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** 1. The achievement gap is coming from outside the classroom ([link removed])
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By Wally Nunn

"Two recent Broad + Liberty articles detailed issues in the Upper Darby School District at both the middle schools ([link removed]) and thehigh school ([link removed]) . Only 30.2 percent of Upper Darby high school students are proficient in Literature and only 7.3 percent in Algebra.

I am a member of Upper Darby High School’s Class of 1961. I served on the Upper Darby School Board in the 1980’s and 1990’s. My wife subsequently served on the board as well. I have a deep personal connection to the district and community. Such results are staggering and they make my heart heavy. And, they raise the basic question: why are they so bad?”

Why It Matters. “The education bureaucracy, we believe, is aware of the impact imploded culture has on the children it is responsible for educating. Politically, they can’t say it. The poor outcomes and the violence are, to some degree, not within their ability to control. They can’t bring themselves to tell the simple truth: family matters.

Their answer, almost always, is to demand more money.”

Quotable. “We must ask why Springfield School District can rival the outcomes of Radnor School District despite spending $10,000 less per student. Perhaps more importantly, why are Springfield’s students excelling while Upper Darby’s students are struggling despite virtually equal spending? It’s time to have an honest discussion.”

C ([link removed]) ontinue Reading ([link removed])


** 2. It will take more than money to solve Pennsylvania’s education crisis ([link removed])
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By Beth Ann Rosica

“Four years since the first pandemic school closures in March 2020, we are faced with the unavoidable conclusion that public education in America is broken.

Academic performance and attendance are at all-time lows in many districts across the country, while mental health issues, behavioral incidents, and school violence are exponentially on the rise. Last year, the New York Times ([link removed]) , the Washington Post ([link removed]) , NPR ([link removed]) , and most national news outlets reported that academic achievement continues to decline since schools were closed.”

Why It Matters. “For the most part, the data from the chart is consistent with the findings from the author. For districts with a married family percentage above 72 percent, all academic indicators are above the state average. Those districts include Radnor, Springfield, Jenkintown, West Chester, and Pennridge.

Conversely, for those districts with a married family percentage below 60 percent, all academic assessments are below the state average, including Bristol Borough, Upper Darby, Philadelphia, Norristown, and Chester Upland. Phoenixville, Neshaminy, and Cheltenham have mixed results above and below the state average with a 70 to 72 percentage of married families.”

Quotable. “Not discussing the data is counterproductive. We must find a way to engage in the difficult conversations with empathy and sensitivity so that we can find solutions to level the playing field.
Children do not ask to be born, nor do they have any control over who their parents are or the circumstances to which they live. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to use our limited financial resources to address the root of the problem and not the symptom of the problem.”

Continue Reading ([link removed])


** 3. Lightning Round
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* From the Editors: Delco Democrats must own spate of deaths at county prison as media and activist group strategically disappear ([link removed])
* Seth Higgins: No Labels may offer a third choice in 2024’s lackluster Biden-Trump rematch ([link removed])
* Former Delco correctional officers file lawsuit alleging improper dismissal ([link removed])
* Christine Flowers: The women who matter are the ones we cannot see ([link removed])
* “I can tell time by the sun” — Henry Chapman Mercer and his defiance of Daylight Savings Time ([link removed])

What We’re Reading...
Will Joe Biden’s hometown political machine help him carry Pennsylvania for the second time? As the nation’s eyes turn to the Keystone State in 2024, Charles McElwee writes for PennLive ([link removed]) about the Democratic machine still holding sway in an increasingly Republican northeastern Pennsylvania.

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With gratitude,

— The Editors at Broad + Liberty
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