Yo, Mike! Yo, Al! Repair the school system, and retain good teachers

Aug. 12, 2007
The Philadelphia Inquirer

Yo, Mike! Yo, Al! The one thing I need you to do is ...

Stan Cutler
Philadelphia

Fix the schools!

High taxes and bad media coverage scare some people who may be looking to relocate, but good schools would more than outweigh all of that. Jobs would follow.

What a witch’s brew: principals, teachers, parents, students, the administration, size, gangsta culture, unions, funding, etc., etc. Obviously, solutions will be complex. You’ll have to find a wedge, a lever.

As someone who left his teaching job 25 years ago (after 16 years on the job), I think you need to attract and keep good teachers.

Mike, Al — I would have stayed. I liked the kids. I didn’t even mind the money. I left because I wasn’t respected. My pride was hurt by the attitudes of those I worked for and with. I felt I could "do better." In some ways, I guess I did. But I have never felt good about abandoning the most important job I’ve ever had.

Teaching in districts like Philadelphia is as hard a job as anyone could want. Those who stick it out, those who excel, those who take satisfaction from the small successes, must be rewarded.

Addressing the problem will require some new choices on the parts of the union, the administration, even the city. Only the mayor is positioned to work all the necessary angles. Please, whoever wins in November, go for it.

Al Taubenberger's Response:

Dear Stan,

I’ve been waiting for this question for months.

My wife is a public school teacher, and I hear about this every day. Well, practically every day. She gives me the weekends off. I listen to my wife, and I’ve done extensive research on the subject.

I’m coming out with something called TIP — Teacher Incentive Program. I’ll touch on some of the points. TIP will support new teachers through the use of mentor teachers who will be compensated for their time. It provides for assurance of adequate supplies for schools, intervention to identify students’ needs, and early identification of problematic students with counselors and psychologists.

Also, teachers can’t be effective if they teach in isolation, so TIP would implement weekly grade group meetings. Teachers need opportunities to observe good teaching practices and brainstorm with colleagues. They have to be encouraged to experiment with their own ideas. I’ll be holding a news conference, probably in front of my wife’s school, and I’ll go over these points in depth.

There are two other things that I want to bring up. One is the need for a superintendent of schools. This should be someone with a high profile, with outstanding managerial skills who knows the city inside and out. I’ll lobby my friends in Harrisburg to put the schools back under the city’s exclusive control. Then I’ll name such a person. I have three people in mind. If I’m the next mayor, one of these three will take the post and you’ll see a change for the better in the school system.

Next, I have one way I would like to see disciplinarians deal with problematic students. Disobey in school, and we’re going to take away something near and dear to your heart — your driver’s license.

Michael Nutter's Response:

Dear Stan,

You raise a critical issue facing Philadelphia. I have a child in public school, so I relate to the school district as both parent and candidate.

In the short run, the school district needs to do a better job of monitoring its budget and making sure money is well spent. The recent budget "surprises" hurt the district’s credibility.

But in the long run, we cannot truly tackle the challenges confronting our schools without a significant increase in state funding. As mayor, I will lead the fight to reform Pennsylvania’s state funding formula so it fairly reflects the task of preparing Philadelphia’s students for success. The city’s recent decision to provide additional revenue (which I supported) and the efforts by Gov. Rendell to increase education funding in this year’s budget were good first steps.

But securing sufficient funds for our schools is only the beginning. We also need to focus on proven reforms and on fully implementing them in ways we know will improve test scores, including:

• Reducing class size.
• Increasing early childhood education.
• Expanding programs to retain good teachers and principals.
• Improving safety inside schools by creating safety zones.
• Improving high schools in ways that will decrease dropout rates.
• Making it easier for parents to get involved.

Education is the lifeblood of any thriving culture, and if we want Philadelphia to grow into a great, vibrant city, we need a quality public school system. We must engage parents, youth and the business community to improve the educational opportunities for the children of Philadelphia.

I’m prepared to do my part, Stan, but I need your help. Don’t give up; come back and get involved.