Podcasts about philadelphia student union

In this episode of Healthy Schools Coffee Shop, Vietlead's youth organizers Ryan and Peter pull us into a deeper look at Philadelphia's Board of Education, how it's structured and...how it shouldn't be. They interview youth organizers Youma from UrbEd and Josh from Philadelphia Student Union to get their thoughts on what the public education is like under this administration, what issues they should be addressing, and whose voices matter in making decisions that impact us all. Enjoy the tea, in Healthy Schools Coffee Shop's final episode of season one.

For this episode of Philly Liberation Radio, co-hosts Adiah Hicks and Jasper Saah are joined by Ismael Jimenez, an organizer from the Caucus of Working Educators and the Melanated Educators Collective to discuss the heightened teachers’ struggle during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Saudia Durrant from the Philadelphia Student Union to discuss the student movement in Philly.This month in the extended version, we are joined by Anlin Wang, an organizer from LILAC, RECLAIM Philadelphia, and Philly DSA, and Elijah Blanton, an organizer with the Philly Liberation Center and member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation to discuss the state of the U.S.’ presidential election in Pennsylvania. To hear the extended version of our podcast from Philadelphia Liberation Center volunteers, join our Patreon community at patreon.com/phillyliberationcenter.The Philadelphia Liberation Center condemns the brutal police murder of Walter Wallace Jr. in West Philadelphia on October 26th, and condemns the outrageous targeted arrest of long-time Philadelphia activist Ant Smith. Free Ant Smith! Justice for Walter Wallace Jr. NOW!

Have you thought about the impact police have on our culture, on our youth? I'm honored to sit speak with Saudia Durrant, Organizer for Philadelphia Student Union. We discussed re-imagining police in our schools and reshaping a society that's not dependent upon police.    https://instagram.com/215studentunion/   https://www.phillystudentunion.com/   https://instagram.com/salaahscorner/   https://salaahscorner.com   Listen to Chris Hayes interview with Mariame Kaba on his podcast Why is this happening?   Are Prisons Obselete: by Angela Davis

On the Brave Educator post, author, poet, Hip Hop artist, and education advocate Tim'm West will share a story, converse with someone he loves and continues to learn from, and he will close with some poetry. All are encouraged to submit questions on topics covered on the podcast to braveeducator@gmail.com. When possible Tim'm will answer these questions on a future podcast.On this debut episode, Tim'm explores the concept of Origami as it pertains to a traumatic childhood experience that shaped his journey to manhood. With long-time friend and CNN contributer, Marc Lamont Hill, the question of what we do with pain and pain is powerfully explored in a conversation between two Black men committed to their own personal healing, and that of their communities.Dr. Marc Lamont Hill is one of the leading intellectual voices in the country.He is currently the host of BET News and a political contributor for CNN. An award-winning journalist, Dr. Hill has received numerous prestigious awards from the National Association of Black Journalists, GLAAD, and the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.Dr. Hill is the Steve Charles Professor of Media, Cities, and Solutions at Temple University. Prior to that, he held positions at Columbia University and Morehouse College.Since his days as a youth in Philadelphia, Dr. Hill has been a social justice activist and organizer. He is a founding board member of My5th, a non-profit organization devoted to educating youth about their legal rights and responsibilities. He is also a board member and organizer of the Philadelphia Student Union. Dr. Hill also works closely with the ACLU Drug Reform Project, focusing on drug informant policy. Over the past few years, he has actively worked on campaigns to end the death penalty and to release numerous political prisoners.Ebony Magazine has named him one of America's 100 most influential Black leaders.Dr. Hill is the author or co-author of four books: the award-winning Beats, Rhymes, and Classroom Life: Hip-Hop Pedagogy and the Politics of Identity; The Classroom and the Cell: Conversations on Black life in America; the New York Times bestseller Nobody: Casualties of America's War on The Vulnerable from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond; and Gentrifier. He has also published two edited books: Media, Learning, and Sites of Possibility; and Schooling Hip-Hop: New Directions in Hip-Hop Based Education.Trained as an anthropologist of education, Dr. Hill holds a Ph.D. (with distinction) from the University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses on the intersections between culture, politics, and education in the United States and the Middle East.Find out more about Dr. Marc Lamont Hill at: www.marclamonthill.com/

CJSF’s Allison R. Brown speaks with Hiram Rivera, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Student Union, and Kyla, a student member, about the growing police presence in schools and the often tragic results.

On September 10th, 2014, the Philadelphia Student Union traveled to Newark to support the Newark Students Union. Students in Newark face many of the same struggles as students in Philadelphia, such as budget cuts and school closures. PSU member and On Blast reporter, Brian Burney, interviewed students at the action and describes his experience.

The Benjamin Franklin High School Chapter of the Philadelphia Student Union has been working hard on organizing a Big Listen at their school. Want to know what a Big Listen is? Listen to Shane and Minh's radio piece about it!

