Is it because we're in the run-up to an important election on Nov. 6, and I'm the organizer of the nonpartisan Philly Youth Vote! campaign to get all 12,000 of Philadelphia's public-school seniors out to vote? Is it because Philadelphia's diverse population of young people tend to vote for candidates who are not Republicans? Whatever the reason, neither bullying nor smears will shake my commitment to our young people. As public servants of this city, all Philadelphia teachers have pledged to provide our students with the necessary tools to understand their civic right to participate in the democratic process. The future of our city depends on the engagement of this vital constituency.