A Student’s Voice Joins the Movement
Thousands of Philadelphia students walked out last spring to demand more resources in their schools. (Photo: Media Mobilizing Project)
Hi, my name is Sadie Sprague-Lott and I am a junior at Science Leadership Academy (SLA) and an intern for Parents United for Public Education. When I was looking for an internship this year it was very important that it was something that really meant something to me. I first met Helen through my mom when they were advocating for students at South Philadelphia High School. Last year student protests over the District budget began, we started meeting over and over again. After I heard about the budget cuts in The Philadelphia School District I became an organizer at my school in trying to prevent them from going through. As a sophomore going into my junior year, I knew I couldn’t stay silent.When the first student walkout happened last spring, nearly 30 SLA students decided to join, including myself. There was an immediate sense of panic when no one knew where they were going or how to organize chants. Since I had been a part of many rallies and knew a couple of chants that could work, I would pass them along to the group and get them started. The first walkout was unorganized and nerve wracking but for us students who finally felt like we had a say were just ecstatic at the fact that our voices were being heard.
The second walkout a few weeks later was slightly different. The first walkout had gotten a lot of attention and more students were interested the second time around. When the news and magnitude of this walkout got to the School District, they immediately sent out a notice to all schools that if any student walked out without permission there would be serious consequences. When this announcement was made in my school, students who were supposed to walk out called parents, asked for early dismissal notes. While some