Five groups take different paths to empower parents and families

Philadelphia has a rich landscape of organizations that bring together parents around education issues, both inside and outside of schools.

Here we profile five that reflect some of the diversity of constituencies, issues, and approaches found among local efforts to organize and empower parents. They are Parents United for Public Education, Eastern Pennsylvania Organizing Project, the Sayre Beacon program, JUNTOS, and Philadelphia ACORN. 

Parents United for Public Education

A group of mostly elementary school parents created Parents United for Public Education last spring in response to districtwide staff and budget cuts that affected class size.

“We're interested in finding solutions so our kids don't suffer,” said Anthony P. Ingargiola, a parent at Bache-Martin Elementary School. “It doesn't help us to say who should have done what when. The question is what are we all going to do to make sure our kids don't get hurt?”

In May, when the School Reform Commission initially discussed budget cuts to schools, Parents United for Public Education began to speak out and mobilize.

“We were able to get in touch with other parents from different schools and worked with a couple of education organizations.... We decided to hold a press conference outside the School District,” said Helen Gym, an organizer of Parents United for Public Education and parent at Powel Elementary School.

Since that public action, the all-volunteer group has redoubled its efforts to make these parents' voices heard around Philadelphia. As Gym explained, “Over the summer a small group of parents met with every member of the City Council Education Committee to raise the issues of class size and District budget priorities.”

The group includes many members of Home and School Associations but is not affiliated with Philadelphia Home and School Council. It now involves parents from a dozen different schools.

This fall, when the District's $73 million budget shortfall was revealed, Parents United for Public Education held press conferences and meetings with District officials to communicate a parent perspective on the crisis. They joined with groups like Youth United for Change to help fill the District's auditorium during SRC meetings in November.

The group's messages included not only opposition to school-based budget cuts but also support for cuts in contracts with private companies.

Their success is shown by how the District has responded to their persistence, said Gym.

“If it were not for the presence of vocal, concerned parents, we think the District would have tried to downplay the situation and institute severe cuts that would impact our schools for years. As it stands, we hope we've succeeded in getting the District to recognize the impact of last year's cuts on schools and set more school-based priorities for this year,” she said.

Parent Harry Levant, who is also president of the Home and School Association at Shawmont, said he wants to let Paul Vallas and the SRC know, “We are not going away. The cause is too important, and our issues are vital to the education of the children of the City of Philadelphia.”

–Samantha Adler