Edward's Reflections on Advocacy Day

Our morning was action packed as we found our way through the very metaphoric maze that is the Pennsylvania Capitol building to the Irvis Building. The group I was with was made up three people from Nueva Esperanza, two people from Lighthouse and me. It was a tight schedule so we hurried over to our first appointment only to find out that the Legislator was still in the Education Committee Hearing. We left some materials with his staff and headed over to the office of Rep. Roebuck who was our next appointment. He was also in the Education Hearing as Chairman of the committee, but we kept our heads up and got good news from his staff when she said he would make time for us later that day. With that bit of good news spurring us on we went off to Rep. Jewell Williams’ office. Luckily he was in and available. We talked to his staff while we waited a few minutes and that was great. She had a son in a charter school and so we talked to her about the funding needs of the public schools and the charter schools. It was good practice for the students from Nueva Esperanza (Irene and Crystal) and it went great.

Our meeting with Rep. Williams was very good, he spent more than a half hour with us discussing the education and immigration points we came to talk about as well as getting to know the students and what they thought about the system. He told us that he went to school in Eastern North Philadelphia so it was good to talk to someone who knows the area and its challenges. He knew about the need for costing out study to be followed so we know he will be an ally in the legislative battle to adequately and sustainably fund the schools.

After lunch we all had a special invitation to sit in the Senate Gallery and the room was very impressive. The ceiling was gilded and decorated like a European Palace. The walls were covered in murals and golden sculptures. It was very majestic and lavish, but inspiring, much more so than the labyrinthine halls with their seventies inspired carpets. We got a special recognition from the senate and they applauded us for going to Harrisburg.

With a belly full of pizza and Senate applause pushing us along we headed off to meet with Rep. Roebuck. We had to miss the group Photo but it was worth it. Rep. Roebuck was attentive and responsive to our concerns about Education. He was the sponsor of Bill 460 which recommends the Costing out study be explored for the funding of Education in Pennsylvania, so it was great to meet with him.

We thanked him for his education leadership and told him that we would be doing what we could to advocate for the issue as well. It turns out his wife went to High School here in North Eastern Philadelphia and she received a fine education according to him, including learning the harp. We talked about how that kind of quality education is no longer possible in the neighborhood in part because of the gross under-funding and shifting of priorities to cut programs that do not directly affect standardized test scores. He agreed and pledged to keep the pressure through the Education Committee to get the money the schools desperately need. We will follow up with the legislators that met with us as well as the legislators who were not there or count not meet with us, most notably Rep. Angel Cruz.

All in all it was a good day for the students and for the rest of us who left the Capitol feeling like we made a difference in Pennsylvania by bringing the voice of Philadelphia students and families and echoing their concerns and recommendations on Education and Immigration.

---Edward Garcia, Congreso de Latinos Unidos