From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!
Public school advocates connected with parents outside of a West Philly elementary school on Wednesday to celebrate changes to the district’s wellness policy.
The School District of Philadelphia approved a new policy last week guaranteeing students recess, bathroom access and water breaks. In the past, students could be withheld from these as punishment. Parents reported issues with the previous policy, saying it led to distressing situations, including students wearing diapers or having accidents due to denied bathroom access.
After nearly two years, Lift Every Voice Philly, a nonprofit organization that helps parents advocate for improvements in the city’s public schools, led a campaign looking to improve the experiences of students within the school district.
One of the group’s founding members, Carrera Wilson, said the work is meant to support students.
“Their kids are going to have a better experience in school, which will create joy and then they’ll bring that home,” Wilson said. “We just want the parents to be happy, want the children to be happy, and eventually this needs to spread to all the students in the School District of Philadelphia.”
