Carly Sitrin
@carlysitrin.bsky.social
Philly Bureau Chief at Chalkbeat. I have a dog named Ladle. Email me: csitrin@chalkbeat.org
Reposted by Carly Sitrin
Do you have thoughts on Philadelphia school leaders’ plan to close 20 schools? Here’s the list of community meetings the district is hosting over the next three weeks to discuss the proposal.
Here’s how to tell Philly school leaders your thoughts about proposed school closures
Do you have thoughts on Philadelphia school leaders’ plan to close 20 schools? Here’s the list of community meetings the district is hosting over the next three weeks to discuss the proposal.
bit.ly
January 30, 2026 at 9:35 PM
Do you have thoughts on Philadelphia school leaders’ plan to close 20 schools? Here’s the list of community meetings the district is hosting over the next three weeks to discuss the proposal.
Hey hi! Are you in Philly? Do you have thoughts/opinions/things to say about high school graduation requirements? I know you do! We want those thoughts!! Put them here and tell your friends to weigh in! www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
The number of Philadelphia students passing their state exams to graduate has plummeted
Philadelphia students are increasingly graduating through pathways that don’t require them to pass standardized tests. We need your help reporting on how students, families, and teachers have experien...
www.chalkbeat.org
January 12, 2026 at 8:39 PM
Hey hi! Are you in Philly? Do you have thoughts/opinions/things to say about high school graduation requirements? I know you do! We want those thoughts!! Put them here and tell your friends to weigh in! www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
I yelled when we didn't have a budget so only fair that I yell when we do have a budget
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Philly schools will get $193 million more in a new state budget lawmakers finally passed
Pennsylvania lawmakers and Gov. Josh Shapiro said the budget deal reflects a bipartisan compromise.
www.chalkbeat.org
November 12, 2025 at 8:55 PM
I yelled when we didn't have a budget so only fair that I yell when we do have a budget
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Sorry to be annoying but PA STILL DOESN'T HAVE A STATE BUDGET. Philly schools are having to burn millions of $$ on interest payments just to "keep the lights on." That’s equivalent to roughly 200 teacher salaries.
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Philadelphia schools on the hook for millions in interest as state budget delay drags on
The Philadelphia school district has borrowed more than $500 million to make up for missing state funding as Pennsylvania’s budget impasse has hit four months. Even once lawmakers reach a deal, the di...
www.chalkbeat.org
November 11, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Sorry to be annoying but PA STILL DOESN'T HAVE A STATE BUDGET. Philly schools are having to burn millions of $$ on interest payments just to "keep the lights on." That’s equivalent to roughly 200 teacher salaries.
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Newark's board of ed considered extending the superintendent's contract in Sept. That vote failed.
Then, in the dead of night a month later with no public notice, a board member changed her vote.
The district now says the whole thing is legit. We have questions.
www.chalkbeat.org/newark/2025/...
Then, in the dead of night a month later with no public notice, a board member changed her vote.
The district now says the whole thing is legit. We have questions.
www.chalkbeat.org/newark/2025/...
Newark board member’s late-night vote swap was “totally improper” expert says
In a surprise move Thursday night, the Newark school board’s sudden decision to flip a member's vote raises ethical questions about board procedures.
www.chalkbeat.org
November 7, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Newark's board of ed considered extending the superintendent's contract in Sept. That vote failed.
Then, in the dead of night a month later with no public notice, a board member changed her vote.
The district now says the whole thing is legit. We have questions.
www.chalkbeat.org/newark/2025/...
Then, in the dead of night a month later with no public notice, a board member changed her vote.
The district now says the whole thing is legit. We have questions.
www.chalkbeat.org/newark/2025/...
Reposted by Carly Sitrin
Feeling optimistic and eager to see impactful and much-needed solutions reporting from AGVR.org co-director Sammy Caiola in this crucial new role:
"I’m starting my second full-time job as a gun violence reporter. It’s a position that remains heartbreakingly relevant in Philadelphia and other cities as the economic, racial, and health disparities driving the firearms crisis in America remain largely uncovered and unaddressed."
Why we’re covering school-based solutions to gun violence
Sammy Caiola is Chalkbeat Philadelphia’s new gun violence reporter. She will dedicate the next year to writing about how schools can help reduce the number of children killed or injured by firearms.
www.chalkbeat.org
November 7, 2025 at 12:37 PM
Feeling optimistic and eager to see impactful and much-needed solutions reporting from AGVR.org co-director Sammy Caiola in this crucial new role:
Over and over again Newark residents have demanded that their school district leadership be more transparent. Instead, decisions to extend Superintendent León’s contract have consistently been made with little to no public input.
www.chalkbeat.org/newark/2025/...
www.chalkbeat.org/newark/2025/...
