In closely-watched primary races in Philadelphia, pro-public education candidates won in Philadelphia. Helen Gym, a fierce fighter for public schools, won the Democratic nomination for City Council. She was endorsed by the Network for Public Education.
This is a report from the AFT:
PHILADELPHIA—Statement from American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on the Philadelphia primary election. Weingarten was in Philadelphia today, visiting phone banks and polling locations as part of our get-out-the-vote efforts. Our rank and file understood the stakes in this election and demonstrated it over and over again, as did the AFT and its affiliates, which together committed more than $1 million to ensure that Philadelphia’s working families have elected leaders who have their backs.
“The people of Philadelphia have spoken: Block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood, across all racial, ethnic and class lines, they nominated Jim Kenney for mayor and Helen Gym for city council. The votes last November and again tonight were a clear rebuke to the agenda of former Gov. Tom Corbett, the billionaires from Susquehanna and the unelected members of the School Reform Commission, who want to undermine public education by demonizing teachers, starving districts and closing neighborhood public schools. Education was the No. 1 issue for voters, and in Kenney and Gym, voters nominated two leaders who have proven that they’ll make public education a top priority for the city too. We congratulate Jim Kenney and Helen Gym—two fierce advocates for children who will champion a public education system that the citizens of Philadelphia so richly deserve.
“For months, our members have been knocking on doors and making calls. We’ve placed ads and sent mail and put polls in the field. It’s been a phenomenal effort. But that work doesn’t end with one vote. Today, in voting yes on ballot question 1, the people of Philadelphia sent a clear message to Kenney, to Gym and to all of the nominees: We want the future of Philadelphia’s schools to be in the hands of Philadelphians. Now, it’s up to all of us to get to work.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
What a comfort! Bravo NPE’s endorsement! Congratulate Helen Gym on her winning of the Democratic Nomination for City Council! Back2basic
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This is a great victory for Philadelphia and its teachers, and a great defeat of the charter school candidate, Anthony Williams, who squandered more than 6 million dollars in campaign funding from three millionaire Main Line types who want to privatize the schools and who support tax credits for scholarships to private religious schools ala Cuomo in New York. Helen’s victory must also be celebrated as a cogent and dedicated voice for teachers, students and families will now be heard in City Council. The link below relates how one Philadelphia charter school operator tried, unsuccessfully, to bully his teachers into withholding their votes from Helen. Congratulations PFT!
http//www.philly.com/philly/blogs/cityhall/Alleged-charter-school-email-Helen-Gym-hates-us.html
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As a Girls High alumna, this is music to my ears.
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I am a Central alum, 228, back when it was all boys. Hope to join the retired teacher ranks in another year or two.
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My brother was in the Central class of 216. In my day Central wasn’t an option for me. I graduated in 1966 and student taught there in French in 1970. Things have changed a great deal since then.
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Central was saved from the chopping block when it went co-Ed. I am guessing your cooperating teacher was Mr. Boni?
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It’s interesting how Pennsylvania is going pro-public ed in elections. First they elected a pro-public ed governor, and now this.
Compare to Illinois, where the governor is anti-public ed and the Chicago mayor is one of The Agnostics (which is effectively anti-public ed; agnostics make lousy advocates).
What’s different there?
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Interesting question. The anti-public school, anti-union forces can’t figure it out either. Why are Philadelphia parents, mainly poor and minority, supportive of their schools remaining public and supportive of their teachers? When they’ve been given a choice they choose to keep their schools public rather than converting to charter. They voted out a pro-charter governor, voted against a pro-charter mayoral candidate and voted for pro-public school City Council candidates. Perhaps it’s because of their bad experiences with charter schools for 18 years. Perhaps they are upset that money is being siphoned out of public schools to run charters. Perhaps they’re upset that the poorest neighborhoods now have almost no public schools left. This has created a situation where charters are no longer a CHOICE but are forced upon them.
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