Healthy Schools Coffee Shop PhillyRoots

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.

In this episode of Healthy Schools Coffee Shop, Vietlead's youth organizers Quynh and Christina will talk about tax abatement and PILOTs, two factors that greatly impact Philadelphia schools funding...or lack thereof. Philadelphia's 10-year tax abatement was installed to incentivize new construction–rewarding developers and gentrifiers at the cost of our communities and students. Organizers and community members have pushed to #endtheabatement, to which the city gave stalled responses, half solutions, then delayed promises. Developers aren't the only ones benefitting off of our city's expense–mega non-profits like UPenn and Drexel also play their part. PILOTs, or Payment In Lieu of Taxes gives these megan-nonprofits the opportunity to redistribute their billion dollar funds to our city and schools, but it only works if they pay it. 

Quynh and Christina interviewed City Councilmember Helen Gym and community organizer Aiden Castellanos to discuss their thoughts on the tax abatement, PILOTs, it's impact on our schools, and what we can do about it,

So, as always, enjoy the tea that about to be spilled.

In this episode of Health Schools Coffee Shop, Vietlead's youth organizers Candy, Ethan, and Aleena will talk about toxic conditions and the return of in-person learning during the pandemic. In Philly public schools, lead, asbestos, mold, and pests are running rampant in buildings, signifying school conditions are unkept and not safe for students and staff. To make matters worse, the SDP has been constantly trying to send students and teachers back to school during the COVID-19 pandemic, even without a real plan. As part of the healthy school’s campaign, it is our duty to fight for these changes, as these circumstances cause harm to the staff and students in these philly public schools. 

They interviewed 3 people: Christopher Velasco, Katherine Riley, and David Backer, one student and two teachers, respectively, to discuss their thoughts on Philadelphia schools' building conditions, the school district's reopening plan, why this is happening, and what we can do about it.

So, let’s sit down, grab a cup of cold-brew coffee and enjoy the tea that about to be spilled.

Welcome to Healthy Schools Coffee Shop, where all the drinks and tea are served piping hot with a side of shade served by students for students in Philly public schools.

Through this podcast, we’ll be sharing the lived experiences of students, educators, community members, and leaders navigating injustice and structural violence against Philadelphia public school students, and imagine a future where schools can be healthy… actually healthy.

Created and produced by youth organizers in VietLead’s Healthy Schools campaign: Ethan, Aleena, Peter, Christina, Candy, Billy, Ryan, Quynh.

Each episode will cover one issue area impacting students and families within the School District of Philadelphia (SDP). What are the toxic building conditions within the district, and what was the SDP's plan for keeping students safe while reopening schools in the midst of the pandemic? What are the impacts of Philly's 10-year tax abatement and why are people pushing for UPenn, Drexel, and other mega non-profits to pay PILOTs? How is our school board elected...or selected...and can we have a more democratic process to elect our decision makers?

Stay tuned for your Healthy Schools order...or not.