Title
Honoring the award-winning Philadelphia Public School Notebook for its enduring legacy and commitment to education justice, to independent journalism, and to centering and uplifting citizen voices through more than a quarter century of public school advocacy, upon its transition to new management under Chalkbeat.
Body
WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Public School Notebook was founded in 1994 by a group of engaged parents, teachers, and community members seeking an "independent, progressive voice" to "promote and organize for a radical new agenda" amid the turbulence of the Philadelphia school system in the 1990s. Its founders included Paul Socolar, Helen Gym, Deborah Wei, Len Rieser, Eric Joselyn, Rochelle Nichols Solomon, Cindy Farlino, Mary Yee, Colleen Davis, Patricia Lowe, Kathy Fleming, Wilfredo Rojas, and the late Myrtle Naylor, Shafik Abu-Tahir, and Chip Smith, among many other deeply dedicated supporters and leaders; and
WHEREAS, The Notebook's vision was guided by four core values: a focus on community; an emphasis on social justice, equity, and public accountability; a commitment to journalistic excellence; and a belief that schools must be democratic; and
WHEREAS, The Notebook's opening editorial laid out its vision: "We believe that [the] citizens of Philadelphia wield substantial power if and when they come together in an organized way to change our schools. This newspaper is written by and for the parents, communities, staff, and students that are involved in our school system. These grassroots experts are the people who must unify around a shared vision for better schools." It stated unequivocally that "We bring a point of view to debates about the schools; we believe that public education must have at its heart the idea of equality"; and
WHEREAS, Over the next quarter century, the Notebook lived up to its vision of racial equity and citizen activism through award-winning investigative journalism that often led to groundbreaking policy changes...
Click here for full text