[Update: Meet Kristin and learn more about her platform and campaign strategy at a House Party Meet & Greet in Germantown on Saturday, Oct. 3 (6-7:30pm) hosted by WE member Kelley Collings.  Click here for more info & to RSVP]

The Caucus of Working Educators has endorsed Kristin Combs, Green Party candidate, for Philadelphia City Council At-Large. 

An active member of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, and the PFT's Caucus of Working Educators, Kristin is a dedicated teacher at Penn Treaty High School.

"Working alongside Ms. Combs in a school that had a unique set of challenges, I watched how she committed to her students on both academic and personal levels. There really wasn't anything she was unwilling to do to ensure that students had all of the opportunities they needed to reach their fullest potential. Adding that she is an active participant in a variety of educator and community groups demonstrates her commitment to doing all that she can do to make the world a better place for under served populations," said Regina Hastings, a colleague of Kristin's at Penn Treaty.

Kristin motivation for running is centered in having experienced the worst of how are students have been neglected, having previously taught at Vaux High School, before it was closed by the SRC along with 23 other schools in 2013.

She has vowed to take a teacher's salary if elected and donate the rest of her salary to organizations committed to helping our public school students.

Kristin's advocacy for her students and their families has also been apparent in her campaign being involved in many actions for raising the minimum wage and unionizing workers.

"Green Party candidate Kristin Combs is the only candidate running for City Council who has pledged to take a worker's wage and immediately introduce binding legislation for a $15 minimum wage in Philadelphia. Unchallenged one-party rule has produced the poorest large city in America. From Seattle to Philly, we need independent working class politicians willing to take on big business and Harrisburg," said Kate Goodman, lead organizer for 15 Now Philadelphia.

Another key piece of Kristin's platform is spreading awareness and strongly defending parents' right to opt out of the harm of standardized testing she has seen first hand. Kristin is leading by example and teaching everyone about the kind of well rounded education that all of our students need and deserve.

"As an educator, Kristin Combs knows standardized test scores are not a true measure of a student's intellectual ability. An advocate for engaging, challenging, student-centered teaching Kristin forged a close working relationship with Opt Out Philly over the past year. I've been impressed by Kristin's dedication to ensuring parents are aware of their legal rights to opt their children out of standardized tests. Because of Kristin's activism and her commitment to creative, innovative approaches to learning, I am proud to support her run for City Council." said Alison McDowell from the Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools.

In the November election, Philadelphia voters can choose five candidates for City Council At-Large. Five candidates will be elected from the Democratic Party. In addition, the two highest vote-getters from all other minority political parties will also be elected and take their place on City Council. Traditionally, that has always been two Republicans.

Instead of using all five votes for Democrats (who are virtually certain to be elected), Kristin is asking for one of your five votes on November 4th. The goal is for one of these minority party seats to instead go to the Green Party and help build a much needed third party movement in our city. 

Working Educators has already endorsed two strong education advocates for City Council At-Large in Derek Green and Helen Gym. We hope you will support a third very worthy advocate for us all by voting for and helping to elect teacher and PFT member Kristin Combs for City Council At-Large!

Connect with the Combs 4 City Council Campaign:

Congratulations Seniors of Philly's Class of 2015!

Whether you stay in Philly, or you go away for work or college, your city needs your vote! A strong turnout of youth on Election Day can have a great impact on our city and the state. On November 3rd, which party will win Mayor, City Council, and the majority on the powerful Pennsylvania Supreme Court? Here's how you can decide:

1. Take the Class of 2015 Vote Philly! Pledge

We’ll keep you updated on important voting info. 

2. Register to Vote

If you will be 18 by November 3rd, download, print, and mail the completed form to:

The deadline to register to vote is 30 days before the election (October 4th, 2015) 

3. Apply for an absentee ballot (if you will be away at college or out of town on election day)

It's recommended that you wait at least 2 weeks after you register to vote before submitting your absentee ballot application to make sure you're on file as a voter. Check your registration status here: Am I Registered to Vote?

Complete the following sections NEATLY:

    A. Enter your Ward and Division [find them here].

        Check "ABSENTEE - Absent From County" 

    B. REASON FOR ABSENCE - Enter "College" (or another reason).

        SIGNATURE/DATE - Sign an date it!

    D. Complete all lines. 

    E. MAIL BALLOT TO THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS

Enter your college mailing address. If you don't know it yet, then enter your home address and ask your parents to forward it to you in October OR wait until you have the address to complete the application.

