Main content

Philadelphia Public School Notebook Records

Notifications

Held at: Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center [Contact Us]

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Call Number:
SCRC 604
Repository:
Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center
Extent:
  • 28 linear feet (29 boxes)
  • 2.15 gigabytes (1,120 files)
Language:
English
Preferred Citation:
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], The Philadelphia Public School Notebook Records, SCRC 604, Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Date:
1965-2020 (inclusive) and 1994-2020 (bulk)
Creator:
Philadelphia Public School Notebook
Form:
Born digital, Newspapers, Administrative records, Financial records, Periodicals, Negatives, Photographs, Photocopies, Publications (documents), Floppy disks, Compact discs, DVDs, Mini-DV, VHS (TM), and video recordings (physical artifacts)
Abstract:

The Philadelphia Public School Notebook was an independent and free news service for parents, students, teachers, administrators, and others associated with the Philadelphia School District. It covered a wide range of education-related topics, including testing, race and diversity, equity, school and teacher success, funding, building issues, immigrants, and others. The Notebook was published from 1994 to 2020, when it was acquired by Chalkbeat.

The collection primarily consists of subject/research files compiled for specific issues of the Notebook or on topics generally reported on by the Notebook, as well as photographs and negatives. There are also files about the School District of Philadelphia budget and the School Reform Commission. There are some administrative and financial records as well as printed materials for events hosted by the Notebook. Some of the financial and administrative records are digital and stored on a variety of storage media or have been migrated to a library server.

Also included are miscellaneous reports and publications by and/or about the School District of Philadelphia and other related agencies, as well as digital photographs taken by local photographer Harvey Finkle that are stored on CDs.

The collection is in original order. It has not been arranged into series.

Donated by the Philadelphia Public School Notebook in 2020.

Original audiovisual materials, as well as preservation and duplicating masters, may not be played. Researchers must consult use copies, or if none exist must pay for a use copy. Certain digital files may also be inaccessible. Some digital records in this collection have been migrated to a library server, and digital use copies can only be accessed onsite in the SCRC reading room. Please contact the Special Collections Research Center for more information.

Paper based records in this collection were minimally processed at time of accessioning. Most of the collection remains in original housing with creator generated folder level description; damaged folders and boxes were replaced, materials were removed from binders, and some folder titles were provided by the archivist. Digital records and audiovisual materials on storage media were not transferred or processed at that time. Digital records received as 3 zipped folders were extracted and transferred to a library server. Finding aid prepared in February 2022 by Courtney Smerz, Collection Management Archivist.

Published issues of the Philadelphia Public School Notebook: https://librarysearch.temple.edu/catalog/991037931838803811

Pubilished issues of the Philadelphia Public School Notebook dating from 1994 to 2020 were removed from the collection and are catalogued separately: https://librarysearch.temple.edu/catalog/991037931838803811

People
Organization
Subject

Publisher
Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center
Finding Aid Author
Courtney Smerz, Collection Management Archivist
Finding Aid Date
October 2021
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research. Original audiovisual materials, as well as preservation and duplicating masters, may not be played. Researchers must consult use copies, or if none exist must pay for a use copy. Digital records on storage media may be inaccessible. Some digital records in this collection have been migrated to a library server, and digital use copies can only be accessed onsite in the SCRC reading room. Please contact the Special Collections Research Center for more information.

Use Restrictions

The Philadelphia Public School Notebook Records are the physical property of the Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. The creator/donor has not assigned their rights to Temple University Libraries. Other creators' intellectual property rights, including copyright, belong to them or their legal heirs and assigns. Researchers are responsible for determining the identity of rights holders and obtaining their permission for publication and for other purposes where stated.

Collection Inventory

School District of Philadelphia budgets and subject files, especially on small schools, circa 2000-2017. 1 Boxes.
Box 1
Physical Description

1 Boxes

Subject files on successful schools, education organizing, equity issue, parent involvement, public engagement, and other topics, circa 2011-2012. 1 Boxes.
Box 2
Physical Description

1 Boxes

Printed materials, especially for Gala; miscellaneous administrative records, including files about fundraising, student journalism, Coats 2 Coats Readership evaluation, event planning for 10th anniversary, progress report on The Notebook; and subject files on equity, segregation, and other related topics, 2005-2015. 1 Boxes.
Box 3
Physical Description

1 Boxes

Printed materials, especially for events; subject files on multiculturalism, race and racial equity (students, teachers, and staff), student activism, immigrant students, bilingual education, English language learners, and sexual orientation, circa 2002-2008. 1 Boxes.
Box 4
Physical Description

1 Boxes

Subject files on immigrant students and other topics, and School Reform Commission, 2004-2008. 1 Boxes.
Box 5
Physical Description

