Mass school closings: Why the numbers don't add up
(Photo by Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post)
A number of school systems around the country are looking to close big numbers of public schools, ostensibly to save money. In Washington D.C., Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson is considering closing 20 schools for budget reasons, even though the district’s last effort to shut down 23 schools actually wound up costing $40 million, according to a city audit. (You can read about that here.) In Philadelphia there are plans to close a lot of public schools too, and in the following post, school activist and parent Helen Gym explains why the numbers don’t add up there, either. This post, which ran on thenotebook.com, speaks to issues affecting districts around the country.
By Helen Gym
I’ve been baffled by the [Philadelphia School] District’s latest rationale for closing down an unprecedented number of schools in a single year. In observing the school hearings this week, I couldn’t help but be reminded of a quote by Maya Angelou: “There’s a world of
School reform news vs. 'Les Mis'
Tweet of the day:
Spent the night trying to avoid #EdReform news & watched trailers of new Les Mis movie instead. Cuz Les Mis is less depressing #sad
— Katie Osgood (@KatieOsgood_) December 21, 2012
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