An entire school district in Southeastern Pennsylvania is flat broke and Gov. Tom Corbett (R-PA) says the state will not give the district the emergency funds it needs.
Union leader Linda Cook and teacher Sara Ferguson tell Ed Schultz what needs to be done to save the schools.
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This story is absolutely unbelievable. This should be the final proof anybody needs to understand that Republicans are governing poorly simply to sabotage public institutions by shattering the public's confidence in governmental ability to carry out the tasks of those institutions.
Between this horrific story and the one Rachel Maddow has been all over about Michigan governor Rick Snyder basically declaring fiscal martial law on so many of that state's cities it should be clear by now that Republicans have absolutely no interest in continuing to live and function under the democratic processes in the U.S Constitution.
Republicans have turned their backs on democracy. They are sabotaging the democratic process and the functionality of government everywhere they hold power from the states all the way up to the U.S. Congress.
Don't let them get away with it Americans! Don't let the Republicans basically turn our beloved USA into another version of Mexico (Republicans = the PRI). This years elections may be the last chance we have to stop them from turning the US into a de-facto party-state.
I'm not usually one for such bold statements but I've seen enough from the Republicans to confidently state what I have above and also state that I will not back away from any part of it either.
sgjsdad,
republic-rule of law, constitution
democracy-majority rules
the word "democracy" does not appear in the constitution. republicans feel that a "democracy" is the road to socialism. repubs have not turned their back on democracy, they simply do not believe in it.
School districts should be ran like a business, if they are not profitable then there needs to be a adjustment to the budget. Raising property taxes to pay exorbitant salaries should no longer be the answer and burden to the community. What other job in the private sector or government afforts such high rates of pay as $60+ per hour based on the 9 month work year on top of vacation and sick time and of course a pension. The Govenor is correct in his stance and should be applauded for his fiscal policy in regards to the residents of Pennsylvania.
Schools are not a business, they have to educate the kids, it's the budget that should adapt to the reality of the situation and so should the politicians, to do what's best for the kids. This notion that Government is a business is completely asinine.
Of course, asking the GOP to understand reality and not their twisted version of facts it's a bit too much.
There's also one more thing, of course, the GOP is not interested in anybody learning, for them it's all about controlling people. Ignorance is the bread sustaining the GOP these days, along with fear and hatred.
Schools are not there to create profit. Education is one of the basic rights of being human, and these conservatives are undermining and defunding public education in favor of private charter schools that have consistently underperformed and overcharged for their services.
Being poor is not a reason to leave these children uneducated. This is unethical and reprehensible behavior on the part of the governor.
Feraltwinkie: PA has been in a world of trouble since GOP governor, Tom Corbett, took over, along with a GOP legislature. Previously, Ed Rendell, Dem., was our governor, and he was wonderful.
Let this be a lesson to the other states: You are next if the Republicans get in. They do not want to educate the poor. An uninformed electorate is much more susceptible to their propaganda. In addition, they want to, and in some cases, have, privatized the prisons. When the uneducated children grow up, this will be a real bonanza for these prisons, won't it? A wonderful way to make money, GOP style. Spend little on education, reap rewards by privatizing prisons. Mitt would probably like that!
Why can't they see that dollars spent on education reap great benefits for the whole society in the future? Oh...I see...I said the WHOLE society; the GOP concern is for the few at the top, like themselves. I almost forgot the plan...
We have to stop this madness. Vote Democrat!
This is the Republicon agenda . . . keep Americans hungry, poor, low income, uneducated, without birth control, without civil rights, without worker's rights, without any power whatsoever . . . it is so disgusting and soooooooooo UN AMERICAN !!
I know of NO teacher making $60+/hr. Schools are not there to be "profitable", they are there to teach.
$60+/hr.
Maybe in a private school which is why it cost so much more to teacher them so much less.
The audacity of those teachers, who have a college degree, and many have a masters to think they should be paid a fair wage. lets see....senators and congressmen make 3 times what teachers make, work half the time of teachers and have a hell of a lot better benefits????? The day minimum wage workers are teaching your kids, pack it up and run to Canada....LOL
when do we start thinking about the children in our community?
isn't the welfare of our children a responsibility for us all, for the good of our communities, our states, and our country?
don't we all have to contribute, to work together?
What idiot would expect a school system to be profitable. And you really expect me to believe that there is any teacher anywhere in America that makes 60 bucks an hour. My daughter has a masters degree in special ed, has been teaching for four years and makes 31 k a year in Denver. She buys a lot of school supplies for her kids out of her own pocket.
