Dale Mezzacappa

A Philadelphia Board of Education hearing turned raucous and hostile Thursday over heightened security measures, anger over teacher discipline decisions, and a vote necessary to clear the way for a new 76ers arena.

“We can’t have students, teachers and administrators going into buildings with leaking roofs and unreliable bathrooms,” Mayor Cherelle Parker said during a public event at Martha Washington Elementary School, which was built 95 years ago.

The proportion of Black teachers is declining in Philadelphia, and only 2% of K-12 teachers are Black men.

The Board of Education Thursday took a vote clearing the way for building a new Sixers arena in Center City, which critics say will result in a significant loss of revenue for the schools compared to if the team paid regular property taxes.

Continuing a long tradition, students in the AP government course at Masterman, Philly’s most selective high school, take on the role of candidates and debate the issues on election eve.

Founded by the district in 1969 to stem dropouts, Philadelphia Academies has walked a fine line between giving students career skills and not seeming to limit their options. Now, it has evolved to stress college as well as career, and it offers students different kinds of support.

Teacher attrition is high in Philadelphia district and charter schools, with higher rates among nonwhite teachers and those with fewer than three years of experience. The report suggests ways to combat the trend, including helping new teachers with their student debt.

In interviews and elsewhere, Philly teachers have expressed mixed feelings on the new language arts curriculum. Some say they haven’t been adequately trained to use it well, and that they don’t have enough time to cover all the material. Others say they’ve seen promising responses from students.

A Science History Institute exhibit on display through January highlights Philadelphia’s crucial role in popularizing school lunch and its role in American life

Since the Blue Ribbon program began in 1982, 15 Philadelphia district schools have been given the honor. Central is the first city school to be cited three times.