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Saturday, January 30, 2016

An Epic Battle for Public Education: A Front Line View | LucidWitness.com

An Epic Battle for Public Education: A Front Line View | LucidWitness.com:

An Epic Battle for Public Education: A Front Line View 

Pixabay Public Domain
Governor Tom Wolf is battling for fair funding for Public Education. It’s an epic battle in Pennsylvania and part of the war on Public Education across America.  It involves us all.
In spite of the facts that legislators have failed to propose an acceptable budget, and that the budget is 7 months overdue, Governor Wolf is standing strong against politicians’ attempts to further slash public education.  Seven long months.  Education operations are still decimated from hundreds of millions of dollars cut by the previous governor.
The issues go deeper than money. They include how the budget is allocated to districts.  They also include politicians trying to increase their own micromanagement of individual schools.

Politicians have failed in Philadelphia Schools.  So…close schools?    

State-­level politicians have a clear, 15-year track record since they took over the School District of Philadelphia.  Their record is one of stunningly consistent academic starvation with simultaneous fiscal disaster.
Fifteen long years ago, the State created the ‘School Reform Commission’ (SRC) to eliminate local control in Philadelphia.  The State appoints the majority of SRC members.  The SRC has hired multiple “outsider” CEOs with multiple organizational structures.   CEOs have come.  CEOs have gone.   Teaching staff is at all-time lows.   Vacant positions remain unfilled.   Teachers have been An Epic Battle for Public Education: A Front Line View | LucidWitness.com: