Leading the Charge for Healthier Schools

Community Commentary by Cindy Farlino

In the fall, reports surfaced that a faculty member at Meredith School was diagnosed with mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer possibly caused by years of exposure in the schools where she worked. (Her three-decade tenure also included several years at Nebinger School.) Both schools had significant asbestos materials, at different times and to varying degrees, over the years–some of which became damaged and required abatement and remediation.

The Meredith teacher is a caring, dedicated educator who, in the midst of her own health crisis, continues to raise the issue of safety for all staff and students in our Philadelphia schools. Her concern for our school community is awe-inspiring.

In the spirit of her words, we need to make sure that all of our work for safer schools counts.

The Philadelphia Healthy Schools Initiative (PHSI) was formed after the leadtainted water crisis in Flint, Michigan broke, and it expanded in 2017 when a 6-year-old Philadelphia student was diagnosed with lead poisoning attributed to exposure to lead paint at his school. As a result, PHSI joined forces with City Council to limit the amount of lead present in school drinking water and recently passed a lead paint standard.

The mission of PHSI is to address the risks facing students, teachers, and staff in our schools. We believe that those who are most directly impacted by deteriorated school buildings must have a voice in how we fix environmental hazards. That means parents, teachers, school administrators, environmental experts, unions, and community groups need to participate in solutions.

Members of PHSI also began meeting regularly with the Chief Operating Officer of School District of Philadelphia and district facilities managers. We established a model for lead paint councils (staff and parents), to ensure that each affected school held stakeholder meetings to understand environmental data and share work plans. There are currently more than 30 affected schools holding regular stakeholder meetings.

We’re now working to establish the same approach for asbestos and mold. We are also working with the school district to establish a district-wide “Facility and Environmental Advisory Committee.” This task force will be made up of faculty, administration, union officials, parents, technical experts, and district environmental personnel and function as a multiissue working group.

In addition, we have a powerful new mobile app created and managed by the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT). Named the PFT Healthy Schools Tracker mobile app, users can report damaged building conditions and suspected environmental hazards, upload pictures, and ask questions. And perhaps most importantly, you can track the district’s response status, with photos, in any school. This is invaluable in identifying problems and, in some cases, preventing catastrophe.

PHSI believes in the relentless pursuit of safe environments in all of our schools. We hope you will be part of this journey for the sake of all kids and school staff in all of our schools. ■

Cindy Farlino, former Principal of Meredith Elementary, sits on Philadelphia Healthy Schools Initiative as a representative from the Commonwealth Association of School Administrators.

For more information contact: PHSI@phillyhealthyschools.org http://www.phillyhealthyschools.org link for tracker app; https://apps.apple.com/app/ id1334648183