Under the Pennsylvania state code, the Secretary of Education must investigate each complaint and correct any deficiencies that may be found. Among the complaints:

• a third grade student who became homeless and lacks a full-time guidance counselor to offer services and supports required under the McKinney-Vento Act;
• a parent of a student in emotional distress whose guidance counselor is present only two hours one day a week;
• a parent whose first grader is in a separate annex building which used to have an assistant principal and now has no supervisory or administrative staff;
• a parent whose primary grade child is denied any arts programming even though the state code mandates arts instruction for every student in every year at the primary grade level;
• a parent of a 12th grade student who cannot access required transcripts in a timely manner for college applications because her school, which once had two full-time guidance counselors, is now down to one part-time counselor;
• parents at a school where the new library is shut down because of a lack of a librarian. The PA code states that every child in every year at the intermediate level shall have "understanding  and use of library and other information sources."
• elimination of gifted support programs for students with G-IEPs

The documentation of the direct harm of irrational and arbitrary budget cuts demands immediate relief from the state. Gov. Tom Corbett today sits on $45 million in federal funds designated for Philadelphia which he refuses to release. This arbitrary action results in the denial of a basic education guaranteed in the Pennsylvania state code and constitution.

Numerous organizations citywide are supporting this effort to help families and others file formal complaints with the state, including Offices of City Council members Bill Green and Maria Quinones Sanchez, Philly Counselors United, BPSOS-Delaware Valley, the Philadelphia Home and School Council, Action United, PCAPS, NAACP-Philadelphia branch, and others.

 

Thanks to all the parents and community members who have helped volunteer time and energy for this effort. We will not rest until ALL our concerns are fully addressed!