Philadelphia Medicine Summer 2020 - 20

p h i l a m e d s o c .org

point of view continued

Environmental Health hazards plaguing
phila's public schools in 2020
continued from page 19

Our plan includes some basic solutions including:

health standards that should be met by all of our school buildings.
This
should include tapping into best practices for addressing envi* Create a Healthy Schools Task Force: Parents, students,
teachers, unions, and other community stakeholders must be given a ronmental health threats that are being used across the nation-but
seat at the table and have a voice in the process to provide input and school district officials have often been reticent to implement here
environmental health recommendations. PHSI has recommended in Philadelphia.
the creation of a "Facility Environmental Advisory Committee
* Develop a "Master Plan" for our schools: most large school
(FEAC)" and proposed a structure and stakeholder constituencies districts across the country have a Facilities Master Plan to prioritize
that need to be at the table in order to ensure this process is successful. and ensure schools are healthy and safe, but the Philadelphia School
As stakeholders, we are in Philadelphia's school buildings every day district does not. We need to change this.
and can serve as the eyes and ears for district officials to help ferret
These solutions are commonsense, cost effective, and will go a
out health threats. And while Superintendent Hite has repeatedly long way towards rebuilding the trust gap that's been created between
stated publicly that such an entity is needed and will be created by District officials and the general public when it comes to protecting
the school district, no action has been taken to date.
our children from environmental health risks in Philadelphia's

* Improving the Public's Right to Know: The recent asbestos
contamination threat has shown, District officials have access to
crucial information about health threats in our schools. But they
rarely share that information with parents, teachers, and community
members. That's got to change: stakeholders must have access to
environmental health data being collected by school district officials
and our input should be taken into account as solutions are put forth.
The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers Health and Welfare Fund,
a founding member of the PHSI, has an Environmental Science
Director who also serves as the Environmental Science Advisor for
our coalition. We call on the School District to immediately begin
more substantive and open information and data sharing with our
environmental science representative and demand that we have a
seat at the table for planning, priority-setting and finding solutions
to the environmental health crises facing our schools.
* Establish "the ABCs" for buildings: We must set "Adequate
Building Conditions"-the minimally acceptable environmental

20 Philadelphia Medicine : Summer 2020

school buildings.
That's why it's so shocking that District officials have had little
to no appetite for doing them.
But officials at the School District of Philadelphia are running
out of options: negative media coverage, heightened pressure from
parents, teachers and elected officials across the city are leaving few
options for those charged with educating and caring for our children.
The time is now for taking the comprehensive steps needed
to turn the tide on health risks in our schools-we owe it to our
children, teachers, parents and future Philadelphia school kids to
tackle environmental health threats in our schools today. *
The Philadelphia Healthy Schools Initiative is looking for
local health experts and professionals to join their effort to
protect children from environmental health hazards in the
city's schools. To get involved email phsicontact@gmail.com.
https://philamedsoc.org/
Philadelphia Medicine Summer 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Philadelphia Medicine Summer 2020
