As an environmental science consultant and advisor for direct and near-direct stakeholders (educational sector unions, parents and environmental and school health, safety and condition advocacy organizations) for many years, including my long-standing relationship with a major teachers union in Philadelphia and with the Philadelphia Healthy Schools Initiative Coalition parent, community and environmental advocacy group, my career has been dedicated to shedding light on the critical, yet often overlooked and too little responded to, aspect of our children’s education: the physical environment in which they learn.
Over the years, I have been committed to discussing the realities of deficient and deteriorated conditions in public schools, and describing how to best and most effectively assess and improve crumbling school buildings. My efforts have focused on engaging with a wide range of stakeholders including educational sector unions, school employees, parents, researchers, advocates, in addition to school district leaders and managers and school board members, emphasizing the urgent need for sustainable improvements in our school facilities.
In my journey, I have come to realize that traditional approaches, while necessary, are not sufficient to address the systemic issues plaguing our school infrastructures. That is why, in my view, conditions in so many of our nation’s 17,000 school districts and more than 100,000 buildings have continued to worsen over the past 4-5 decades. It is this realization that has led me to advocate for a new approach, a Plan B, that hinges on two major ideas: leveraging the expertise of environmental and building science professionals to directly benefit those most directly affected by school conditions (“direct” and “near” direct stakeholders) and recognizing the need for non-status-quo efforts to truly transform our school environments.
Plan B is built on three foundational pillars:
Transformative, Transparent Comprehensive Data Management & Public Information Sharing
At the heart of effective advocacy and change is the radical transformation of how we collect, organize, aggregate, and share data about school environments. Transparency, accessibility, and comprehensiveness of information are non-negotiables if we are to raise awareness and spur public knowledge and action. This new paradigm in data handling will empower stakeholders with the information needed to make informed decisions and advocate for meaningful change.
Our small data, building and environmental science team has been developing a comprehensive data and informational mobile and web application and platform that has been designed to define the specific types of school environmental and facility condition and related information that “must be known” by everyone engaged in the effort to effectively and equitably improve school infrastructure conditions and to publicly share that information and data. We have also developed, and are using, other technology tools and approaches, including a school condition mobile problem and issue problem reporting app (our Philadelphia Federation of Teacher’s union version is already available and in use) to provide school staff and parents with a “voice” to report and describe the “as-lived” and “as-experienced” conditions in the building environment. These tools are in service to providing comprehensive public information and data sharing at scale, and to increase stakeholder awareness and knowledge, in order to promote effective advocacy and action.
Development & Implementation of Adequate Building Condition (ABC) Standards:
The development of ABC standards is essential to ensure that the conditions of school buildings meet a baseline of “adequacy.” This involves not only setting these standards but doing so with robust public support and professional expertise. The goal is to raise the bar from merely “adequate” to achieving large-scale, sustainable modernization of our school infrastructures, ensuring safe and conducive learning environments for our children.
We have been working on ABCs for the as-built school environment for Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC).
Inclusive Oversight and Participation by Direct & Near Direct Stakeholders:
For any plan to be successful, it must include the voices of those it affects. Formalized structures and practices must be established to ensure the meaningful involvement of direct and near-direct stakeholders in all aspects of school district management, from planning and priority setting to oversight of operations, maintenance, and capital improvements. This inclusive approach ensures that solutions are not only comprehensive but also reflect the needs and priorities of the school community.
As we move forward, we will delve deeper into each of these pillars, exploring the challenges, opportunities, and success stories that come with striving for sustainable improvement in our school environments. My long-standing commitment to this cause and my work with various stakeholders have equipped me with unique insights and a deep understanding of the complexities involved. Together, we can redefine what it means to provide a safe school setting for all children.