Shannon Mitchell, Philly mom: “Change. I want to see change…We’ll continue fight until we see those changes.”
Sharon Sedlar | May 29, 2025
Parents want what’s best for their kids. Regardless of income, beliefs, race, nationality, or zip code. We just want what our kids need to learn and enjoy their childhood. And we need to make sure that those in Harrisburg and Washington DC understand that – loud and clear.
In last week’s newsletter, we featured the fact that Philly mom, Shannon Mitchell, appeared before the House Republican Policy Committee’s hearing on “Examining the School District of Philadelphia”. A mom to three, she spoke mostly of her two children with special needs and their difficulty in accessing appropriate services through the school district. Does any of this sound familiar? If not – can you imagine being in this parent’s shoes?
“I’ve been fighting with the school district since day 1. He was okay for a little bit, but then we saw regression. We saw him coming home crying saying, ‘Mommy I don’t want to go to school no more’ or ‘The kids hate me or the teachers are yelling at me'”.
“there was an instance when Brianna…went through a plate glass window….[they] never called me”
“the principal…didn’t make me feel like my kids are safe. He did not make me feel like these kids are going to be taught. He was more concerned of the neurotypical, whereas children on the spectrum need a little bit more focus. They’re being forgotten. Plain and simple.”
“my daughter was not even getting speech for the whole year…I didn’t even know about this.”
“My daughter was in the back of the classroom with toys not being interacted with. No aide. No teacher. No nobody…Two aids.,,,were actually sitting on the opposite side of the classroom on their cell phones…now I’m pissed….how long has this been going on…”
“I feel sick every day sending my son back to that same school.”
“I’m tired of the fact that these kids, these non-verbal autistic kids are being treated like crap.”
“These kids deserve a chance. And they deserve to have a classroom where they can walk in and they can be proud of what they’re doing…I want something to change for these kids and these parents…”
“You’re paid to do a job and you need to do the job or you’re going to have me to deal with.”
Martina White: “what would you say is something that you need to see in order to feel that the school district is actually moving in the right direction?” Shannon responds: “Change. I want to see change…We’ll continue fight until we see those changes.”
Parents want what’s best for their kids. It’s time that the folks in Harrisburg showed that they understood that with truly child-centered policies and reform. Help us make it happen. Send email to sharon.sedlar@paedchoice.org and we’ll be sure to include you in our efforts.