School-district officials have contended that to stop the massive cuts they want to make to close a $629 million deficit, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, anybody must swoop in with more money to save the day.

But in the latest wave of protests against the district’s cuts, several concerned taxpayers, parents and community activists said yesterday that they’ve had enough of officials’ putting the blame on Harrisburg and demanded that district officials take ownership of their decisions.

“I say the school district needs to re-evaluate what they consider necessities,” William Browning, of Action United, told the School Reform Commission yesterday.

Students Jamerica Delacruz and Kevin Wheatley, juniors at Camelot, an alternative school, urged the SRC to maintain funding for alternative education. Bonnie Raines, a volunteer with the nonprofit group Public Citizens for Children and Youth advocated for arts programs.

To help balance the budget, district officials estimate that they’ll need to eliminate 1,260 teaching positions and hundreds of other support-staff posts. Meanwhile, bus transportation and SEPTA TransPasses for 45,000 public- and private-school students are also on the chopping block, among other proposed cuts.

Browning said that he could appreciate the district’s position in light of the deep cuts to public-school education proposed in Gov. Corbett’s budget.

An alternative to the governor’s spending plan proposed by House Republicans would provide about $310 million additional to Pennsylvania schools, but Michael Masch, the district’s chief financial officer, said that that won’t be enough to make up the deficit and avoid draconian cuts.

Parent Alicia Dorsey blasted the district for excluding parents from weighing in on meaningful decisions that affect families and schools, and called for more transparency.

“Yes, they have community meetings, but they come and tell you the decisions that have already been decided,” she told the SRC.

Superintendent Arlene Ackerman disagreed and said that the district needs input from the community.

“You heard someone asking to save the arts program, somebody else said save the [English-language learners’] programs and somebody else is saying save other programs,” she said. “With $330 million that we have to cut, I say to you, what programs are we going to cut if we do what everybody else wants?”

In other news:

* David Weiner, associate superintendent of academics, has accepted a position with the New York City Department of Education to be the deputy chancellor of talent, labor and innovation. He begins his new role next month.

“I hate to see him leave, but I know he will be a great asset to the work the new chancellor of New York City public schools is about to embark upon,” Ackerman said.

During his tenure, Weiner oversaw many of the district’s key academic efforts.

He spearheaded the creation of the annual school report cards and was also instrumental in the district’s Renaissance Schools initiative.

Philadelphia Inquirer – May 12, 2011 – Read article online