Activism around the city
Forum scheduled on high school reforms
An April 21 forum will bring together veteran School District teachers, members of student organizing groups, and former students to bring their collective knowledge about Philadelphia's high schools to bear on the District's current high school reform efforts.
Called "Envisioning high schools that work: Learning from experience," the forum will present information about the District's past efforts at breaking up large high schools into smaller units and how the lessons from those efforts can be applied to the District's current high school reforms.
Presenters will include high school teachers who came together in the mid-1980s through the Philadelphia Schools Collaborative, an organization devoted to advocating for and supporting the District's efforts to break up high schools into small learning communities.
The teachers will be joined by graduates of successful small learning communities as well as current students who are members of local student organizing groups.
Attendees will work in small groups to discuss what teachers and students need for high schools to be effective places for teaching and learning, and what actions should be taken to get there.
"This is a unique effort to allow teachers, students, parents, and education activists to talk across boundaries and to bring multiple points of view to the table," remarked forum organizer Fran Sugarman.
The forum will take place on Wednesday, April 21 from 3:30 to 6 p.m. at the United Way Building, 17th and the Parkway.
It is sponsored by the Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform, the Philadelphia Writing Project, Philadelphia Student Union, and Youth United for Change.
For more information or to attend, contact Fran Sugarman at 215-991-6959 or at fsugar@dca.net.
Group celebrates policy restricting soda sales
By a slim, one-vote margin, the School Reform Commission recently signed off on a policy that will ban the sale of most sweetened drinks to elementary, middle, and high school students in schools districtwide.
Last spring, a solicitation of proposals by the School District for an exclusive soft drink contract sparked concerns among community members and nutrition advocates.
Calling for the District to ban sweetened beverage sales to students and to promote healthier eating habits among youth, seven local health advocacy groups came together as the Philadelphia Coalition for Healthy Children (PCHC) to launch a public information campaign, which included extensive testimony at public hearings and School Reform Commission meetings.
PCHC member and public school cafeteria worker Cecelia James said the campaign for a soda ban was effective because parents and community members spoke out.
Campaigns to pressure District officials are "not as effective, if [parents'] voices are not heard," she said.
Only 100 percent fruit juice, plain or flavored milk, and water will be available through over-the-counter and vending machine sales in schools when the new policy takes effect this July. Sweetened "sports" drinks may also be sold, but only in high school athletic areas.
Yael Lehman, senior associate with the Food Trust - the organization that spearheaded PCHC - said Philadelphia's policy goes "farther than almost any other policy of any other school district in the country."
New York and Los Angeles, have already banned soda sales during the school day.
For more information call the Food Trust at 215-568-0830 or visit www.thefoodtrust.org.