Paul Socolar

Paul Scolar is editor and director of the independent nonprofit newspaper Philadelphia Public School Notebook and was one of the founders of the Notebook in 1994. Over the past decade, the Notebook has become a widely read and trusted source of information and analysis on developments in the Philadelphia public schools, a watchdog for educational quality and equity, and a supporter of public conversation and community involvement to improve public education in Philadelphia. Socolar has a long history of involvement in Philadelphia public schools, having become involved as a parent with two daughters in the school system (one of whom is now in college and the other in high school). He has been an active Home & School Association member and an elected parent representative on a school council. Prior to becoming editor of the Notebook in 1999, he worked on public education issues for the National Coalition of Education Activists and for the American Friends Service Committee. He also served as administrative coordinator of Bread and Roses Community Fund. He brings to the Notebook a broad range of experiences in community activism, journalism, and non-profit organizational development, as well his extensive familiarity with the Philadelphia public schools. Socolar got his start writing about public education issues as a high school student newspaper editor in New York City in the 1970s. He is a graduate of Haverford College. Socolar can be contacted at pauls@thenotebook.org.