It's back to school in Philadelphia. Thousands of students are returning to schools where there are no nurses, librarians or guidance counselors. And under the leadership of School Superintendent William Hite, there has been a precipitous drop in students' performance on state standardized tests.
While there's no money for classrooms, Hite found $1.2 million to hire bureaucrats for his already bloated administrative staff. Only in Philadelphia would a position be created for a “turnaround” artist whose former employers told him to turn around and get out of town. The Philadelphia Daily News reported that Eric Becoats resigned from his last two jobs “following accounts of his alleged misuse of public resources.”
City Council President Darrell Clarke has had enough. He sent a letter to Hite:
In a recent edition of the Philadelphia Daily News, it was brought to my attention that you have filled six senior level positions at the School District of Philadelphia. I am writing to request that you provide Council with detailed information concerning these positions, including a job description and the manner in which these individuals will contribute to life in the classroom.
Let me be clear about my concern with this announcement. As you may recall, during City Council's consideration of the Mayor's proposed fiscal year 2016 operating and capital budgets, you testified that you were seeking additional funding that would go directly to classroom support, including providing additional teachers to reduce class size and restoring counselors and nurse/health technicians. It is on the basis of your testimony that Council approved approximately $100 million in additional funding for the School District's upcoming academic year.
Clarke added:
Given this background, I think it is important to understand how the hiring of these six individuals will enhance the educational experience of Philadelphia's children.
It's true that trouble doesn't last always. However, that truism doesn't apply to a school district whose superintendent inherited a fiscal hole and kept digging.
