Philadelphia Student Union
The Philadelphia Student Union (PSU) is a community organizing and leadership development non-profit organization in Philadelphia.{{cite journal|last1=Rosen|first1=Sonia|title=Identity performance and collectivist leadership in the Philadelphia Student Union|journal=International Journal of Leadership in Education: Theory and Practice|date=2014|volume=17|issue=1|doi=10.1080/13603124.2014.954628|pages=224–240|s2cid=145523879 }} Its stated mission is to build the power of young people to demand a high-quality education in the Philadelphia public school system.{{cite web|url=http://phillystudentunion.org/index.php/about-us/what-we-do/mission|title=Mission - Philadelphia Student Union}} The organization claims to address problems of school funding, teacher quality, school climate, and other barriers to education for Philadelphia students, with students themselves as active leaders.{{Cite web | url=http://www.whatkidscando.org/archives/featurestories/YOdirectory.html | title=WKCD - Feature Story: Youth Organizing Directory}}
The Philadelphia Student Union was founded in 1995. The organization has helped to launch high school students' unions in six other cities,{{cite news|last1=Ward|first1=Michaela|date=Jul 15, 2015 |title=Philadelphia Student Union searches for new home |url=http://thenotebook.org/blog/158800/philadelphia-student-union-searches-new-home|newspaper=The Notebook |location=Philadelphia |access-date=July 20, 2015}} including the Chicago Students Union,{{cite journal|last1=Burns|first1=Rebecca|title=Schoolyard Syndicalists|journal=In These Times|url=http://inthesetimes.com/article/15745/schoolyard_syndicalists|access-date=8 June 2015|date=2013-10-23}} Newark Students Union, and Providence Student Union. The organization has been recognized with various awards and honors including a number of Philadelphia Public School Notebook Student Journalism Awards,{{cite web|url=http://thenotebook.org/blog/124896/student-journalism-awards-2012#|title=Student Journalism Awards 2012}} a Philadelphia Human Values Award,{{cite web|url=http://www.youthempowermentseminar.org/2011/09/29/breathing-shown-to-reduce-stress-and-improve-focus-among-teens/|title=IT TAKES A VILLAGE! Philadelphia's Youth Empowerment Human Values Awards by Elan Gepner}} and the Philadelphia Education Fund's EDDY Award.http://www.philaedfund.org/sites/default/files/EDDY%20Award%20Winners_2005-2012.pdf {{Dead link|date=February 2022}} The organization has also been the subject of extensive academic research.{{cite journal|last1=Conner|first1=Jerusha|last2=Rosen|first2=Sonia|title=How Students Are Leading Us: Youth Organizing and the Fight for Public Education in Philadelphia|journal=Perspectives on Urban Education|date=2003|volume=10|issue=1|url=http://www.urbanedjournal.org/archive/volume-10-issue-1-summer-2013/how-students-are-leading-us-youth-organizing-and-fight-public-|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404065834/http://www.urbanedjournal.org/archive/volume-10-issue-1-summer-2013/how-students-are-leading-us-youth-organizing-and-fight-public-|url-status=usurped|archive-date=April 4, 2015|access-date=8 June 2015}}{{cite book|last1=Christens|first1=Brian|last2=Collura|first2=Jessica|last3=Kopis|first3=Michael A.|last4=Varvodic|first4=Matea|title=Schools and urban revitalization: Rethinking institutions and community development|date=2014|publisher=Routledge|pages=151–66|url=https://sohe.wisc.edu/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Christens-et-al-2014-Youth-organizing-for-school-and-neighborhood-improvement.pdf|access-date=8 June 2015}}{{cite journal|url=http://repository.upenn.edu/dissertations/AAI3509403/|title=Making space for youth: Individual and organizational identities in the Philadelphia Student Union|pages=1–286|first=Rosen, Sonia|last=M|date=1 January 2012}}{{cite journal|jstor=10.7721/chilyoutenvi.17.2.0364|title=The Time Is Now: Youth Organize to Transform Philadelphia High Schools|first1=Gretchen E.L.|last1=Suess|first2=Kristine S.|last2=Lewis|date=1 January 2007|journal=Children, Youth and Environments|volume=17|issue=2|pages=364–379}}{{cite web|url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/a41edf80d3fb1afa28773cd48fa50ddc/1|title=The Philadelphia Experiment - ProQuest|website=ProQuest }}{{cite journal|title="Very Powerful Voices" The Influence of Youth Organizing on Educational Policy in Philadelphia|first1=Jerusha|last1=Conner|first2=Karen|last2=Zaino|first3=Emily|last3=Scarola|date=1 May 2013|journal=Educational Policy|volume=27|issue=3|pages=560–588|doi=10.1177/0895904812454001|s2cid=143486210 }}{{cite journal|title=Outside In: Communities in Action for Education Reform|journal = Theory into Practice|first=Kavitha|last=Mediratta|date=18 July 2007|volume=46|issue=3|pages=194–204|doi=10.1080/00405840701401903| s2cid=143993803 }}
Media coverage of the Philadelphia Student Union
Earliest media coverage of the Philadelphia Student Union appears to date from 1996.{{cite news |date=Jul 8, 1996 |title= Philadelphia school budget woes: Tears, layoffs and a jail threat |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1914&dat=19960708&id=8CYgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_GoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1223,1150263&hl=en |newspaper=Sun Journal |access-date=June 8, 2015 }} The Philadelphia Student Union achieved prominence in 2001 when the members of the organization organized civil disobedience that "blocked access to the school district headquarters on a day when the administration was negotiating with EdisonLearning... which had signed a $2.7 million contract with the state and was set to take over the running of a considerable proportion of the district’s schools." This occurred during a controversy over whether EdisonLearning should be given control of the School District of Philadelphia.{{cite web|last1=Sigmond|first1=Carl|title=Philadelphia Student Union protests school district privatization, 2001-2002|url=http://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/philadelphia-student-union-protests-school-district-privatization-2001-2002|publisher=National Violence Database|access-date=8 June 2015}}
