Funding Still Matters
The first essay I wrote in the Public Policy section here looked at the disparity in spending between Philadelphia and the neighboring suburban districts, in order to illustrate the idea that it’s not reasonable to expect a district to be competitive with a fraction of the resource base. Almost six years later, Chris Lehmann at Practical Theory brings up a similar point. Like me, Chris looks at the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Report Card on the Schools series. Unlike me, Chris has the experience of working to launch a new charter school in Philadelphia to provide more specific, vivid examples. So go check out his post. It’s great that Lehmann and his team are committed to doing the fundraising work necessary to make their vision for the Science Leadership Academy thrive. But how much greater would it be if they could put all that energy into actually educating kids?
About Dave Thomer
Born and raised in Philadelphia. Studied philosophy at Fordham University in the Bronx, where I made many great friends and met my wonderful wife. We moved back to Philadelphia, where I studied philosophy some more and became a teacher. Online and off, I'm looking for ways that we can be better citizens and build stronger communities.