What is Going on in Philadelphia Schools?

Something stinks in Philadelphia, and it’s more than just the mountains of garbage piling up from the recently resolved trash collectors’ strike.

The Philadelphia School District has been all over the news lately—and for all the wrong reasons. Not only are these schools failing their students academically, but they are also riddled with danger and dysfunction. Here’s just a roundup of the latest issues plaguing Philadelphia schools.

Students Forced to Wear Diapers

Recent reporting revealed that some Philadelphia teachers have denied bathroom and water breaks to students. Without consistent access to restrooms, some students have worn diapers to school.

These atrocious stories sparked widespread outrage by parents, students, and other community advocates. Philadelphia’s city council partnered with other parent-led groups to rebuke the district’s mistreatment of students.

“Research is clear: when students feel safe, seen, and engaged, their math and reading scores rise,” said 11 council members in a letter to the district superintendent, the mayor, and the school board president.

Philadelphia schools aren’t just denying hall passes; they are denying basic human dignity.

Rubber Rooms

Some call them “rubber rooms.” Others refer to them as “teacher jail.” The Philadelphia School District uses more euphemistic language, referring to them as “reassignment rooms.” Whatever the name, these rooms remain a mystery because the district continues to hide the details.

The district houses staff who are under investigation for misconduct in these windowless, rubber-coated rooms. Reporting suggests that employees can spend months—if not years—in these rooms, collecting a paycheck while doing nothing substantive.

What do they do while in these rooms? According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, some read. Some tour the city. Some sleep. Some form “romantic relationships.” Some throw parties.

Truthfully, we don’t fully know what happens in these rooms because the district withholds information. When the Commonwealth Foundation requested more details, the district stonewalled the organization, refusing to release information with each iterative request. The Commonwealth Foundation had to sue to gain access to this public information.

And if they aren’t in the rubber rooms, some teachers with discipline issues, including criminal charges, have remained in their respective classrooms. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on the dozens of Philadelphia-area teachers who, despite recent arrests, kept their teacher licenses and remained gainfully employed by various school districts.

State law requires revoking the licenses of teachers convicted of a crime. But that’s not always the case in Philadelphia.

Rampant Antisemitism

Jewish students aren’t safe in Philadelphia schools.

Reports of antisemitism in the district became so rampant that it drew the attention of the federal government. The U.S. Department of Education investigated parents’ complaints and uncovered countless incidents involving Jewish students enduring death threats, Nazi salutes, and Swastika graffiti while attending Philadelphia schools. A representative from the Anti-Defamation League claims that incidents of violence and harassment are likely underreported, out of students’ fear of reprisal.

The federal agency’s investigation concluded that the school district failed to protect Jewish students from this hostile educational environment. Last year, the district settled a federal discrimination case with the federal agency.

However, since then, little has happened to improve the situation. Frustrated parents even reached out to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office, but to no avail.

“Let’s just be very clear, [Shapiro’s staffers] have done nothing,” said a parent quoted in the Washington Free Beacon. “They continue to not respond to our requests. It’s quite shocking to us. We’ve asked them to look into teachers who seem to be promoting violence, promoting self-immolation. We’ve asked them to look at the curriculum. They haven’t done it.”

Asbestos Contamination

Philly schools have an asbestos problem. About 300 district buildings contain asbestos and require regular monitoring to protect students and staff.

Though the district may claim funding is the issue, the numbers tell a different story. The district has spent millions to outsource its asbestos monitoring. During a 2023 presentation, the district discussed its $32 million in contracts with two different asbestos consultants.

Unfortunately, taxpayers haven’t seen a good return on this investment. Chalkbeat Philadelphia reported that independent investigators detected asbestos where one contracted company, Tetra Tech, had missed it. Tetra Tech has a $24 million contract with the district.  

Since 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has investigated the district’s asbestos-monitoring program. The agency revealed a “longstanding and widespread problem” of asbestos contamination, which “endangered students and teachers, and, in some cases, foreclosed any education at all by requiring the closure of the school.” Since 2020, the district has closed 12 buildings due to asbestos contamination.

Last month, the DOJ filed criminal charges against the school district for failing to meet its legal requirements to abate asbestos. The district’s school board voted to enter into an agreement with the federal government to avoid prosecution.

Teacher Union Strike

Amidst these controversies, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) voted overwhelmingly to authorize a teacher strike.

Yet, the union’s demands are misguided. The PFT demanded smaller classrooms. However, the pupil-to-teacher ratio in Philadelphia schools has shrunk in recent years, from 17:1 in 2012 to 15:1 in 2021, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. 

The union has also echoed the calls to cut funding to cyber charter schools. Yet, this move will only harm Philadelphia students, forcing them to return to the brick-and-mortar schools they originally fled. Plus, the Philadelphia School District has approved only one new charter since 2018, ignoring the 20,000 Philadelphia students on a waitlist.

If they want Philadelphia students to succeed, the PFT must look beyond its narrow self-interests. Moreover, they must stop trapping kids in their underperforming schools and, instead, promote educational opportunities for Philadelphia families.  

Abysmal Academic Performance

Controversies aside, Philadelphia schools have failed to achieve their primary mission: educating kids.

Four out of five Philadelphia fourth-graders aren’t proficient in reading or math, according to the Nation’s Report Card. Only six percent of Philadelphia eighth-graders are proficient in science. The school district has been quick to brag about “small gains” in test scores. However, Philadelphia schools still haven’t dug their way out of the hole caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

What Needs to Change?

Clearly, something is rotten in Philadelphia schools. These schools need accountability and transparency, and the best way to achieve these ends is to empower families and students with choice.

Educational choice, from a policy perspective, takes on many forms:

• Protect cyber charters. Governor Shapiro’s budget proposal calls for draconian funding cuts for cyber charters. About 60,000 students attend a Pennsylvania cyber charter, making it the second-largest student body, behind only the Philadelphia School District.
• Enact Lifeline Scholarships. More than 200,000 students attend one of Pennsylvania’s low-performing schools—the bottom 15 percent based on statewide testing. Providing these students with educational savings accounts would empower them to find a better school.
• Enhance existing tax-credit scholarships. Pennsylvania is home to two prominent tax-credit scholarship programs: the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs. Last year, Pennsylvania organizations awarded more than 85,000 EITC and OSTC scholarships to mostly low-income Pennsylvania K–12 students. However, about 80,000 applications went unfulfilled due to arbitrary program caps. This means Pennsylvania awards about as many scholarships as it denies. Demand for these scholarships has outpaced supply, and lawmakers must continue to grow the program to meet this unmet need.

With increased educational opportunities, Pennsylvania students, especially those stuck in failing Philadelphia schools, will gain the competence and confidence they need to become productive, civically engaged citizens.