In 2002, the Philadelphia Student Union received some media attention for their successful campaign to get the School District of Philadelphia to create Student Success Centers.{{cite web|last1=Nelson|first1=Kate|title=Student Success Centers open to address needs of oft-neglected high schoolers|url=http://thenotebook.org/november-2004/041386/student-success-centers-open-address-needs-oft-neglected-high-schoolers|publisher=Philadelphia Public School Notebook|access-date=10 June 2015}} PSU based this campaign on a survey of students throughout Philadelphia that "found 68% of them do not receive help with personal problems from anyone at school."{{cite web|title=Student Success Centers|url=http://www.cisphl.org/beta2/student-success-centers.html|publisher=Communities in Schools|access-date=8 June 2015}} Student Success Centers were implemented in 10 schools in 2003 and 2004.{{cite web|title=Student Union celebrates new supports for students|url=http://thenotebook.org/fall-2003/03868/student-union-celebrates-new-supports-students|publisher=Philadelphia Public School Notebook|access-date=8 June 2015}}
The organization received media coverage in 2003 for a "nearly weeklong, 110-mile march" that a number of high school students completed from Philadelphia to Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg, for "increased state funding to public schools".{{cite news |date=Jun 27, 2003 |title= Hundreds rally for school funding reform |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2202&dat=20030627&id=Vh0xAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5eUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6830,4035242&hl=en |newspaper=Gettysburg Times |access-date=June 8, 2015 }}
In 2010, the Philadelphia Student Union's Campaign for Nonviolent Schools received media attention for "a 650-person youth-led march down Broad Street" in Philadelphia.{{cite web|last1=Aweeky|first1=Michelle|title=Campaign for Nonviolent Schools mobilizes support for new platform|url=http://thenotebook.org/april-2011/113518/campaign-nonviolent-schools-mobilizes-support-new-platform|publisher=Philadelphia Public School Notebook|access-date=10 June 2015|archive-date=26 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626132535/http://thenotebook.org/april-2011/113518/campaign-nonviolent-schools-mobilizes-support-new-platform|url-status=dead}} In August 2012, the School Reform Commission announced that the Campaign had been successful in implementing changes in the Student Code of Conduct (the discipline code for the District) that limited which offenses could be met with suspension or expulsion.{{cite web|last1=McCabe|first1=Katie|title=Students push for changes in District's discipline policy|url=http://thenotebook.org/blog/125019/students-push-changes-districts-discipline-policy|publisher=Philadelphia Public School Notebook|access-date=8 June 2015|archive-date=16 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150616132705/http://thenotebook.org/blog/125019/students-push-changes-districts-discipline-policy|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://thenotebook.org/blog/125075/src-adopts-revised-student-code-conduct|title=SRC adopts revised student code of conduct}} The Philadelphia Student Union was also cited as instrumental in the efforts to secure a new building for West Philadelphia High School.{{cite web|last1=Graham|first1=Kristen A.|title=New West Philadelphia High opens with fanfare, promise|url=http://articles.philly.com/2011-09-06/news/30118870_1_small-schools-new-district-administration-promise-academy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626102048/http://articles.philly.com/2011-09-06/news/30118870_1_small-schools-new-district-administration-promise-academy|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 26, 2015|publisher=Philly.com|access-date=8 June 2015}}
On May 17, 2013, the Philadelphia Student Union organized a student walkout, #Walkout215, which was covered extensively in national news outlets. Reports stated that "thousands of students... from at least 27 schools" in the district walked out of class to protest a proposed austerity budget.{{cite journal|last1=Ceronsky|first1=James|title=What You Should Know About the Philly Student Walkout|journal=The Nation|url=http://www.thenation.com/blog/174401/what-you-should-know-about-philly-student-walkout#|access-date=8 June 2015|date=2013-05-17}} A video of PSU members speaking at #Walkout215 was promoted on the front page of Upworthy.{{cite web|url=http://www.upworthy.com/this-proves-it-teenagers-know-everything-adults-are-morons-3|title=This Proves It: Teenagers Know Everything. Adults Are Morons.|date=2013-05-30}} PSU member and Benjamin Franklin High School (Philadelphia) student Sharron Snyder appeared on MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry{{cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry/the-syllabus-what-you-need-know-the-m-4|title=The Syllabus: What you need to know for the May 26 'MHP'|website=MSNBC |date=2013-05-25}} and Marc Lamont Hill's HuffPost Live{{cite web|url=http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/archive/segment/51c0ac20fe34444dc400008d|title=Huffington Post}} in the weeks following the walkout. The Philadelphia Student Union was also featured on Melissa Harris-Perry in October 2013, when PSU member and Masterman High School student Nuwar Ahmed was interviewed on how "students raise their voices and take the lead, using activism to activate for education reform."{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna53209189|title=Sunday, October 6 - msnbc- NBCNews.com|website=NBC News }}
