environment: Philadelphia Metropolis

Management by Dithering

One of the lessons to be learned in the forced closure of dozens of Catholic schools in the region is the danger of institutional drift. For decades, Catholic schools had a fixed and firm role in the world: education and... (Comments)

A Significant Effect

What's happening at Olney High School this year could have a significant and widespread effect on urban public education. Hired by the district to take over one of the worst high schools in the city, the Latino educational group Aspira... (Comments)

The Case of the Crumbling Shoes

Best of VoxPop» On Christmas Eve day, as I was getting out of the car, I noticed an odd-looking thing on the ground: an oval plastic pillowy thing a little smaller than a credit card. It turned out to be the inner heel cushion from the Nike boots I was wearing. They looked fine when I put them on in the morning, but now the heel had separated into a top slice and a bottom, spitting out the air cushion that had been imprisoned inside. An hour or so later, the other heel started flapping and disgorged its cushion. Next, the front of one sole started flapping like a clown shoe. All day, everywhere I went, I left a Hansel-and-Gretel-like trail of black crumbles as the bottoms of my shoes continued to disintegrate. (Comments)

Takeover at Olney High

Olney High School was a troubled school: plagued with suspensions, fights, chronic absenteeism and dismal performance in math and reading. Then, the school district asked the Latino educational group Aspira to take over the school this year with a goal of turning a failure into a success story. Reporter Connie Langland has spent weeks at Olney and offers this special report from the front lines. (Comments)

Where Did the Outside Go?

By Lynda C. Wharton» I came home a couple of days ago to find my 13-year-old daughter and my 11-year -old son just lying around in our family room. I asked them was something wrong? Everybody looked so melancholy. As any parent has heard a million times they gave a two-word response: "I'm bored." I joked with them about how I was sure they could keep themselves busy if they cleaned their rooms. Cleaning up could possibly take all day. My daughter cringed and looked away (you don't want to see her room), but, my son said: "Awww, mom. My room is good." Well, I said, its 75 degrees outside. The sun is high, the humidity is low, and it's a beautiful day. He still looked bummed. Apparently, he couldn't figure out if he had left some attachment to one of their game systems at their grandmother's house or lost it at ours. (Comments)