Rebecca Redelmeier
@rebeccaredelmeier.bsky.social
Covering Philly's public schools for @chalkbeat.org
Reposted by Rebecca Redelmeier
The Philadelphia school district wants to close 17 schools and modernize nearly ten times that number through a plan with a $3 billion price tag. But the city’s elected officials and several communities are adamantly opposed to the idea.
The Philadelphia Board of Education is about to vote on the school closure plan. Get caught up with our guide.
The Philadelphia school district wants to close 17 schools and modernize nearly ten times that number through a plan with a $3 billion price tag. But the city’s elected officials and several communities are adamantly opposed to the idea.
bit.ly
April 23, 2026 at 3:02 PM
The Philadelphia school district wants to close 17 schools and modernize nearly ten times that number through a plan with a $3 billion price tag. But the city’s elected officials and several communities are adamantly opposed to the idea.
Reposted by Rebecca Redelmeier
Among the popular "industry credentials" in Philly schools: a 2-hour online ladder safety course that most employers who ask people to climb ladders would be required to offer anyway. Good work by @rebeccaredelmeier.bsky.social on what's going wrong in high school. www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
‘You don’t have to learn anything to graduate’: Dubious credentials boost Pennsylvania’s graduation rate
Philadelphia teachers say they’re incentivized to push students to earn low-value credentials — like a 2-hour online ladder-safety course — by state and district officials who want to see graduation rates continue to climb.
www.chalkbeat.org
April 10, 2026 at 5:27 PM
Among the popular "industry credentials" in Philly schools: a 2-hour online ladder safety course that most employers who ask people to climb ladders would be required to offer anyway. Good work by @rebeccaredelmeier.bsky.social on what's going wrong in high school. www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Reposted by Rebecca Redelmeier
A new Chalkbeat investigation into Pennsylvania's graduation pathways features ExcelinEd's Adriana Harrington on why low-value credentials are a growing concern for students and schools.
‘You don’t have to learn anything to graduate’: Dubious credentials boost Pennsylvania’s graduation rate
Philadelphia teachers say students rapidly earning low-value credentials to meet Pennsylvania graduation requirements is now the norm.
www.chalkbeat.org
April 10, 2026 at 3:26 PM
A new Chalkbeat investigation into Pennsylvania's graduation pathways features ExcelinEd's Adriana Harrington on why low-value credentials are a growing concern for students and schools.
Since Pa. overhauled graduation requirements four years ago, teachers say there's been a troubling trend:
Students are getting low-value credentials like ladder safety just to check off grad requirements, especially in poor districts.
No officials are tracking it.
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Students are getting low-value credentials like ladder safety just to check off grad requirements, especially in poor districts.
No officials are tracking it.
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
‘You don’t have to learn anything to graduate’: Dubious credentials boost Pennsylvania’s graduation rate
Philadelphia teachers say they’re incentivized to push students to earn low-value credentials — like a 2-hour online ladder-safety course — by state and district officials who want to see graduation rates continue to climb.
www.chalkbeat.org
April 9, 2026 at 10:48 PM
Since Pa. overhauled graduation requirements four years ago, teachers say there's been a troubling trend:
Students are getting low-value credentials like ladder safety just to check off grad requirements, especially in poor districts.
No officials are tracking it.
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Students are getting low-value credentials like ladder safety just to check off grad requirements, especially in poor districts.
No officials are tracking it.
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
New: The Philadelphia school district wants to close 20 schools starting in 2027 to address enrollment decline and crumbling buildings.
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Philadelphia school district proposes closing 20 schools, affecting dozens more
Some Philadelphia schools would close entirely, while others would co-locate with other schools. In total, more than 70 schools would be affected by the changes. See the full list.
www.chalkbeat.org
January 23, 2026 at 3:58 AM
New: The Philadelphia school district wants to close 20 schools starting in 2027 to address enrollment decline and crumbling buildings.
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Reposted by Rebecca Redelmeier
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...
Fewer Philadelphia students are graduating by passing state exams, and more are meeting grad requirements by submitting industry-recognized credentials.
Help us report on the impact.
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Help us report on the impact.
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 9:22 PM
Fewer Philadelphia students are graduating by passing state exams, and more are meeting grad requirements by submitting industry-recognized credentials.
Help us report on the impact.
