Education

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Kathleen Nguyen, 14, examines the colors in her painting of koi. "I paint when I´m bored, or mad, or happy.It helps me express my feelings," she said. "I hope it makes the person who buys it happy, too."

Philadelphia school uses art for fulfillment, profit

Twelve years ago, when Rochelle Cohen began teaching art at Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Northeast Philadelphia, she said, the hallways were "drabby."

SPECIAL PROJECTS

Report Card on the Schools

The Inquirer's annual survey of education in the region, with a searchable database of school and district information, and multimedia profiles of area students and high schools.

A Doorway Back

With the dropout problem in Philadelphia at crisis proportions, a chance-of-a-lifetime program offers 40 select students a shot at breaking the cycle of failure. But can they take advantage?

Shake-up of Ackerman team continues: A shake-up of Philadelphia Schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman's central administration continued Friday with the naming of a new crop of central office staff members, and with officials signaling that more changes were on the way.
A test-score milestone for Phila. schools: Philadelphia public schools reached a new milestone this year - the majority of city students met state standards in reading and math for the first time since 2002, when Pennsylvania began administering tests under the No Child Left Behind law.
11 Phila. schools granted new charters: The Philadelphia School Reform Commission said Wednesday that 11 charter schools would receive new, five-year operating charters once they met a series of conditions.
More N.J. seniors expected to get diplomas than thought: More New Jersey high schoolers will get their diplomas this month than seemed likely a couple of weeks ago, but the number who fall short will rise significantly from last year, a state education official said Wednesday.
Philadelphia's top teacher again from Bodine High School: Call it the Triple Crown, an unlikely trifecta from a Philadelphia magnet school that's quietly built a reputation for top-notch education.
At South Philadelphia High, an upbeat end to a tumultuous year: Balloons, flowers, hugs, and handshakes greeted the 2010 graduates of South Philadelphia High on Tuesday, providing an upbeat, colorful ending to a school year defined by the racial violence of Dec. 3.
Vote on expansion of charter schools in Philly postponed: If the Philadelphia School Reform Commission fails to vote soon on allowing charters to expand, some schools will have to put off their plans for a year, charter officials say.
Olney East program exposes students to health careers at Philly hospital: Olney East High School freshman Nadiyah Young signed up for a mentoring program for all the wrong reasons. Young wasn't expecting her life to be transformed when she joined Health Tech, which places high school students at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children to learn about health careers.
Second-chance school in Camden graduates 370: The futures of 370 high school dropouts got a big boost and education-choice proponents argued their case during a graduation ceremony Monday for a grassroots Camden alternative school.
Summer school fees possible for N.J. students: TRENTON - The sponsor of a proposal that would allow New Jersey public schools to charge for summer school said cash-strapped districts can't afford to keep classrooms open without the fee.
Middle schoolers devise solution to distracted driving: From a kitchen in Bucks County, a team of budding middle school scientists from the Council Rock School District has hatched a plot to unleash the TEXTerminator.
Mobile science program brings high-tech gear to schools: It was a "Wow!" moment - literally. As seventh grader Sidhartha Bhuyan turned a dial on the side of a digital microscope, the beating heart of a live daphnia, a tiny crustacean, pulsed into focus on a laptop computer screen.
Climate managers fired, deputy superintendent hired: In a cost-cutting move, the Philadelphia School District this week laid off 33 managers whose primary responsibility was keeping order in schools and maintaining safety, eliciting criticism from teachers and union leaders.
No overhaul this year for West Phila. High: The Philadelphia School District shut the door Wednesday on a radical turnaround for West Philadelphia High this year. The parent and community group charged with choosing an outside provider to run West had demanded that the district and the School Reform Commission put a 2010 overhaul back on track.
Ackerman names new second-in-command: Schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman appointed a new second-in-command Wednesday, saying the Philadelphia School District's current management structure no longer works for her.
Kindergartner missing from school had walked home: Kindergartner Malachi Davey had a big, scary adventure on the day of the Comly Elementary School fair. At first, Malachi was having a blast. He walked with his pal Alex. They talked about getting their faces painted, like the big kids.
Ex-teacher learns the hard way: Watch what you put online: Elizabeth Collins has blogged for more than two years about her personal life and experiences as a teacher. One Saturday in February, she posted her thoughts about a student's presentation. She criticized its tone and political outlook. The student's parents took quick exception to that post, telling the school that it was an "attack on a child." The exchange triggered a chain of events that ended with the school's dismissing Collins.
Phila. teacher reassignment put on hold: The reassignment of more than 500 Philadelphia School District teachers has been halted after the union complained of contract violations, officials confirmed Tuesday.
How one Phila. school diffused a recent conflict: It started over a simple candy bar, but quickly grew into a conflict between students of different races at Kensington International Business High School a couple of weeks ago - something that could have escalated into a headline-grabbing event.
Former university president Hackney bows out at Penn: With the laudatory farewell dinner behind him, his last papers graded, commencement over, and much of the packing done, Sheldon Hackney poured black coffee from a thermos and savored one of his last days in his frumpily elegant office in College Hall.
Program connects city youths with college: Kyle Werder will receive his diploma at Central High School's graduation at the Kimmel Center next week. But he and 31 other seniors from Philadelphia public high schools already have marked another important milestone: completing a pioneering program developed by White-Williams Scholars that helped catapult them onto college campuses in three states.
Who's Appearing At Area College Graduations
Ranks dwindle, not hopes: Despite pitfalls, core group sees college, a future.

Nov. 28 was "A Piece of You Day" for the Gateway to College students. Kind of a grown-up version of show-and-tell, it was a chance to share something about themselves. No grades, no pressure, and that was a welcome thing.
For 40, it’s a back-to-school special: With the dropout problem in Philadelphia at crisis proportions, a chance-of-a-lifetime program offers 40 select students a shot at breaking the cycle of failure. But can they take advantage?

Starting with more than 700 applicants, the staff of Gateway to College had spent much of the summer testing and talking to 336 prospective students to find the select 40 they believed could succeed despite past academic failures and, in some ways even more significant, the obstacles they faced beyond school.
Dropouts continue, haunting classmates: Coming up on the middle of his first semester in a program he knew could give him the future of his dreams, Andre Patterson had a big decision to make.