West Philadelphia Tutoring Project

The Spring 2021 tutee application is closed, but we are still accepting applications for the tutee waitlist! Submission of the application does not guarantee your child will be matched with a tutor, but we will do our best to place you in the program. Click here to apply: https://upennwptp.weebly.com/spring-2021-tutee-application. For more information, visit the FAQ page on our website or email us at [email protected].

The tutor application deadline for Spring 2021 has passed, but we are still accepting applications to the tutor waitlist! As a tutor, you will volunteer your time, approximately an hour and a half a week, to work with a local Philadelphia student online. Click here to apply: https://upennwptp.weebly.com/spring-2021-tutor-application. For more information, visit the FAQ page on our website or email us at [email protected].

From Chalkbeat Philadelphia: https://philadelphia.chalkbeat.org//in-a-reversal-philadel "The city is not asking Philadelphia teachers to return to school buildings Monday morning, a last-minute twist in the reopening debate." In a recent turn of events, the Philadelphia School District reversed its decision to return students to in-person learning, which was scheduled to begin on Monday, February 8. Approximately 2,000 teachers, faculty, and staff, as well as 9,000 students..., were expected to return to the classroom before the district hired a mediator to review the safety agreement between the district and the teachers' union. Many teachers planned not to attend school on Monday, out of protest over the safety of the district reopening plan. Despite this, Superintendent Hite hopes that the mediator will complete the review by February 22, hoping to bring students and teachers back to the classroom that week. See more

WPTP families, we would like to invite you to Parent Orientation this Sunday, February 7 from 12-1PM! During orientation, we will discuss how tutoring will be conducted this semester, including expectations for tutors and tutees, as well as important dates and events. We will use the following Zoom link for orientation: https://vpul-upenn.zoom.us/j/2494271351 We hope you will be able to join us!

From Chalkbeat Philadelphia: https://philadelphia.chalkbeat.org//we-should-not-rush-thi ""This isn’t just about pre-K and second grade, this is about people’s livelihoods, said Rebecca Allen, a sophomore at Central and a member of PBSA. The quality of the plans and resources need to be adequate." Last Wednesday, student leaders from various schools and organizations within the Philadelphia school district convened via Zoom to discuss the district’s reopening plan. They d...o not feel the district is creating enough space for their input and ideas regarding the reopening. The students also feel that the plan is rushed and the district is not displaying enough transparency about the process. Some of the students’ concerns are regarding public health, namely, the safety of public transportation to and from schools and air quality in classrooms. Several schools across Philadelphia will be used as COVID-19 vaccine distribution sites. Pre-K through 2nd-grade teachers have been determined priority, but there’s still an insufficient amount of vaccines for them due to high numbers of more at-risk individuals. See more

From The Philadelphia Inquirer: https://www.inquirer.com//covid-vaccine-teachers-philadelp While advocating for educators to have access to the vaccine, Pennsylvania’s largest teachers’ union hasn’t called for the state to bump teachers closer to the front of the line. As COVID-19 vaccinations are distributed to more people, teachers in the Philadelphia region are unsure of when they will receive theirs. In vaccination group 1B, which includes educators, most teachers ar...e waiting longer than expected to be vaccinated as group 1A grows larger. Teachers are also facing a lack of information regarding their inoculation from both the school district and the health department. Exacerbating the issues caused by insufficient vaccine distribution, some schools also have to contend with overcrowding as they contemplate reopening. Despite these concerns, some health professionals do not believe keeping schools closed is necessary. See more