Stronger Schools for Better Opportunities

By Lawrence M. "Larry" Farnese, Jr.

A strong educational background builds the foundation for economic opportunities and must be part of the long-term answer to reducing the City's crime rate.

Currently, Philadelphia spends $9,947 per student. Taking into consideration the challenges Philadelphia faces, the General Assembly found that the City should be spending $14,131 per student to reach adequate educational goals.

In contrast, Lower Merion school district spends $17,184 per student and the Assembly found that the District need only spend $12,211 per student to reach educational goals.

Obviously, our educational system contains gross inadequacies and it is past time to address those problems.

Already, the Governor has proposed millions of dollars to address this adequacy gap as well as a new funding formula that takes into consideration the challenges of urban schools. Those funds must be spent to:

• Reduce class sizes
• Expand early childhood education including full-day kindergarten and pre-k programs.
• Improve the District's curriculum and provide appropriate educational materials for our children
• Provide improved continuing education for teachers and administrators

• Providing opportunities for high school students to participate in career internships.
• Allowing students to enroll in higher education facilities while still in high school and expanding tutoring programs.
• Assisting schools in obtaining new equipment to ensure students' education is relevant to the modern work place.

• Provide state funding to the Pennsylvania Safe Schools Advocate in Philadelphia to ensure that everything is being done to ensure our children's safety
• Dedicate funding to double the number of non-teaching assistants and school police in the fifty most troubled schools
• Commit more funding to alternative education schools so that students that cause problems may be removed from the classrooms and put in a more structured disciplinary environment and the rest of our children can focus on learning
• Dedicate funding to accelerated credit recovery programs that allow drop-outs to finish the classwork they need to get their degree and join the workforce

• Increase funding for trade programs within high schools that would provide students additional options if they choose not to attend college.
• Reduce costs for our children to earn a college education and offering rewards for students who have proven themselves through scholarship programs.
• Promote the creation of new, innovative Charter Schools while maintaining appropriate oversight.