Stamp and mail the application to the Philadelphia County Board of Elections, City Hall Room 142, 1400 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19107

4. Research the ballot.

Start with these nonpartisan resources:

-Committee of Seventy

-Philadelphia City Commissioners

-Ballotpedia

Then research media coverage and endorsements from organizations you trust. 

5. Election Day!

Your election official will mail you a ballot before Election Day.  Complete the ballot, sign it, and mail it back. Your ballot must be received by the Friday before Election Day (October 30th) ... OR if you live in Philly find your neighborhood polling place and show up to the polls on November 3rd! 

We are proud of your accomplishment and wish you the best of success and fun in your continued studies and careers!

Keep Philly in your heart and VOTE!

With the Democratic Party primary election approaching fast on May 19th, Philly educators are working with their communities to help elect candidates who support pubic education. We wanted to share two examples of this with you. If you are able, we'd like you to be a part of these events. We also hope these will spark ideas about how you will plan to get out the vote in your own school neighborhoods.

The final full week of the campaign is the last chance to spend quality time talking to voters before heading into a full on Get Out the Vote operation in the last weekend before Election Day on May 19th. This is an important time to canvass, give out information, or hold neighborhood meetings to support the candidates. The school community at Stephen Girard Elementary is planning to do all three.

Caucus Member Tom Hladczuk has been working on canvassing plans with his colleagues at Girard Elementary. Those colleagues include Girard volunteer and Action United activist Wilma Frazier. Wilma reached out to her pastor at St. Barnabas church, Allen Jenkins Jr. to take part in the planning. The results were three events on three consecutive days:

• On Monday, May 11th starting at 3:30, the Girard school community will canvass the neighborhood for James Kenney and Helen Gym. 
• On Tuesday morning, Girard staff will be out in the neighborhood before school handing out flyers to community members inviting them to a meeting at St. Barnabas the next day.
• Pastor Jenkins is also inviting his congregants to the meeting, where community stakeholders will discuss why James Kenney and Helen Gym are the two best candidates for their school and neighborhood and how everyone can help them win. If you'd like to attend the meeting, come to St. Barnabas Church at 1814 Wharton St. on Wednesday, May 13th, at 6 PM!

The final days of the election must be focused on Get Out the Vote operations. There are two goals. First, let as many people as possible know that election day is upon us. Second, check in with everyone you can and make sure they're voting!

WE member Tom Quinn designed a flyer for our endorsed candidates. We'll tackle the first goal by canvassing one of the largest events that weekend, the Italian Market Festival. We'll meet at noon on Sunday, May 17th. Point people will give out stacks of flyers to volunteers at 9th & Christian and 9th & Washington. We'll flyer the whole crowd and eat some incredible food afterwards. WE members and friends will also distribute the flyer in our school and home neighborhoods, as well as farmers' markets, stores, and other popular areas before Election Day. We encourage you to download the flyer, make copies, and help us spread the word!

The second goal, getting people out to vote, can best  be achieved by working with the campaigns and their GOTV operations. Our four endorsed candidates have all run terrific campaigns. They have detailed records and plans on who to reach out to, but they can't do all that they want to without much needed volunteers. Follow the links below to offer your help. There has been a lot of money thrown around in this race, but far more valuable than all those commercials are dedicated people who are motivated to make change happen. Talk with your colleagues, work with your community, reach out to the campaigns, and let's GET OUT THE VOTE! 

Volunteer for PFT Canvasses and Phone Banks

Volunteer for Jim Kenney

Volunteer for Helen Gym

Volunteer for Sherrie Cohen

Volunteer for Derek Green

Working Educators is a group of educators, parents, and communities working to take defense of public education into our own hands. We know what our schools need, and we have the power to stand up for our schools by influencing the upcoming May primary elections for Mayor, City Council, and Judicial seats.

Whether you're new to the political world or an experienced campaigner, we need you! We're hoping to have vocal educators and allies at EVERY candidate forum happening over the next few months. 

Not sure what to say? Don't worry! Below you will find a script our Political Committee has put together that will make every candidate aware of our power. And there are printable copies for all of your friends, too.

You will find a list below of all the forums. Please sign-up for which forum you plan on attending, so that we can make sure all forums are covered and be in touch about strategy.

Sign up here to let us know which forums you plan on attending.

Want to get more involved in WE's political work to stand up for public education this election? Email [email protected] for more ways to get involved.