Abu Kanu is a radio producer for On Blast. In this segment, Abu explores the complicated nature of student-teacher relationships. At the Philadelphia Student Union, we support students AND teachers.

On Blast Radio Producer, Jeremy Olivieri, created a radio piece about the lack of nurses at Benjamin Franklin High School in Philadelphia. With more budget cuts looming, schools in Philadelphia stand to lose even more nurses. Students want nurses and students want nurses to keep their jobs. The Philadelphia Student Union chapter members at BFHS are organizing a campaign to keep nurses in their school.

Young People's Oppression might not be something that you have heard of. But for members of the Philadelphia Student Union, it is a part of daily life. When young people are stereotyped as unruly and violent it keeps us all down. In this piece, Tiana shared her experiences of young people's oppression and lays down the basics of the steps in the cycle of oppression.

The School-to-Prison Pipeline is a disturbing national trend wherein children are funneled out of public schools and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Members of the Philadelphia Student Union created the Campaign for Nonviolent Schools (CNS) to work towards improving school climates and ending the School-to-Prison Pipeline. On Blast youth radio producer, Julian Roessler, explains a youth perspective on the School-to-Prison Pipeline. Julian interviews Josh Glenn, an organizer with YASP (Youth Art & Self-Empowerment Project) and Decarcerate PA. Josh is also a member of CNS. Together, they explore the deeper roots of the School-to-Prison Pipeline.

One of the root causes of the conditions and problems that we see in Philadelphia's public education system, that has now resulted in the potential for school closures, is the chronic and systematic underfunding from the state. Members of the Philadelphia Student Union traveled to Harrisburg to hear Governor Corbett's budget address on February 5th, 2013. On Blast radio producers asked other attendees why they came to Harrisburg as well.

How can we make schools safer without criminalizing youth? How can we confront bias violence? What kinds of restorative practices should we implement in place of harsh discipline policies? What role should students play in finding solutions? These are some of the questions that were discussed and answered during the Campaign for Nonviolent Schools' MLK Day event.  The Campaign for Nonviolent Schools hosted an expert panel of youth and adults, to offer solutions for ending structural, interpersonal, and bias violence in our schools and communities. Panelists included: Steve Korr, International Institute for Restorative Practices; Helen Gym, Asian Americans United; Bummi Samuels, Philadelphia Freedom Schools; Josh Glenn, Youth Art and Self Empowerment Project and Campaign for Nonviolent Schools; Neil Geyette, Philadelphia High School Teacher; Azeem Hill, Philadelphia Student Union and Campaign for Nonviolent Schools. Here are some highlights from the event. This piece was edited by Andrea Jobe, and narrated by Shayla Johnson.

On Valentine's Day, more than 400 students and parents from across Pennsylvania held a rally for public education at the State Capitol. This action came a week after Gov. Corbett announced his plan for the next state budget -- a proposal that would carry over last year's $1 billion cuts to education funding. Students demanded that Gov. Corbett restores the cuts and makes equitable school funding be a top priority in the next state budget. The action was organized by Philadelphia Student Union, Project Peace, Chester student leaders, and A+ Schools' TeenBloc. It was co-sponsored by Juntos and the Campaign for Nonviolent Schools. This radio piece features highlights from the action. It was edited by Ericka Johnson.

In South Philadelphia High School, students are coming together across racial & language barriers. As the School Safety Collaborative, Philadelphia Student Union, Asian Americans United, Boat People S.O.S, and Victim/Witness Services of South Philadelphia, are making positive changes inside the school with the support of Principal Otis Hackney. Keith Lomax interviewed members of several organizations to produce this report.

On February 7th, Gov. Corbett will announce his plan for the next state budget. A week later, on Valentine's Day, students and parents from across Pennsylvania are coming together to demand that Governor Corbett make equitable school funding a top priority in the next budget.Valentine's Day Rally for Public EducationFebruary 14, 2012 - 12pm - Harrisburg Capitol Building  Register to reserve a seat on one of the Philadelphia buses: www.showloveforeducation.eventbrite.comRally sponsored by: Philadelphia Student Union, Project Peace (Reading PA), TeenBloc (Pittsburgh PA), Juntos, Campaign for Nonviolent Schools. Contact megan@phillystudentunion.org for more information.

Right now in Pennsylvania, school vouchers are being proposed as a way to "fix" public education, by using public money to pay for the private or parochial school tuition of certain students who receive vouchers. Philadelphia Student Union members have taken a strong position against school vouchers, and we were part of a "Say No to Vouchers" Tour with Action United & Education Law Center. Students, parents and community members boarded a bus and visited legislators' offices to expose the threats behind vouchers. During the bus tour, Ericka Johnson interviewed a spokesperson of voucher-proponent Sen. Anthony Williams, the Chief of Staff for Sen. Farnese, as well as parents and students, and produced this report.

