Philadelphia City Council is considering ways to make schools equitable for all Philadelphians. This month’s council education meeting held hearings on two issues. One looked at students of color and students with disabilities being excluded and expelled from preschools. The other explored the fact that not every eighth grader in the city has access to an Algebra One course. Councilman Isaiah Thomas is chair of City Council’s Education Committee, and he is joining us live in the studio, along with Symbol Lai, policy director for Children First.
Author Archives: Jennifer Robnett
Jennifer is a Temple University-trained journalist who has been roving the streets of Philadelphia since 2008. Pre-pandemic, she was a full-time disability rights advocate, active member of numerous city-based groups, including Craft Coven, South Silly, and Philly Plant Guy, and a regular contributor to The Philadelphia Secret Admirer.
In 2019, she was a proud participant in StoryCorps’ ongoing project to record and preserve Americans’ voices in the Library of Congress.
After the deaths of her partner in 2020, and a beloved mentor in 2022, Jennifer embarked on an 18-month journey around the world to experience life beyond SEPTA’s reach. In July 2023, she returned from a 4-month stay in Oceania with a newfound passion for permaculture, climate activism and land-based living that she hopes to share with her fellow Philadelphians.
Jennifer’s hobbies include guerrilla gardening, star-gazing, thrifting, bird-watching, and taking her two beagles on long walks.
Posted inAround the Block
August 16, 2026 (Around the Block)
This episode features a story about efforts preserve the character of Philadelphia’s historic buildings and neighborhoods from unchecked development, and an interview with Philadelphia City Council Education Chair Isaiah Thomas and Children First Policy Director Symbol Lai about pre-school pushout and the impact of only some Philadelphia schools offering Algebra I classes to eight grade students.