First of all, teaching isn't an hourly position, its a salaried position because work doesn't start and end when the students come and go; nor does it only run from late August to mid-June (which is more like ten months you math scholar you). But, even if you accept your ludicrous straw man, it is only a very few senior teachers who might hit that rate. Who else makes such a rate? That list might include: plumbers, electricians, computer repairmen, firemen, policemen, massage therapists, accountants, waiters at nice restaurants when you include tips and more. Most of these jobs don't require a masters degree, as is needed earn permanent teacher certification in Pennsylvania. Second, public schools are expected to educate EVERYONE. If it were a business, we would focus on our strong brands and discontinue the weak ones. But, our democracy is predicated on universal education and it just costs disproportionately more to educate some students. So, no business in which I'd invest would want the responsibility of doing this job right. Too much liability and uncertainty and too little opportunity for profit. So how do privatized businesses make a profit in the education game? They cut corners and sell snake oil.
is this the school district where the UNION teachers are working with out pay. because of the budget crisis which is more then likely self made by the governors office you know a page from the new gop play book..
shows how teachers are on doing whats best for the kids they seem to love more then most others. sure hope the parents of these kids realize that not voting or doing knowing has cause this mess they are in as well.
Pilot,
maybe parents and other voters should be more aware. hopefully things like this will make them more aware.
we do know where to place most of the blame. if you run for office, and don't tell the truth, and lie (scott walker is on fox and friends right now) about what they are going to do, and we vote based on what they tell us, we cannot blame the voter.
I read the above intro and gasp. Bush began this assault on education with "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND" I remember when the Proficiency test were required in the schools. It cost the school districts millions of dollars. If I remember they were sent to California to be graded. Teachers were required to teach for a test and everything else fell by the wayside. It was called"THE DUMBING DOWN OF EDUCATION" I pulled my son from school and started home schooling and latter correspondence school. This is a national disgrace. All the damn money wasted in elections why don"t they use it to teach those who will inherit the mess made by greedy politicians? Without a good education we are lost as a productive and caring nation for those that will be future leaders. How many ways can the adults fail as a society.
Pam52:#11 You asked, "How many ways can the adults fail as a society?"
Let me count the ways.
Pam and India . . . How many ways can people spreading lies fail . . . while they are pretending they have a good cause . . . even when they know better in their hearts ?
How many ways can hypocrisy fail ?
How many ways can xenophobia fail ?
How many ways can intolerance of all kinds fail ?
etc. etc. etc . . .
I applaud the teachers for staying with their students, but how much has the district reduced its payroll to adjust for all the students who left to go to these Charter Schools mentioned in the interview?
There is not enough information in the clip, are the teachers' overpaid (re #2, Michael G.)? What about the waste and abuse mentioned in the clip? Good issue, but insufficient information to render an opinion.
The teachers are going without paychecks in order to teach the children. How overpaid is that?
In capt world teachers should starve to death just so long as capt gets his teachers retirement payments thats all that matters.
FANTASY: Obama tells jobs council of "substantial progress." :-)
REALITY: Kraft Foods to cut up to 1,600 positions !! :-(
There must be "a failure to communicate," because our Fearless Leader doesn't make mistakes?
Cleveland Plain Dealer 1-17-2012
And wtf does this have to do with schools in PA?
Its Just Another Spewer Of Mis-information !!!! Guess It Makes Them Feel Better About Themselves - Sumhow !!???
The auto industry is thriving!!!!!!! Adding thousands of jobs. Any fool that thinks letting them fail , the economy would be better today...........Get the crystal ball out, and see what it would have been like to be standing in a soup line. That is where you would be.
Ford just hired 7000 workers Chrysler 1500 and GM is bringing the aveo back from Korea. There will always be lay-offs somewhere but +3.1 million in the last 22 months beats the hell out of -8 million under Bush the second.
The basic right to a free public education is essential to freedom. After all look at the FOX viewers. Their ignorance has enslaved them.
Wow Paul . . .could not have said it better . . . Fux Noise audiences are proof that ignorance is so very dangerous ! We need Public Education . . . why ? . . . because private, religious schools create dangerously ignorant, Fux Noise audience members !
The GOP world is rather simple. It's Feudalism, the rich own everything and the poor just serve the rich. That's all, no middle class, just a system that benefits a few at the expense of everybody else.
OPENRANGE: #2.3 Correct.
these kids in this district are part on newt gingrich's innovative new head start program. since they won't be educated, they can learn to perform janitorial tasks at their now impoverished schools.
They'll be janitors probably but for the rest of their lives if the Vulture wins. Everybody knows he's not exactly a people's person, unless their faces are printed on some green...
more great news from PA NOT!!!
PENNSYLVANIA SLASHES 88,000 CHILDREN FROM MEDICAID ROLLS
Ed, In Floyd Co. Indiana they have shut down three schools and are discussing building millions of dollars in parks! This happened in the last three yrs. The politicians wants to profit from privatization, same as they have done with the prisons! Where have you been?
Financial Statistics for Chester-upland School District
Education is an investment. The long term benefits are a stable society. Put a price on that!
100% agree but the investment is not paying off many of our children who do graduate are not qualified academically to even attend college only 32% of high school grads are qualified to attend a 4 year college :(
No Child Left Behind was started by who??????????????????
according to your math the entire district has 369 students. Sounds like an awfully small district.