Parents United absolutely supports the District’s request of $60 million from the City, however, we ask City Council to consider the following: The District must immediate re-do its budget. It is irresponsible for City leaders and city residents to support $60 million in funds when there is no indication of how those funds will be …
Parents United for Public Education has won its state Right To Know request to gain public access to the list of 60 schools identified by the Boston Consulting Group for closure and to the firm’s criteria for school closings – a request for information the District has consistently denied to the public. Last spring, the Boston Consulting Group …
On December 13, 2012, the School District of Philadelphia recommended 37 schools for closure. There were impassioned pleas and hard-worked proposals. There were well-written reports of community input. There was anger. There were tears. There were rallies, chants and marches. There was organization, mobilization and solidarity. And then the School Reform Commission voted to close …
After last week’s vote in the School Reform Commission, which closed down 23 schools in Philadelphia creating education deserts in communities already suffering from public disinvestment, I went home, turned out the lights and buried my head under the covers. The past week has felt like a collective sense of mourning for our schools and …
Mayor Nutter didn’t come out the front door of his office in City Hall last night. I’m sure mayors have good reason to have alternate exit routes available, and it may be that he uses that other door regularly, rather than just yesterday. I’m not sure, since I’m not in the habit of sitting outside …
Like many parents across the city, the preliminary release of some of the terms of the Philadelphia teachers contract made me heartsick. For months I had watched city and district leaders make promises about mass school closings – they were necessary for financial viability, they would concentrate resources in remaining schools, they would put more …
A few months ago, I made the decision to sign on to a complaint filed with the Philadelphia Board of Ethics. The complaint, signed by members of Parents United for Public Education, the NAACP, and the Philadelphia Home and School Council, was concerned with the William Penn Foundation’s financing of a private consulting group in …
What makes Parents United for Public Education different? We’re creating a citywide voice for change, across schools, neighborhoods, and for a public school system that values not only quality but equity. We make a difference.
Parents across the city are mobilizing for action around next week’s City Council hearings on the District budget. We want a powerful presence and voice for more school funding, but also that the SRC must invest those dollars in the classrooms and teaching of District-managed public schools – NO blank check! Continue reading »
What is behind the attacks on public education and what do they mean for us as parents? Watch Karen Lewis, president of the Chicago Teachers Union break down the corporate ed reform movement and how teachers and parents need to build alliances to fight back and save our schools. Lewis spoke on Saturday to the … Continue reading »
History is not made only by those with titles and power. It is defined and understood through the heroic actions of many. During the school closings process, PCAPS, the Notebook, and parents at schools like Taylor and McCloskey which successfully staved off their proposed closings, rallied to the cause with plenty of action. Here are a … Continue reading »
Against a backdrop of unprecedented school closings and public ed disinvestment in Philadelphia, journalist and author Barbara Miner will be in town Thursday to share wisdom and hope for our schools’ future from her new book “Lessons from the Heartland: A turbulent half century of public education in an iconic American city.” The event and … Continue reading »
Color us grateful. In response to last week’s jaw-dropping summary of the District’s preliminary contract proposals to Philadelphia teachers, Senator Vince Hughes tweeted: Senator Hughes@SenatorHughes @MaxJWeiss bad offer from SRC. They should be coming to hbg for more help, but they refuse to Continue reading »
Parents United for Public Education: Statement on Philadelphia Teachers contract Parents United for Public Education believes that the upcoming contract negotiations with the teachers’ union are an important opportunity to advance a vision of quality teaching and learning across the city. While we recognize the dire financial situation of the District, we are appalled at suggestions … Continue reading »
If there’s any question about what’s at stake regarding the lobbying complaint filed last month by Parents United, the Philadelphia Home & School Council, and the Philadelphia branch of the NAACP, read about this move by the William Penn Foundation. Continue reading »
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