Education leaders from charter schools, magnet schools, universities and traditional public schools called on the Harrisburg community to do more to support its students, particularly during their early childhood years.
The leaders described an educational environment where students are showing up to Harrisburg schools with dramatically different skill levels.
Jennifer Morrison, the principal and CEO of Pennsylvania STEAM Academy – a charter school that first opened its doors during the pandemic – said some kids who enroll in kindergarten don’t know their home address, while others can already read. And once they enroll, Morrison said, some parents are taking the kids out of school more frequently for non-medical reasons, which makes it harder for the schools to make progress…