August 3, 2023
On the finalized Pennsylvania budget, PFT President Jerry T. Jordan issued the following statement:
“We are pleased that the budget is now law and includes additional funding for public education. The misguided push to divert public dollars into private institutions was a distraction that diverts us from our collective responsibility to truly invest in public education. Now the real work begins to once and for all implement a system of school funding that not only meets our moral obligation but also meets the constitutional obligation as set forth in the February court case ruling. It is well past time for Philadelphia’s children to have the resources that students In wealthier, whiter school districts have.
“It is incumbent upon the House, the Senate, and the Governor to rectify this decades long inequity, and to work relentlessly in order to implement a new funding system that meets this moment with the urgency it demands. This includes investing in educators, support staff, and school facilities. It means smaller class sizes. It means healthy school buildings. And it means a well resourced public school in every neighborhood.”
###