This summer has been one big blur! It happened so fast! I can’t believe that we are already talking about and preparing for “Back to School!” We’ll at least for some of us! Unfortunately, our public schools in Philadelphia may not open as planned on Sept. 9th due to lack of funding!
Show your support for our schools!
When: Monday, August 12th at 2 p.m., 440 N. Broad Street (The School District of Philadelphia)
What: Press Conference: Parent/Community response to School Opening
Hosts: Bright Hope Baptist Church, Parents United for Public Education, Action United and more!
Message: Superintendent Hite was right. Our schools are not fit for opening on Sept. 9 given the money we have. He was, however, understating our need. We don’t need $50 million to open schools safely. We need far more than that to open schools RESPONSIBLY!
Join parents, students, and community leaders to declare that schools must open with the right resources from both the city and state, and not the least resources possible.
The press conference is important because Governor Corbett has apparently called upon the Mayor, City Council and state delegation to “figure out” a solution. They should not be the ones defining the terms.
Come and support the press conference and its message that $50 M is not enough for schools, and we need a conversation about what it takes to fund schools responsibly.
Check out the “Imagine a School” page on Facebook! It’s a great source of advocacy information and support.
Also, the Philadelphia Student Union issued a well-worded reply to Dr. Hite’s most recent comments about funding and shared sacrifice at http://phillystudentunion.org. Below is the reply:
“We would like Dr. Hite to address every high school senior who is entering their final year of high school with no counselor who would have guided them through their college-application process in a building that can hardly be called a school. We would like Dr. Hite to address every incoming ninth grader, who must find their footing in a building staffed by only cops and teachers. We would like Dr. Hite to address every student in the city of Philadelphia who are all stakeholders.
And finally, Dr. Hite, if you will not address us, and we do not expect you to since you have not done so in the past, you will be hearing from us. The nation-wide assault on public education will end in Philadelphia, because the injustices that the school district continues to push forth cannot, and will not, be tolerated any longer.”
Read more at http://tinyurl.com/lc5bdaw.
Source: Rev. Dr. Kevin R. Johnson, Senior Pastor of Bright Hope Baptist Church!
