Carly Sitrin
Philly Bureau Chief at Chalkbeat. I have a dog named Ladle. Email me: csitrin@chalkbeat.org
- Reposted by Carly SitrinDo 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...
- 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...
- 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...
- 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/...
- Reposted by Carly SitrinFeeling 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/...
- 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...
- 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...
- 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...
- 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.
- 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
- Reposted by Carly SitrinConcerns 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
- 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!
- Reposted by Carly SitrinAfter Charlie Kirk's assassination, what teachers say faces a new kind of scrutiny
- Reposted by Carly SitrinThe 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...
- 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
- Reposted by Carly SitrinIt'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:
- 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:
- 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...
- Hey Philly! We're trying to connect with students, teachers, and parents who rely on SEPTA for school transit. Help us spread the word and lmk if your route is getting cut: www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
- Reposted by Carly SitrinFor 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...
- This Votebeat story is A WILD RIDE and features the timeless quote: "None of the witnesses we deposed disclosed her cookie staycation.” www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...
- 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.
- Can’t wait for my commute on the Comcast-Aramark-Pond Lehocky 32 bus
- Reposted by Carly SitrinPhiladelphia Board of Education approves city’s first new charter school since 2018 chalkbeat.org/philadelphia/2025/0…
- Reposted by Carly SitrinCool resource for journalists - SciLine helps connect journalists with scientists who can provide expertise for stories. www.sciline.org
- Philly's early childhood education workers want raises. They're getting a city council task force to look into it. www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
- Here at City Hall where early childhood ed workers, parents, caregivers, and elected officials are rallying for the “Day w/out Childcare”
- Joyful Readers tutors were helping Philly kids learn to read. DOGE said their work isn’t a priority. www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
- In Pennsylvania, at least one public institution provides in-state tuition to undocumented students (Penn State)
- Trump administration takes aim at in-state tuition programs for undocumented students chalkbeat.org/colorado/2025/05/05…
- Why national charter leaders are very worried about Oklahoma’s religious charter school www.chalkbeat.org/2025/04/28/r...
- Reposted by Carly SitrinIn 2023, Historic Germantown received word that it had won a two-year grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to pilot a new hands-on science program for middle schoolers called Science Sleuths. (1/4)
- Students from Philly's Academy at Palumbo are planning to testify at tonight's school board meeting about the "grimy" conditions at their school that they say make it harder for them to learn: www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
- Student My Le testified abt her mental health struggles & how the state of her school contributed to her feelings of hopelessness & despair. "I implore you to fight for us. Fight for more funding not just for the egregious state of our bathrooms and building, but for our mental health too," Le said
- So interesting knowing this is also Parker's approach to her big "year-round school" campaign promise: Expand access to programs that already exist. To be sure, people really appreciate those programs! Just feels like a common theme: www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
- Mayor Parker released the details of how she wants to spend $800 million on housing policy over the next four years. Over 75% of the spending would be split between seven programs, most of which already exist: www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
- Reposted by Carly SitrinPennsylvania GOP to hold hearing on ‘waste, fraud, and abuse’ in Philly schools chalkbeat.org/philadelphia/2025/0…
- Here at City Hall where immigrant advocacy groups, parents, and students are calling on City Council and the school district to do more to support immigrant students amid Trump admin policies. Some background from last yr here: www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
- Reposted by Carly SitrinA group of 16 Democratic attorneys general along with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Trump administration for halting access to hundreds of millions of dollars of federal pandemic relief money: www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...
- Reposted by Carly SitrinThis is a catastrophe not only for the commuters and economy of Philadelphia, but for the hundreds of thousands of tourists that are expected to visit in 2026 for the World Cup, the MLB All-Star Game, and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Impossible to underestimate what a disaster this would be.
- The U.S. DOE’s order has drawn a line in the sand for local education agencies: Bow to the Trump administration’s efforts to strike all programs concerning racism and inequity in schools, or risk losing a massive chunk of federal funding. www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
- As Philly school board member Joan Stern said today, “Anything that appears to be final is usually not final.” www.chalkbeat.org/2025/04/03/t...
- Reposted by Carly SitrinTrump education department threatens federal school funding nationwide over DEI chalkbeat.org/2025/04/03/trump-ed…
- Reposted by Carly SitrinExciting news: TJA and MuckRock have partnered to help journalists document and report on the Trump administration’s actions targeting trans communities. This open-source project will track the implementation and practical effects of executive orders, legislation and other federal action.
- Philly students walked out of class today to protest the Trump administration’s education and immigration policies and to demand more funding for city schools
- These students are demanding clearer communication regarding protections for immigrant and undocumented students and families. Some background here: www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
- Vibes are 🔥 at the Philly school board meeting. Thank you to the students from the Mustangs modern band!
