PHILADELPHIA, PA – September 15, 2023 – A recent Pennsylvania court ruling is turning up the pressure for increasing funding after it found state support for schools is unconstitutional. This year’s state budget saw a historic boost to school money that advocates say will make a big difference in giving students the necessary resources. But decades of mounting issues continue to plague city schools. Too many buildings have issues with lead, asbestos and faulty HVAC systems. Far too many students are below grade level in reading and math – a reality that worsened during the pandemic. And the trauma of the city’s gun violence crisis continues to take a toll on children in their formative years.

As the 2023-24 school year begins, KYW Newsradio (103.9 FM / 1060 AM) is hosting a special live broadcast event on September 18 from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. ET with key stakeholders to discuss the state of public education in Philadelphia. Broadcast live from Audacy’s corporate headquarters in Philadelphia, the event will be moderated by KYW Newsradio Morning Anchor Ian Bush with questions from KYW Newsradio Education Reporter Mike DeNardo, City Hall Bureau Chief Pat Loeb and Reporter Shara Dae Howard. Panelists will include Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington and Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Jerry Jordan. 

“We stand at a pivotal moment for public education in Philadelphia. While the recent court decision is poised to be a gamechanger for schools, the systemic challenges that have plagued our schools for decades won’t be easily solved,” said Kevin McCorry, News Director, KYW Newsradio. “We’re proud to leverage our platform to bring together a panel with diverse viewpoints to discuss critical issues including deteriorating infrastructure, academic disparities, and gun violence. The future of our city depends on the quality of education we provide to our students and conversations like these can kick start action.”

In addition to Watlington and Jordan, the event will feature panelists Christopher Dormer, Superintendent of the Norristown Area School District; North Philadelphia parent Shereda Cromwell; David Hardy, Co-Founder and retired CEO of Boys’ Latin Charter; and Charity Robbins, a Freshman at UPenn who attended Frankford and Carver for high school. 

Listeners can tune in to the event on KYW Newsradio (103.9 FM and 1060 AM) in Philadelphia and nationwide on the Audacy app and website. Fans can also connect with the station via X, Facebook and Instagram.