When six Philadelphia public schools were announced to be "restructured" earlier this month, we knew it was time to get organized.

Inspired by the anti-turnaround fights waged by schools like Munoz-Marin and Kensington Health Sciences, we know we can successfully defend our schools and colleagues by building deep connections between parents, school staff, and community members. 

Our System of Great Schools support campaign is about diving head first into local school organizing! We are standing in solidarity with the leadership of families, students, community members, and teachers in these six buildings (Rhoads, Gideon, Steel, Wagner, Penn Treaty, and Feltonville SAS) so that their voices, needs, and hopes for their schools are at the center of the entire process. 

Inside the buildings, educators and families are working around the clock to organize their communities. But every public education supporter is needed in this fight.

We can all support these schools by being present at the eighteen public SGS evening meetings (3 per school), to listen to and support parents and students and teachers as they organize to take their school back. Our goal is to have as many supporters as possible at each meeting.

Will you sign up to go to one of the SGS meetings and help to bring others with you? Here's the calendar:

--Meeting 1--

Wednesday, September 28th:

• 5:30pm: Rhoads Elementary School (4901 Parrish St)

Tuesday, October 3rd:

• 5:30pm: Steel Elementary School (4301 Wayne Ave)
• 6:00pm: Penn Treaty Middle/High School (600 E. Thompson St)

Wednesday, October 4th:

• 5:30pm: Gideon Elementary School (2817 W. Glenwood Ave)
• 6:00pm: Wagner Middle School (1701 W. Chelten Ave)

Monday, October 9th:

• 5:30pm: Feltonville School of Arts and Sciences (210 E. Courtland St)

-Meeting 2-

Wednesday, October 11th:

• 5:30pm: Rhoads Elementary School (4901 Parrish St)
• 6:00pm: Gideon Elementary School (2817 W. Glenwood Ave)

Wednesday, October 18th:

• 5:30pm: Wagner Middle School (1701 W. Chelten Ave)

Monday, October 23rd:

• 5:30pm: Feltonville School of Arts and Sciences (210 E. Courtland St)
• 5:30pm: Penn Treaty Middle/High School (600 E. Thompson St)
• 6:00pm: Steel Elementary School (4301 Wayne Ave)

--Meeting 3--

Wednesday, November 8th:

• 5:30pm: Rhoads Elementary School (4901 Parrish St)
• 6:00pm: Gideon Elementary School (2817 W. Glenwood Ave)

Wednesday, November 15th:

• 5:30pm: Penn Treaty Middle/High School (600 E. Thompson St)
• 5:30pm: Wagner Middle School (1701 W. Chelten Ave)

Monday, November 20th:

• 5:30pm: Feltonville School of Arts and Sciences (210 E. Courtland St)
• 6:00pm: Steel Elementary School (4301 Wayne Ave)

For questions, to get your group involved, or to RSVP for meetings, please email Shira at [email protected].

If you would like to take your leadership to the next level and support the citywide SGS campaign, you can join the "SGS Fight 2017-18" google group and our planning calls by emailing [email protected].

By working together to support the educators, parents, and students at these schools, we can and will win the fight for the quality public schools Philadelphia deserves!