Accomplishments

In 2007, Greenfield parent Gretchen Cowell, JS Jenks parent Karen Aves and Powel parent Helen Gym met with City Councilman Wilson Goode, Jr. around supporting his plan to re-allocate dollars for the public schools.

In 2007, Greenfield parent Gretchen Cowell, JS Jenks parent Karen Aves and Powel parent Helen Gym met with City Councilman Wilson Goode, Jr. around supporting his plan to re-allocate dollars for the public schools. (Photo: Philadelphia Public School Notebook)

 

Since Spring 2006, Parents United for Public Education has led the fight for additional funding and better management of money for key reform initiatives. Our accomplishments include:

Funding

  • Supported increased city revenue to the public schools over the past two years and a vocal opponent of slashed school budgets in Harrisburg the past two years;
  • Successfully lobbied the Philadelphia Parking Authority to commit to funding the Philadelphia Public Schools. In 2011, the PPA delivered more than $14 million in annual revenue to the public schools. Prior to Parents United’s campaign, the Parking Authority had failed to deliver a single dollar since a state takeover in 2001.
  • In 2007 we successfully lobbied City Council for over $30 million/year in permanent new funds, including overriding a threatened mayoral veto to support the Public Education Reinvestment Act

Academic Reform

  • Successfully restored busing into FY12 budget, which had been targeted for cost savings. We built a partnership with parochial , charter and public schools with busing as a fundamental access to education concern.
  • In the FY10 budget, succeeded in establishing $50.5 million for reduced class size in grades K-3 district-wide and for counselors in schools;
  • In the FY09 budget, called upon the District to redo all its budgets to include an additional $18 million for reduced class size and art and music instruction;
  • In the FY08 budget, diverted $10 million for 100 teachers to eliminate split grades;
  • Established lower class size and art and music as “must haves” and made librarians, nurses and counselors top priorities for the School Reform Commission (2007);
  • Successfully lobbied to prohibit forced split grades as District policy;
  • Called for a “baseline” school budget that would guarantee quality and equity for all schools around staffing, programs and funds;

Accountability and Transparency

  • Called for public accountability on major contracts resulting in renewed public scrutiny, most prominently an Accountability Agreement between City Hall, Harrisburg and the School District in Spring 2011, the reassessment of EMOs, alternative education, and charters, and the severing of the District’s food service contract with Aramark in fall 2007.
  • Eliminated a long-standing patronage system with the Bureau of Revision of Taxes by removing patronage employees from the District’s payroll.
  • In FY08 limited renewal of private managers to one year, reduced EMO management fees by one-third, and highlighted EMOs’ lack of services to English language learners and special education students;
  • Demanded a more transparent SRC process that resulted in evening meetings, more frequent hearings, online school budgets, and awareness of sunshine law violations;

Public Engagement

  • Raised an independent parent advocacy voice for quality public education;
  • Informed and engaged hundreds of parents citywide to take action at District, city and state levels on behalf of their public schools;
  • Advocated to make school-by-school budget information publicly available on the District website;
  • Called for community-based budget hearings which have been held annually since January 2008;
  • Led a June 2012 no confidence vote by over 50 parent groups that raised attention to District budget cuts and lobbying from third party entities.
  • Spearheaded a June 2007 no confidence vote by parents groups that precipitated top leadership changes, restored 100 teachers, and eliminated split grades as District policy.
  • Led active media campaigns to build public will and bring attention to public schools.