Monday, October 27, 2014

Some thoughts on budget cuts and school choice

Normal disclaimer that this is my personal blog and I don't speak for KIPP Philadelphia. And yes, I know it's been over a year since my last post. Two boys under 4 and a busy job will do that to you. Onward...


I believe in school choice. I think all parents should have multiple quality choices about where to send their children to school. As a parent of two young sons, I want to have the option to send my sons to the charter elementary school I run, the local district elementary school that is practically in our backyard, or a number of other good options. Unlike most parents in Philadelphia, I’m lucky enough to live in a neighborhood where the local district school is one that sends lots of students to selective district programs and has a good reputation in our neighborhood. While I have not yet visited, I have no doubt it is a place full of dedicated, talented teachers who I would love to teach my boys.

But with the incredible financial hardship of the last few years, district schools have lost invaluable programs, staff, and supplies, making even the best schools retreat into survival mode where simply maintaining some basic level of education is the best that can be hoped for. Drastic budget cuts means absurdly large class sizes, no art or music education, and teachers scrounging for even the most rudimentary supplies. I don’t want to send my children to a school like that and neither should any parent. For too many families they have no choice but to send their child to a school decimated by these budget cuts.  

As a principal of a charter school, I believe deeply in the promise of charter schools to provide families more choice and more great schools. Since charter schools are free and must serve all students, (I know not all do) this choice is open to everyone, not just those with enough money to live in the best neighborhoods or to pay for private school. While some charter schools in Philadelphia haven’t lived up to this promise, there are many that are doing a great job educating students in ways that anyone in Philadelphia would be proud to send their own child there.

At the same time, there is no substantive choice in education in Philadelphia without strong schools in the district. We need more great schools in Philadelphia, not less, and right now the massive budget cuts in the district are creating fewer great schools. No matter where you stand on the debates about charters, unions, the SRC, or any other hot button issue, what is happening in the district has to make you furious. As both a parent and someone who cares about the city I live in, I hope that the school district gets the substantial infusion of money it needs to do great things for kids. Right now, they don’t and that lack of choice hurts everyone in Philadelphia.