Fw: (3 of 3) The Pennsylvania Joint Black Radical Congress Statement on Public Education

[Kkennieth Heard]

 

 

The Pennsylvania Joint Black Radical Congress Statement on Public Education

Public education for all laboring people and those who need to work is under severe attack throughout our country.

Philadelphia, especially, and immediately needs an elected school board, of Black, brown, white public school graduates, parents and educators who are the decision makers for the future of children in the city.There is a mood to have working and laboring people not have an education which will move them forth into the next century. Part of this is the plan to prevent people in all areas from making decisions for their children and leaving the decisions in the hands of consultants and others who have no history in communities.

We have found the mood to have working and laboring people exist without, a modern education, particularly in cities, and areas where children of African-American, Spanish Speaking and other workers of color reside, many of whom have immigrated to our cities and now attend public schools. We have seen a racist disregard for public school children and their educational needs in the decisions of these Boards. This racism must be rejected.

The school reformers Administrative Boards have failed to provide an education preparing children for the responsibilities of the next century. The next century generation is set for failure. To remedy this and have children succeed, we must call the School Reform Commission (SRC) and all other Administrative bodies plans to dismantle public education to a halt. It is obvious that union busting, and dishonoring union contracts rejects respect for all workers and unions in public education.

Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Chester, Erie and Allentown are no exceptions.

Philadelphia and Pittsburgh may possibly be some of the most embattled school systems in the country. The SRC plans for children will keep the school to jail pipeline open. Underfunded public schools in Pittsburgh, as well as all the outlying areas, result in lack of needed services to children held hostage by the various Administrative Boards, such as the SRC in Philadelphia. Philadelphia immediately needs the local, state and federal tax systems revised for the good of the children. Large non-profits need to pay their share of the costs for public education, especially when they are operating for profit entities under their umbrella.

The rich and the corporations need to pay their share for the education of children instead of having controls and funding for public schools left from the trickle down monies of philanthropy. Immediately return public education money cut from the state budget. Immediately eliminate swaps, vouchers, and the charter school drain on public school budgets. At the same time, eliminate managed academies. Immediately, pressure the federal government to cut military spending and fund public education. In particular, immediately, redirect the near 1 million dollars in funding going to the JROTC in Philadelphia and other cities around Pennsylvania.

Immediately provide the infrastructure and the materials needed for the accomplishment of the academic  improvement of all public school children. Immediately provide all the supplies that are needed for educators to teach, and for children to learn. We want to see schools with small class sizes, with preschool, extended school days, and high levels of safety. Immediately, provide small class sizes – 20 children and never as high as 30 children in  kindergarten or in any elementary school classes. We look forward and onward to socialism, and children are always first in our minds. We can never have arms deals before school children and we should not treat public school children as if they can learn from the fund raising results of a bake sale.

Immediately provide the needed professional upgrading and retraining of all educators to provide for our public school children in this and the next century. We want those who teach and care for children in schools to have adequate supplies, facilities, and equipment they need to teach. We want educators, and all school workers to be free of worry about how they will feed, clothe, and house their own families while they are trying to educate and care for the needs of their fellow workers’ children.

Submitted to Philadelphia City Council Education Hearing

November 25th, 2012

By the Pennsylvania Joint Black Radical Congress Statement on Public Education
POB 36765
Philadelphia, PA
19107