Bryan Mercer is a steering committee member of 215 People’s Alliance. He is executive director of Media Mobilizing Project, which uses strategic media and communications to strengthen and connect communities organizing for their human rights. Bryan also works on media policy advocacy as a board member of the Media Action Grassroots Network.
Can you tell us a little bit about your organization and how it was formed?
215 People's Alliance was founded by leaders in community and labor organizing throughout the Philadelphia region looking to go beyond coalition politics as usual. We recognized that too often labor organizing doesn’t talk about what’s happening outside the workplace and community organizing is too often confined to issue silos. We know that taking to the streets is as important as using the ballot box. And that movements need to connect across our issue based work to struggle for a working people's agenda that addresses the whole needs of our city and region.
We are launching our first campaign to deepen democracy in working people’s lives, starting with a call for local democratic control of Philadelphia’s schools. This means an end to Philadelphia's School Reform Commission and the creation of an elected school board for the residents of Philadelphia. For the past 15 years Philly's children have been victim to a state-controlled body of appointed bureaucrats who have presided over the divestment and dismantling of our public schools. The School Reform Commission has closed over 24 schools since 2013 and has left teachers more than 1,000 days without a contract. It wasn’t until this very school year that students had access to a nurse and a counselor in every school.
People have long said enough is enough when it comes to the School Reform Commission. We are leading the Our City Our Schools campaign to finally get rid of the commission so that students, teachers, parents and community can be a part of real democracy for our schools. To do this we’re building a broad coalition of education justice groups who know that community control is essential for quality education alongside progressive labor unions who understand that education is a top issue for their members and the communities they serve.
What is your personal journey that led to your activism with this group?
For the last seven years I’ve been a part of an organization working to strengthen and connect local organizing through technology and new media called Media Mobilizing Project. At MMP I’ve watched, documented, and organized with local grassroots leaders from movements across the city—from the labor struggle against austerity policies that have gutted public services, to immigrant rights organizing that made and kept Philadelphia a sanctuary city, to the movement for black lives working to end deplorable policies like stop and frisk and the over policing of black neighborhoods. In these experiences I’ve learned how movements begin with the telling of untold stories … but, movements don’t end there. These experiences have helped shape my understanding that to win bigger gains and make sure that working people and people of color have a real voice in the institutions that shape our lives it takes permanent organizing infrastructure. It takes people ready to go out and knock on doors year round. It takes the hard work of building effective alliances that operate on the agreement that there is no peace until we all get our piece. We’ve got to dare to win and be organized to survive.
In education policy fights, it's natural to focus on all the bad things our opponents want to do—there are so many bad things. But what is the positive vision for Philadelphia's schools that you're fighting for?
Over the last few years I’ve had the chance to go into Philadelphia’s public schools and hear the stories of teachers, students, parents, and community members who are a part of those schools. They are not failing the schools the state-controlled School Reform Commission is failing the schools. There are so many ways everyday people in school communities are making things work in spite of the budget cuts. Folks are self organizing to put libraries back in schools. Community members are starting gardens to teach health and wellness to students. Teachers not only buy supplies but run sneaker giveaways so that kindergarteners have shoes that fit. And parents are stepping in, volunteering, and pushing for accountability and transparency in how schools are run. There is so much that communities have to build on to make our schools great. We need leadership in our school district who see this as an asset, not an impediment to implementing a business driven reform program.
What will victory look like to your group and how will you measure it?
This January the majority of the School Reform Commission who control Philly’s schools are up for reappointment. We want to see our mayor and governor use this opportunity to do what is long overdue and get rid of this undemocratic body to put us on a path for local control of our schools. But we know there is no silver bullet to “fixing” education (and part of the problem with our schools today are the people who have claimed such a thing is possible).
What it’s going to take to really transform our schools is using that newly founded democratic control to do things like transform disciplinary practices from a punitive model to one of restorative justice. It’s going to take changes to curriculum to make sure it’s relevant and reflects communities like the mostly black and brown folks who make up Philly’s schools. It’s going to take smart investments in schools, like better food service so children are healthier and ready to learn. And, it’s going to take making sure that school governance truly engages and empowers parents. These are all proposals that aren’t new, but are ones fought for by youth led organizations like the Philadelphia Student Union and Youth United for Change, unions in the schools like the food service workers with UniteHERE Local 634, and concerned parents who know their kids futures are at stake.
What can Daily Kos readers do to help?
215 People’s Alliance is a project of love and necessity. We’ve received our first foundation grant only this past summer. We know very well the interests that want to keep Philly’s schools out of the hands of the majority of residents have a lot more resources than we do. So one of the most important things you can do is donate (you can give through our fiscal sponsor, Media Mobilizing Project).
215 People’s Alliance is also part of Movement 2016, which is moving resources during this pivotal election toward grassroots groups across the country, so you can also give to other groups like us who are doing movement building work for the long haul in your backyard. And finally, part of why Philadelphia’s schools alongside schools around the country are in such dire need is all of us in the US share a Congress that is divesting funding for schools. So make sure you use your vote and voice to change Congress and hold them accountable for school children everywhere.
This post is part of a series conducted in partnership with Movement 2016, a new campaign to fund some of the best community-based vote groups in the country. To date, Movement 2016 has raised over $2 million for local organizing. To find out more, head over to www.Movement2016.org.