For more than two decades, I have served the city in nearly every educational role imaginable. I started as a teacher at Conwell Middle Magnet. I coached in the charter sector. I managed special education cases from the central office. I served as assistant principal at Martin Luther King High School, then principal at John Barry Elementary, and now I lead Girls’ High — one of the city’s most distinguished special admit schools. I am also the proud product of Philadelphia public schools, as are my children.

Across every role I have held in every corner of this district, including as student and parent, one truth remains constant: Our schools need adequate funding to provide what our students are entitled to — not just what we can afford.

For years, the narrative around Philadelphia public schools has not reflected the brilliance, resilience, and potential of our students or our staff. As city leaders and educators, we have worked tirelessly to change that. Through intentional climate and culture initiatives, through relationship-building, through creating safe, welcoming, and affirming environments for our students, we are redefining what it means to attend a Philadelphia public school. But all that hard work is set to be undone by budget cuts.

Right now, across this city, schools are facing closure and principals like myself are being forced to make cuts to the very positions that have driven this transformation. Climate staff, counselors, behavioral supports are all being cut. These are not extras. They are the infrastructure of a functioning school. You cannot ask children to learn in environments that feel unstable, and then wonder why outcomes suffer. You cannot build a culture of belonging and then eliminate the people responsible for it.

The students of 2026 are carrying more than any generation before them. Post-pandemic learning gaps. Increased mental health needs. A demand for real-world skills and opportunities. They need more — and we are being asked to do more — with less.

If we are serious about closing achievement gaps, about supporting the whole child, about ensuring every student has access to mental health services, then we must be serious about funding. We cannot be closing schools and cutting staff in the schools that remain open.

As a high school principal, I am responsible for ensuring students earn 23.5 credits to graduate. That requires staffing — teachers who can deliver core instruction, but also electives that spark passion, creativity, and connection. Those are the classes that make students want to come to school. Those are the experiences that keep them engaged and on track to graduate.

If we want to increase graduation rates and decrease dropout rates, then we must invest in the systems that make those outcomes possible.

The ride-share tax is not a perfect solution. But it is a meaningful one. It is a signal that this city is serious, not just about the vision of great schools, but about actually paying for them. You cannot change outcomes without investing in the people doing the work.

I say this with urgency and with love for this city: We cannot afford to fall short for our students.

The proposed ride share tax is not just a policy decision. It is an investment in our future.

We’ve seen what targeted funding can do. The soda tax created pre-K seats that directly benefited my own children. That investment mattered. It changed lives. This can too.

If you want to be part of strengthening Philadelphia’s future — if you want to stand for equity, opportunity, and progress — then I urge City Council to vote yes on the ride-share tax.

KaTiedra Argro is the principal of the Philadelphia High School for Girls and a graduate of the School District of Philadelphia.