Thank you to everyone who continues supporting our fight to keep Memphis Street Academy (MSA) open. 

You’re likely well aware of the recent news about the establishment of the Kensington Caucus—an important initiative directly impacting our APS family, especially the students and families of Memphis Street Academy (MSA).

MSA is situated in close proximity to Kensington's open-air drug market, a brutal reality our students face everyday. It exposes them to violence, crime, drugs, and prostitution, creating a traumatic backdrop that not only follows them into the classroom but causes chronic attendance challenges. In fact, just this week, a large scale drug trafficking org was found in the immediate vicinity of our school. This is only one of the latest events having a palpable effect on our students. It challenges their ability to focus on their academic responsibilities, with too many suffering in silence as we strive to support their holistic needs.

The 2018 Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision, William Penn SD et al. v. Pa Dept. of Education, has underscored the inequitable funding of public schools in our state and affirmed education as a fundamental right. This decision brings into focus the importance of addressing the conditions in Kensington, not just as a community safety issue, but as a matter of ensuring our students’ right to a free and unimpeded education. The concerns raised by parents, guardians, and students about safety while traveling through their neighborhoods underscores the urgency of this issue.

The leadership team at MSA and American Paradigm Schools wholeheartedly support the Kensington Caucus. Initiated by Councilmembers Mike Driscoll, Jim Harrity, Mark Squilla and Quetzy Lozada, this coalition represents a promising step toward addressing the challenges faced by our community and reaffirms our mission to create a safer, more conducive environment for our students’ education and overall well-being. We covet your support and involvement in the Kensington Caucus so that together, we can continue making a difference in the lives of our students both inside and outside the classroom. 

While we continue to fight our battle to keep our doors open, our top priority will always remain the same — doing everything in our power to remain a strong resource for our students and the Kensington community. Your support in this coalition will reaffirm just that. 

As the school year continues, we look forward to continuing our programming and pivotal services such as our health center access, English language access, food and nutrition programs and more to our students and families throughout the year. 

Again, thank you to all who remain invested in our story — please keep sharing our petition with your friends and family, and urge them to do the same, and follow us on social media for updates: @americanparadigmschools.