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.

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

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

Over 100 teachers, parents and students showed up at the March 16th SRC meeting to demand a voice in OUR schools' futures.

Over 100 teachers, parents and students showed up at the SRC meeting to demand a voice in OUR schools’ futures.  Even though 75 of us were locked out in a hallway for over 2.5 hours, we stayed strong in our message that we must BRING DEMOCRACY BACK in Philadelphia.  Our speakers testified on the harsh and depressing realities of teaching in Broken Promise Academies, as well as the countless ways that communities have been undercut and ignored in the Renaissance Schools process.

However, the SRC bulldozed over communities’ convictions and demands against privatizing our schools, and handed over 8 public schools into private, outside charter managers.

It is clear that the momentum is building.  We must continue to work together as teachers, parents and students to reclaim public schools for the PUBLIC.

This Wednesday, March 16th, the Struggle Continues!

Come out to the SRC to Demand:

* An End to Silencing Teachers and Students

* A Real Voice in School Change for Students, Parents, Teachers and Community Members

*  A Transparent Process of School Change

Two weeks ago TAG demonstrated at the School District Headquarters, over five hundred strong, to demand an end to the exclusion of parents, students, teachers, and community residents from school reform, an end to the intimidation of teachers and students, and for a democratic, transparent process.

Since then, things have intensified:

* The District has moved to terminate Hope Moffett, allegedly for “endangering students’ welfare.”   But, as even the District’s own confused recounting of the charges against Moffett indicates, her real “misconduct” was her outspoken criticism of the District’s actions at Audenreid and her unwillingness to submit to a gag order.

* The District continues to forge ahead with handing over schools to outside providers, even against mounting student and community protest, and without providing legitimate or consistent data.

* The Governor has announced the gruesome state budget, stripping at least half a billion dollars from our schools.

* Protests are spreading throughout the city — from Audenreid to King to Olney to the steps of 440.

While the SRC’s vote to fire Hope Moffett might not happen next Wednesday thanks to the efforts of the PFT and their injunction against the school district, we still need to be there to stand up for Moffett and against the culture of fear and intimidation that we all experience day in, day out.

On March 16th, the SRC will also be asked to approve outside provider matches for 8 more schools slated for privatization.  In spite of growing opposition, in spite of the biggest budget crisis in thirty years, in spite of no substantive evidence that the Renaissance Schools project works, the District forges ahead.

On March 16th, hundreds of teachers will be there to say NO to intimidation, exclusion, and top down decisions.

Hundreds of teachers, students, parents and community members rallied for our true decision-making power in school change.

Upwards of 600 people rallied at School District Headquarters on Friday, February 25th, demanding an end to student and teacher intimidation by the District and a full and legitimate role in decision-making about the future of Philadelphia Public Schools.

Teachers, students, parents and community members from all across the city responded to a call issued by the Teacher Action Group, making Friday’s turnout the largest in history at 440 N. Broad St.

Impassioned speeches were given by TAG members David Kirui, Bridget Finnegan, Frank Murphy, and Mary Del Salvio; Audenreid 11th grader, Maurice Johnson and Audenreid teacher, Hope Moffett; Asian Americans United leader, Helen Gym; Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign organizer, Cheri Honkala; and PFT President, Jerry Jordan sent a statement to be read in his absence.

Maurice Johnson, Audenreid 11th grader

Speakers addressed the democratic right of teachers and students to speak our opinions and ask questions of our District.  They spoke on the detrimental effects of the District labeling our schools and our students as “failures” and then handing them over to outside providers.  Speakers also stressed the importance of the District looking to communities for guidance in making decisions about the future of our schools, and giving us a transparent and open process for being a part of school reform.

"More collaboration. No intimidation!"

From Cairo to Wisconsin, communities are gathering momentum and demanding dignity and respect.  The movement is truly gathering energy in Philadelphia.

Please join TAG as we continue to build with students, parents and communities to demand to be part of making the decisions for OUR schools, in OUR city!

Teacher Action Group calls on teachers, students, parents and all supporters of Public Education.

Tell Dr. Ackerman and the SRC:

“We will NOT be intimidated!”

Rally for Public Education

Friday, February 25^th at  4:00pm

440 N. Broad St.

We DEMAND that the School District of Philadelphia:

1. Give Students, Parents, Teachers and Community Members a legitimate role in directing School Reform in Philadelphia

Students, Parents, Educators and Communities have first-hand experiences and ideas about what needs to change in our schools.  The District consistently offers us only symbolic advisory roles that have no real impact on final decision-making.  We DEMAND to be a part of the decisions that will affect our lives and our schools.

2.     Stop Intimidating Teachers and Students

We have a Democratic Right to express our opinions and ask questions of our District.  These are OUR schools.  We DEMAND the District stop threatening and disciplining our teachers and students who speak out.

3.     Have a Transparent Process of School Change

The District is targeting our schools by calling them “failures” without showing us adequate data to back up their decisions.  The District is continuing to take over schools without proof that the Renaissance Schools process is even working.  We DEMAND answers and transparency.

Join us!

Friday, February 25th at 4:00pm
440 N. Broad St.

We WILL NOT be intimidated!

We WILL be HEARD!

Even if we have to wear a disguise, we will stand up and speak out.

For more information, contact rally4phillypublicschools@gmail.com

Download Poster Here -> 022511_rally_poster