Philadelphia Clergy, Parents, Educators & Students Demand Long-term Solution To School Budget Crisis

PHILADELPHIA - Aug. 11, 2013 - PRLog -- Inter-faith leaders, including the more than 40 congregations in the community organizing group POWER, along with Parents United For Public Education, the Philadelphia Student Union, and other clergy leaders and activist groups will hold a press conference on Monday August 12, 2013, at 2:00 pm, at School District Headquarters located at 440 North Broad Street. They will demand answers to Superintendent Dr. William Hite's recent announcement that Philadelphia Public Schools will not open on time due to funding shortfalls. The groups want more than the $50-million dollars Dr.Hite is asking for so there is a more sustainable solution to the school budget crisis. The clergy, parent, student, and community groups want state level, long-term funding.

Also on Monday August 12, 2013, at 7:00 pm, there will be a city-wide Town Hall Meeting called "Tell It To The Children" at Mother Bethel AME Church,  located at 419 South 6th Street. The town hall meeting will be co-moderated by POWER congregation faith-leaders Rev. Dr. Kevin Johnson and Rabbi Lauren Grabelle-Herrmann.  Dr. Johnson pastors  Bright Hope Baptist Church, POWER's newest congregation. Lauren Grabelle-Herrmann is the Senior Rabbi of Kol Tzedek Synagogue, also a POWER congregation. Educators, parents, and students are invited and encouraged to attend so we can plan strategies going forward.  The "Tell It To The Children" Town Hall Meeting will be streamed live, online, by clicking on this link:  http://new.livestream.com/accounts/4917752/events/2315718 "We want everyone in attendance to please bring their cell phones," says Bishop Dwayne Royster, Executive Director of POWER and pastor of Living Water United Church of Christ. "We will actually call city and state officials during this event to voice our concerns."

For more infomation about Monday's press conference at 2:00 pm at School District Headquarters (440 North Broad Street), and Monday's Town Hall Meeting at 7:00 pm at Mother Bethel AME (419 South 6th Street), call POWER at (215) 232-7697. All media inquiries should be directed via email to Leslie Patterson Tyler at Leslie@TylerMadePR.com or call (609) 247-2632

 About P.O.W.E.R.

We are Philadelphians Organized to Witness, Empower & Rebuild (POWER). We are congregations from all across the city, intentionally bringing people together across the lines of race, faith, income level and neighborhood -- lines which have historically kept Philadelphians divided.  We are people of faith committed to the work of bringing about justice here and now, in our city and our region.  By strengthening and mobilizing our networks of relationships, we seek to exercise power in the public arena so that the needs and priorities of all Philadelphians are reflected in the systems and policies that shape our city. For more information go to www.powerphiladelphia.org.

POWER Congregations

1.       Arch Street United Methodist Church                           

2.       Bright Hope Baptist Church

3.       Calvary St. Augustine Episcopal

4.       Calvary United Methodist Church

5.       Chestnut Hill United Church

6.        Congregation Kol Tzedek

7.        Congregation Lev Ha-Ir

8.        Congregation Rodeph Shalom

9.        Cookman Beloved Baptist Church

10.    Epiphany of our Lord Catholic Church

11.    Evangel Chapel

12.    Grace Christian Fellowship

13.    Grace Epiphany Episcopal Church

14.    Harold O Davis Baptist Church

15.    Holy Innocents Catholic Church

16.    Holy Spirit Lutheran Church

17.    Living Water United Church of Christ

18.    Masjidullah, Inc.

19.    Mishkan Shalom Synagogue

20.    Mother Bethel AME Church

21.    New Life Ministry

22.    New Vision UMC

23.    Old 1st Reformed UCC Church

24.    Philadelphia Praise Center

25.    Prince of Peace Lutheran church

26.    Second Baptist Church of Germantown

27.    St. Benedict's Roman Catholic Church

28.    St. Malachy's Roman Catholic Church

29.    St. Martin in the Fields Episcopal

30.    St. Paul's Baptist Church

31.    St. Peter's Episcopal Church

32.    St. Raymond's Catholic Church

33.    St. Rita's Roman Catholic Church

34.    St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church

35.    St. Therese Catholic Church

36.    St. Therese Roman Catholic Church

37.    St. Vincent's Roman Catholic Church

38.    St. Williams Roman Catholic Church

39.    Sweet Union Baptist Church

40.    West Phila Mennonite Church

41.    Woodcrest United Church of Christ