- Speaking of Signal…
- Self-deleting message apps confound Pa.’s public access law, Senate panel hears penncapital-star.com/government-p...
- Reposted by Carly SitrinTrump Education Department decimates office serving 5 million English learners in public schools chalkbeat.org/2025/03/21/trump-ed…
- Reposted by Carly SitrinTrump signs executive order that aims to close U.S. Department of Education chalkbeat.org/2025/03/20/trump-si…
- Reposted by Carly Sitrin“No one understands our pain but us.”
- Anyway completely unrelated to anything else I've posted today here's what's in the Philly Mayor's proposed budget for education: Teacher salary increases in....2030? www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
- This is *not* directed at any particular city's budget process that may or may not have kicked off today but for the love of all that exists YOU CANNOT JUST SAY NUMBERS AND NOT EXPLAIN THEM. I feel CRAZY. City officials should EXPECT questions about their budget proposals?? And have answers??
- Especially if a line in your budget address may or may not have been: "solid data and transparency are essential for making good decisions"??????
- A former Education Department staffer, who spoke with Chalkbeat on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose the information, said the entire Office for Civil Rights team based in Philadelphia that employed 30 staffers was let go. www.chalkbeat.org/2025/03/11/e...
- Reposted by Carly SitrinWhenever it ultimately arrives ... here's what we know so far about a likely executive order to try to close the U.S. Department of Education. www.chalkbeat.org/2025/03/06/t...
- Reposted by Carly Sitrin‘Stop the cuts!’: Educators, school activists rally to protect federal funding for public education chalkbeat.org/2025/03/04/teachers…
- Philadelphia students, educators, and community members blasted school district leaders Thursday about their response — or lack thereof — to Trump immigration enforcement threats. www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
- Reposted by Carly Sitrin[This post could not be retrieved]
- Dispatch from PA Department of Education budget hearing: Referencing the overwhelming demand and "insufficient" supply in $ for student-teacher stipends, Acting Ed Secretary Carrie Rowe says "we created something akin to a student teacher stipend Hunger Games." Background via @penncapital-star.com
- “The press and all people in the United States have the right to choose their own words and not be retaliated against by the government,” the AP said in its lawsuit.
- Reposted by Carly SitrinDolly Parton is weighing in on the Indiana state budget. thedailybeast.com/dolly-parton... This follows reporting from @chalkbeat.org's Aleks Appleton who noticed the cut in the budget draft: www.chalkbeat.org/indiana/2025...
- This is tonight! Come meet us and let’s talk honestly about potential school closures
- ⚠️ TOMORROW ⚠️ Join us for an off-the-record conversation about possible school closures in Philadelphia. Teachers, parents, and students are highly encouraged to attend and bring their questions. RSVP at the link below. www.eventbrite.com/e/exploring-...
- Reposted by Carly Sitrin⚠️ TOMORROW ⚠️ Join us for an off-the-record conversation about possible school closures in Philadelphia. Teachers, parents, and students are highly encouraged to attend and bring their questions. RSVP at the link below. www.eventbrite.com/e/exploring-...
- Reposted by Carly SitrinShapiro names Carrie Rowe as next education secretary penncapital-star.com/education/sh...
- Reposted by Carly SitrinSchool diversity efforts could violate civil rights, Trump administration says chalkbeat.org/2025/02/17/trump-ed…
- The barriers are down. Philly belongs to the people! Go Birds
- Dude clutching a Voodoo Ranger tallboy offered me $1M for my green coat on my way into the office at 8 am today. Philly is the greatest city on Earth!!!!!!
- Reposted by Carly SitrinMore contract cuts from the Education Department, this time to the Regional Education Laboratories that were spared in the last round. In a press release, department said it cut $350M in contracts that touched on equity in some way.
- Reposted by Carly Sitrin“One staffer who lost her job worked in the department’s office of special education, helping students with disabilities. In an interview, she said she had moved across the country with her partner to take the position last summer, spending all her savings in the process.”
- Linda McMahon said she stands firmly behind President Trump’s calls to gut the U.S. Department of Education at her confirmation hearing, but she promised to work with Congress to do so. Here's what you need to know via @ericameltzer.bsky.social and @kalynbelsha.bsky.social
- Every single Eagles parade update is like: Hey girl, just letting you know SEPTA will only be running from like three stations on Friday. THIS OFFICIAL UPDATE BROUGHT TO YOU BY KEVIN HART'S PREMIUM LUXURY GRAN CORAMINO TEQUILA. EVERYONE SAY THANK YOU KEVIN HART.
