Title
Honoring the life, work, and accomplishments of Shakeda Gaines, whose years of service as President of the Philadelphia Home and School Council has immeasurably shaped parent and family engagement in public schools, set a precedent for how to incorporate social justice values into positions of leadership, and established a clear expectation for how public schools should educate, inspire, and empower students and families in Philadelphia.
Body
WHEREAS, Shakeda Gaines was born on July 2, 1979, in North Philadelphia. Ms. Gaines overcame significant odds to obtain her G.E.D., and attend community college, including becoming homeless at the age of 14, and she attributes much of her education to learning that took place primarily outside of traditional, institutional settings. Faced with such extreme adversity, she was nonetheless determined to continue to mature and grow; and
WHEREAS, From a young age, Gaines knew that she wanted to help children and families so that other young families did not have to go through the challenges she faced. In January of 2012 she was approached by a parent ombudsman from Finletter Elementary, who explained how the Home and School Council were the adults that would hand out food to students in the cafeteria. She remembered her fond memories of this kindness during her own childhood and decided to become a part of this organization; and
WHEREAS, After learning about the Finletter Home and School Association, Gaines immediately joined as their secretary, but would soon confront a new challenge. Shortly after joining the organization, the majority of its members quit, and she was left alone without a plan. After reaching out to the Philadelphia Home and School Council to seek counsel, they told her that they could not do anything about the situation. They did, however, raise one important point-that even though everyone had left, Shakeda still remained, and that was enough. If the Finletter Home and School Association were to sur...
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