What Governor Corbett is doing to public education in Philadelphia is pretty sadistic. When faced with crisis, Governor Corbett chooses to keep the Philadelphia School District in perpetual crisis mode. School district won’t open in time? Attack the teachers union, give the lowest possible amount of money to keep schools open. Child dies of an asthma attack in a school with no nurse present? Blame the teachers union for not giving up enough money and release $45 million in peanuts to help the cash strapped school district. Cigarette tax dies in the House and the district says that schools won’t open? Give the school district a one time $265 million dollar advancement, offer no real revenue solution for the struggling school district, and take another shot at the teachers union. Now, wait for the next crisis to happen in a month or two or three or four, because we all know it will happen in the not-so-distant future.
By kicking the can from crisis to crisis, this is Governor Corbett’s sadistic plan for keeping Philadelphia’s education system in perpetual crisis mode.