State Budget Issue Review: Articles and Resources on Learning more and Taking Action

Currently there are many urgent questions coming up around what “Public Education” both in K-12 and Higher Ed is going to look like in Philadelphia next year. It is clear that public schools may be asked (at best), to do more with much, much less. The cuts on K-12 Public Education in PA could total 1.1 billion dollars across the state, and will disproportionately effect low income districts. Below are some highlighted articles regarding the Governor’s current budget plan. These articles highlight what is being said on behalf of K-12 Public Schools as well as Public Institutions of Higher Education.

Students from Penn State, Temple, the University of Pittsburgh, and Lincoln University have rallied over the past month to try and make sure that the state officials know that Governor Corbett’s budget cuts to public education are unacceptable. Oh behalf of K-12 districts, non-profits and education advocacy groups in Philadelphia are speaking out to let the state know that Philadelphians can and are improving our public schools and that these efforts need support. On the University end, Temple’s President Hart calls upon Philadelphians to educate themselves about the state budget’s proposed cuts to public Higher Education. Steve Hicks, (the president of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties) states that one of the major consequences of these budget cuts is that they will hurt college students who can least afford it. The current state budget (cutting public IHE funding up to 50%), would force tuition costs to rise and would limit the quality of academic programs that our public colleges and universities will be able to provide. With this level of budget cutting what message is being sent to Philadelphians? Most powerfully, as written by Karen Heller, that we belong in prison, not school?

As Higher Education representatives invested in a “K-16” mentality and in light of Mayor Nutter’s goal of doubling the college attainment rate for Philadelphia students, all public school institutions and private school supporters will be challenged to show our state representatives how directly budget cuts like this will effect our city.

Here are opportunities to take action and learn more:
http://www.educationvoterspa.org/
http://www.pccy.org/
http://www.eplc.org/public_advocacy_pa_network.shtml
http://protectphillyed.com/
http://www.thenotebook.org/blog/113470/campaign-nonviolent-schools-launches-tuesday