by KYW's Mike DeNardo
Philadelphia's schools chief says it was an excruciating decision to keep schools open on January 20th when Barack Obama is inaugurated.
Well aware of the historical significance of inauguration day -- and the fact that a lot of teachers and even administrators wanted to travel to Washington -- superintendent Arlene Ackerman says she and her staff agonized over the call to keep schools open on January 20th.
She says a final decision didn't come until Monday:
"We've had lots of debate on both sides. There are merits to both sides. In the end, we've come down on keeping schools open and using this as a teaching moment."
Ackerman says it's her hope that every student will be able to watch the inauguration live, in school, and that a curriculum is being developed for every grade level.
She says absences that day will be excused for students whose parents take them to the inauguration.
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