philadelphia student union

Students from across Pennsylvania rallied demanding Equity in Education.  This action was organized by Philadelphia Student Union, Project Peace, A+ Schools' TeenBloc & Juntos.  Over the course of the last year, Governor Tom Corbett has cut public education in Pennsylvania by more than $1 Billion, all the while increasing funding for prisons.  These unprecedented cuts have lead to school districts like Chester Upland laying-off fifty-three percent of their teaching staff, a precursor to the teachers finally working without pay beginning in January of this year.

Will you join students & parents from across Pennsylvania to demand that Governor Corbett make equitable school funding a top priority in the next budget?

Go to www.showloveforeducation.eventbrite.com to reserve your seat on the bus.

On February 7th, Gov. Corbett will announce his plan for the next state budget.  A week later, on February 14 (Valentine's Day) students & parents from numerous Pennsylvania school districts are holding a rally for public education in the State Capitol. 

The purpose of the rally is to speak out about the devastating effects of last year's cuts to education, and to demand that equitable school funding be a priority in the next state budget.

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers organized a rally in front of a center city Trader Joes and the Philly Student Union was there to help support.

The Philadelphia Student Union is opening a brand new public computer center exclusively for middle school and high school aged youth. The Young People’s Computer Center will offer free, weekly college access workshops designed to help students navigate the path to college and careers. The Center features 14 new computers, including a 5-station Youth Media Lab, where young people can learn radio production, video editing and advanced computer skills.

Today on June 23rd, 2011, I --Daesya Parker-- completed my first public speech for the Philadelphia Student Union. This speech was for the “No Vouchers Express,” a joint action that we completed with Action United and the Education Law Center. This bus tour was dedicated solely to stopping our state representatives and senators from voting yes on Voucher legislation.

In 2006 I attended my 9th grade year at West Philadelphia High School. During that time there was chaos occurring everyday such as fires, fights and arrests. I felt unsafe at school. At the beginning of my 11th grade year I left Philadelphia for my country Mauritania (located in west Africa). I hoped that the school would get better. During my time in Mauritania I heard from my fellow students that the school was improving under then principal Ms. Cruz.

The School District of Philadelphia has “an estimated 70,000 empty seats in more than 280 structures.”*  Combined with a budget gap of more than $490 million, it looks like the district is gearing up to close several schools next year.

School closings affect students in more ways than one, sometimes very critically. When schools get closed for reasons that aren’t clear or well explained to the public, people start to get angry. Usually students who have to travel further to attend a new school feel discouraged and displaced. This could lead to large numbers of students dropping out and being truant. Education is a right and we don’t want to see more kids at risk of becoming a statistic. That in its own sick way leads to a generation of young people who struggle to make a living and survive.

From Baltimore to Philadelphia, those in power are trying to cut funding from our schools and expand prisons. But youth from across the country are coming together to fight back and demand our human right to education.

The Philadelphia Student Union released a statment today stating their opposition to Senate Bill 1, also known as vouchers.  They stated various reasons from vouchers being about handing taxpayer money over to private enterprise and not about equity for students to the fact that they will do nothing to improve public education but will help private schools stay open while our public schools close.