(WE members pose with Council Candidates Helen Gym and Kristin Combs at a WE Happy Hour)

1) Political Script for Caucus Members

STEP #1: Look up your ward and division for both your home and your school: https://www.pavoterservices.state.pa.us/Pages/PollingPlaceInfo.aspx

And your ward leader: http://www.seventy.org/tools/ward-leaders-committeepeople/democratic-party

STEP #2: Fill out your intro script for your questions:                                  

Hi my name is _______________________ and I am a member of the Caucus of Working Educators, a rank-and-file caucus within the PFT. I am a registered voter in the  __________ Ward, _________ Division. My Ward leader is ________________________. If you are an educator: I also teach at _______________________ , which is in the ___________ Ward, ___________ Division. 

STEP #3: Ask away!

• Did you attend public school? Do you have any children? Did/Do they attend Philadelphia public, parochial, or charter schools? (Follow up with a why or why not question.)

• Lack of funding from Harrisburg is a perpetual issue for the district. As the mayor/councilperson, however, you have the power to raise revenues from within Philadelphia itself. How would you go about this? (Follow up with questions about the 10 year tax abatement, PILOT payments from universities, raising the Use and Occupancy tax, Comcast tax breaks, etc.)

• As you are most likely aware, many teachers – especially younger ones – haven’t been given their contractual step raises for nearly 3 years now. How would you help solve the contract impasse between the PFT and the District? How would you help to retain talented teachers within the district? (Follow up with a personal example of how much you have already sacrificed out of your salary.)

• The mayor has the ability to appoint members to the SRC. Do you have any specific individuals in mind who you would like to see selected for such an important position? (This question would inadvertently gauge if the candidate is aware of the local control issue while also seeing if they personally know any public education advocates within the city.)

• City council recently passed a resolution unanimously asking for the SRC to examine its use of standardized tests. What role do you believe standardized tests have in measuring the growth of a student? In measuring the effectiveness of a teacher? (This question should be able to tell you how familiar a candidate is with the Opt Out movement. If they aren’t familiar with it, follow up!)

2) Candidate Forums Calendar & Primary Election Timeline

Click here to sign up here to attend a forum (or more than one!). We’ll send a reminder!  

• Tuesday, 3/3 - PennFuture Next Great City's Mayoral Candidates Forum // 6 PM // Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch Street

• Saturday, 3/7 - Working Families Candidate Forum // 10 AM -2 PM // Arch St. United Methodist Church, 55 N. Broad Street

• Tuesday, 3/10 - Philly ADA Mayoral Forum // 7 - 9 PM // The Friend’s Center (1501 Cherry St. - MLK Room)

March 10       Last day to circulate and file nomination petitions

March 11       First day to circulate and file nomination papers

• Wednesday, 3/18 - PFT District City Council Candidates (Members only) // 4:15 PM // Sheet Metal Workers' Union Hall, 1301 South Columbus Blvd

• Wednesday, 3/18  - Food Policy Mayoral Forum // 7 PM  // Free Library Skyline Room, 1901 Vine St.

• Thursday, 3/19 - Bicycle Coalition Better Mobility Forum // 6 PM // Friends Center (1501 Cherry St)

• Monday, 3/23 - PFT City Council At-Large Candidates Forum (Members Only) // 4:15 PM // Sheet Metal Workers' Union Hall, 1301 South Columbus Blvd

• Tuesday, 3/24 - Mayoral Candidates Education Forum (Questions sent in advance) // 6:30 PM // G.W. Childs School, 1599 Wharton St.

March 25         Last day for withdrawal by candidates who filed nomination petitions

• Monday, 3/30 - - In Conversation with Philadelphia: Al Dia News Mayoral Forum // 5 - 8 PM // 30 S. 15th St., 15th Floor

• Wednesday, 4/1 - PACDC Mayoral Forum for Equitable Development // 5:30 PM  // Temple University's SERC - 12th & Berks

• Monday, 4/20 - Philly Tech Week Mayoral Forum // 6 PM // Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine St.

• Wednesday, 4/22 - Northern Liberties Mayoral Forum // 7 PM // 841 N. American St.

April 20       Last day for voters to REGISTER before the primary

May 19            MUNICIPAL PRIMARY!

Click here to download both of these flyers in a printable and shareable format.

Don't forget to sign up to attend a political forum, so that we can keep in touch! 

(WE Political Committee members Luigi Borda and George Bezanis talk public education with Mayoral Candidate Jim Kenney at a WE Happy Hour)

Elections are upcoming for mayor, city council, and city commissioner in Philadelphia. But where do the candidates stand on education issues?

See our platform items below to get an idea of where the candidates should be. If you are attending any meet and greets or public forums, use these items to get the opinions of those who are running!

