As part of our Citizen Spotlight series, we’re introducing you to Philadelphians behind the issues affecting our city everyday. One controversial topic out there is whether Philadelphia public schools should hand out condoms. To get the conversation started, we’re shining the spotlight on Sam Sitrin. She’s campaigning with ACT UP to increase school condom distribution through a program known as Policy 123, [...]

Sometimes you can get lost in the numbers and I encourage you to do so.

Appended is a data set on usage of public library branches in Philadelphia. They compare total circulation by branch in 2004 to the same numbers in 2008. Total circulation means the number of items people checked out – books, CD’s, [...]

It’s Our City broadcast its 3rd TV program last night on WHYY-TV.  In case you missed it, we’ve posted the links to the video and to an audio file. The program featured Arlene Ackerman, the Superintendent of the Philadelphia School District an with Lori Shorr, the Chief Education Officer for Mayor Michael Nutter. The two [...]

As a volunteer, Greg Wade in 2006 started running the Philadelphia Home and School Council: a non-profit organization made up of parent groups representing individual public schools across the city. His peers recently reelected him for another two year term. As director, Wade’s duties included managing a fund supported by home and school associations across the city. Now, he’s been charged for embezzling $60,000 from that fund and [...]

It was only just this past summer that Mayor Michael Nutter handed over an additional $4 million to the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP). In turn, college officials decided they would use the money to offset costs and not raise tuition for the first time in nearly twenty years. Now, flash forward to the current financial crisis our city is [...]

Updated: 5:27 pm
Friends of the Free Library will hold a special Community Meeting on the 11 proposed library closures this Saturday, November 8, 10 am - Noon, at the Children’s Story Hour Room inside the Central Branch, 1901 Vine St. (20th and the Ben Franklin Parkway)
Updated: 4:33pm
Library locations listed below are confirmed. The mayor’s office released a list of proposed [...]

*UPDATE 1:00 pm: The School District is reporting that the meeting is full for tonight. In order to attend the meeting, you had to RSVP ahead of time. So if you don’t have a reservation, the school district is advising you to attend the next one. We are waiting to hear back from the school district about [...]

John McCain and Sarah Palin spent Tuesday campaigning in Pennsylvania, but they should put their time to better use. It’s over in Pennsylvania and the winner will be Barack Obama.
The public polls say it. The political experts say it. In private, even Republican leaders concede it. Pennsylvania’s 21 electoral votes are going to Obama.
What looked [...]

Re-posting in case you missed the interview
Updated: An MP3 of today’s interview with Arlene Ackerman and Lori Shorr.
Instructions on how to save a copy of the show to your computer
In case you missed it. Here is an MP3 of Mayor Michael Nutter’s Education Speech on 9/11/08
Recent DN story on how Philly Schools are performing under [...]

by K. Sayford-Wilson
As the mother of a child with special needs, I am concerned about the teacher shortage and the many problems in the School District of Philadelphia. However, regardless of how the School District decides to handle its problems, or how the State handles our funding, I do feel strongly about one aspect of [...]