Supporters continue fight to keep 23 Philly schools open

Some Philadelphians haven’t given up the battle to keep 23 city schools from closing. 

Eighteen protesters who were arrested on the night the School Reform Commission decided to close those schools marched from their preliminary hearing Thursday at the Criminal Justice Center to City Hall. They delivered petitions for Mayor Michael Nutter calling for a reversal of the school closure decision.

Retired teacher Ron Whitehorn said the petitions were signed by thousands demanding the schools stay open.

“We think the wrong people are being put on trial. We did what we did on March 7 because an unelected, unaccountable body made an unjust decision about our schools,” he said. “We’re going to go to court. They should be on trial for closing our schools. They should be on trial for cutbacks of programs that serve students.”

Nutter is out of the country, but he’s said the school closures are necessary and that he supports the SRC decision.