In a carefully worded appeal to a Philadelphia City Council committee, the president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers on Wednesday expressed frustration at another round of budget cuts threatening the quality of education in Philadelphia public schools.

Teachers union president Jerry Jordan told the council’s Committee of the Whole he was frustrated by a projected budget shortfall at more than $200 million for the forthcoming academic year.

“The projected deficit for the 2014-15 school year is both staggering and frustrating,” said Jordan, invoking the same language as school Superintendent William Hite, Jr., who used the same words to describe the district’s financial crisis.

“Staggering because it means we are sending our children to what can hardly be called schools,” Jordan continued, “And frustrating because when I sat here last year, I noted that we would be in this position again if Harrisburg did not step up to is obligation to fully fund our schools.”

“The state has once again come up short, and our children will once again pay the price,” Jordan said.

Jordan and Hite sit on opposite sides of the table in negotiating a new contract for about 15,000 teachers’ union members who have been working under the terms of an expired collective bargaining agreement since September. The School Reform Commission, which oversees Philadelphia’s public schools, is scheduled to vote on adopting the budget on May 29.

School leaders say $216 million is needed in order to avoid laying off as many as 1,000 teachers due to major losses of funding over the last three budget cycles. Increased costs of health care coverage, special education, pension and charter school tuition payments under the current funding structure have contributed to the financial strain for the district.

Educational advocates, students, and school staff testified Wednesday about the impact of budget cuts during a second day of public testimony. Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr., said the hearing was delayed to allow for people to pass through metal detector screening on their way to the meeting room.

As stewards of taxpayer funds, Jones invited public input on behalf of the council’s Committee of the Whole. The panel was scheduled to vote on adopting an operating budget for the fiscal year 2015 and authorizing taxes and certain exemptions from levies.

More than 250 people packed into the gallery and balcony area seating for the hearing. A spillover crowd was shepherded into a room across the hall where they listened to an audio broadcast of the proceedings.

In the main chamber, school groups and supporters of public education sat in silence during testimony, using signs to communicate messages. One sign read, “Cuts in education never heal!” Another read, “No excuse!! Fund our schools.”

Elizabeth Moffitt, of Wynnefield, whose 15-year-old son attends a public charter school, attended the hearing to show support for extending a city sales tax, which would generate $120 million for public schools.

“I realize it was earmarked for something else, and schools aren’t the only crisis in the city, but they’re one of the biggest crises. They need to establish recurring funding,” she said.

A group of students from George Washington High School, 10175 Bustleton Ave., had nothing but praise for their counselor Adam Bachman, but said he has a formidable task in serving 1,800 students, including 12th graders who need help with navigating college admissions.

Bachman said he wasn’t stressed by the job as much as the lack of adequate funding for public schools. He pointed to a group of well-dressed students, boys in button down shirts and ties and girls in blouses and dresses or slacks, who stood up on cue.

“They’re not dysfunctional and dangerous,” he said, to applause. “The funding is dysfunctional and dangerous.”

Bachman said he would be proud to raise a child as fine as one of his students, Jahnae Robinson-Wright, 18, who had just asked the committee whether Philadelphia public school students are worthy of the same level of support and assistance as their peers from affluent areas. She plans to attend college and major in physical therapy.

During earlier testimony, Jordan also expressed appreciation to council members for suggesting new ways of generating recurring and reliable sources of school aid. The bills referenced by Jordan could potentially generate $66 million in new potential revenue for schools that, he said, could go toward hiring staff members, including nonteaching assistants, librarians, full-time nurses, and classroom support staff.

The union president also called on businesses to pay their fair share in taxes. He pushed for city council to approve extending the city sales tax and for state lawmakers to adopt a formula for funding public schools in a fair, transparent manner. District officials have said the current budget is contingent on that additional levy.

Until the funding issue is resolved, Jordan and other educational advocates say consequences for public school students remains dire.

“Everyone in this room is aware that our children have lost an unacceptable number of teachers, librarians, school nurses, secretaries, and counselors, along with academic offerings like arts, music and other programs,” he said.

Other supporters of city sales extension include Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY), which advocates for educational issues. Glenavie Norton, chair of the Southeastern chapter of Americans for Democratic Action, urged the council to direct all revenue from an extended city sales tax to public schools rather than divert a portion to pay pension costs.

“Asking them to change that now risks the loss of the entire revenue source,” Norton warned. “We urge you, city council, to do the right thing and fund our schools to the extent possible.”

The views expressed by Norton have the backing of educational advocates, including PCCY, Philadelphia Education Fund, Education Voters of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia and the Education Law Center. The Republican-controlled General Assembly already has approved an extension for a city sales tax, leaving the city council to take final action on the measure.

In a statement released earlier this week, Donna Cooper, executive director for PCCY, said an attempt by mayor and city council to split the sales tax extension would not only require new legislation from Harrisburg but would strip about $500 million from public schools through fiscal year 2030.

The Philadelphia Tribune  – May 16, 2014 – Read article online