Kristen A. Graham
Philly Inquirer
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Past articles by Kristen:
City officials say they’ll deny Philly’s school funding without a concrete plan on asbestos
“This is the last resort,” City Councilmember Isaiah Thomas said of the news conference. “This is what we do when we have no other choice.” → Read More
Mastery Gratz, closed Monday, may reopen Tuesday
“The inspections continue to identify minor findings that are repaired or addressed the same day,” Mastery CEO Scott Gordon told Gratz families in a letter. → Read More
Asbestos closes Simon Gratz Mastery Charter, which uses a Philly district building
Asbestos was discovered in the Hunting Park Avenue building, which is owned and inspected by the Philadelphia School District. → Read More
Philly schools knew of damaged asbestos at Building 21 for at least two years before closure
The superintendent also told families that the state has approved Philadelphia’s request to transfer Building 21 students to virtual learning. → Read More
Philly’s special-admissions changes are causing unintended consequences at many district schools
Masterman isn't the only school affected. Schools across the district say it’s not just the most elite magnets that have seen unwelcome change from the new lottery. → Read More
Building 21 students must relocate because of asbestos remediation, and staff are ‘reeling’
Building 21′s students will occupy a floor of Strawberry Mansion. Staff worried about students’ new commutes, their safety, and how they might interact with young people in a new neighborhood. → Read More
Teachers should make at least $60K annually, education official tells Pa. Senate committee
The current statutory minimum for Pennsylvania teachers is $18,500. → Read More
Masterman is being ‘systematically dismantled’ by Philly’s new admissions process, parents say
“The community has wholly welcomed new students and families, but the requisite staff and resources to support all students have not been made available to the school," the report says. → Read More
Philly school board denies 4 charter applications, approves 2023-24 calendar
The Philadelphia school board has not approved a new charter school since it was reestablished in 2018, when local control returned to the school district. → Read More
7 people, including a 2-year-old girl and 5 teenagers, were shot in Strawberry Mansion
The gunfire erupted just after 5:50 p.m. at 31st and Norris Streets, police said. One or more shooters remained at large, police said. → Read More
Paul Vallas, a front-runner in the Chicago mayor’s race, was a controversial leader of Philly schools
Vallas, who led the Philadelphia School District in the early 2000s, has run as a law-and-order candidate in Chicago, where he leads in most polls. → Read More
This Philly debate team has no coach and no budget. But it just scored a big national win.
The Philadelphia School District debaters beat out elite teams at the 48th University of Pennsylvania Tournament. → Read More
Philly schools to consider a return to a post-Labor Day start for 2023-24 academic year
The calendar includes a number of changes, including fewer half-days, and a new day off for Lunar New Year. → Read More
The Pa. school funding decision was the culmination of this 83-year-old Philly lawyer’s life’s work
Michael Churchill witnessed Dr. King's "I Have A Dream" speech. He sees the work of fixing Pennsylvania's funding system as an answer to a call to make the world more fair. → Read More
These Philly high school students almost didn’t earn diplomas. Here’s how they made it.
Quisean Suter-Robinson's graduation wasn't the one he initially dreamed of, but that's OK. “It feels better because I didn’t fold under pressure. The things along the way built my character," he said. → Read More
How will Pa. fix its school funding? New Jersey’s ‘Abbott’ rulings offer lessons
To see how complicated the path forward might be, look no farther than the state where battles over school funding rulings have lasted decades. → Read More
Eagles fans were ready to party. They experienced ‘heartbreak’ instead.
Fans blamed the referees and the football gods for a devastating defeat, but some gathered in the rain to toast their team on an amazing season. → Read More
This Bensalem boy is 9 — and just graduated from high school
“We need him to just be a kid,” Henry Balogun said of his son, who wants to become an astrophysicist. His favorite subject? Nuclear chemistry. → Read More
Philly schools to open late on Monday, post-Super Bowl
Philadelphia joins a growing number of suburban Pennsylvania and New Jersey districts giving students a late pass post Super Bowl. → Read More
Landmark Pa. school funding case decided: The state’s system is unconstitutional
In a 786-page decision, Judge Renee Cohn Jubilerer said that over the course of the more than three-month trial that ended a year ago, the petitioners had demonstrated “manifest deficiencies.” → Read More