What the election said about the kind of schools Philadelphians want
The primary election was, among other things, a referendum on what kind of schools Philadelphians want and how they think they should be governed.
Taken together with polling data, the election results show that the forces for corporate education reform, headquartered locally in the Philadelphia School Partnership, are losing the fight for hearts and minds, despite a seemingly limitless amount of money, a well-oiled public relations machine, and many friends in high places, including the media.
For years the mantra of school choice advocates has been that “people are voting with their feet.” It was their way of saying that parents want their children enrolled in charter schools. But in the recent primary, people voted with their ballots. The results suggest that the “dump the losers” approach to school reform does not reflect how Philadelphians are thinking about education, in so far as elections reflect popular opinion.
A year ago, State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams, a strong advocate for charters and school vouchers, was widely regarded as the likely Democratic nominee for mayor. With a trio of Main Line billionaires ready to spend whatever it takes and the blessing of party chair Bob Brady, many Black elected officials, and ward leaders, Williams was regarded as a formidable candidate whose race it was to lose.
The coming together of a winning coalition around James Kenney happened, in part, because important elements of the labor movement, Black political leadership, and community-based education justice advocates were energized around defeating Williams. This coalition aggressively championed investment in neighborhood public schools and sought to expose his ties to right-wing elements that embrace privatizing education, tax relief for big business, and undermining labor unions.
Not only Kenney, but all the candidates, with the exception of Williams, opposed charter expansion and signed a PCAPS letter calling for the School Reform Commission to vote no on all new charter applications this year. Williams was isolated as the only candidate prepared to support charter expansion, even though it would deepen the District’s fiscal crisis.
Williams, as many have pointed out, did not run a very effective campaign and sometimes soft-pedaled his school-choice message. However the American Cities PAC kept up a steady stream of school-choice commercials, and Williams clearly was identified with this position. His crushing defeat has to be seen as a repudiation of the policy agenda that is his only claim to distinction.
And let’s be clear, this election was first and foremost about education. A poll of likely voters conducted by the Inquirer, which showed Williams badly trailing Kenney a week before the election, also found that 37 percent of those asked said education was their top concern -- number one on the list by far. The victory of longtime public schools advocate Helen Gym, who was not endorsed by the party and whose campaign relied on the energy of education and social justice advocates, underlines the point. So, too, does the big response to the ballot questions on whether to abolish the School Reform Commission and extend pre-K education.
Polling data shows the primary vote aligns with public opinion on education issues. A poll released by the Pew foundation in March found that three-quarters of polled residents gave city public schools low marks and a majority continue to view charters favorably. Fifty-eight percent said they believe charters improved education options and helped to keep middle-class families in the city; but this is down from 62 percent in 2013. A third of those polled think charters take too much money away from traditional public schools and lack oversight, up from 26 percent in 2013.
While charters have significant support, 55 percent endorsed a statement calling for more spending on traditional public schools, while 35 percent called for creating more charter schools and other options.
This reflects the strong continued support for neighborhood public schools. Low marks for performance but continued support suggest that people understand the devastating impact of budget cuts and recognize expanding charters will further aggravate the problem.
The Pew poll also highlights, as does the ballot question results, the low esteem in which What the election said about the kind of schools Philadelphians want | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:
