Parents claim lottery is ‘dismantling’ one of Philly’s top schools
Last year, the Philadelphia School District overhauled its admission process for magnet high schools, implementing a lottery to increase equity and diversity.
- It did boost the proportion of Black and Latino students, but was controversial from the start. A trio of parents filed suit in federal court, arguing that allowing principals to hand-pick their students was more fair.
A report prepared by parents at Masterman (PDF), considered one of the city’s best, claims the process led to lower scores and took resources from top students, per The Inquirer.
The report has spurred discussion on social media: Was the school ever actually “good” — or was it just reproducing inputs?
After 40 years cash only, beloved hoagie shop takes credit cards
One of West Philly’s most popular hoagie shops has started taking credit cards for the first time in its 41-year history.
- Customers are rejoicing over Fu-Wah Mini Market’s move away from cash only — the news caused a burst of posts on social media — and the change has been good for business, too.
“We’ve had the system a month now,” said Dave Lai, whose parents opened the store after fleeing North Vietnam. “I can see everybody’s a lot happier.”
→ Why they finally made the switch
RECAP: What else happened?
$ = paywalled
- Former Councilmember Bobby Henon, who was convicted of bribery in 2021 but still hasn’t been sentenced, finds out his fate Wednesday. He could spend up to 10 years in prison if the court follows prosecutors’ recommendations. [BP x 2/Inquirer$]
- Masjidullah, the Muslim center in West Oak Lane, was vandalized with graffiti. The building was originally a synagogue, then a church, before it became a mosque in 2013 — and local Jewish and Christian leaders have denounced this weekend’s act. [6ABC/NBC10/Instagram]
- Some of the city’s tallest buildings, including the Comcast Center and One Liberty Place, will go dark at night this spring to prevent migrating birds from colliding into the skyscrapers. [WHYY/BP 2018]
- Alumni of Temple University’s Tyler Art School call on their alma mater to negotiate fairly with striking grad students. [Billy Penn]
- South Street music venue Dobbs is for sale after a sexual assault allegation involving an employee led bands to cancel bookings and caused a major revenue drop. [KYW/reddit/Philly Mag$]
- Oh heyyy, John Oliver. “Last Week Tonight” dropped a Billy Penn logo and reference during a recent segment on psychedelics, quoting our story about the 1960s Pa. official who claimed college students took LSD and went blind. [@MediaByHenry/YouTube/BP 2022]
MAYOR WATCH
Nothing on tap for Mayor Kenney today, though he did have a busy weekend. He spoke at a North Philly youth symposium hosted by Men for Positive Change, joined the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Black History Month celebration, and helped introduce Bernice A. King’s speech at the African American Museum.
ON THE CALENDAR
🍺 Billy Penn Quizzo: Our monthly trivia night is back! We’re at Attic Brewing in Germantown this month, with three rounds of questions, happy hour specials, and great prizes for the winners. Free RSVP here. (6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28)
🎤 Mayoral forum: Billy Penn, WHYY, and CeaseFirePA host the “100th Mayor: Restoring Safety Forum.” The in-person audience is limited, but you can watch the livestream via Facebook. (7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 1)
🍽️ East Passyunk Restaurant Week features dozens of spots offering three-course prix fixe dinners or lunches at price points between $20 and $55. (Feb. 27 through March 10)
♻️ The Fabric Workshop and Museum in Center City hosts a free opening reception for “Nothing Change, Nothing Strange,” an installation by found-object sculptor Henry Taylor. (6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 1)
Catch up on the previous week
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