They say Pennsylvania is Broke. The only thing "Broke" is their Priorities.

Governor Corbett has made his priorities clear: less money for our schools and communities, more money for prisons and corporations.

Join a mass mobilization demanding the resources that our city deserves.  Public education is a human right!

Governor Corbett Meeting with the Chamber of Commerce
Tuesday, May 15th
4:00-7:00pm
1412 Chestnut St.

Click here –> Protest Corbett for a download of the flier.

Join OneVoice, a coalition of Teachers, Parents and Students, as we meet to discuss the current situation and the proposed reorganization plan, and then work to create our united response.  We are the ones most affected by the radical changes in our schools; WE must be the ones to set the agenda.

Tuesday, May 8th
6:00pm
4233 Chestnut

Everyone is welcome.  Please tell your colleagues and communities.

Philadelphia’s Third Annual

Education for Liberation

Curriculum Fair and Citywide Summit

OUR Schools, OUR Solutions

Saturday, April 28^th, 2012
9:30am – 5:00pm
Location: Folk Arts and Cultural Treasures School

1023 Callowhill Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123

Register Now!

Curriculum Fair

9:30am — Registration Opens. Have a cup of coffee, check out the curriculum tables, sign up for a workshop (workshops are on a first-come-first-serve basis.)

All Day — Curriculum Exhibits and Resource Tables. Connect and exchange with educators and community groups, gather ideas for your practice, and grab some new curriculum.

10:15am — Opening Ceremony. Come together with hundreds of teachers, students and community members to begin our day.

Special Performances by Matt Kay and students from the Philadelphia Youth Poetry Movement.

10:45 – 11:45am — Workshop Session #1

12:00 – 12:45pm — Lunch Free Lunch will be provided!

1:00 – 2:00pm — Workshop Session #2 

Citywide Summit

2:15pm  — Opening Panel — Greatness on the Ground: Transformation from Below

With the future of public education under attack, come hear the stories of parents, teachers and students who were able to make significant changes at their schools.

Transforming Curriculum: Neil Geyette, Teacher, School District of Philadelphia

Community-investment in Neighborhood Schools: Maurice Jones, Parent, Lea Elementary and West Philly Coalition for Neighborhood Schools

Defending our Public School: Temwa K. Wright, Parent, Supporters of Stanton Elementary

Changing Discipline Structures: Ahmeen Akbar, Dean of Students, YouthBuild 

Student Organizing for School Change: Andrea Jobe and Daesya Parker, Students, Philadelphia Student Union

3:15 – 4:30pm — Breakout Sessions

Hear from students, teachers, and parents who are working to address the problems in our schools.  Create your own strategies for improving your school community. 

Unity is Power: Building Teacher Community in Your School

Join teachers from West Philadelphia HS to explore and discuss ways to deal with mounting frustrations by building-up teacher community, conducting peer professional development, and shifting the conversation with Administrators.

Parents, Teachers, and Students together: Organizing for School Transformation from Within

OneVoice believes that  parents, teachers, students, and communities are directly affected stakeholders in our public education system and as such, must build analysis, unity, and power together to transform our schools into places that produce educated young leaders.  This session will explore the current landscape of public education in our city and state and put forward a concrete plan to transform our public schools.

From Punitive to Restorative: Assessing the Discipline System in Your School

Join members of the Restorative Justice Inquiry to Action Group (ItAG) as we explore how to create a restorative approach to school discipline. Restorative practices interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline, turning student misbehavior into an opportunity for learning and growth. In this session, we will introduce a rubric that identifies eight elements of a restorative approach. Participants will gain familiarity with the rubric and then use it to assess their own schools. Our goal is to provide a tool that can support efforts around the city to improve or transform how we work with our young people.

Transformation Starts with Me: Mapping the Problems in our Schools and Identifying the Solutions

Join members of the Context for Change Inquiry to Action Group (ItAG) to explore and discuss tangible ways that you (as a teacher, student, parent or community member) can identify and strategize to solve the problems in your school community.

Student Organizing IS School Reform: Supporting Youth-Centered School Change

Join members of the Campaign for Nonviolent Schools to explore and discuss the opportunities and barriers for student organizing for education justice.  Walk away with tangible ways to support youth-centered school change in Philadelphia.

4:40 – 5:00pm — Building OUR Power for School Change in OUR City

End the day with hundreds of educators, students, parents and community members, as we build unity to work for education justice in Philadelphia.

Special Performance by PSU’s Movement Music Crew.

* * *

Co-Sponsored by OneVoice Philadelphia

As nurses have been saying every Wednesday since December, the budget cuts hitting Philadelphia’s schools are unacceptable. 

Telling stories of the true costs of the budget cuts will make this message clear.

This Wednesday, let’s show through our presence and our stories that we do not accept these budget cuts as inevitable, and we are not willing to respond to them with silence.

Courtesy of Teachers for Social Justice

Teacher Action Group (TAG) and The Philadelphia Writing Project (PhilWP) are pleased to offer an opportunity for teachers to build community, engage as learners, and develop as activists.

Over 60 educators and activists from across the city are participating in this year’s ItAGs!  Our Kick-off on Thursday, February 9th was alive with positive energy.

The ItAGs will meet for the next couple months.  Check out their findings at the 3rd Annual Education for Liberation Curriculum Fair and Summit on Saturday, April 28th!

TAG Back-to-School Kickoff and StorySlam!

Thursday, September 15th

5:00 — 7:00

Zocalo’s, 36th and Lancaster

(Restaurant parking and street parking available; located on the 10 Trolley line)

Come give and get support from teachers across the city.  Learn about TAG’s exciting plans for the year and find out how to get involved.

PRIZES will be given for those who tell the best back-to-school story!

