TESTIMONY: Keeping Students Joy, Donna Cooper 4-4-2025

Testimony Presented to Philadelphia City Council By Donna Cooper Children First Executive Director April 4, 2025 Thank you for the opportunity to testify at this hearing that is finally shining a spotlight in our schools, where our children are subjected to...

TESTIMONY: Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit Bill – Feb 26 2025

Testimony for House Finance Information Session In support of the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit bill Priyanka Reyes-Kaura, K-12 Education Policy Director at Children First February 26, 2025 Children First supports a refundable Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit...

TESTIMONY: Paid Family Leave

Testimony to the House Democratic Policy Committee Presented by Dan O’Brien, Policy Manager, Education and Family Stability, Children First October 28, 2024 On behalf of Children First, thank you for inviting us to offer testimony in front of the committee today. I...

TESTIMONY: “Soda Tax” – Philadelphia City Council

Testimony to the Philadelphia Tax Reform Commission, Subcommittee on “Other Taxes” Presented by Donna Cooper, Executive Director, Children First September 28, 2024 By way of this testimony, I want to present new information regarding the effectiveness of the...

Testimony: School District of Philadelphia – CTE in Philly Schools

A rigorous study of Philadelphia CTE high school students, 70% of whom are economically disadvantaged and 85% BIPOC, found that these students were 30% more likely to graduate on-time than students attending comprehensive/neighborhood high schools that shared nearly...