“For Superintendent Arlene Ackerman, it’s not enough that the Philadelphia School District offers free breakfast to every single child in every single city school. Now, principals must coax the students into eating it.
Under a new district policy, principals will be held accountable for the number of student breakfasts eaten in each school. District officials reason [...]
Entries Tagged as ‘Holistic Education’
October 13, 2009
Breakfast shouldn’t be on the principals
August 19, 2009
Chalk and Talk celebrates 100th post
by Christopher Paslay
Today’s blog post is a special one—it’s the 100th on Chalk and Talk since this site was launched on September 28th, 2008.
In just under 11 months on the internet, this site has received 20,650 views. The exposure and reach of this blog is steadily growing. In June, Chalk and Talk generated 2,995 views—an [...]
July 15, 2009
Daily News publishes ‘myth of racial inequality’ commentary
Today, the Philadelphia Daily News published my commentary on the myth of racial inequality in the Philadelphia School District, which originally appeared on this blog on July 10th.
If you missed this one (or want to give it another read in the pages of the Daily News), click here. Feel free to leave comments below.
Thanks,
Christopher [...]
July 10, 2009
The myth of racial inequality in Philadelphia public schools
Despite accusations of segregation, academic achievement and failure in district schools transcend neighborhoods and racial boundaries.
by Christopher Paslay
There’s a line in the movie JFK where Kevin Costner explains to the jury that theoretical physics can prove that an elephant can hang from a cliff with his tail tied to a daisy.
“But use your eyes, your common sense,” [...]
May 28, 2009
Sign the petition for shared responsibility
From: A Broader, BOLDER Approach to Education:
“The Broader, Bolder Approach to Education is the product of deliberation by leaders with diverse religious and political affiliations, and experts in the fields of education, social welfare, health, housing, and civil rights. The statement examines areas that research shows must be addressed if we are to keep our [...]
May 25, 2009
A broader approach to helping kids: A call for shared responsibility
by Christopher Paslay
The following is an excerpt from an article written by Jerry Jordan, President of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. This article appeared in the May edition of the PFT Reporter.
A child came to class late one morning with a sad, almost weary look on his face, and carrying a small suitcase. When his [...]
May 20, 2009
When the community steals from its students
by Christopher Paslay
Over the past decade, education advocates and community groups have been focusing their attention on school equity—the idea that all students, regardless of race and socioeconomic status, should receive an equal education.
As a teacher in the Philadelphia School District, I agree wholeheartedly. All children deserve a quality education. The reality, of course, is [...]
May 14, 2009
Eye on the Notebook: Will new bloggers bring balance to the Notebook?
by Christopher Paslay
It appears that Paul Socolar, editor of the Philadelphia Public School Notebook, has indeed had a moment of clarity. After nearly fifteen years of proclaiming to be “an independent voice for parents, educators, students, and friends of Philadelphia public schools,” the Notebook is finally giving our city’s school teachers some badly needed space [...]
May 11, 2009
Seniors need a backup
“For years, I’ve argued that high school seniors – especially in Philadelphia – should be required to pursue higher-education options. Doing so could be a component of senior projects that are already required.
The new requirement would be simple: Every single graduating senior must successfully apply to a community or four-year college, or to a trade [...]