The People's SRC: Bach Tong, Student; Mia King, Teacher; Latifa McBride, Parent; Rev. Jesse Brown, Community member

On June 21st outside the steps of the School District Headquarters, over 200 people met for the first ever People’s School Reform Commission (SRC) meeting.  Teachers, parents, community members and students took back local, democratic control of OUR District and demanded full funding of our schools.

In this moment of budget cuts and massive teacher and staff lay-offs, the School District continues to make decisions to dismantle our public schools — eliminating vital school-based programs while funding unproven pet projects, and eroding public and elected officials’ confidence in the District’s administration to handle additional funding.

At the meeting, dozens spoke out, sharing personal stories and showing the true, human side of the budget cuts and layoffs.

The People's SRC honored all students in Philadelphia for their continued resilience in the face of the current assaults on public education.

One student, Crystal Pulle, a 9th grader from Kensington Urban Education HS, said, “We’re losing many excellent teachers and programs at my school. Next year, when class size goes up, so will student frustration.  Students will feel like they’re getting even less attention, behavior issues will increase, and even more students will drop out.  I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to fight for a quality education for my fellow students and me.”

People’s Commissioner, Rev. Jesse Brown gave voice to the People’s frustrations, “We refuse to let the District, city and state sell out our students, teachers and communities to the highest bidder in order to balance their budget.”

The People's SRC unanimously passed this crucial Resolution.

The People’s SRC voted and passed their one resolution:

Whereas, the School District has created this crisis by mismanaging funds;

And whereas the Pennsylvania state government has shown decreasing investment in public education;

And whereas there ARE resources available to fund an excellent public school system in Philadelphia;

Resolved:  We will fully and equitably fund schools by following these three steps:

Step #1: The state government will provide money to Philadelphia schools by:

• Using money from the state’s rainy day fund — there IS a surplus of MILLIONS of DOLLARS!
• By taxing companies profiting from the Marcellus Shale gas boom,
• And by not building the three planned new prisons that will cost $685 million

Step #2:  City Council will approve funding bills at their session on Thursday, June 23rd, and find additional funding by taxing untaxed sources of income in the city.

Step #3:  Future decisions by the School District will incorporate genuine student, teacher and community input.

Tell Dr. Ackerman and the SRC:
Make Students, Teachers and Communities the Priority.
We Demand Fully Funded Schools.

In this moment of Budget Cuts and Massive Teacher and Staff Lay-offs, the School District continues to make decisions to dismantle our public schools.

Teacher Action Group, along with the Endorsement of the PFT, is calling for The People’s SRC Meeting.

This Tuesday, June 21st, join hundreds of teachers, students, parents and community members in taking back local control of OUR District.

Give and hear Public Testimony on the human impact of the SRC’s budget and priorities.
Vote on real Resolutions for School Reform.
Show what True Leadership looks like.

What: The People’s SRC Meeting
When: Tuesday, June 21st @ 5pm
Where: School District Building.  440 North Broad St.

Some background: The School Reform Commission (SRC), imposed upon the Philadelphia School District in 2001, is an undemocratic body. They are not elected and have no way of being held accountable. Especially given what happened at the June 13th SRC meeting, as the SRC and District forcibly restricted teachers and citizens from participating, it is time to show this District what democracy looks like.

Come out Tuesday June 21st to the school district building for a rally and The People’s SRC Meeting at 5:00 to demand the District prioritize fully and equitably funded schools.

Fully and Equitably Funded Schools mean:

• Small Class Sizes – NO Teacher Lay-offs
• Keep Schools PUBLIC – Stop privatizing our schools
  
• Art and Music Opportunities
  
• Science and Social Studies – Not just Test Prep
  
• Counselors and Social Workers
  
• English Language Learning support
• Special Education
  
• Transportation
• Libraries and Certified Librarians
  
• Accelerated Schools

We refuse to let the District, city and state sell-out our students, teachers and communities to the highest bidder in order to ‘balance their budget.’

The TIME IS NOW to continue our pressure and move our collective energy toward winning systemic change in this District.

Philadelphia’s Second Annual

Education for Liberation Curriculum Fair and Citywide Summit

Toward an Anti-Racist, Pro-Student, Non-Standardized Education

Building OUR Power for School Change in OUR City
Saturday, April 30^th, 2011
9:30am – 5:00pm
Location: Folk Arts and Cultural Treasures School

1023 Callowhill Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123

We had an incredible turn out of educators, students, and community members.   Together we explored a variety of issues within social justice education.

Check out the Schedule of Events

Throughout the day, there will be:

Curriculum Exhibits – Workshops  – Community Resources

9:30am – 2pm

The morning Curriculum Fair featured unit and lesson plans, projects, resources, and best practices for social justice education. This was a space for educators to connect and exchange, learn from each other, and take new ideas back to their own classrooms.

2pm – 5pm

The afternoon Summit was be a space for building stronger community alliances for education justice, as parents, students, community members, and educators.

Co-Sponsored by Philadelphia Student Union and ACTION United

TAG invites you to participate in: A Community Budget Forum

Wednesday, March 23, 6-8pm
Calvary UMC (48th St. and Baltimore Ave)

Your Voice, Your Schools
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

Come to hear from knowledgeable speakers, discuss the current budget crisis, and stand up for our schools.

Panelists include:

Alan Butkovitz, City Controller

State Representative James Roebuck, Democratic Chair of House Education Committee

David Lapp, Staff Attorney, Education Law Center

Dr. “Torch” Lytle, UPenn Professor and former District administrator

Joshua Glenn, Youth Self-Empowerment Project

A staff member from the PFT

Join other teachers, students, parents and some of the city’s decision makers to discuss:

Teacher layoffs
School closings
Renaissance Schools and Promise Academies
Impacts in the classroom
Community involvement

Co-sponsored by Action United and Education not Incarceration