A Philly council member has legitimate concerns about what happens to school buildings once #schools are closed … and a concern that some of the closings are because of the buildings’ value to real estate developers. But rezone all schools so they can never be used for #housing? That may not serve #neighborhoods well. https://whyy.org/articles/philadelphia-school-closures-city-council-rezoning-plan/ #BOEs

What are the greatest problems with charter #schools? On average, they do not educate students better than public schools. They drain students and money from neighborhood schools. And some are terribly mismanaged. Two charter high schools in Chicago were recently shut down for financial reasons. They aren’t the first. https://www.wbez.org/education/2026/03/19/cps-revokes-aspiras-ability-to-operate-charter-schools-in-chicago-in-rare-move-board-of-education #BOEs

Three-quarters of public #schools in the U.S. divide students by age into elementary, middle and high schools. Will the coming wave of school closures, due to declining birth rates, cause some systems to change these age groupings? A suburban Atlanta district is considering this as it faces the possibility of closing 27 of its schools. https://www.ajc.com/education/2026/03/the-grade-debate-dekalb-schools-could-change-elementary-middle-high-split/ #BOEs

There are many things school boards should focus on, from student learning and safe facilities to prudent finances and good leadership. Then there are the things that Chicago’s school board must deal with: a political battle between a powerful labor union and a group of billionaires with an interest in charter schools. In this environment, education is beside the point. https://www.wbez.org/education/chicago-school-board/2026/02/19/big-money-expected-to-flow-in-novembers-historic-chicago-school-board-race #BOEs

In an op-ed, a school district official explains how his district will go about closing #schools and reassigning students. First, establish guidelines: age and condition of schools, distances for student travel, etc. Collect and interpret data. Engage the public on the process. Get feedback, revise guidelines. OK, and then what? Time to decide … and face the fury. https://www.ajc.com/education/2026/02/empty-seats-are-not-neutral-they-cost-our-students/ #BOEs

Sometimes problems and opportunities are two sides of the same coin. Here’s a big problem: a decline in school-age children means many #schools are below capacity and some will be closed. Opportunity: What we could do with this public property. Housing? Mixed-use developments? Community centers? Let’s be bold in our thinking. https://voiceofsandiego.org/2026/02/11/nearly-half-of-san-diego-unified-schools-may-be-underutilized/ #BOEs

For years, we’ll be on the emotional and political rollercoaster that comes with closing public schools, the result of fewer children of school age. But don’t forget that what happens to the buildings when a school closes is also important. Turns out, #BOEs are not good at disposing of property in ways that build thriving #neighborhoods. Just look at the abandoned, crumbling schools of St Louis. https://nextstl.com/2024/11/an-inventory-of-70-former-public-school-buildings-in-stl/

Wenn die vier Super-Präsidenten dem diesjährigen Motto entsprechend "Deine Sitzung - Deine Helden" zur Landung ansetzen, wackelt ganz Köln. Es geht um nicht weniger als die Rettung der Domstadt. Dass Mirja Boes, Carolin Kebekus, Ebasa der Meister und Olaf Bürger vor nichts zurückschrecken, ist mittlerweile bekannt. Und gerade das 15. Jubiläum von "Deine Sitzung" wird mit der ein oder anderen Überraschung gefeiert! Jeck, unberechenbar und frecher als je zuvor präsentiert das Ensemble um die vier Präsidenten/innen eine kreative Mischung aus Karneval, Comedy und brillanter Livemusik zum Mitfeiern. https://www1.wdr.de/mediathek/video/sendungen/karneval/video-deine-sitzung----deine-helden-102.html #Carolin #Kebekus #Mirja #Boes #Karneval #Beer #Bitsches