Fleecing of Our Schools

Today, we were informed of the School District of Philadelphia's intent to lay off an additional 300 noontime aids and support staff. Jerry Jordan assured the teachers that he would fight to have those positions restored. If one can imagine running a school without the supports needed in the poorest of neighborhoods throughout the urban school district, where continual discipline and behavioral problems already exist when operating as a full staff, then one will see the failure that lies ahead. The question I ask is; Why? Inevitable failure and the inability to safely administrate and educate students from pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade is the predicament of our schools. The rug has been pulled from under the district leaving them with buildings half filled and inadequate operating staff.

I believe that the hidden goal is to force closure and restructure of education as we have known it. Relying on government funding has become uncertain and priorities of educating children has become a charade. Current leaders are not bold enough to blatantly say that education is no longer a priority. If one wants to know what is important, look at where the money is being spent. The fleecing of American education as we have known it has already begun. I believe that the agenda is already set as costs for higher-education continue to rise, fewer students, especially minority students will obtain to such accomplishments as college education. Although society holds education as a goal one should aspire for, the realization of American young people attaining high levels of scholastic achievement appears dim. An interesting phenomenon is that many foreign students continue to learn in American schools while American students find great difficulty affording education.

Standardized testing and accountabilities of NCLB have been used to discredit American schools, teachers and students. While urban school students seem to score poorly, unfortunately, teachers are often blamed for their failure. Sanctions and closure convey failure. Have our schools really failed and has our educational system lost the worthiness of financial funding from our government? Monies once designated for schools are no longer available to schools? Something is terribly wrong and I believe our leaders must also be accountable for what is occurring.

I challenge communities to rise up and realize that education is being stolen from the next generation. One's grand children will not even have the opportunities that were allotted us as the civil rights movement of the sixties helped to open many doors for minorities but the fight is not over. The fleecing has already begun!! Converting schools into other business venues like luxury apartment buildings is not acceptable for the next generation. This is failure! How will children gain the skills needed to flourish in this economy? Communities must take back what is being stolen or they will have to do an enormous amount of explaining to one's grand children. They will wonder why no one fought for their future. The fight is not only for educators but the communities must recognize that this is being done to them.