August 15th, 2014
Philadelphia’s Taney Dragons Lighting the League World Series on Fire!
Congratulations and good luck to Philadelphia’s own Taney Dragons who are competing against the world’s best teams right now in the Little League World Series. Believe or not, these children from Philadelphia did not have a league to play in three years ago. Now the Dragons, led by fire-throwing 13-year old Mo’ne Davis and Tai Shanahan, the son of former PCCY board member Quyen Shanahan, are showing the world that Philly is home to some of the best young baseball players in the world. It just shows that when you give children opportunities, they can really shine!
The Taney Dragons are playing right now!
Click here for live coverage of their game.
Click here to donate to the Taney Little League program.
Harrisburg’s Failure to Act Leads to More Cuts to Philadelphia Schools
Absent any written confirmation from Harrisburg that it will pass the Philadelphia cigarette tax increase authorization, Philadelphia School District Superintendent Dr. William Hite announced this morning that schools will open on time in September. The Superintendent indicates that he has been told that there is an agreement in Harrisburg to move the legislation. Even if that does happen, to open schools and balance the budget, another $32 million in cuts are planned.
PCCY and five other organizations released a joint statement that said “the planned reductions to already inadequate levels of support and service run the risk of jeopardizing student health and safety. That is why we urge the Governor and leaders in the House and Senate to make good on their commitments and finalize the cigarette tax legislation no later than September 30.” The legislature needs to make passing the cigarette tax their top priority when they return to work next month. Dr. Hite made it clear in an open letter that “Providing all children with a rich, high-quality education is not only a basic right, but a moral obligation.”
Click here to read a joint statement from PCCY and five other leading education organizations.
Read! By 4th Campaign Aims to Double Share of Children Reading on Grade Level
Slightly more than half of all students attending Philadelphia public and charter schools enter fourth grade reading below grade level. To get children back on track, PCCY, the Urban Affairs Coalition and 48 supporting public and private organizations launched the “READ! By 4th Campaign” to double the share of children reading at grade level by fourth grade by 2020. Research shows that reading proficiency by fourth grade is a key predictor of high school and career success. If students don’t have the basic reading skills in place by 4th grade, they are four-to-six times more likely to drop out of high school.
This citywide effort to boost the share of students entering 4th grade reading at grade level enables Philadelphia to join 150 other cities and towns in 39 states that are part of the national effort, “Grade Level Reading by Third,” led by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and supported some the nation’s largest companies and private foundations including corporate sponsors Wells Fargo and Clear Channel Communications.
Click here to read the press release and see the full list of supporting public and private organizations.
Pennsylvania Needs to Make up Ground in Providing Opportunities for Children
A child is born into poverty every 32 seconds in the United States, according to the Children’s Defense Fund. In Pennsylvania, about 42% of children under five live in a low-income family. The state has plenty of room for improvement according to a new study on the best and worst states for underprivileged children. Pennsylvania ranks 19th in the nation when it comes to providing low-income families with the resources they need to give their child a strong start, according to Wallet Hub, a leading financial advising website. Pennsylvania also trails neighboring New Jersey in the health and education of its children.
Pennsylvania can improve the lives of children and its national standing by committing to make stronger investments in programs that are proven to directly benefit poor children and their families, like providing high-quality pre-K for children. The benefits of pre-kindergarten are well documented, but in Pennsylvania, only one in six children have access to high-quality, publicly funded pre-K. As the election season heats up, the Pre-K for PA Campaign has kicked into high gear, pushing all candidates running for office to support high-quality pre-k for every 3-and 4-year old in Pennsylvania by 2018.
Click here to find out how you can get involved.