Students from across the country are coming together to stand up against the school to prison pipeline and demand positive school discipline policies that address young peoples' needs.  Instead of zero tolerance policies, students are organizing for the adoption of restorative justice models that promote counseling, mediation and conflict resolution. Leading this fight is the Alliance for Educational Justice (AEJ), a national alliance of youth organizing groups that includes the Philadelphia Student Union (PSU). Amirah Williams, a Philadelphia Student Union member, recently interviewed AEJ organizer Mustafa Sullivan about the effects of harsh discipline policies and AEJ's vision for change. This radio piece also features highlights from a national youth speak out that the Alliance for Educational Justice held outside of the U.S. Capitol building this summer.

Student Union's week-long leadership institute BAYM (Building A Youth Movement) is entering into its 7th year. The program includes political education, leadership development and media trainings. BAYM is youth developed, youth driven, and youth facilitated. The program is 100% free, and participants will be provided with breakfast, lunch and tokens. Building A Youth Movement Leadership Institute August 9th to August 13th 10am-4pmPhiladelphia Student Union office4205 Chestnut St. Philadelphia, PA 19104Pre-registration is recommended. Register now!

On April 8th, The Philadelphia Student Union, along with The Unified Taxi Workers Alliance and The Media Mobilizing Project, went to the front lines of the Temple nurses strike to show support and stand with PASNAP, the Temple nurses' union. Justin Carter, a member of PSU and a senior at West Philadelphia HS, spoke to the crowd about the connections between students' struggles & nurses' struggles. He called attention to the problems with the 'gag clause' that Temple is trying to put on nurses, saying, "Just like students have the right to speak out about the conditions in our schools, nurses have the right to speak out about the working conditions in their hospitals." Recorded Greg Jordan-Detamore & produced by Justin Carter.

Have you heard Pushed Out, the 5 track album that Philadelphia Student Union members created? The album tells the story of one student who is dealing with Philadelphia's nearly 50% drop out rate. After finishing the cd, students helped design a curriculum that teachers and others can use along with the cd to talk about the drop out crisis. The curriculum engages young people, helps them identify the root causes of why so many students are dropping out, and talks about student-driven solutions.  This new curriculum is being used in some of Philly's classrooms and community centers, but PSU is still working towards our goal of copying and distributing the CD to over a thousand public high school students. Visit PSU's Movement Music page to listen to the songs or make a donation that will go towards the next album that students will be producing this summer: http://home.phillystudentunion.org/Student-Programs/Soundtrack-Donations-mp3.html In this piece, Candace Carter and Koby Murphy talk about the process of writing and recording Pushed Out. This piece was recorded by Lawrence Jones Mahoney and produced by Othella Stanback.  

On Wednesday, February 17, Philadelphia Student Union member DeVante Wilson spoke before the School Reform Commission. He announced the launch of PSU's campaign to address the root causes of violence, and to end violence in our schools and communities. His speech was well received by the members of the School Reform Commission, and Dr. Ackerman stated that she wanted to meet with students to discuss these issues further and learn more about the campaign. This is a successful next step to what began on MLK Day, when 600+ people from all walks of life took the first step towards creating a just and peaceful school system. Here is the testimony that DeVante presented to School Reform Commission. This piece was produced by Shania Morris.

On MLK Day, Philadelphia Student Union member Azeem Hill spoke about ending all forms of violence in our school system, both interpersonal and systemic. He spoke to a crowd of about 600 students, parents, clergy, elected officials and community leaders before leading them in a march down Broad Street. This is the audio of Azeem's speech. It was recorded by Jaileah Gibson & produced by Matt Johnson.

On Monday, Philadelphia Student Union celebrated Martin Luther King's vision with a spirited rally outside the School District, a 600-person march down Broad Street, and a powerful service at Arch Street Methodist Church. Led by the young leaders of PSU, the event called for peace, justice and an end to all forms of violence. It was co-sponsored by 19 other organizations and attended by students, parents, teachers, and community members from every section of the city--as well as State Representative Vanessa Brown, Democratic candidate for Governor Joe Hoeffel, candidate for State Representative Will Mega, and Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams. The audio of this event was recorded by students Jaileah Gibson & Dylan Washington. This short piece was produced by PSU alum Matt Johnson.

Philadelphia Student Union sat down with Asian students from South Philadelphia High School (SPHS) who were attacked inside their school and subsequently organized a student boycott when the School District failed to appropriately respond. In this piece, two South Philly High students describe the attacks that hospitalized several of their friends, and their feeling that adults in the school district have let them down. A few days after these interviews took place, the boycott ended and students returned to SPHS. But students --both SPHS students & PSU members-- are continuing to work toward holding the district accountable and solving the root problems of this violence. This piece was produced by Dan Jones.

