In case you missed it…
Here are a few news stories from this week we wanted to highlight:
Immigrant mothers detained at Berks center go on hunger strike
From The Inquirer: A total of 32 women are housed at the Berks center. They say they and their children, ages 2 to 16, have been detained for 60 to 365 days.
“On many occasions our children have thought about suicide because of the confinement,” they wrote. “They ask us if we have the courage to escape. . . . We are desperate, and have decided that we will get out alive or dead.”
PA’s Funding Formula Boosts Montco Districts Over Bucks
From The Intelligencer: Pennsylvania’s new basic education funding formula is boosting school district budgets in eastern Montgomery County by a greater percentage than their counterparts in Bucks County.
Overall, eastern Montgomery County schools like Upper Moreland (6.9 percent), Abington (6.7) and North Penn (5.9) benefited from the county’s average gain of 4.86 percent for 2016-17.
Report offers Pennsylvania public schools a path to international best practices
Newsworks reports: Analyzing best international practices, specifically highlighting Finland, Singapore, and Ontario (Canada), the group found a few commonalities of success.
Newsweek’s top high schools in Pa. and N.J. for 2016
The Inquirer notes: While not many Pennsylvania schools were ranked in the list’s upper echelon, the Philadelphia suburbs were well-represented on the list as a whole. No schools in Philadelphia made the list.
Its license was revoked by the Commonwealth and its practices were ruled illegal by a federal judge and ordered to close–yet Berks remains open. Sign the petition and help end the unlawful detention of families in Berks County. SIGN THE PETITION
Find out how much arts education matters to kids. Visit the Picasso Project exhibit on the 2nd Floor of City Hall. Official exhibition dates: August 15-September 30.
“You wouldn’t think it’s acceptable to send a child to school without having glasses or without dental care, but it’s O.K. for that child to take a reading or math test. But that’s the situation poor parents face.” Mark Gaither, principal of Wolfe Street Academy, a community school in Baltimore. Read More
“I’m pleased we were finally able to implement this new formula to begin leveling the playing field by funding our schools based on the actual cost to educate our children rather than political considerations.” State Rep. Todd Stephens, of Horsham, about PA’s fair funding formula. READ MORE