The Philadelphia Student Union also received widespread media attention in October 2014 for their action disrupting a screening of the film Won't Back Down, which they called "a propaganda film", at the School District of Philadelphia headquarters.{{cite web|last1=Shahid|first1=Waleed|title=Philly students disrupt anti-union film screening at school district HQ|url=http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/essayworks/74000-philly-students-disrupt-film-screening-at-school-district-hq|publisher=Newsworks|access-date=10 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150615233327/http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/essayworks/74000-philly-students-disrupt-film-screening-at-school-district-hq|archive-date=15 June 2015|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://articles.philly.com/2014-10-18/news/55152298_1_failing-schools-philadelphia-student-union-magnet|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020153929/http://articles.philly.com/2014-10-18/news/55152298_1_failing-schools-philadelphia-student-union-magnet|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 20, 2014|title=Student protesters say SRC member yelled, disparaged schools}}{{cite web|last1=Bunch|first1=Will|title=Simms: An educated student is her worst customer|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/attytood/Simms-An-educated-student-is-her-worst-customer.html|publisher=Philly.com|access-date=8 June 2015}} The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that School Reform Commission member Sylvia Simms made controversial comments to students at the screening.{{cite web|last1=Graham|first1=Kristen A.|title=Philly school leader caught on video berating students|url=http://articles.philly.com/2014-11-13/news/56394916_1_failing-schools-philadelphia-student-union-sylvia-simms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141127130105/http://articles.philly.com/2014-11-13/news/56394916_1_failing-schools-philadelphia-student-union-sylvia-simms|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 27, 2014|publisher=Philly.com|access-date=24 June 2015}}
On July 15, 2015, the Philadelphia Public School Notebook reported that the Philadelphia Student Union had been evicted from its offices in the University City neighborhood of West Philadelphia, and was searching for a new home.
List of schools with current or former Philadelphia Student Union chapters
- Benjamin Franklin High School (Philadelphia){{cite web|last1=Sackey|first1=Courtney|title=Meet the new head of PSU, Hiram Rivera|url=https://thenotebook.org/blog/125014/new-head-psu-hiram-rivera|publisher=Philadelphia Public School Notebook|access-date=10 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150611223100/https://thenotebook.org/blog/125014/new-head-psu-hiram-rivera|archive-date=2015-06-11|url-status=dead}}
- Bartram High School
- Bodine High School for International Affairs
- Central High School (Philadelphia){{cite web|url=http://phennd.org/update/assistant-director-philadelphia-student-union/|title=Assistant Director, Philadelphia Student Union - PHENND — Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development}}
- Furness High School
- Masterman High School{{cite web|url=https://phila.schoolnet.com/outreach/philadelphia/students/college/leadership/|title=District of Philadelphia : Leadership, Service, and Youth Activism - Schoolnet}}
- Overbrook High School (Philadelphia){{cite web|url=http://articles.philly.com/2011-03-23/news/29178719_1_school-safety-philadelphia-student-union-student-participation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150611154716/http://articles.philly.com/2011-03-23/news/29178719_1_school-safety-philadelphia-student-union-student-participation|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 11, 2015|title=Phila. students draft rules for safety and a voice on policy}}{{cite web|url=http://mediamobilizing.org/updates/overbrook-high-school-students-rising|title=Overbrook High School Students Rising|date=2010-01-24}}
- Philadelphia High School for Girls
- Science Leadership Academy{{cite web|url=http://technical.ly/philly/2015/04/15/science-leadership-academy-opt-out-standardized-testing/|title=Why these Science Leadership Academy students are #MoreThanATest - Technical.ly Philly|date=15 April 2015}}
- Simon Gratz High School{{cite web|url=http://thenotebook.org/winter-2002/02965/making-change-happen-gratz-hs|title=Making change happen at Gratz H.S.}}
- Sayre High School{{cite web |url=http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/cover-story/38473029.html |title=Tis the Reason | Cover Story | News and Opinion | Philadelphia Weekly |website=www.philadelphiaweekly.com |access-date=6 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090412025601/http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/cover-story/38473029.html |archive-date=12 April 2009 |url-status=dead}}
- South Philadelphia High School{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/10/22/philly.school.asian.american.attacks/|title=Racial violence spurred Asian students to take a stand|first=Sarah |last=Hoye|publisher=CNN}}
- West Philadelphia High School