Morganforphilly

Repost: ICYMI: Last Friday we gathered educators, students, policymakers, administrators, and advocates to discuss innovative local initiatives and promising state policies to address the teacher shortage crisis.

Big thanks to for hosting and to our inspiring, insightful panelists:
▪️Superintendent Tony Watlington,
▪️Senator Vincent Hughes
▪️Representative
▪️Dean Monika Shealey,
▪️Scott Gaiber, and Philadelphia Citywide Talent Coalition
▪️Shannon Menarde, student teacher stipend recipient and teacher
▪️Aziza Griggs, teacher apprenticeship graduate,
▪️Iman Byrd, student and aspiring educator

Together, we can end the teacher shortage crisis 💪

Philly, we cannot afford to fall asleep at the wheel. The moment we lose our chambers is the moment we open the door for the opposition to walk in and undo the progress we have fought for.

I believe in holding our own party accountable. If we want to win, we have to be serious about leadership. That means putting talented leaders who deliver results out front and building a strategy that is bigger than the next election cycle.

This is not just about 2026. It is about 2036 and the future of our country. Republicans organize from the school board to the Senate with a long term plan. If Democrats want to compete, we have to think just as boldly and invest in leaders who are ready to govern and deliver.

Philly, the stakes are too high for anything less.

Philly, at the Center City debate I spoke about an issue that is deeply personal to me: maternal mortality. Nearly 1,000 women and birthing people die each year in this country due to pregnancy-related causes. In Canada, that number is fewer than 25. That gap tells us we have a serious problem.

Because we took back the majority in Harrisburg, I had a seat at the table to tackle it. I was able to get legislation to the Governor’s desk as the prime sponsor to extend Medicaid coverage for doula care, ensuring mothers receive support during pregnancy and postpartum.

I am the only candidate in this race who has successfully gotten a bill to the Governor’s desk as the prime or lead sponsor. That matters. Leadership is not about talking about change. It’s about delivering it.

Philly, in my nine years as a State Representative, a school has never closed in my district and it will not start now! That’s because I fight, and I use every resource available to protect my neighbors and the communities I represent.

Last night, I held a packed community conversation in partnership with about the proposed closure of Overbrook Elementary School. Educators, families, and neighborhood advocates showed up in force, and thank you to for reporting on what we all know to be true. This school is a pillar of the community. This school has a 79% utilization rate. This school provides critical space and support for our students. There is no justification for closing it!

Philly, I don’t run from problems - I take them head on. You elected me to show up, answer the tough questions, and fight in rooms you’re not in. That’s what I’ve done for nine years, and that’s what I will continue to do. Overbrook Elementary School will not be closing on my watch.

Welcome to Cassidy Elementary School. Philly, this is what transformational change looks like. Cassidy is the first school built from the ground up in West Philadelphia in decades, and it started with listening.

A student, Chelsea Mongo, reached out to me because she didn’t like how her school looked and felt. I took that seriously. As elected officials, we cannot occupy seats of power and fail to deliver real change for the people we represent. I was able to secure the funding to make this school a reality because our children deserve spaces that reflect dignity, possibility, and care.

This is why I’m running for Congress. My goal is to bring a Cassidy Elementary School to every ZIP code so students can walk across the street into schools that inspire them, protect them, and prepare them for the future. That’s the kind of leadership I believe in

Philly in the words of Ms. Banks, “THE GIRLS ARE FIGHTING!”

It’s one thing to admit that I’m the only one that’s gotten bills to the governor’s desk but then to turn around and say that they are not substantive? We know some don’t like to research or do their jobs so I’ll do both for them.

• Act 55 of 2023 (formerly H.B. 1478) PASSED: Expands access to dental hygienists in schools to improve student dental health screenings.

• Act 125 of 2024 (formerly H.B. 1608) PASSED: Ensures Medicaid reimbursement for certified doulas, providing childbirth education and support during pregnancy and up to one year postpartum.

• Act 16 of 2025 (formerly H.B. 1103) PASSED: Helps homeowners lower mortgage costs by allowing lenders to offer discount points to reduce interest rates over the life of a loan.

• Act 47 of 2023 (formerly H.B. 900) PASSED: Known as the Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act, this bipartisan law protects the health and dignity of pregnant and postpartum people who are incarcerated.

• Act 5 of 2023 (formerly S.B. 262) PASSED: Requires annual reporting on maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity to better understand and address maternal health outcomes in Pennsylvania.