PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Mastery Charter School community is challenging lawmakers to address issues of neighborhood safety and quality in education.
At a rally they organized Thursday morning in front of City Hall, parent Markida Ross said the school safety issue most important to her is gun violence, "because we're hearing gun shots outside of schools," she said.
"These children, they're going to school. And then on their way home, they gotta see people in broad daylight shooting at other people," she said.
Ross says her son has to take two buses to get to school. Asked if she worries about him making it home safely from school, she said, "Oh, absolutely!"
Parent Pauline Hill says not only would she like to see more patrol officers in the area, but she'd also like to see more support staff, such as crossing guards.
"And I know they need them, because my son got hit in October because there wasn't a crossing guard there!" she said.
For Shereda Cromwell, who has a child in public school, another child in a Mastery autistic support program, and a third in a Mastery STEM honors program, the biggest issue is the quality of their education.
"I want them to hear the voices of the parents that there is no one fit for every child," she said.
"There has to be choices, particularly in low-income neighborhoods, because the schools that are currently in our neighborhoods are not performing," she said. "And if there are schools that are willing to come in and provide what our children need, I feel like no one in City Council, no other voter, should be able to tell me as a parent what will best serve my children."
Parent Nancy Gilliam says they want lawmakers to address their concerns about education and safety ahead of the May 21 primary election.
Following the rally, she explained, they went inside to invite lawmakers to an accountability assembly at Simon Gratz High School on May 9.
"The assembly is going to be held so that we can make the people who are running for elected office aware of what our concerns are, and to hear their ideas of how they're going to make the city be a better place," she said.