The Caucus of Working Educators of the PFT believes that ALL Philadelphia school children have the right to a thorough and efficient education. To those ends, WE ask all candidates for public office in Philadelphia to adopt the following platform:

1. Adoption of a fair funding formula that creates equal funding for districts across Pennsylvania, as well as securing of additional revenue sources specifically for Philadelphia. This would include a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) program for institutions of higher education within the city limits, closing tax loopholes for corporations that do business in Philadelphia, as well as state-wide 5% tax on shale drilling, to be split equally between education and public employee pensions state-wide.

2. Restructuring of district debt. In 2015, debt servicing is projected to eat up 9% of the annual budget, or $280 million dollars (http://schoolbudget.phl.io/). Banks must be approached directly to forgive or at least restructure this debt.

3. Local control of our school district, specifically a school board elected by the citizens of Philadelphia.

4. A moratorium on the closing or transitioning of public schools until the district establishes complete financial transparency and oversight for all charter schools.

5. A reduction of the importance of standardized testing, including working to eliminate district-based exams, supporting families that refuse standardized testing for their children, and advocating for the use of multiple measures to evaluate student and school success.

6. Integration of wrap-around services into our schools, including social workers, medical professionals, and universal pre-kindergarten.

7. Equal rights to due process and collective bargaining for all teachers and school staff members across the state, even those in “cities of the first class.”

Dear Mr. Wolf,

The members of PFT's Caucus of WE congratulate you on your election as Governor of Pennsylvania. It was our pleasure to help Get Out the Vote for your election. We look forward to working with you to repair the harm done by the current administration in the last four years and since the economic recession began in 2008.

We hope that you keep a few key criteria in mind when making all of your political appointments. Diversity in terms of geography, race, gender, religion and political leanings should be a priority.  Your cabinet should look like Pennsylvania.  Appointees should be Pennsylvanians with a track record of public service and notable achievements.  They should be highly qualified and bold thinkers. They should be brave enough to advise you from their experience and conscience.  Leaders can only do their best when they surround themselves with people they respect enough to listen to their dissenting opinions.

As professional public school educators and concerned citizens, we take the appointment of the PA Secretary of Education most seriously. Education was the biggest issue in the governor's race and remains a huge challenge for all of us. When your team is vetting prospective appointees, only consider men and women who have actual public school experience. They should be former teachers, administrators, assistant superintendents, and superintendents that have deep roots in Pennsylvania.

Only consider candidates who were educated and received their certifications from legitimate brick and mortar educational institutions. Temple, Penn State, and Pitt, come to mind.  Choose someone who can work with the students, parents, and teachers of Pennsylvania.

We are hungry for a leader who will lead us out of the current educational wasteland to a safe and stable place where students and staff are respected and supported. Seek out a candidate who is erudite, motivated, and compassionate. We do not need more tough talk and threats. We do not need someone who will reduce humans to data points. We need a person who can use both socioeconomic and educational data to create equity of opportunity to all of our students.

Sincerely,

The Steering Committee

Caucus of Working Educators

Philadelphia Federation of Teachers

• Early in the week, talk with your colleagues about how your school can GOTV in your community! Discuss quick points of interest to tell families about what resources have been missing from your school, what is needed, and how voting can help public education and democracy in our city.
• Make plans for a neighborhood canvass around your building any day before election day.
• On Wednesday, 10/29, help PCAPS complete their "voter pledge card" campaign by helping them stamp and mail postcards to Philadelphia voters at the Fight for Philly office (846 N. Broad Street)
• On Thursday, 10/30, participate in a phone bank with PFT members.
• On Friday, 10/31, hold a special edition of Full Funding Friday urging parents, families, and passersby to GOTV! 
• Take a moment to do a teach-in with your kids on the importance of voting. Send a letter home encouraging parents to continue the lesson by taking their kids with them to vote on the big day!
• If you want to do some direct work on your own time, contact Wolf for PA's Regional Director in Philadelphia, Stephen Ekema-Agbaw at [email protected] or call at  570-854-0499 to coordinate plans with the Wolf Campaign.

South Philly

Sheet Metal Workers Local 19

1301 Columbus Blvd

West Philly

4153 Lancaster Ave

• VOTE! Do everything you can to make sure everyone else votes too! Organize and take action! 
• Post pictures in your WE & PFT shirts! Use the hashtags #WeVoteAskUs and #PFTGOTV
• If you are not taking a personal day to work the polls, you can still get out during your lunch hour or after school and encourage people to vote.

This post will be continually updated with more opportunities and staging areas. Check back soon! Once again, it is vitally important that people get out there and KNOCK ON DOORS!

Caucus members participated in the PFT Lobby Day in Harrisburg on June 24.  We had some good conversations with legislators from all over the state and also heard some great speeches from the Philadelphia delegation!