Pennsylvania

The tragic death of a sixth-grade Philadelphia student illustrates the dire need to ensure that every child has access to quality health and wellness services at school.

Mass school closures are the "shock doctrine" of the education world. But parents, students, teachers and communities are fighting back to ensure their public schools receive the investments and supports they need to succeed.

A coalition of parents, students, community members and faith leaders in Philadelphia is threatening to boycott the start of the school year if the district doesn't receive the funds it needs to safely open and staff the city's public schools.

Education officials use a variety of justifications to defend the closures, citing everything from budget concerns to promises of better opportunities for students. But as this new infographic from the OTL Campaign illustrates, these justifications don’t hold up to scrutiny. Here's what the evidence from past and current school closures says.

“No excuse" has been a mantra of education "reformers" who dismiss the effects of poverty and inequity on student achievement and instead fault teachers and school leaders. Last week, the term was forever rebranded by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who used it to critique policymakers in Philadelphia for pushing the school district into bankruptcy and failing to invest adequately and equitably in the city's schools.

Months of protests by education and community organizers are unifying diverse factions across the nation in an effort to reverse education policy mandates and bolster public schools instead of punishing them and closing them down. The "Education Spring" has not gone unnoticed by people at the centers of policy, power and opinion in Washington.

Every revolution needs a declaration. Against a backdrop of surging grassroots discontent with how the nation's K-12 public schools are currently governed, a diverse coalition of leaders from across the country have joined in support of "An Education Declaration to Rebuild America."

Philadelphia public schools are facing a "doomsday" budget next year after the School Reform Commission (SRC) approved drastic cuts that will force schools to open next fall without basic things like new books and paper, counselors, librarians or assistant principals. These cuts are part of a vicious cycle of underfunding and punishment of struggling schools, one that is drawing students, parents and teachers to the streets in protest.