"Thank you, Senator Hughes and thank you to the many speakers and representatives for coming today to request, to implore, to demand that our legislature does what is right by the children of Pennsylvania and fund our schools fairly and equitably." Read Benjamin's remarks:
PFT President Jerry Jordan joined educators, students, elected officials, community leaders to call for education equity. The event, convented by State Senator Vincent Hughes, was held outside Martin Luther King, Jr. High School, one day after the anniversary of King's assassination. Senator Hughes pointed to this as a reminder that we must recommit to ensuring education equity for our young people. Read Jerry Jordan's remarks from the event:
"Our city is about to receive an unprecedented amount of money to meet an unprecedented need, and we must act collectively and intelligently to ensure we use this stimulus money in a way that will have the greatest lasting impact on our children’s future." Read Sharahn's Remarks:
The School District of Philadelphia is poised to receive more than $1 Billion dollars in funding from the American Rescue Plan, a sorely needed investment that is part of a $1.9 Trillion dollar rescue plan to help our nation grapple with the devastation wrought by this unprecedented pandemic.
Read Jerry's remarks:
At a time when remote learning continues for the majority of our students, this hearing is a timely and important opportunity to share some of our insight into virtual learning and the challenges our students and educators have faced throughout the pandemic.
Read our remarks:
PHILADELPHIA—"We continue to emphasize the importance of an ongoing, trackable database of positive COVID-19 cases in buildings, and have made this ask of the District. The temporary closure of Gideon Elementary's building is the right decision because it will help stop the spread of this virus--but it is very troubling. This is the second closure of a school building in just a few short weeks."