphia, announced today that the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) has approved the merger of Salus University with Drexel. The approval makes merger plans long in the making official. In late March, Salus published a memo detailing the plan:. In the...
Philly students rally for more school funding at state capitol as budget debate grinds on
Sign up for Chalkbeat Philadelphia’s free newsletter to keep up with the city’s public school system.Students from 17 Philadelphia high schools rallied at the state capitol in Harrisburg last week to demand that lawmakers provide adequate support to their underfunded public schools.The roughly 40 students who participated in the rally were part of a Youth Leadership Fellowship at PhillyBOLT — which stands for Building Our Lives Together — to learn how to create change in their communities through field trips and curriculum. They also went on a similar trip to the city in May to stress the importance of school...
District Launches High School Student Forum
At school board meetings consistently since March, several speakers shared that we have students who feel unsupported, devalued, and unsafe in some of our schools. The speakers initially referenced Palestinian students, and we have also heard similar sentiments referencing other student groups, including but not limited to Jewish, Congolese, Haitian, and Sudanese students. Under our strategic plan, Accelerate Philly, our number one priority is student and staff physical safety and mental wellbeing. To that end, we are providing our first student support session.
2024 Philly Live II: Day 2 PYB Standouts (Sat., June 29)
AJ Altobelli (2025 | Union Catholic, N.J.) Although listed at just 5-10, he shows a rare ability to control the entire flow of a game. An excellent passer who created nothing but good looks for his team against a talented Archbishop Carroll (D.C). A true offensive catalyst who had one of the best first steps at the event, he always makes the right decisions and is the ideal lob partner for his 7-0 and 6-7 teammates Yaw Ansong and FK Muntari. Altobelli racked up countless assists while also showing his ability to keep defenders honest when he’s on the three point line.
When ‘universal’ pre-K really isn’t: Barriers to participating abound
When Tanya Gillespie-Lambert goes to an event in a local park in Camden, New Jersey, she takes a handful of brochures about free preschool with her. She has no hesitation about approaching strangers — moms with kids especially — to plug the service in the local public school district, where she’s director of community and parent involvement.
Philadelphia Elementary School Completes $22M Renovation Project
Edwin Forrest Elementary School in Philadelphia, Pa., recently celebrated the completion of a $22-million renovation project, according to a news release. The School District of Philadelphia partnered with DIGroup Architecture (DIG) for the project’s design. Work on the almost century-old campus included significant interior renovations, repairs to the exterior building envelope, and restoration.
Sidwar stays close to home, commits to Rutgers
One of the Philadelphia Catholic League’s best, La Salle College High School’s 6 ‘3 quarterback Gavin Sidwar has pledged his commitment to Rutgers University. The three star QB held 10 notable division one offers, with Virginia Tech and Maryland also being seen as favorites for rising junior.
Meet Baseball Coach of the Year: MLB pedigree built confidence in his high school players
Jeff Manto's belief quickly turned into reality. In his second season as head coach, Manto guided Conwell-Egan to a 16-6 record (9-3 in the Philadelphia Catholic League) and the school's first-ever baseball victory in the PIAA state playoffs. That's quite a transformation from a 1-13 mark (1-10 in the PCL)...
Immaculata University To Offer New Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision for Fall 2025
Immaculata University is expanding with a new program, the Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision will launch in the fall of 2025. Immaculata University is expanding its impact with the introduction of its first Ph.D. program. The Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision will launch in the fall of 2025.
Interview with Carroll High Eagles Head Coach Matt Mellown
In the season premier of “The Wiregrass High School Football Report”, Phillip Jordan sits down with new Carroll High Eagles head coach Matt Mellown. After the 2023 season former head coach Patrick Plott moved on to become an assistant for the Auburn High Tigers. The Eagles made a great hire by brining in Mellown. He comes from Andalusia where he was the offensive coordinator. In the interview, Coach Mellown discusses how the first few months have been, strength and conditioning coach Logan Richards, past coaching experiences, the 2024 Carroll Eagles, and much more.
Incentivize Child Care in any Redevelopment of UArts Real Estate
The ranks of people left angry and confused over the abrupt closure of UArts have steadily spread outward from the inner rings of displaced students, teachers and staff. They now include lawmakers, lawyers and members of the broader arts community, all of whom continue to ask questions about the decision to close the 150-year-old institution, which the school’s board members claim was in “urgent” financial distress.
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