And just like that, Newark’s superintendent apparently got a contract extension
Last month’s proposal to extend Roger León’s contract fell short after objections from parents and others. But at Thursday’s meeting, with no prior public notice, a board member announced she would re...
www.chalkbeat.org
October 31, 2025 at 3:12 AM
Over and over again Newark residents have demanded that their school district leadership be more transparent. Instead, decisions to extend Superintendent León’s contract have consistently been made with little to no public input.
www.chalkbeat.org/newark/2025/...
www.chalkbeat.org/newark/2025/...
We've been following Alpha School co-founder Mackenzie Price's efforts to open a cyber charter school in PA.
It's been rejected as "untested" with no evidence that the school can help students meet academic standards www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
It's been rejected as "untested" with no evidence that the school can help students meet academic standards www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
You should read every @toddfeathers.bsky.social investigation. But this scalpel cut into Alpha School for @wired.com is a master class in dissecting institutions that drink their own kool-aid and are stunned when someone holds up a mirror as it dribbles off the chin. www.wired.com/story/ai-tea...
Parents Fell in Love With Alpha School’s Promise. Then They Wanted Out
In Brownsville, Texas, some families found a buzzy new school’s methods—surveillance of kids, software in lieu of teachers—to be an education in and of itself.
www.wired.com
October 28, 2025 at 3:10 PM
We've been following Alpha School co-founder Mackenzie Price's efforts to open a cyber charter school in PA.
It's been rejected as "untested" with no evidence that the school can help students meet academic standards www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
It's been rejected as "untested" with no evidence that the school can help students meet academic standards www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
You absolutely can! And if there's something specific you're looking for, let me know and I can try and pull the stable link for you
October 22, 2025 at 2:26 PM
You absolutely can! And if there's something specific you're looking for, let me know and I can try and pull the stable link for you
We've got a lot of those stories digitized in our Chalkbeat system and I've been compiling the closure coverage specifically this week, but also all of the print editions are over at Temple! I was at the special collections room today looking through boxes!
October 21, 2025 at 10:35 PM
We've got a lot of those stories digitized in our Chalkbeat system and I've been compiling the closure coverage specifically this week, but also all of the print editions are over at Temple! I was at the special collections room today looking through boxes!
We've been digging around in the Philadelphia Public School Notebook archives to see how different Philly school district leaders presented school closures and I gotta say, it's all looking a little familiar...
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
October 21, 2025 at 8:49 PM
We've been digging around in the Philadelphia Public School Notebook archives to see how different Philly school district leaders presented school closures and I gotta say, it's all looking a little familiar...
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Across Philadelphia, young kids are waiting months and sometimes years for early intervention services that they are legally entitled to.
Parents told @rebeccaredelmeier.bsky.social getting support through the federally mandated, publicly funded early intervention system can be exhausting.
Parents told @rebeccaredelmeier.bsky.social getting support through the federally mandated, publicly funded early intervention system can be exhausting.
How Philly’s early intervention program is failing the city’s youngest kids
When Kimberly Halevy’s son was 3, she started hearing from his preschool that he needed extra support. But more than a year later, she describes the effort to get her kid services through Philly’s ear...
www.chalkbeat.org
October 21, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Across Philadelphia, young kids are waiting months and sometimes years for early intervention services that they are legally entitled to.
Parents told @rebeccaredelmeier.bsky.social getting support through the federally mandated, publicly funded early intervention system can be exhausting.
Parents told @rebeccaredelmeier.bsky.social getting support through the federally mandated, publicly funded early intervention system can be exhausting.
Hey hi, Pennsylvania still doesn't have a state budget and it's having a REAL impact on our youngest learners www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Philly preschool owners are draining their savings during the state budget impasse
More than 100 days into the Pennsylvania budget impasse, some Philly preschool owners are using their own savings and taking out loans to stay afloat. But lawmakers still seem far from a budget agreem...
www.chalkbeat.org
October 10, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Hey hi, Pennsylvania still doesn't have a state budget and it's having a REAL impact on our youngest learners www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
OK EVERYBODY WE’RE PIVOTING TO HOCKEY
NOAH CATES SCORES THE FIRST FLYERS GOAL OF THE REGULAR SEASON
October 10, 2025 at 12:40 AM
OK EVERYBODY WE’RE PIVOTING TO HOCKEY
Reposted by Carly Sitrin
Concerns about crumbling asbestos have closed several Philly schools in recent years. One lawmaker who spoke in favor of the legislation said the current state of school buildings is “both a crisis of education and a public health crisis.”