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Help us report on the impact.
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Listen up ppl!
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 9:14 PM
Listen up ppl!
Philadelphia’s youngest learners aren’t getting support services they’re legally entitled to.
Some families say they're waiting months for early intervention services, putting kids behind before they start kindergarten.
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Some families say they're waiting months for early intervention services, putting kids behind before they start kindergarten.
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
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 1:40 PM
Philadelphia’s youngest learners aren’t getting support services they’re legally entitled to.
Some families say they're waiting months for early intervention services, putting kids behind before they start kindergarten.
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Some families say they're waiting months for early intervention services, putting kids behind before they start kindergarten.
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Reposted by Rebecca Redelmeier
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...
NEW: SEPTA is restoring some bus lines that serve schools after an outcry from Philly students and teachers who said transit cuts made getting to school on time impossible.
The city announced that SEPTA agreed "in concept" to restore some service on Sept. 2.
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
The city announced that SEPTA agreed "in concept" to restore some service on Sept. 2.
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
SEPTA is restoring some service for Philly students
The city said that SEPTA agreed “in concept” to dedicate funding to restore priority bus lines for students next week.
www.chalkbeat.org
August 28, 2025 at 10:39 PM
NEW: SEPTA is restoring some bus lines that serve schools after an outcry from Philly students and teachers who said transit cuts made getting to school on time impossible.
The city announced that SEPTA agreed "in concept" to restore some service on Sept. 2.
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
The city announced that SEPTA agreed "in concept" to restore some service on Sept. 2.
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Reposted by Rebecca Redelmeier
The stellar @rebeccaredelmeier.bsky.social got up at the crack of dawn to ride SEPTA to school with two Philly students. The whole trip took over an hour and they missed a bus and had to walk the last mile to Palumbo. These cuts are already having a real impact on Philly's young people:
Follow 2 students as SEPTA cuts complicate their commute on the first day of school
Students across Philadelphia are waking up earlier and waiting longer for SEPTA to get them to school. But many say they’re bound to be late anyway, with less reliable service and more crowded routes....
www.chalkbeat.org
August 25, 2025 at 6:30 PM
The stellar @rebeccaredelmeier.bsky.social got up at the crack of dawn to ride SEPTA to school with two Philly students. The whole trip took over an hour and they missed a bus and had to walk the last mile to Palumbo. These cuts are already having a real impact on Philly's young people:
Reposted by Rebecca Redelmeier
For 6 months, I’ve followed ELLIS, a Bronx HS for newcomers, to understand what it means to educate immigrant students in Trump’s second term.
Proud to share the 1st of 2 stories about ELLIS, Bridget, an undocumented teen, & the fight to keep her education alive.
www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...
Proud to share the 1st of 2 stories about ELLIS, Bridget, an undocumented teen, & the fight to keep her education alive.
www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...
‘They’ve given her a lot of hope’: A NYC school fights to educate an undocumented teen under Trump
For Bridget and Marta, ELLIS Prep often felt like the only public institution with its arms open in a city and country that seemed not to want them.
www.chalkbeat.org
August 13, 2025 at 12:55 PM
For 6 months, I’ve followed ELLIS, a Bronx HS for newcomers, to understand what it means to educate immigrant students in Trump’s second term.
Proud to share the 1st of 2 stories about ELLIS, Bridget, an undocumented teen, & the fight to keep her education alive.
www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...
Proud to share the 1st of 2 stories about ELLIS, Bridget, an undocumented teen, & the fight to keep her education alive.
www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...
A federal judge ruled a Philadelphia charter school that sued the school district to allow it to stay open despite poor academic performance must close.
But officials representing Memphis Street Academy Charter School say the school plans to stay open in the fall.
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
But officials representing Memphis Street Academy Charter School say the school plans to stay open in the fall.
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Federal judge rules that Philadelphia’s Memphis Street Academy must shut down
A federal judge has ordered a Philadelphia charter school to close after years operating on an expired charter agreement. But officials representing Memphis Street Academy Charter School say they plan...
www.chalkbeat.org
July 15, 2025 at 4:26 PM
A federal judge ruled a Philadelphia charter school that sued the school district to allow it to stay open despite poor academic performance must close.
But officials representing Memphis Street Academy Charter School say the school plans to stay open in the fall.
