Pennsylvania

News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Pennsylvania
Family Setup brings the Apple Watch experience to the entire family, including kids and older adults.
Teachers say smartwatches, like the Apple Watches pictured here, are a growing distraction in class.
Business Wire via AP
Ed-Tech Policy Smartwatches: The Next Challenge for School Cellphone Policies
A growing number of schools are implementing stringent cellphone policies. But how many include smartwatches?
Elizabeth Heubeck, June 25, 2024
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4 min read
Teacher helping adult special-needs student with computer.
iStock
Special Education Who's Eligible for Special Education Services? Schools Struggle to Keep Up
Many states now require schools to offer special education services to students until they turn 22. Costs and logistics can be daunting.
Mark Lieberman & Caitlynn Peetz, June 18, 2024
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9 min read
Jay-Z arrives at the premiere of "The Book of Clarence" on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024, at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. Jay-Z is putting his weight behind an effort to fund private school vouchers in Philadelphia. The entertainment mogul’s Roc Nation announced it is funding a campaign in June 2024 to drum up support for the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success.
Jay-Z arrives at the premiere of "The Book of Clarence" on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024, at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. Jay-Z is putting his weight behind an effort to fund private school vouchers in Philadelphia. The entertainment mogul’s Roc Nation announced it is funding an outreach campaign to drum up support for the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success.
Richard Shotwell/Invision via AP
School Choice & Charters Why Jay-Z Is a Key Figure in the School Voucher Debate
Jay-Z's backing of school vouchers in Pennsylvania has public education advocates worried it will divert funds.
Brooke Schultz, June 11, 2024
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6 min read
Photograph of hygienic tampons and a sanitary pad on a blue background.
iStock/Getty
Equity & Diversity More Schools Stock Tampons and Pads, But Access Is Still a Problem
Period products are becoming more commonplace in schools. But there are gaps in funding—and in access, a barrier for lower-income students.
Brooke Schultz, June 10, 2024
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7 min read
Older student facing the city, younger version is being swept away.
Nicole Xu for Education Week
Special Education From Our Research Center What Happens for High Schoolers Who Need More Than 4 Years?
Districts work to serve older students longer than four years to plan for a changing career world.
Sarah D. Sparks, May 13, 2024
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6 min read
Lunch hour at the St. Michael-Albertville Middle School West in Albertville, Minn.
Students share a laugh together during lunch hour at the St. Michael-Albertville Middle School West in Albertville, Minn.
Courtesy of Lynn Jennissen
School & District Management How Principals Use the Lunch Hour to Target Student Apathy
School leaders want to trigger the connection between good food, fun, and rewards.
Olina Banerji, April 12, 2024
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5 min read
Conceptual of file folders and a label that says myths.
SinArtCreative/iStock/Getty
School & District Management Principals Would Like You to Know They Don't Just Sit in Their Offices
Top misconceptions about a principal's job are about their visibility and connection to their schools.
Olina Banerji, December 18, 2023
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4 min read
Karen Smith, the new president of the Central Bucks County, Penn., school board, took her oath on a stack of contested library books at a Dec. 4, 2023 meeting.
Karen Smith, the new president of the Central Bucks County, Pa., school board, took her oath on a stack of contested library books at a Dec. 4, 2023 meeting.
Courtesy of Kimberly Cambra
School & District Management This School Board President Took Her Oath on a Stack of Contested Books. Here's Why
The school board for Central Bucks County, Pa., has been at the center of divisive political debates.
Evie Blad, December 11, 2023
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8 min read
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear speaks during an election night rally after he was elected to a second term in Louisville, Ky., on Nov. 7, 2023. At right is his wife Britainy Beshear.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear speaks during an election night rally after he was elected to a second term in Louisville, Ky., on Nov. 7, 2023. At right is his wife Britainy Beshear.
Timothy D. Easley/AP
States Liberals Win Hotly Contested School Board Races in Backlash to Conservative Control
A Democrat who championed teacher pay raises was also reelected Kentucky's governor and Democrats won legislative majorities in Virginia.
Libby Stanford, November 8, 2023
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6 min read
Randal Lutz, superintendent of Baldwin-Whitehall school district near Pittsburgh and a soon-to-be certified school bus driver, climbs aboard a bus prior to dismissal.
Randal Lutz, superintendent of Baldwin-Whitehall School District in Pittsburgh and soon-to-be certified school bus driver, climbs aboard a bus prior to dismissal.
Photo courtesy of Randal Lutz
School & District Management Why This Superintendent Is Taking the School Bus Driver Shortage Into His Own Hands
This school leader is hoping to reverse his district's shortage of bus drivers, by becoming one.
Elizabeth Heubeck, October 12, 2023
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5 min read
budget school funding
iStock/Getty
Budget & Finance Pa. Hasn't Fixed Its School Funding System, and Educators Are Frustrated
After Pennsylvania's school funding formula was deemed unconstitutional, state legislators failed to come up with a solution this session.
Lydia McFarlane & Mark Lieberman, August 17, 2023
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9 min read
Photo of empty school library
E+ / Getty
School & District Management One of the Country's Largest Districts Is Turning School Libraries Into Discipline Rooms
The Houston school district's decision to shut down libraries in 28 schools reflects a growing trend, according to advocates.
Elizabeth Heubeck, August 3, 2023
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6 min read
TTT Thumbnail BS
Teaching Video Teachers, Try This: A Two-Minute Exercise to Foster Student Creativity
Through a two-minute weekly exercise, this Pennsylvania teacher fosters a sense of creativity in her students that extends across subjects.
Jaclyn Borowski, July 27, 2023
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4:26
Edha Gupta at a protest at Central York School District, where students, teachers and community members gathered to fight against a ban on 300 books and educational resources.
Edha Gupta at a protest at Central York School District, where students, teachers and community members gathered to fight against a ban on 300 books and educational resources.
Courtesy of Ben Hodge
Reading & Literacy What Happened When Students Led Fights to Reverse Book Bans
The stories of two student groups that found success in organizing to fight district book bans.
Eesha Pendharkar, July 18, 2023
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7 min read
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