Schools

SCREAMING and yelling is not unknown at School Reform Commission meetings, but last week's meeting was loud by any standard. The SRC met and approved a bare-bones budget that few are happy with, and parents and activists weren't shy about saying how little they thought of a budget that leaves many schools without nurses, police officers and office supplies; could lead to mass layoffs; and counts on more than $200 million in borrowing, even though officials...

To reduce the bureaucratic maze facing parents in the Philadelphia School District, Superintendent Arlene Ackerman is adding the post of parent ombudsman to each of the district's regional offices - a first for the district. "I am trying to make the regional and central offices more accessible," Ackerman said. "For me, it is expanding services to parents. " The parent ombudsman, she said, will "address the needs of parents as they arrive" at a regional office to ensure that the district and the parent can work together to meet the child's needs.

When winter weather is forecast, Philadelphia School District officials wake up early so that they can decide by 3 a.m. whether to close schools. District transportation workers travel the roads. Communications workers check forecasts from a weather service. The various offices then consult before making a decision, said Barbara Farley, school district spokeswoman. But workers did not have to do the job quite that early during yesterday's storm. Snow did not start falling until well after 3 a.m., and by 6 a.m., there was hardly more than a dusting on the roads, Farley said.

Twenty-five years after the passage of the Title IX higher education sports equality laws, most American colleges and universities have failed to provide the same levels of opportunities for women as they do for men. A Women's Sports Foundation study showed many schools spent less on women's sports, paid head coaches for women's teams less than coaches for men's teams, and have a far greater proportion of female students to female athletes than...

Amid signs that the race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination is tightening, Auditor General Robert P. Casey Jr. unleashed a television commercial yesterday blasting former Philadelphia Mayor Edward G. Rendell's handling of the city schools. The 30-second spot, which campaign officials said began airing in all the state's media markets except Philadelphia, lays the blame for the school system's recent takeover at Rendell's feet and argues that Pennsylvania taxpayers will end up footing the bill.

Students at a local college will hear television journalist Ed Bradley speak, and pupils in Northeast Philadelphia public schools will attend assemblies, write essays and listen to speeches. All these activities will honor the memory of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as the schools observe Dr. King's birthday. Schools throughout the Northeast have been urged to plan special activities for the national and state holiday, which will be observed Monday, said Albert Glassman, superintendent of District 8 of the Philadelphia school system, which includes most of the Northeast.

The items may vary, but the list is still long. Much of the politicking surrounding David Hornbeck's appointment as the new superintendent of schools was defined in terms of black and white, but advocates for the city's Latino and Asian communities say they, too, have a laundry list of priorities they want the superintendent to address. Issues vary from more bilingual education to greater diversity in school staffs. Many say, however, it's still too early to tell what these underserved groups will get out of Hornbeck's administration.

Graduation and the last day of classes may have to be pushed back in Montgomery County's Methacton School District because of vandalism to the district's bus fleet that forced officials to close schools yesterday. To meet state-required days and hours of instruction, "it remains possible we will have to extend the school year for our seniors and the rest of the student body," said Angela M. Linch, coordinator of communications for the district. Graduation currently is scheduled for June 15; the last day of classes for grades K-11 is supposed to be June 16. "A great, great many" of the district's 110 buses were found with flat tires yesterday morning, said Linch.

Philadelphia School District officials have canceled outdoor activities at 11 schools on Monday because of concern about the march through Grays Ferry. But some students fear that the move will not be enough to keep them safe. "The school needs to close the whole day Monday because if tensions fly up during the rally, the kids will still have to walk home regardless," said Shamayara Woodson, Audenried High School's junior class president. Audenried is along the march route.