‘We are not being proactive’: State lawmakers push bill to gather school facilities data
Concerns about crumbling asbestos have closed several Philly schools in recent years. One lawmaker who spoke in favor of the legislation said the current state of school buildings is “both a crisis of education and a public health crisis.”
bit.ly
September 22, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Concerns about crumbling asbestos have closed several Philly schools in recent years. One lawmaker who spoke in favor of the legislation said the current state of school buildings is “both a crisis of education and a public health crisis.”
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha ahhhhhhhhhh
BIRDS - The Eagles block the Rams FG and Jordan Davis *rumbles* for the TD
September 21, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha ahhhhhhhhhh
JORDAN DAVIS ROLLS A NAT 20
September 21, 2025 at 8:12 PM
JORDAN DAVIS ROLLS A NAT 20
Hi from the Philly school fair! Thank you to all of the overwhelmed families who took the time to chat with me about the school selection process today!
September 20, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Hi from the Philly school fair! Thank you to all of the overwhelmed families who took the time to chat with me about the school selection process today!
Reposted by Carly Sitrin
After Charlie Kirk's assassination, what teachers say faces a new kind of scrutiny
After Charlie Kirk's assassination, what teachers say faces a new kind of scrutiny
Charlie Kirk’s death has led to investigations of teachers for their social media posts and calls for a crackdown on inappropriate speech. But his assassination has also highlighted uncertainty about how teachers can foster debates and inquiry in a climate where political strife and anxiety are pervasive.
bit.ly
September 17, 2025 at 7:10 PM
After Charlie Kirk's assassination, what teachers say faces a new kind of scrutiny
Reposted by Carly Sitrin
The Trump administration won’t be handing out any blue ribbons to schools this year. www.chalkbeat.org/2025/09/04/b... #edusky
Ribbon-cutting: Trump administration abruptly ends National Blue Ribbon Schools program
Many schools took enormous pride in receiving federal Blue Ribbon recognition, which began under President Ronald Reagan. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Education said ending the program wo...
www.chalkbeat.org
September 5, 2025 at 2:36 PM
The Trump administration won’t be handing out any blue ribbons to schools this year. www.chalkbeat.org/2025/09/04/b... #edusky
Reposted by Carly Sitrin
#SEPTA must reverse all cuts to services immediately, a #Philadelphia judge ruled Thursday.
🔗 inquirer.com/transportati...
🔗 inquirer.com/transportati...
SEPTA service cuts must be reversed immediately, judge says
The order does not include a prohibition on fare increases.
inquirer.com
September 4, 2025 at 9:24 PM
#SEPTA must reverse all cuts to services immediately, a #Philadelphia judge ruled Thursday.
🔗 inquirer.com/transportati...
🔗 inquirer.com/transportati...
Reposted by Carly Sitrin
"Withholding federal funds to punish states for teaching about gender identity is yet another way the Trump administration has sought to control what young people learn." www.chalkbeat.org/2025/08/26/t... #edusky
40 states could lose federal funds for sex ed if they keep gender identity in curriculum
The Health and Human Services Department told 40 states to remove references to gender identity from their federally funded sex education programs. When California refused to comply, the agency termin...
www.chalkbeat.org
August 27, 2025 at 2:21 PM
"Withholding federal funds to punish states for teaching about gender identity is yet another way the Trump administration has sought to control what young people learn." www.chalkbeat.org/2025/08/26/t... #edusky
Reposted by Carly Sitrin
It's funny! It's heartwarming! It made me cry a few times!
@phillymag.com's preeminent teen-chronicler Emily Goulet spent months behind-the-scenes with the town that throws America's biggest prom. A must read:
@phillymag.com's preeminent teen-chronicler Emily Goulet spent months behind-the-scenes with the town that throws America's biggest prom. A must read:
Inside Pennsbury High’s Legendary Prom: The Most Epic School Dance in America
A six-figure budget. Hundreds of helpers. Giant art installations. A tentacled kraken. This prom is like no other.
www.phillymag.com
August 25, 2025 at 1:30 PM
It's funny! It's heartwarming! It made me cry a few times!
@phillymag.com's preeminent teen-chronicler Emily Goulet spent months behind-the-scenes with the town that throws America's biggest prom. A must read:
@phillymag.com's preeminent teen-chronicler Emily Goulet spent months behind-the-scenes with the town that throws America's biggest prom. A must read:
A sincere THANK YOU to everyone who wrote in with your concerns, questions, and frustrations. We're going to continue to stay on this story so keep talking to us! www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Are you worried about SEPTA cuts derailing your commute? We want to know.
Chalkbeat is reporting on how planned major SEPTA cuts will affect students and educators across Philadelphia. Let us know how your commute is changing.
www.chalkbeat.org
August 25, 2025 at 6:33 PM
A sincere THANK YOU to everyone who wrote in with your concerns, questions, and frustrations. We're going to continue to stay on this story so keep talking to us! www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...