Today, mayoral candidate, Helen Gym, unveiled a Schools-First Agenda to Support Philadelphia’s Children and Families. 

“Today, I’m releasing my education plan to restore and invest in Philadelphia. It is the most comprehensive and detailed plan to date to keep young people safe, to modernize our schools, to value and uplift teaching and school staff and to keep every parent and to tell every parent that this would be the best city to raise your family,” Helen said. 

Key Points

• Lead a budget that prioritizes and invests in schools 
• Seize the historic opportunity of the fair funding lawsuit: lead a state-wide coalition that provides clean schools 
• Deliver a budget that builds and meets the school community 

“The state budget right now does not deliver for our children. Despite the fact that we just won a historic state funding formula, we need that state-wide coalition to fully fund public education,” said Gym, who intends on ending enrollment-based budgeting and deliver school-based budgets that meet students’ needs—more paraprofessionals: nurses, counselors, social workers, and the arts to schools. The mayoral candidate also guaranteed lead-free drinking water and free breakfast in every school. 

During her plan to modernize all public school buildings, provide wrap-around supports for youth, and invest in the health and wellbeing of students and school staff—Councilmember Kendra Brooks spoke of the successful fight to keep Edward Steel Elementary open, which she was able to accomplish alongside Gym—the two worked together to end the state takeover and return public schools to local control. 

Education Plan:

• Lead a Green New Deal for Public Schools that will modernize school facilities in the era of the climate crisis
• Keep children safe from morning to night and provide SEPTA passes for every student
• Strengthen career pipelines for school staff, especially teachers of color, and invest in fully-staffed schools
• Improve District accountability and grow our school system 

Gym also secured a $15 million investment in public schools from the Philadelphia Parking Authority.