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Check out our toolkit for good citizenship

One of the founding tenets of The Philadelphia Citizen is to get people the resources they need to become better, more engaged citizens of their city.

We hope to do that in our Good Citizenship Toolkit, which includes a host of ways to get involved in Philadelphia—whether you are looking for ways to help Philly’s teachers and students, get those experiencing homelessness the goods they need, or simply go out to dinner somewhere where you know your money is going toward a greater good.

Find an issue that’s important to you in the list below, and get started on your journey of A-plus citizenship.

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Cheat Sheet

Get a breakdown of the poll results

Civic non-profit A Greater Philadelphia conducted a poll of Democratic voters in February to uncover what Philadelphia residents think about the state of the city. This is what they had to say about our public schools:

  • Half of the respondents (precisely 50.5%) are unsatisfied with our public schools
  • More than three-quarters (77%) support giving parents the option to send their children to schools outside their own neighborhoods
  • 77% also support education savings accounts for low-income families to access private school, tutors, and special education services
  • Residents are somewhat split on lottery-based charter school admissions, with 47% supporting and 40% opposed

The poll also found that the most dissatisfied and the most likely to support more parental choice in public schools are Black and Latino residents.

Nearly a quarter of residents (24%) cited a “broken education system” as the chief cause of poverty in Philadelphia.

How Philly Sees Philly: Parents Want Better Schools

The newest data from A Greater Philadelphia finds overwhelming dissatisfaction with Philly schools. Are you listening (new) Superintendent Watlington?

How Philly Sees Philly: Parents Want Better Schools

The newest data from A Greater Philadelphia finds overwhelming dissatisfaction with Philly schools. Are you listening (new) Superintendent Watlington?

As newly appointed Philly schools superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. prepares to take the helm of the School District of Philadelphia in June, he has talked at length about his background as a teacher—and of the importance of teachers. And he’s right.

Watlington has talked less about the role of parents. But after two years of frustration with the District’s communications during the pandemic—from how to access classes online to how not to start the in-person school year to how to apply for special admit high schools—Watlington has a lot of making up to do.

As this recent poll from A Greater Philadelphia shows, Democratic voters in the city want parents to have more control when it comes to making choices for their children—from opting in to neighborhood schools in other neighborhoods to accessing private education and charters.

This is the latest data analysis from a survey conducted in February by nationally recognized pollsters McLaughlin & Associates and Frederick Polls, as part of civic nonprofit A Greater Philadelphia’s fact-finding mission to inform their goal of building a citywide movement in support of higher expectations, more effective leadership and better governance.

The Citizen is partnering with A Greater Philadelphia to publish the results of the poll. See the first three analyses, about public safety and City Council, here.

Poll analysis and results from A Greater Philadelphia

Q. Are you satisfied with the quality of schools in your neighborhood?

Q. Do you support or oppose the following:

Black and Hispanic respondents are the most unsatisfied with their neighborhood schools — and the most likely to favor various forms of parental choice.

Respondents named the city’s “broken education system” as the No. 1 factor causing poverty in Philadelphia

RELATED STORIES ABOUT SCHOOLS FROM THE CITIZEN

Guest Commentary: Parents want school choice. Let’s help them get it.

What Problem is the School Board Solving For?

Guest Commentary: Is School Choice the Black Choice?

 

Header photo by Element5 Digital / Unsplash

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