The Challenges of Prioritizing Philadelphia’s Children in a Contentious Landscape

• In Event: Imagine a School: How Researchers Can Support Community-Based Groups’ Visions for Philadelphia Public Schools

Abstract

Objectives
Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY) is a 30 year old non-profit organization with a mission to "improve the lives and life chances of the Philadelphia region’s children through thoughtful and informed advocacy." PCCY’s advocacy focuses on increasing resources for children and families; strengthening families and communities to help children learn and grow, and assuring the implementation and funding of public policies that promote stable children and families in such areas as health, family stability, child care, and programming. It works in coalition with other groups in the city to push for and accomplish these goals.

In addition to these substantive areas of focus, PCCY monitors City, State and School District budgets and analyzes their effect on children. Armed with this information, representatives of PCCY testify regularly in front of government officials on the impact of proposed legislative decisions that involve children; act as a resource center for the media on children and family issues, and develop reports on juvenile justice, education, child care, child welfare and budget issues.

In the context of the Philadelphia School District’s ongoing budget crisis and the potential of losing essential programs in the city’s public schools, PCCY recently helped organize the Coalition for Effective Teaching, a network of youth-focused, non-profit organizations calling on both the School District of Philadelphia and the teachers’ union to support a set of measures to bolster teaching in Philadelphia’s public school classrooms. These measures propose changes in the incentive structure and staffing approach as well as in the administrative support system for teachers. At the same time, PCCY has taken a public stand for greater contributions from the city and state in order to close the budget gap and end the structural deficit.

Theoretical Framework: Theory of Action
PCCY sees its ongoing presence as a watchdog and advocate for the region’s children as its main strategy for change. By maintaining its flexibility and integrity as an organization, PCCY leadership believes that it has both the ability and influence to forward its goals for the well-being of children. Given the importance of having a principled but unbiased stance, the organization needs to be able to access valid and trustworthy data to back up its claims.

Data Sources and Methods
PCCY conducts some of its own research and relies on its participation in coalition with other organizations to assure the validity of the information it acts upon.

Conclusions and Significance
While it is too early to tell whether PCCY’s strategies to advocate for better learning conditions and more resources in Philadelphia’s Schools will work, it has a track record of playing a critical role in expanding resources for children in the City and State. In a politically and financially complicated education moment, PCCY has managed to build a coalition that has agreed to some controversial positions and that has the potential to create a bridge across differently positioned groups in the city. PCCY’s work also offers lessons about the type of research that organizations need to execute effective campaigns.

Author

• Donna Cooper, Public Citizens for Children and Youth