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
But officials representing Memphis Street Academy Charter School say the school plans to stay open in the fall.
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
NEW: Philly school district officials have promised any future school closures will be benefit students.
But community leaders involved in the planning process say it's become opaque.
"We are not looked at as resources. We are looked at as obstacles.”
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
But community leaders involved in the planning process say it's become opaque.
"We are not looked at as resources. We are looked at as obstacles.”
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Philadelphia community leaders ring alarm bells about school closure process
School district officials have pledged not to repeat mistakes that fractured communities and hurt students. But parents and community leaders involved in the district’s facilities planning process, wh...
www.chalkbeat.org
June 11, 2025 at 2:20 PM
NEW: Philly school district officials have promised any future school closures will be benefit students.
But community leaders involved in the planning process say it's become opaque.
"We are not looked at as resources. We are looked at as obstacles.”
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
But community leaders involved in the planning process say it's become opaque.
"We are not looked at as resources. We are looked at as obstacles.”
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Reposted by Rebecca Redelmeier
Philly's school district wants the community to participate in its closure/modernization process. But members of their advisory groups say their time has felt wasted by bureaucratic presentations. They worry the district is using them to add credibility to a flawed process.
Philadelphia community leaders ring alarm bells about school closure process
School district officials have pledged not to repeat mistakes that fractured communities and hurt students. But parents and community leaders involved in the district’s facilities planning process, wh...
www.chalkbeat.org
June 10, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Philly's school district wants the community to participate in its closure/modernization process. But members of their advisory groups say their time has felt wasted by bureaucratic presentations. They worry the district is using them to add credibility to a flawed process.
It's my first day at @chalkbeat.org, where I'm covering the School District of Philadelphia!
I am so happy to get to dig into the education beat in this great city. If you wanna chat Philly schools, please reach out!
I am so happy to get to dig into the education beat in this great city. If you wanna chat Philly schools, please reach out!
May 19, 2025 at 3:35 PM
It's my first day at @chalkbeat.org, where I'm covering the School District of Philadelphia!
I am so happy to get to dig into the education beat in this great city. If you wanna chat Philly schools, please reach out!
I am so happy to get to dig into the education beat in this great city. If you wanna chat Philly schools, please reach out!
Very cool data visualization from @puddingviz.bsky.social on how middle schoolers are doing, based on survey answers from millions of students.
pudding.cool/2025/02/midd...
pudding.cool/2025/02/midd...
The Middle Ages
Follow hundreds of kids as they navigate their treacherous middle school years.
pudding.cool
March 15, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Very cool data visualization from @puddingviz.bsky.social on how middle schoolers are doing, based on survey answers from millions of students.
pudding.cool/2025/02/midd...
pudding.cool/2025/02/midd...
Trump’s federal job cuts have left many early-career scientists in turmoil.
WSKG's Aurora Berry and I spoke to Ph.D. students whose advisors, employed by the USDA, lost their jobs last month. They told us the upheaval has already taken a toll.
www.wskg.org/regional-new...
WSKG's Aurora Berry and I spoke to Ph.D. students whose advisors, employed by the USDA, lost their jobs last month. They told us the upheaval has already taken a toll.
www.wskg.org/regional-new...
‘Disheartening and lonely’: Trump’s federal job cuts leave Cornell scientists in turmoil
After thousands of Department of Agriculture employees were fired last month, some early-career scientists have lost advisers. Ph.D. students at Cornell university say they worry about the future of t...
www.wskg.org
March 7, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Trump’s federal job cuts have left many early-career scientists in turmoil.
WSKG's Aurora Berry and I spoke to Ph.D. students whose advisors, employed by the USDA, lost their jobs last month. They told us the upheaval has already taken a toll.
www.wskg.org/regional-new...
WSKG's Aurora Berry and I spoke to Ph.D. students whose advisors, employed by the USDA, lost their jobs last month. They told us the upheaval has already taken a toll.
www.wskg.org/regional-new...
Ithaca got a lot of attention when it committed to electrifying all of its buildings by 2030. It partnered with a company called BlocPower to manage the effort.
But the whole thing didn't quite go as planned. For @npr.org, I reported on the lessons learned:
www.npr.org/2025/02/20/n...
But the whole thing didn't quite go as planned. For @npr.org, I reported on the lessons learned:
www.npr.org/2025/02/20/n...
