This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
by Aaron Moselle
Fran Hoffman didn’t mince words Tuesday afternoon while discussing the collective mood inside Robert Fulton Elementary’s East Germantown building.
"We’re a little defeated," he said. "We’re taking a collective punch in the gut."
Hoffman, who teaches 6th grade, nonetheless grabbed a picket sign and joined about a dozen teachers from Fulton and beyond for a mile-plus long march aimed at keeping the school open next year.
Pride in his job and the students keep him going, he said.
On the chopping block
As part of its Facilities Master Plan, the School District of Philadelphia has recommended that 29 schools close at the end of this academic year, including Fulton, Germantown High School and Roosevelt Middle School in central Germantown.