⛽ Jersey gas, self-served | Morning Newsletter
And Philly teachers on quitting early
The Morning Newsletter
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We’re headed for a sunny yet blustery Friday with temperatures reaching the low 40s.
Today we look at a proposed bill in New Jersey that would allow drivers to pump their own gas, a move retailers say would lower the costs of being full-service.
And with midyear teacher resignations in Philly up 200% over last year, we talked to four teachers about moving on.
Let’s get into Friday. 👇🏾
— Kerith Gabriel (@sprtswtr, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
New Jersey has always been the home of cheap gas you don’t have to pump yourself.
But many fuel retailers in the Garden State would like to end the era of full-service only with a switch to a hybrid model featuring a self-serve option.
⛽ Why now? A tight labor market has made it hard to find gas attendants. One station owner told us he has to close in the middle of the day because he doesn’t have people to work the pumps.
⛽ So how would this work? Under the New Jersey bill, gas stations could choose to offer self-service, full-service, or a “hybrid” model. Stations with more than four pumps would need to keep a full-service option, and any station would be required to assist people with disabilities.
⛽ What’s the benefit to drivers? Actually doing it yourself could mean savings at the pump — even though New Jersey gas is already the cheapest in the region. A trade group for gasoline retailers says drivers could save 15 cents per gallon. The group estimates that full-service pumps add 10 cents a gallon to the cost for consumers.
⛽ What are retailers saying? Joe Ocello, president of the group and a gas station owner himself: “[Offering full-service only] is crippling my small business. When I got into the business years ago it was a great way to make a living, a pathway to the American dream. But increasing prices and labor shortages are making it more and more difficult to run a gas station.”
Our reporter Erin Arvelund has more and explains how soon this proposal could become a reality.
What you should know today
The latest on the police killing of 12-year-old Thomas Siderio.
Our columnist Trudy Rubin says the U.S. and Europe need to wake up and realize World War III has already begun.
Almost 4 million children were thrust back into poverty when the child tax credit expansion ended.
The Philadelphia school board unanimously rejected three charter school proposals.
8 common traffic violations no longer warrant a police stop in Philly.
The three former Sharon Hill cops charged in the shooting death of 8-year-old Fanta Bility will face trial.
Pennsylvania had more white supremacist signage and literature last year than any other state.
And James Harden Mania has the Sixers at the center of a Philly love story a decade in the making.
Local Coronavirus Numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.
The Philadelphia School District has a serious retention problem.
This year has been one of the hardest as 169 of 9,000 teachers have called it quits midyear, a 200% increase from this same period last year. And while the pandemic didn’t help matters, teachers we spoke with say it was only one issue of many, including overwhelming class sizes, constant student disruptions — and a lack of support from leadership.
“I knew it would be tough, but this was impossible,” one teacher said. “I would come to work and cry.”
It’s an exodus that Superintendent William R. Hite Jr., who is calling it quits himself at the end of this school year, acknowledged makes for “an extremely tough year.” On top of the teacher exodus, Hite is dealing with a 20% turnover in the district’s central office, meaning fewer people on hand to support schools — and teachers.
Our reporter Kristen A. Graham sat down with four teachers who left midyear or are preparing to do so, so you can hear what life is like inside the classroom and what the district needs to do to slow the churn.
🧠 Philly Trivia Time 🧠
Tuition, fees, and room and board for an average semester of undergraduate classes at Penn have gone up. Today’s question: Do you know the new total? Take a guess and find the answer here.
a. $72,500
b. $75,000
c. $81,000
d. $88,000
What we’re …
🏊♀️ Diving into: These key takeaways from Penn swimmer Lia Thomas’ interview with Sports Illustrated.
🙏🏻 Hoping: That this East Falls man will be safely reunited with his wife, currently trapped in Ukraine.
😢 Eating: Brunch one last time at Fitz & Starts before it closes March 20. The Queen Village eatery was forced to shut due to complications from the pandemic.
🧩 Unscramble the Anagram 🧩
Before she became royalty, she was just a girl from East Falls.
YACK LEGLER
Think you know? Send your guess our way at morningnewsletter@inquirer.com. We’ll give a shoutout to a reader at random who answers correctly. Today’s shoutout to Josh Glauser from Francisville, who correctly guessed SPRUCE STREET HARBOR PARK as Thursday’s answer.
Photo of the day
Thanks for riding with me this week. And if this is your first time reading, appreciate you starting your day with The Inquirer. Ashley Hoffman will be in your inbox on Sunday and I’ll be back on Monday to get your week started. 🌞