Penn hosted Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker for a Tuesday talk on public safety and education policy.
The April 7 event — organized by a coalition of political groups and centers on campus — celebrated the University’s inaugural Government and Politics Week. Parker, a 2016 Fels Institute of Government graduate, spoke to a crowd of roughly 120 people about public school funding and her “holistic approach” to community safety.
According to an earlier version of the event flyer, Parker was slated to discuss United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Philadelphia. The updated version lists only public safety and education as topics.
Penn Political Union and the Government and Politics Association hosed the event, along with the Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy, the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law, and the Penn Institute for Urban Research.
While describing her approach to handling crime, Parker emphasized the need for “prevention, intervention, and enforcement” as opposed to “just policing alone.” She added that “homicides and shootings” in Philadelphia “hit their lowest level since the 1960s” last year.
“It’s not enough for somebody to talk about being tough on crime, if you’re not talking about being smart,” Parker said, asserting that police must “ensure that the wrong people aren’t getting convicted for crimes that they actually did not commit.”
Parker — a former English teacher — also raised concerns about funding for education, which she called “the great equalizer.”
“I can’t ignore the fact that the School District of Philadelphia is facing a $300 million structural deficit,” she said.
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As part of an “Extended Day/Extended Year” initiative, Parker opened “40 pre- and after-school enrichment programs” to provide support for “thousands” of students.
According to Parker, “now parents don’t have to be shamed or guilted into asking ‘how much does it cost?’”
In her budget address before City Council last month, Parker advocated for several new taxes to generate revenue for the School District of Philadelphia and pothole repairs.
She pointed to a new rideshare tax and a tax on phone carriers, which she said are projected to generate a combined $50.4 million in recurring revenue for the school district and have inspired similar measures in “51 jurisdictions between state and local governments.”
College sophomore Lara Lancaster — a moderator for the event and PPU Vice President for Internal Affairs — told The Daily Pennsylvanian that she believed Parker “was really good at connecting with an audience and making people feel seen and heard.”
Government and Politics Week will also include workshops focused on political writing, networking, and legislative activism.
Parker’s appearance marks the latest installment in PPU’s speaker series. This semester, the group hosted fireside chats with speechwriters for former President Barack Obama, Pennsylvania Senator Nikil Saval (D-1), and other officials.
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Staff reporter Luke Petersen covers national politics and can be reached at petersen@thedp.com. At Penn, he studies philosophy, politics, and economics. Follow him on X @LukePetersen06.
