Politics & Government

Cook-Wissahickon Parent Letter to Lawmakers, Governor

Below is a text from 230 parents at Cook-Wissahickon Elementary School.

For a story on the parents' stance, other neighbor reaction and info from Rep. DeLissio . The letter is dated Dec. 21, and was mailed to Corbett and Hughes Wednesday. Parents hand-delivered it to DeLissio Tuesday.

Re: Harm Done to Cook-Wissahickon Elementary School by PA State Budget Cuts to Public Education 

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To: Gov. Tom Corbett (R), Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-7), and Rep. Pam DeLissio (D-194)

Greetings to each of you during this holiday season. We are parents, teachers, students, and staff of in Roxborough, a neighborhood in northwest Philadelphia, and we are writing to you to tell you about what has happened to our school because of the cuts to public education in this year’s state budget. We hope you will read our letter and take the opportunity to ameliorate the dire straits in which Pennsylvania’s public schools (and Philadelphia schools in particular) have been left due to this year’s budget cuts. In particular, we would ask you to pass a supplementary appropriations bill as soon as possible and, when it comes time to pass next year’s budget, to adequately fund all public schools across the state of Pennsylvania. We desperately need your help.

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As Representative DeLissio and Senator Hughes can attest (as our school is in their district and they know about our accomplishments), Cook-Wissahickon is a wonderful neighborhood public school in the Philadelphia School District with high student achievement across the board, high teacher and parent satisfaction, and extensive parent engagement through volunteering and fundraising. Yet last spring’s budget cuts have undermined our ability tomaintain high standards of student support, engagement, and safety. 

 Due to the cuts in state funding, our losses are as follows: 

  • One kindergarten teacher: Our kindergarten classes are huge at 29 students each.  [The number has risen to 30 each as of 1/10/2012.]
  • Class sizes are large across the board averaging 25:  We need more teachers, not fewer.
  • Spanish teacher: Without her our students are losing out on a well-rounded education and have no way of being competitive for high schools that require language preparation to apply.
  • Librarian
  • Assistant Principal
  • School police officer
  • Bus monitor: No one will be on payroll to supervise kids ages 5-13 as they board and debark from seven buses which come to our school at the beginning and end of each school day.
  • Four of five noontime aides: Only one staff member is now left to watch over 160 kids during lunch and recess periods.
  • Music teacher:  Funded only two days a week.
  • No prep period coverage: The school counselor is filling in, taking away from her ability to fulfill her primary job responsibilities (a caseload that exceeds the 400-student limit).
  • Custodian
  • School supply budget: Currently at $0 for the rest of the year. The Home and School Association is begging parents for donations of paper and other school supplies.
  • Extended-day Power Hour (after-school tutoring for children who need extra academic support) has been eliminated. 
  • Special-needs students: Special Education liaison positions have been cut 77 percent across the city, affecting both the individual children (who rely on their support to coordinate the resources they require to meet their individual needs) and the whole school population—all students are impacted when students with special needs are not adequately supported.
  • Gifted program is funded at 35 hours for the entire year:  it exists in name only.

We have built a safe, well-functioning school, but the continued attrition of personnel threatens its ability to create a safe and calm climate in which children can achieve academically and learn respect for themselves and others. Please remember that the cuts you make to education on the state level have very real, damaging impacts on the lives of individual children throughout the state of Pennsylvania. We have attempted to document their effects on our school in this letter. We hope that, having seen what your state budget cuts have meant, you will restore funding in 2012 for the sake of all the children of Pennsylvania.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Poyourow
Parent, Cook-Wissahickon Elementary School
And 230 co-signers on 16 pages of signatures following letter


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