Get involved!

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A.S. Jenks parents successfully organized to stop the loss of a teacher and another split grade at their school in Fall 2013. (Photo: Parents United for Public Education)

As fellow parents, we know your time is precious. Being connected to Parents United means you’ll get up-to-date information about School District of Philadelphia issues, along with ideas about how you can take immediate action and contribute to systemic change.

Since we started in 2006, we’ve brought tens of millions of dollars to the Philadelphia schools, restored important programs and services for children, raised the public profile of and investment in public education, and reminded district and elected officials that parents are indispensable partners in transforming education in our city through sustainable and lasting collaboration.

We are always looking to connect to folks who are willing to commit to taking action. Attend one of our informational programs, testify at public hearing or Board of Education action meeting, or join us to share information with elected officials. Public officials need to hear from parents if they’re going to make decisions about our children. We only ask you to do what you can and share what you know for the benefit of all students in the School District of Philadelphia – nothing more but also nothing less.

If you’d like to become a Parents United member, we ask for the following commitments:

  • Tell us what’s happening at your school and what issues matter to you and your community;
  • Communicate with the Board of Education, school district, city, and state officials about critical issues affecting our schools;
  • Communicate with other caregivers in your circle about the issues Parents United is raising;
  • Make an effort to attend events and/or follow through on actions sponsored by Parents United.

Just as we want to be clear about what we do, we also want to be clear what we’re not set up to do. As a citywide group of parents, we don’t usually advocate around specific conflicts at a school (ex: if you have a problem with a specific teacher or if you have a malfunctioning radiator). However, we can link your issue to broader citywide concerns or provide you with a forum to make an appeal to various officials.

Finally we want you to know that we are an all-volunteer collective – making our time and yours all the more important.

If you’d like to get in touch with us, you can find us on Facebook and Twitter, or send us an email at parentsunitedphila@gmail.com, and we’d also love for you to sign up for our email list.