At the Progressive Summit in Harrisburg today I attended a session on the “Financial Recovery Act.” This was an act passed under Corbett on a party line vote that allowed the state to take over districts that were in “severe financial distress,” such as Harrisburg or York or Duquesne. A state official was sent in to recommend a plan to the school board. If the school board accepted the plan, it was allowed to continue to operate, although its only power would be to raise taxes. If it did not accept the plan, it was dissolved, and a state official was appointed to run the school district.
It gets worse. If the district does not meet a certain level on test scores--a level no other school district in the state has ever met--the official is authorized to place the students in cyber or charter schools and dissolve the public school system.
I guess we can be thankful that only four districts have been placed under this Act’s provisions. All of them are poor districts with heavy concentrations of black or English as a Second Language students. None of them have high real estate values. None have political clout.
Our speaker explained the four step process. First you cut the money to the districts. Then you blame the teachers for the low performance by the students. Then you kill the public school system. Finally, you privatize the educational system.
Governor Corbett has received considerable campaign contributions from charter and cyber school advocates. (Incidentally, so has our own Rep. Heffley.)
Sounds similar to what is going on in Michigan. The only thing that Corbett will understand is a negative vote at the ballot box I just hope Pennsylvania residents have memories that last until November.
ReplyDeleteOf course republicans keep saying how great charter and private schools are so great (there not), so it is ingrained in some people to think it's a better system. They need to remember that private schools are about profit first.
It always amazes me that people are out to destroy the public school system. We are regressing very fast.
ReplyDelete