On November 19th, Philadelphia Student Union and Youth United for Change brought out a group of students to take part in a feedback session about the renaissance schools process, held by the School District. The renaissance schools are part of the School District's plan, Imagine 2014. Under this plan, several under-performing schools will be placed under new management; these schools will be called 'Renaissance Schools' and they could be handed over to outside managers, such as Charter Management and Education Management Organizations. The District has put out some information about what these "turn-around schools" will look like, but a lot of questions remain. Here are some of the questions that PSU students wanted answers to... This piece was produced by Cherelle Reed & Javier Morris.

Student leaders speak about how Philadelphia Student Union has affected their lives and their futures, in this piece by Dylan Washington, Jaileah Gibson & Kimora Lamotte. Zakia Royster, Lawrence Jones Mahoney & Khalif Dobson talk about how they became part of this youth-led organization and how their identity as organizers and their sense of purpose has been shaped through their work with PSU. If you are a high school student in Philadelphia who wants to get involved, come to our citywide meetings every Saturday 1-4pm at 4205 Chestnut St.  Or go to our website to find out more.

On this show we hear a feature about how Philadelphia Student Union has affected the lives of members. We also hear a piece that asks whether Advanced Placement classes are dividing students and distributing schools' resources inequitably. Then we look at the ways music shapes people, with a Song Breakdown of 'One More Drink' and a story about conscious hip hop. Plus, there's music and other news from Philly's schools. Dan Jones wrote the news stories this month. Keturah Bailey, Azeem Hill and Greg Jordan-Detamore hosted the show.

Tune in to On Blast every Wednesday from 6-7pm on WPEB 88.1FM in West Philadelphia! A year and a half after our launch, On Blast is still going strong as the only youth-produced radio show in Philly that's focused on making positive changes in our public schools. Learn more about Philadelphia Student Union's youth-led campaigns at our website: www.phillystudentunion.org. Thanks for listening and subscribing! This promo was created by Dylan Washington & Greg Jordan-Detamore.

This past summer students from the Philadelphia Student Union and other organizing groups went to West Virginia and participated in many workshops and took many trips. One trip in particular included a visit to Matewan, West Virginia which was a site for previous coal mining strikes. There, a man named Wes Harris explained the situation in which many coal miners of the time experienced, and in which some are still experiencing today. He also explained the need for unionizing, and the power it can bring. This piece was edited by Matt Johnson & produced by Kimora Lamonte.

On June 17th, the School Reform Commission voted 3-1 to renew the contracts with all of the private managers running schools in the district. This vote came over loud protest from community groups including the Philadelphia Student Union, who pointed out that there is no proof that the management organizations (EMOs) have been working, and that in fact, many studies point to the opposite. There has been a lot of pressure from the state legislature to renew the contracts, many of which were already operating on a one year probation renewal. Commissioner Heidi Ramirez was the only dissenting voice against renewal: She also noted that the proof of the effectiveness of EMOs just isn't there. EMOs have failed thousands of students for 7 years now. At what point do we demand accountability from them and from their supporters in Harrisburg?

In September, students from Philadelphia Student Union went to Immokalee Florida for a conference put on by the Student Farmworker Alliance (SFA). Eric Yates conducted this interview with John Michael Torres, an activist and steering committee member of the SFA, which is part of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers(CIW). During the conference, PSU members learned about the CIW's campaign for a better contract with Subway. On December 2, Subway gave in to the workers' demands and CIW announced a major victory in this campaign!

On September 17th, there was an incident at Sayre high school in which 50 police officers brutalized Sayre students. Twenty-two students were arrested as a result of this and one student was hospitalized for several days, yet none of the police officers were reprimanded. The press reported that this "riot" was caused by unruly young people. But Sayre students believe that the real root causes include a poor learning environment, isolation of students, lack of community, students' day to day frustration of being in an underfunded school, negative perceptions of neighborhood school students and a tense relationship between students and school police. On October 9th, Philadelphia Student Union held a press conference in front of Sayre to bring the truth about this so-called "riot" to light. This piece was produced by Dan Jones and Matt Johnson.

This past year, Philadelphia Student Union's campaign to get equitable school funding had a major victory. PSU helped secure a $274 million increase in PA's education budget, including $51 million in new money for Philadelphia schools. PSU's organizing and lobbying efforts also helped put a new funding formula in place; a formula that is based on what students in each district actually need. Dan Jones spoke to Vince Gordon, School Board Director for Upper Darby, about what the new funding has meant for his district and what we need to do to make sure we get the future increases our schools need.

On this month's show: An audio introduction to Philadelphia Student Union, UNITE-HERE's campaign against Aramark, the United Workers mission to end poverty in Baltimore, and a student perspective on Mayor Nutter's plan to cut the Drop-Out rate. Plus news, music & more!