Lessons from Ithaca's Green New Deal
As part of its Green New Deal, Ithaca pledged to decarbonize all of its buildings by 2030. It hasn't gone as planned, but the city has lessons for others trying to tackle this key climate challenge.
www.npr.org
February 21, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Ithaca got a lot of attention when it committed to electrifying all of its buildings by 2030. It partnered with a company called BlocPower to manage the effort.
But the whole thing didn't quite go as planned. For @npr.org, I reported on the lessons learned:
www.npr.org/2025/02/20/n...
But the whole thing didn't quite go as planned. For @npr.org, I reported on the lessons learned:
www.npr.org/2025/02/20/n...
Reposted by Rebecca Redelmeier
BlocPower promised to help electrify Ithaca. Now it has ended its support.
The company ended its collaboration with the city in New York after completing the electrification of only 10 buildings.
grist.org/buildings/bl...
#GreenSky #Climate #NewYork #Ithaca
The company ended its collaboration with the city in New York after completing the electrification of only 10 buildings.
grist.org/buildings/bl...
#GreenSky #Climate #NewYork #Ithaca
BlocPower promised to help electrify Ithaca. Now it has ended its support.
In 2021, the small city of Ithaca announced it would electrify all of its 6,000 buildings with the help of one key partner: a technology company called BlocPower, whose then-CEO Donnel Baird said the ...
grist.org
February 10, 2025 at 7:06 PM
BlocPower promised to help electrify Ithaca. Now it has ended its support.
The company ended its collaboration with the city in New York after completing the electrification of only 10 buildings.
grist.org/buildings/bl...
#GreenSky #Climate #NewYork #Ithaca
The company ended its collaboration with the city in New York after completing the electrification of only 10 buildings.
grist.org/buildings/bl...
#GreenSky #Climate #NewYork #Ithaca
Reposted by Rebecca Redelmeier
Support your local public radio stations. www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/b...
F.C.C. Chair Orders Investigation Into NPR and PBS Stations
Brendan Carr, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, recently expressed concern about NPR and PBS’s sponsorships.
www.nytimes.com
January 30, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Support your local public radio stations. www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/b...
NEW: The green tech company BlocPower promised to help electrify cities like Ithaca. It raised millions and won awards for its work.
Now, it has apparently given up.
www.wskg.org/regional-new...
Now, it has apparently given up.
www.wskg.org/regional-new...
BlocPower promised to help electrify Ithaca. Now it has ended its support
The technology company said it would help make Ithaca the first fully-electrified city in the U.S. It left town after initiating only 14 electrification projects.
www.wskg.org
January 29, 2025 at 7:16 PM
NEW: The green tech company BlocPower promised to help electrify cities like Ithaca. It raised millions and won awards for its work.
Now, it has apparently given up.
www.wskg.org/regional-new...
Now, it has apparently given up.
www.wskg.org/regional-new...
Reposted by Rebecca Redelmeier
The American Climate Corps is over. What even was it?
Biden's green jobs program was never what it seemed. Now it's shutting down before Trump takes office.
grist.org/politics/ame...
#Biden #ClimateCorps
Biden's green jobs program was never what it seemed. Now it's shutting down before Trump takes office.
grist.org/politics/ame...
#Biden #ClimateCorps
The American Climate Corps is over. What even was it?
Biden's green jobs program was never what it seemed. Now it's shutting down before Trump takes office.
grist.org
January 15, 2025 at 2:44 PM
The American Climate Corps is over. What even was it?
Biden's green jobs program was never what it seemed. Now it's shutting down before Trump takes office.
grist.org/politics/ame...
#Biden #ClimateCorps
Biden's green jobs program was never what it seemed. Now it's shutting down before Trump takes office.
grist.org/politics/ame...
#Biden #ClimateCorps
New York passed a ban on gas stoves in new buildings. Could Trump interfere?
www.wskg.org/regional-new...
www.wskg.org/regional-new...
New York passed a ban on gas stoves in new buildings. Could Trump interfere?
The president-elect is reportedly considering an executive action meant to protect gas stoves from local and statewide bans.
www.wskg.org
January 14, 2025 at 11:18 PM
New York passed a ban on gas stoves in new buildings. Could Trump interfere?
www.wskg.org/regional-new...
www.wskg.org/regional-new...