Philadelphia’s school system is forced to make do with less than most suburban school districts. To improve education, we must do whatever it takes to get the necessary resources to put more teachers and support personnel in our public schools and reduce class size.

Our children have many educational needs – renovated schools, up-to-date textbooks, computer technology, after-school programs, better support in the neighborhood and at home – but our first priority must be safe, inspiring, and productive classrooms. Nothing else will make a difference educationally if we cannot provide our teachers and students with manageable class sizes and classrooms.

Getting the necessary resources requires lobbying Harrisburg – and the federal government, whose support of Philadelphia dropped nearly 40 percent overnight. And Philadelphia cannot successfully lobby the state by itself. We need to build alliances with the suburban counties and go to Harrisburg not as Philadelphia asking for a handout, but as a region with a plan to improve the entire Delaware Valley by investing in Philadelphia’s public schools.

Along with these efforts, we need to address the dropout crisis by identifying and helping students at risk of leaving school, and by creating ways for those who have already dropped out to return. As a member of Council I will work to secure dedicated funding for: ongoing district-wide K.I.D.S. analysis to identify students at risk of dropping out; placement of dropout prevention specialists in middle and high schools; and special classes letting students who’ve failed core subjects catch up and avoid being held back (a dropout risk factor).

I will also sponsor legislation establishing a DHS education office; promote “wraparound” services addressing issues that make students miss class and fail core subjects (two other risk factors); promote continuing-education-style “storefront schools” to let working and parenting dropouts earn diplomas in environments tailored to their needs; and seek funds to create citywide awareness campaigns for both students and adults, the latter tied to a 311 system tracking truancy calls.