Another great column about how out of touch our Governor has become

[JPZenger]

http://yinzercation.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/the-governor-must-listen/

The latest from a blogger in SW PA writing about what they are doing to our public schools.

Excerpts:

"The Governor Must Listen.

Unbelievable. Now the Governor won’t even accept letters from children. Yesterday morning, a group of Pittsburgh Public School students and their parents took time out of their school and work days to visit Governor Corbett’s Pittsburgh office. They had planned to deliver the children’s hand-drawn posters, banners, and letters that they had made explaining how much they love their public schools, but they were not even allowed to enter the office.

This has to be a new low, even for this Governor. These kids were ready to learn about democracy and how our government works. Instead, they got a lesson in nasty politics and saw just how cut off – literally – Gov. Corbett is from the people of Pennsylvania.

The group of moms and kids entered Piatt Place – some of the most expensive real estate in downtown Pittsburgh – intending to simply drop off their letters. They also hoped to leave petitions signed by hundreds of people from Southwest Pennsylvania in support of public education. However, the Governor’s staff refused to allow the children to go upstairs, complained that they didn’t have an appointment (to deliver letters?), and became quite angry and unpleasant. The parents explained that they were not asking for an appointment to meet with someone, they simply wished to leave the letters for the Governor, but the staff would not even consider sending someone down to the lobby to accept them.

When Jodi Hirsch, who helped organize the visit, asked the office for a statement so they could explain to the media why the Governor would not accept letters from children, a woman named Roxy abruptly hung up the phone, saying “that’s it, this conversation is over.” As Hirsch observed, “Maybe some of the funding for those fancy offices should be used to hire an additional staff person who can help accept 5 minute visits from children … even an intern could have politely accepted the materials.”

Is this Governor so removed from the people of Pennsylvania that he has instructed his staff not to accept letters from school children? How is this politicization of our education system and the cruel treatment of our youngest citizens helping our schools and students?

...Kathy Newman led a “Yinzercation Delegation” to the state capitol, filling a bus with public education advocates....The children’s delegation, led by parents Jeff Shook, Ali Patterson and Sarah Nunley, delivered a packet of letters to Mike Turzai’s office. Turzai, a Republican from the North Hills, is absolutely critical in this fight for public education (see more on him in “Rep. Turzai’s 1.7 million Reasons”). Unfortunately, his staff members were not at all receptive, but students Maya Shook and Abigail Segel spoke eloquently and poignantly about education. Newman said, “We were so proud of them, and impressed by their ability to advocate for themselves!”

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Here's part of another post by the same blogger in response to the concern of many Republican powerbrokers that Corbett suffers from an "image" problem:

"Perhaps the Governor’s kitchen cabinet ought to show him the new report out this week from the PA Association of School Administrators and the PA Association of School Business Officials. This study concluded, “School districts are being forced to cut deeper into instructional programs that will hurt student-learning opportunities and create fear that nearly half of districts surveyed will be in financial distress within three years if state and local funding does not improve.” [PASA/PASBO May 2012] The survey of Pennsylvania school districts found that:

■60% will increase class sizes again
■58% will face reduced instruction in art and music, reduced physical education classes, fewer elective course offerings and advanced placement course offerings
■49% are delaying textbook purchases
■46% are trimming or eliminating extra-curricular programs, including sports and field trips
■37% are cutting tutoring programs
■34% are eliminating summer school
■19% will eliminate full-day Kindergarten
■75% will furlough or not fill vacancies in their district; more than 50% have a wage freeze in place now (an increase from 16% last year)

I don’t need a kitchen cabinet to tell me that we have a real crisis in public education. And it’s not an image problem, it’s a funding problem."

[pacalo]

1. How awful! I'm stunned.

[malthaussen]

2. Proudly following in the footsteps of NYC's mayor...

... who had valentines from children ripped down from the fence surrounding City Hall.

-- Mal

[pacalo]

3. Oh, my. When you compare that callous snub with what was in the hearts & minds

of the children who sent those valentines, it's infuriating!