1 Boxes

School Reform Commission, 2002-2004; subject files on downsizing district (2013), arts, parent roundtable, African American studies, and other topics, 2002-2013. 1 Boxes.
Box 6
Physical Description

1 Boxes

Subject files on teachers, including recruitment, performance, diversity, quality and excellence, school reform, and other topics, 2009-2010. 1 Boxes.
Box 7
Physical Description

1 Boxes

Subject files on early education, Edison schools, early childhood education (ECE), and other topics, circa 2000. 1 Boxes.
Box 8
Physical Description

1 Boxes

Subject files on Edison schools, education management organizations (EMOs), government take-overs, and other topics, circa 2001-2008. 1 Boxes.
Box 9
Physical Description

1 Boxes

Subject files on school climate, discipline, violence, safety issues, justice and other topics, 1999-2009. 1 Boxes.
Box 10
Physical Description

1 Boxes

Subject files on Inquirer report cards, Terra Nova results, standardized testing, and other topics, circa 1990-2000. 1 Boxes.
Box 11
Physical Description

1 Boxes

Subject files on children achieving, core curriculum, school choice, and other topics, circa 2003-2004. 1 Boxes.
Box 12
Physical Description

1 Boxes

Subject files on charter schools, achievement gap, and other topics, and School District of Philadelphia strategic planning, circa 2008-2009. 1 Boxes.
Box 13
Physical Description

1 Boxes

Subject files on school turnarounds, government take overs of School District, renaissance schools, and other topics, circa 2001-2010. 1 Boxes.
Box 14
Physical Description

1 Boxes

Published materials by and/or about the School District of Philadelphia and other large urban districts; reports, summaries, and other educational resources; and miscellaneous subject files, circa 1990s-2010s. 2 Boxes.
Box 15-16
Physical Description

2 Boxes

Subject files (alphabetically arranged), African immigrant community - foster care, circa 2000-2005. 1 Boxes.
Box 17
Physical Description

1 Boxes

Subject files (alphabetically arranged), Gay/lesbian issues - small learning communities (SLC), 1965, circa 2000-2005. 1 Boxes.
Box 18
Physical Description

1 Boxes

Subject files (alphabetically arranged), soda policy - youth organizing, other miscellaneous records, circa 2000-2005. 1 Boxes.
Box 19
Physical Description

1 Boxes

Subject files on out of school youth (OSY), high schools, and other topics, circa 2009-2014. 1 Boxes.
Box 20
Physical Description

1 Boxes

School District of Philadelphia budget, 2001-2010. 1 Boxes.
Box 21
Physical Description

1 Boxes

Financial records, especially foundations, grants and other organizational support; administrative records including advisory board, board records and readership evaluation report, circa 2001-2013. 1 Boxes.
Box 22
Physical Description

1 Boxes

Administrative records, including readership evaluation report; feedback from funders; subject files on cheating, IBM, NAACP, National Coalition of Community School, National Black Caucus of State Legislators, NCEA (National Catholic Educational Association), National Charter School Clearinghouse, poverty and race, PSEA (Pennsylvania State Education Association), PSRN (Pennsylvania School Reform Network), teaching for change and other topics; and Harvey Finkle photographs, circa 2000-2010. 1 Boxes.
Box 23
Physical Description

1 Boxes

School Reform Commission, 2008-2013. 1 Boxes.
Box 24
Physical Description

1 Boxes

School Reform Commission; subject files on other school districts and other topics, circa 2002-2008. 1 Boxes.
Box 25
Physical Description

1 Boxes

Photographs and negatives, circa 1990s-2000s. 1 Boxes.
Box 26
Physical Description

1 Boxes

Photographs, cartoons (possibly published in Notebook), published materials about/by School District of Philadelphia and others generally about education, school reform, and other topics, circa 1990s-2000s. 1 Boxes.
Box 27
Physical Description

1 Boxes

Audio visual materials and digital records on storage media, including financial records, especially audits and 990s dating from 2015 to 2020, administrative records, and images and RSS files exported from the organization's Wordpress site. Also digital photographs taken by local Photographer Harvey Finkle, circa 1990s-2000s. 1 Boxes.
Box 28
Physical Description

1 Boxes

15th Anniversary scrapbook (2 copies); student journalism competition entries; and photographs, circa 2008-2010. 1 Boxes.
Box 29
Physical Description

1 Boxes

Board records, 2014-2018.
Digital Folder(s) 01
Chalkbeat merger, 2019-2020.
Digital Folder(s) 02
Events and outreach, 2002, 2015, undated.
Digital Folder(s) 03
Financial records, 2011-2018.
Digital Folder(s) 04
General administration, 2004-2019.
Digital Folder(s) 05
Grant reports, 2002, 2014.
Digital Folder(s) 06
Media library, circa 2005-2015.
Digital Folder(s) 07
Website files, 2020.
Digital Folder(s) 08

Print, Suggest