Educators, Parents, and Meteorologists Call for Action as Students Return to School in a Warming Climate
PHILADELPHIA, PA (August 22, 2026) – Today, local leaders and advocates rallied at Philadelphia City Hall to confront a new reality: climate change is making summers hotter and longer. As students head back to school this year, families should be focused on buying notebooks, meeting teachers, and preparing for a successful school year—not worrying whether classrooms are too hot for learning.
“Today, students are experiencing longer stretches of extreme heat, unpredictable weather, heavy rainfall, and changing seasonal patterns. And while we might assume that modern schools are equipped with reliable heating and air-conditioning systems, the reality is that many school buildings struggle to maintain comfortable learning environments. And here’s the reality that educators face: the students who are usually engaged, motivated, and eager to learn can become disengaged when their basic environmental needs aren’t being met,” said Austin Minor, Founder/Executive Program Director of the Jacob’s Puzzle Foundation and Secondary Special Education Math Interventionist with Mastery Charter Schools.
Climate change is exacerbating extreme heat. Summer temperatures now extend well into the fall months, putting children in classrooms without air conditioning at risk. Students and teachers are having to learn and teach in sweltering classrooms and, at times, schools are forced to dismiss early because of extreme heat. Furthermore, federal attacks on clean energy and climate protections are moving us in the wrong direction.
“Our current climate is NOT ‘the new normal.’ It’s the normal – for now. Unless we reduce greenhouse gases, extreme heat will keep coming earlier in the spring and last into fall. There will be more and more school days cancelled because it’s too hot,” said Glenn “Hurricane” Schwartz, meteorologist for 50+ years.
Students deserve safe schools. Teachers and school staff deserve safe workplaces. Parents deserve the confidence that their children can learn without interruption. Speakers at the press conference called on our leaders in Washington to stand up for students and make classrooms better for learning. It’s time to defend environmental protections that tackle climate change and clean energy investments that reduce climate pollution and, in turn, the extreme heat conditions it fuels.
“As a teacher at my state-funded summer program in a district building, we went virtual three times this summer. Part of the reason was due to the sweltering heat, but the other reason was due to the air being too dangerous to breathe. These conditions can extend into the school year, so it is far past due to invest in sustainable, clean energy,” said Emmie Ledesma, Educator, George Washington High School.
“As my children head back to school, climate change is turning their classrooms into health hazards. Research has shown that without adequate air conditioning, children can’t concentrate, retain information, or perform well on tests. In the most extreme cases, heat can cause illness or even death. As an environmental attorney, we must take meaningful action on climate change with strong environmental policies that invest in clean energy and cut climate pollution before it’s too late,” said Lauren Otero, Clean Air Council Staff Attorney.
At the event, Philly-area residents gathered for a rally to send the message to their elected officials to act on climate now. The gathering was part of a national movement of communities coming together and demanding strong climate action of their elected officials while they’re back in their home states during the August recess. At the press conference, volunteers also handed out “back to school kits” that highlighted what tools are needed to keep a child safe on hot school days.
