A Black-led, parent-driven organization is pushing the School District of Philadelphia to make schools more joyful and less punitive

On a treeless sidewalk on a day in May that feels much hotter than it’s 75 degrees, there’s an ice cream truck serving a long line of people, while several plastic machines are cranking out a flurry of bubbles. Some of the bubbles hurtle toward 440 North Broad Street, the headquarters of the School District of Philadelphia. A few dozen women clad in purple Lift Every Voice Philly t-shirts are talking amongst themselves, with assembled media, and sometimes with curious passersby. They are advocating for a new position within the school district: Chief Officer of Joy. Read more.