The latest headlines out of Pennsylvania are not good. As @DianeRavitch noted on Twitter this morning, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette is reporting that today 285 teachers were sent furlough notices. It's going to get ugly there.
Pittsburgh Public Schools today is sending out 285 provisional furlough notices to teachers and other professionals, a prelude to what is expected to be the largest number of teacher layoffs in the district's history.
Teachers and other professionals represented by the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers this afternoon will receive notices in their email. In addition, notices were sent by mail on Tuesday.
As Ed has noted over and over again, the governor of Pennsylvania is making draconian cuts to the public school system, and this is the type of headline you're going to keep seeing out of Pennsylvania.
Back in the eastern part of the state, they're feeling the crunch too. And as the Washington Post picked up the other day, one high profile Pennsylvanian is doing something about it. Tina Fey, the star of NBC's 30 Rock, is a product of the Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, school system and she decided to pitch in.
Fey, creator and star of “30 Rock,” heard that her old high school friend, Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Maria Panaritis (who played Rizzo in that “Grease” production), was working on a piece about the budget cuts and offered to get involved.
In this article, Panaritis wrote:
“How can I help?” Tina Fey offered when she heard I was working on a story. The now-famous writer and comedic actress was about to head into a movie shoot but would make time; this was important.
The Daily Times reported that Fey e-mailed the above video to friends and asked them to sign a petition that organizers plan to present to Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett (R) and state legislators early next month.
Fey sent out the following message to her friends...
“Hi Friends, The link below is a video about how they are cutting almost all arts and music from the elementary schools in my home town. (Educational Realignment should be the new euphemism for crapping in your own bed.)
“Other than to showcase some amazing Philly accents, I’m sending this to you in the off chance you know someone who can bring attention to this story. It’s emblematic of garbage that’s going on in a lot of states. This budget goes to vote next week, May 30, so it’s not only disgraceful, it’s time sensitive.
“Sign the online petition? Tweet about it? Do a long monologue about it on a national television show? Ya’ll know I don’t usually forward stuff like this, so thanks. Tina”
Celebrities like Tom Hanks, Alec Baldwin, and Rosario Dawson answered the bell as the Philly Post points out. If you want to sign the petition, here's the link.
Leave a Comment:
Tina is not fey.
You Go Tina = Tina sure is one Intelligent Lady and VERY Sexy As well !!! IMO !!
We never heard the Hollywood Elite condemn the statement made by the NEA (National Teachers Union) when their lead counsel said the NEA was NOT about the children or improving education, but was about political power. youtube.com/watch?v=OwxiRXqH_hQ
Yet you voted for one twice and think he was the greatest president since Lincoln. Got to love the hypocrisy. Funny how you also liked the Arnold until he got tossed out of office.
Amazing, so now you know who I voted and for whom. You definitely are a talented little fellow, so why still unemployed? I also liked Arnold? Really? Noticed you couldn't respond to my post above.
Your blatant hypocrisy is refreshing. Most righties try to disguise it. Not you.
Oh Wacko, you little rascal, r u at it again??? Your name says it all............WaCKo
It's can't wait one of the clues is he always gives himself a vote every time he posts. Oh and he always accuses others for what he himself does.
careful everyone! whom = troll
Tell me how I'm being a hypocrite. I'll be you don't even know the definition... after all its a big word for many of you here.
Ummm, great news for Donald Crumbsfeld....killing Bin Laden a 15 minute decision. He's probably on the same coffee break he was on during the entire Bush 43 pReSiDenTcy. Crumbsfeld, please stop smelling the coffee!! I'm sure it gets stale after awhile....but, it must be better than the smell of your own butt; where your head is....
That sounds like how he made most of his decisions-14 minutes for coffee, 1 minute for thinking.
Wrong thread.
Well, I give Ms Fey credit for caring. I'd rather she donate to the school system rather than organize a petition but at least she's trying. Of course, she can't do anything like organize volunteers to help the kids have free access to the programs being cut because that would violate union rules. Those are union positions even if they are being cut, after all. And it's not like the focus should be on the welfare of the children while everyone is feeling the pain of a severe budget problem by allowing something like volunteers to offer their time for free. After all, if they did that, who would pay dues to the union?
Tina Fey is not the one who started the petition or created the video. The parents,alumni,students, a facebook group known as Save the Music UD and a website known as savethearts.org. The video and petition were tweeted to Tina Fey and she responded by retweeting it to her friends and followers and via e-mail.
I just hope she keeps the headlights on this important issue.
My mother lives in Upper Darby Township and she pays school taxes every year. Things must be pretty damn dire if the school taxes aren't enough to properly fund our kids' education. 2 of my nieces, a nephew and my 2 sisters all went to Upper Darby schools, and it breaks my heart that the opportunities they had in those schools aren't going to continue. To top it off, Prendie and Bonner united and Catholic education is getting gutted. Catholic schools have had to raise tuition, which is not cheap. There was a Catholic teachers' strike last year, and the Archdiocese didn't handle that well. Parents got disgusted and took their kids out of those schools. Between the strike and increased tuition, many of those kids are going to end up in public school. This has already happened to a family friend. Her daughter is in line for a softball scholarship and she may have to let that go if her school decides they can't afford athletics anymore.
The mess with all the Pennsylvania schools has the potential to negatively impact community college education. Upper Darby is a sponsoring school district to Delaware County Community College. Upper Darby gives DC3 money to decrease tuition for Upper Darby residents who go to school there. Other districts also give money (see dccc.edu for the full list). Without those subsidies, tuition will skyrocket. Corbett must be recalled!
Good education is the backbone if a good future.
http://demandprogress.org/
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/stop_florida_voterpurge/
http://99airlines.org/?source=mo-email1
Sign two and make up your own or vote. For the last one just for fun!
As a former special education teacher in the inner city of Chicago, I am appalled at what the GOP is doing to public education. I started my career in 1975 when Gerald Ford signed into law Public law 94-142 that insisted that all children had a right to quality education. What the the GOP governors are doing across this country is illegal and immoral. To them only a select group of children should have a quality education. That is one of their goals for implementing Charter Schools. The other purpose is to enrich their pockets by rewarding those who gave to their campaigns. One of Romney's sons is an administrator with a company that owns charter schools. Don't you think that that is a conflict of interest? By doing what they are doing, they are ensuring that all children will not have the education they deserve and thereby limit their opportunities for a better life. As we unite, we will have the power to stop this and move forward to greater heights and an even better public school system whose main focus is educating all of our children. When I taught, I saw students that others had given up, succeed. ALL CHILDREN CAN LEARN! They just don't all learn the same way. If we build on their strengths, anything is possible. It was only through art and music, that I was able to reach some of my students.