As students head back to school this week, the Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPAwww.gpofpa.org) looks to Governor Corbett as the source of Philadelphia’s school funding woes.

“It is clear that the biggest cause of the current budget crisis is the steep drop in state funding,” noted Hillary Kane, an at-large member of the GPPA Steering Committee.  “We stand in solidarity with PCAPS, who protested in front of Corbett’s office yesterday,” she continued.  PCAPS is the Philadelphia Coalition Advocating for Public Schools and is endorsed by the Green Party of Philadelphia.

 

“23 school are closed, 3783 workers are laid off, but, $400 million is available for expanding prisons” said Vivek Ananthan Treasurer, Green Party of Pennsylvania.  “Working people are being sacrificed while corporations are rewarded.”

“It is unconscionable that money can be found for prison construction yet, funding is being held from the School District of Philadelphia unless it complies with Governor Corbett’s concessions from the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers.  Corbett is shameless in extorting Philadelphia’s teachers and punishing it’s students to achieve his goal of breaking the union,” said Jay Sweeney, Green Party Chair from Wyoming County.

“Governor Corbett continues to under-fund schools in the poorest areas of Pennsylvania furthering an already crisis situation in our cities”, states Carl Romanelli, GPPA Steering Committee,Luzerne County.

“This crisis has affected poor people and minorities for decades.  So our governor responds by funding prisons and not funding schools, with minorities and the poorest among us being the most exploited by a lack of educational opportunity and among the ranks of the incarcerated.  It is cruel and bully politics at best, and sinister and racist policy in all reality.

When the Governor decides to address any of these issues it is usually to support his radical views on privatizing everything from schools to prisons.  We Greens find this unacceptable and encourage our fellow Pennsylvanians to push back against such mentality.”

The Green Party of Pennsylvania stands for grassroots democracy, social justice, nonviolence, and ecological wisdom. For more information on the GPPA, please contact 888-721-4733 and [email protected].

Philadelphia Coalition Advocating for Public Schools

“Indescribably insane:” A Public School System from Hell

August 19, 2013

“Back to Sch…What?  This Isn’t a School”

by Philadelphia Student Union

4 Philadelphia schools saved, 23 closing after SRC vote

Nearly 4,000 Philadelphia Teachers, School Staff Losing Jobs