Notebook: Why we published the leaked school district document

In the days since it published leaked documents detailing facilities plans at the School District of Philadelphia, the Public School Notebook has gotten some criticism from the district and city officials who say the district’s choice to keep the document private does not violate its “education accountability agreement” with the city.Violation or not, Notebook editor Paul Socolar explains the paper’s choice to publish the document: transparency.
“Nevertheless, we stand by our call,” he writes. “Parents and community members, who know their schools well, should be involved early on in the planning about school closings.”Read the explainer for yourself and decide: Was the district wrong to keep what it calls a “preliminary” document under wraps?