The continued economic decline of the PSD

This isn't a cheery post to get us started in the New Year, but there aren't really cheery things going on in the Philadelphia School District - or other PA school districts for that matter.

Despite layoffs last June (of which I was a part of), the Phila School District is still trying to shed services in order to balance the budget (or at least get close to balancing that budget?), and before Christmas, layoff notices went out to nurses, bus drivers, etc. In total, the Philadelphia Inquirer said about 1,400 people would most likely be laid off.

Now, I'm not going to use this space as a forum to talk about what the District did wrong - I have no idea how they spend their money, or who (if anyone) is to blame. What I do want to comment on, is how students are going to be able to keep learning when these cuts are made. It's of no surprise to anyone who reads this blog that school libraries in Philadelphia have been slashed so many times that more than 60% of school's don't have a functional library.

And the main reason that even some schools in Philadelphia still have a library? The Philadelphia Teacher's Union demands (its in their contract) that schools which serve more than 1,000 students have a library with a librarian.

With cuts being made to janitors and bus drivers - vital jobs in a school district - you can be certain that librarianship positions are not coming back any time soon, and neither will spending on school libraries.

Even more heartbreaking is recent news that a school district in Chester is literally out of money. Not just that they are short of money - no, they are actually out of money and won't be able to pay their teachers soon. How on earth is this even possible? Apparently they have appealed numerous times to Pennsylvania, but Gov. Corbett and the Secy of Education are unmoved saying that the Chester-Upland District took control of its district from the state in 2010 and that they misused all funds.

It does seem like PA is being a little heartless here, but then again, how on earth did this school district misuse their funds this badly?
Its like a bad nightmare.

And obviously, yet again, no music programs, no art programs, no nurses, no janitors, and no teachers?, and no libraries. And yet, these students are meant to do what? Go to school and try to get into college just like the kids at the local boarding school?

The situation in public education today is grim. And that's putting it lightly.