Voices of the People: Our Vision for Our Children, Our City, and the Future of Public Education
On May 21st, 2016, a group of Philadelphians concerned about the education of our city’s children gathered to envision a better present and future for our communities. Parents, family members, community members, educators, organizers, activists, citizens– no matter the titles we attached to our roles and identities within the schools and communities of our city, each of us was committed to sharing our visions for what education could and should be in the City of Sisterly and Brotherly Love. This document is a product of the sharing of our visions, and the cumulative drive and commitment that fuel them.
We came together due to the many levels of injustice and negligence we observe in our school system. We came together due to our frustration that parents are neither listened to nor heard (and if we don’t act, who will?). We came together to create connections across the School District of Philadelphia and beyond. We came together because we are committed to being a voice for all children. We are a progressive group of individuals who plan to drive positive change through innovative solutions in K12 education.
The educational experience and environment we envision for our children is diverse, dynamic, and democratic. We want our schools and school system to honor children as full human beings. We want schools that honor and support the experiences of our children, including true respect for and understanding of the need for trauma-informed and culturally relevant teaching and learning. We want schools that respect different learning styles and foster inter-generational learning relationships and environments. We want our schools to provide more humane Voices of the People: Our Vision for Our Children, Our City, and the Future of Public Education | Parents United for Public Education: