I wouldn’t have opened Philadelphia’s schools out of concern for students, and to send a message to the state of Pennsylvania.
If I were the Superintendent of Philadelphia’s schools and were faced with a legacy deficit and insurmountable political opposition that made it impossible for my district to both compete globally and provide safe, clean, supervised spaces for the more than 100,000 students who expect a quality education, than I wouldn’t have opened the doors on September 8th, regardless of the bad press and potential jail time.
The deplorable conditions of these aging buildings, coupled with the lack of teaching and learning resources available for those persons who occupy it for nearly eight hours a day, constitute not only a health hazard, but a culture of chaos that exacerbates the trauma that most of the students, the majority of whom are economically disadvantaged, are dealing with on a daily basis.
For nearly two years I taught in a school building were mice frequently ran over the student’s feet and terds were scattered throughout the room – it was quite the sh*tty situation. The Department of Human Services, if they found a home in the same conditions as some of these schools – one parent recently revealed her school had no hand sanitizer or toilet paper when doors opened last week – would swiftly remove the children and condemn the building.
The schools in Philadelphia, as they stand today, provided little-to-no return on investment for taxpayers, yet they continue to be advocated for – without dramatic augmentation – as if our children will miss out on something spectacular if we stall on opening the doors.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and an $80 million deficit that restricts growth and innovation, class sizes of forty or more, no nurses, part-time security and a School Reform Commission with perceived absolute power is not only desperate, it’s pathetic, below mediocre and surely an unforgivable sin in the eyes of a god somewhere.
If I were the Superintendent of Philadelphia’s schools I wouldn’t have opened the schools, not just as a political statement – the last time a Superintendent threatened not the opened schools quick action happened: the state took over and erected the SRC – but in genuine concern for the safety of my young people.
The kids of Philadelphia deserve bold and fearless leadership during these trying times, not passive aggressiveness that upholds the status quo.
Thanks for reading. Until next time, I’m Flood the Drummer® & I’m Drumming for JUSTICE!™