Today, our partners at the Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools helped sponsor a City Council hearing on high stakes testing. A capacity crowd turned out for the hearings, which were co-sponsored by Councilman Mark Squilla and Council Education Committee Chair Jannie Blackwell. Parents United leader Robin Roberts spoke on behalf of parents everywhere in this outstanding …
Statement in Support of the Lawsuit against Pennsylvania’s Governor, General Assembly, and Department of Education for the Willful, Consistent and Pervasive Underfunding of Public Education Parents United for Public Education fully supports the lawsuit filed today in Commonwealth Court challenging Pennsylvania’s system for financing public education. We applaud the individual students, families, and organizational …
On October 15, parents across the city gathered at 440 to decry the SRC’s decision earlier this month to throw out the teachers’ contract. Parents United for Public Education joined with Action United and PCAPs to organize the rally because we believe that a strong school district works in partnership with its labor force, not …
(File a complaint here!) As Philadelphia schools open under a second year of Doomsday budget proportions, Parents United for Public Education, the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia, Media Mobilizing Project, and State Sen. Vincent Hughes announced the re-launching of the website http://www.myphillyschools.com and encouraged parents to file formal complaints with the Pennsylvania Dept. of Education …
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.
SDP needs to develop an Active Shooter policy and procedure that keeps children safe. Continue reading
The Law Center is interested in speaking with parents/guardians whose children were enrolled in the School District of Philadelphia during the 2015-2016/2016-2017 school years in special education programs that experienced significant teacher vacancies (List of Schools for Plaintiff identification purposes) and who were not granted compensatory education related to those vacancies. This may include, but is not limited … Continue reading
This statement is in response to news that the School District of Philadelphia may begin disciplinary action toward teachers who had informed parents of their opt out rights around high stakes testing. The District move follows this City Paper article announcing that 17% of students at Feltonville School of Arts and Sciences refused to take … Continue reading
Last month the School District of Philadelphia hosted a screening of the controversial film “Won’t Back Down” (read Helen Gym’s review of the movie here) shortly after the School Reform Commission took unprecedented action to revoke the teachers’ contract. Students conducted a protest of the film screening. It went downhill from there. According to this video, … Continue reading
Since 2015, Parents United for Public Education has been working towards ensuring Philadelphia’s schools buildings are safe, warm, and inviting for students, staff, and communities. We helped to expose the serious facility and health issues existing in our schools with Inside Philadelphia’s filthy schools aired on Aljazeera America. We joined the Philly Healthy School Initiative … Continue reading
MLK Day Speech, Kendra Brooks Prepared for POWER’s A People’s Call to Action January 15, 2018 Four years ago, my community won a fight for public education in this city. This was a fight between the haves and the have-nots for control of a community treasure — a “school”– Edward T. Steel school. Since … Continue reading
Parents United for Public Education celebrates Mayor Kenney’s announcement that the School Reform Commission will dissolve, returning our public schools to local control. We applaud the Mayor for joining grassroots parents, students, and teachers of Philadelphia by standing on the right side of history. This is a historic victory for the wellbeing and dignity … Continue reading
Philadelphia public schools have a long history of neglected hazards and deferred maintenance. For many years Philadelphia’s school children have had to exist and try to learn in conditions where the air is contaminated with mold spores, water fountains are lead contaminated, schools are unable to control the internal temperatures, asbestos exposures and rodent infestation … Continue reading
This past May, there was a horrific bus accident involving eighth grade students, staff and parents of Charles W. Henry Elementary school. All 30 passengers and driver were injured when a car collided with the charter bus and eventually overturned on I-95. http://thenotebook.org/articles/2017/05/15/henry-school-bus-crash-injures-dozens-some-critically http://www.philly.com/philly/education/CW-Henry-bus-accident-class-trip-DC-critical-Maryland.html It is understood that this was indeed an accident. However, everything … Continue reading
