teacher equity

Young people all across the nation are looking for teachers that are qualified and will help draw them into success in education. However, in the city of Philadelphia, not all students have effective and qualified teachers in their schools. Grow Your Own (GYO) is a program that can and will help students get the qualified teachers they deserve in their neighborhood schools.

A new model of teacher development is emerging that could help 'hard to staff' neighborhood schools build and retain a base of effective teachers by recruiting young adults in the neighborhood to choose a career in teaching.  This model is called 'Grow Your Own' and it is happening in Chicago, thanks to the organizing work of students and communities. Dan Jones interviewed Rod Wilson of Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (KOCO) in Chicago, about how 'Grow Your Own' is changing the way teachers and communities interact.

Along with other members of the Philadelphia Student Union, I recently interviewed Heidi Ramirez, a member of the School Reform Commission (SRC) who  announced her resignation last month. We asked her about subjects such as teacher quality and the school district's strategic plan.

In the coming weeks, the School District of Philadelphia and the
Philadelphia Federation of Teachers will negotiate a new, four-year
teacher contract. This is an important opportunity to influence the
negotiations and to make sure our students and teachers have the supports
they need to succeed in our schools. 


All the parties involved in the negotiations must do everything in
their power to ensure that all children in Philadelphia’s public
schools have effective teachers.

Philadelphia Student Union was part of a recent action held by the Effective Teaching for All Children campaign, in front of the School District Building and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) office.