Tracy Davidson

In a City Hall ceremony packed with dignitaries, Mayor Nutter and Philadelphia School District officials signed an “education accountability” agreement Thursday that gives the city more say in how the district conducts business. “This agreement represents a new beginning and a new way of working together,” said school Superintendent Arlene Ackerman. “I’m thrilled to be [...]

If you want to see whether we’re in for crushing, ’70s-style inflation, take this simple test You walk into your boss’s office and explain to him that the price of food and fuel are soaring, and that you’d like a raise. He: A: Nods sympathetically and promises you’ll see more cash in your paycheck at [...]

If the School District of Philadelphia wants the city’s help in closing its massive budget gap, the district must agree to open its books and give the city a greater say in how it spends money, Mayor Nutter said Sunday night. In a nine-page letter to the School Reform Commission, he called on the district [...]

Websites serve as the middlemen between major retailers and consumers. Think layaway went the way of Kmart’s Blue Light Specials? Think again. Not only is layaway again being embraced by brick-and-mortar retailers, online merchants are also getting into the act, and everything from computers to cruises are now only a mouse click away. Sites such [...]

The House Republican budget is now out in the public. Though it’s in sharp contrast to Gov. Tom Corbett’s spending plan, the parameters of the budget had been public for several days before Tuesday’s official announcement. The GOP plan would maintain Corbett’s $27.3 billion spending level, but dramatically increase funding for State System of Higher [...]

With 70,000 extra seats, the Philadelphia School District will rid itself of up to 50 buildings in the next three years, officials said Thursday night. And while it will continue to invest in fixing up its aging buildings, the district will impose a moratorium on construction that creates additional seats. Closings are not the only [...]

With the possibility of a government shutdown looming, Obama administration officials raced Wednesday to identify essential government services that would have to be provided if the government ran out of money. Agency officials were revising their plans by the hour, trying to take account of legal requirements, political imperatives and pressure from federal employee unions [...]

The White House and the U.S. Congress have until Friday to reach agreement on an elusive federal spending-cut bill — or face a partial shutdown of the U.S. government beginning the next day. Relatively few federal employees work on weekends, so the impact of a shutdown likely won’t be felt much until Monday morning when [...]

Gov. Corbett’s plan to cut higher education funding by half would inevitably mean tuition hikes, staff reductions, and even fewer students, administrators at Pennsylvania’s colleges and universities said Tuesday. “A funding gap this large is going to fundamentally change the way we operate,” said Pennsylvania State University president Graham Spanier, “from the number of students [...]

For the first time in three years, Mayor Nutter yesterday delivered a budget message to City Council without asking for major tax hikes or spending reductions, but the feat required the mayor to turn a near-blind eye to the near-certainty of major cuts in state and federal aid. Nutter’s proposed $3.45 billion spending plan assumes [...]