Today, for now, music and athletic programs in Philadelphia’s public schools are still alive.
Helen Keller, right, and President John F Kennedy. Credit: Helen Keller International
With a little newly found money, about $33 million that seems to have been in the budget but somehow needed to be eeked out, the schools have enough to rehire one secretary for each school, 220 in all, and about 70 itinerant music teachers for the district, the Notebook reports. These music teachers will travel from school to school, and their positions are only guaranteed through January. Fall sports will also be reinstated.
“I want to point out that everything we do from this point forward is focused on opening schools and using the resources we have to meet the needs of students,” the Notebook quoted schools Superintendent William R Hite Jr as saying. “We plan to use revenue we believe is available to get schools ready” for their opening day, Sept 9.
Mr Hite and Matthew E Stanski, the district’s chief financial officer, said the $33 million they identified came from district savings initiatives—Mr Stanski said, “To give you an example … [we’ll] go after vendors who we feel like owe us money for poor service or over-billing or things like that”—an increase in the state’s basic education funding, and increased city tax collections, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
The $33 million breaks down like this: $17.6 million for the secretaries and summer expenses, $3.9 million for the music teachers, and $3.7 million for athletics. Most of the money for athletic programs will be used to pay extracurricular stipends for coaches and referees, and to pay for equipment and transportation for sports teams. That leaves about $18 million, which Mr Hite said the district plans to spend on its turnaround initiative, known as the Promise Academies.
Note that sources vary as to the number of itinerant music teachers that will be rehired. The Notebook reports the number as 66, and the Inquirer reports it as 76. We aren’t sure which number is accurate, but either way, it’s a good number.
As for the music programs, “Students themselves indicated that this was important to them because it is part of what makes school school,” the Inquirer quoted Mr Hite as saying.
What the Philadelphia students said
Kelli Ross, a junior at Benjamin Franklin High School in Philadelphia, spoke at a June 14 rally for an organization called POWER (Philadelphians Organized to Witness, Empower and Rebuild). Ms Ross is a member of the Philadelphia Student Union, and we have edited her words a little for the sake of brevity. But in essence, this is what she said about the need for funding:
Today we’re here because we want funding for our schools. Twenty-four schools were closed this past March because they told us they didn’t have enough money to fund them! But apparently those 24 schools weren’t enough. Now schools that are still open have to somehow manage to provide students with a “quality” education on a budget the district refers to as the “doomsday” budget. Governor Corbett has cut a billion dollars from education over the last two years and for months we’ve been hearing there is no money to be given to the school district. But recently, I’ve heard and you all should know, that the state has plans to build a prison that costs $400 million dollars. A budget that could easily cover the $304 million dollar shortfall that has schools all across the city making cuts to important educational aspects, such as assistant principals, guidance counselors, secretaries, lunch staff, teachers, and even extracurricular activities.
This matters, because schools losing the very things that make a quality education is not right. I’ve seen too many changes made to my school already that have not been for the better. From ninth grade up until now, I see my school being left with less each year. Benjamin Franklin, at one point, had a counselor for each grade, a culinary program, honors and AP classes. There was a whole staff in our Student Success Center dedicated to assuring that we had people to go to for help with anything college related. This year, we don’t have any of that! The things I valued at my school and the people who helped me are gone and to know that next year we will have even less is sickening!
Which is why we have to demand that we get the $304 million dollars and then some! $400 million dollars given to prisons while education goes through the worst crisis we’ve ever seen says to us that they don’t care. This says to us that they care more about containing young people rather than educating us. We have to keep fighting for this because Governor Corbett hasn’t showed us he cares about students. If left up to the state, there’s no telling what education may be reduced to. This is about the future of our communities and we won’t be ignored by the governor any longer!
We are glad beyond our ability to describe that feeling that Philadelphia’s schools have some time to recover. But magicians’ hats have a limited number of rabbits in them. The schools still have to come up with money or find other things in the budget to cut. Cutting educational programs, which are the schools’ raison d’être, is unacceptable. And by “educational programs,” I include much more than the core courses, which are basic; I add those elements, found only in schools, that inspire kids to a lifetime of learning because learning is fun. These include the ability to participate in the fine arts, team athletic competitions, and other healthy, enriching activities.
“I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble,” said Helen Keller. It would be nice if the School District of Philadelphia could restore assistant principals, teachers’ assistants, and counselors. One thing at a time, I always say.