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Photo by Evan Brandt
Many of those who packed three buses from Pottstown for yesterday's Fair Funding rally met out front of the capitol building first. They were welcomed by state Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-146th Dist.
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One might be forgiven if, while strolling the halls of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Wednesday, you mistook it for downtown Pottstown.
After all, there were so many Pottstown people there, three buses worth in fact, that it may well have been the single largest contingent from any school district to show up to fight for fair educating funding.
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Photo by Evan Brandt
Why do these Pottstown students (and one teacher) who took time
out of their summer to fight for what's right deserve less of an
education than those in a wealthier district? Answer: They don't. They are, from left, early education teacher Naimah Rhodes, Trinity Rhodes-Fisher, Jesus Charriez, Grace Bainbridge, Kyleaf July, Isabelle Dupon and
Heaven Charriez.
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I mean Philadelphia is a bigger school district, but as I understand it, they only filled one bus. Not that we're bragging, but it's safe to say that while Pottstown may be one of the smallest of Pennsylvania's 500 school districts, its voice could be heard from one end of the capitol to the other Wednesday.
That may well be because Pottstown is the sixth most-underfunded school districts in Pennsylvania.
Were the "fair funding formula" adopted in 2016 to be applied to all state education funding, Pottstown would have $13 million more every single year to pay teachers, implement programs and (gasp!) LOWER its ridiculously high property taxes.
To be sure, Pottstown's was not the only voice ringing through the rotunda Wednesday.
Don't believe me? Look and listen for yourself:
And if you're wondering what "Whose side are you on?" refers to, consider that research by POWER Interfaith, the state-wide activists who organized the rally, has shown that the whiter a school district is, the more money it gets per-student under the current funding mechanism.
"How can that be?" you ask. "What about the fair funding formula?" A good question, but the answer
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Photo by Evan Brandt
It was not hard to spot "We Are Pottstown" shirts in yesterday's crowd. |
As for the rest of it? "The way we've always done it," which is to say unfairly and the exact thing the formula was adopted to eliminate.
I would say more, but advocate and School Board candidate Laura Johnson, who was the only Pottstown person to make it to the microphone, spoke for us all. Here's what she said:
Like so many here today I have some heros.
One of those heroes is an author named Rachel Held Evans.
I found Rachel so inspiring because she was persistently honest in matters of both faith and justice.
Tragically, Rachel passed away last month.
After her death someone shared a handwritten reminder that Rachel had made for herself and posted above her desk:
It said TELL THE TRUTH.
I’m here today because I need to tell the truth.
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Photo by Evan Brandt
Laura Johnson of Pottstown speaks at Wednesday's
fair funding rally. |
I live in Pottstown Pennsylvania with my husband and our three children.I’ve had the privilege to volunteer and become involved in our schools.
Our children go to Pottstown School District.
I’ve been able to see that Pottstown’s schools are really something to be quite proud of.
Because, the truth is, we have caring and committed teachers, many of whom stand with us today.
The truth is, we have a wonderfully diverse student population.
The truth is, we have some truly excellent programs.
But since I’m telling the truth,
I need to tell you the whole truth:
As I’ve become involved in our schools, I've learned some troubling news.
The truth is, that the current education funding in Pennsylvania is racially biased.
The truth is, that students in diverse districts like Pottstown are consistently underfunded.
Pottstown’s schools are underfunded by over 13 million dollars every year.
Pottstown teachers and students deserve a fair shake.
That is almost 4,000 dollars per student.
The results are severe.
Our caring and committed teachers are underpaid.
Programs have been cut.
Our students lack the supports and opportunities they need.
Additionally, our economically hurting town has one of the highest tax burdens in the entire state.
Let’s tell the truth:
The lawmakers know there is racial bias in the current funding.
They know we are desperately hurting.
Many of them have some underfunded schools in their own districts.
Some of them, like our own Joe Ciresi, are champions in this fight against injustice.
The Pottstown NAACP visited legislators Wednesday.
Yet for many others, their approach is to be indifferent to it.
They allow the damage to keep compounding year after year because they say it’s not politically possible to fix it.
Let’s tell the truth:
If you are a lawmaker, your job is to ask what is morally and ethically right and use your power to help make it a reality.
To hide from what you know is right in the name of political impossibility is to fail to do your job.
It is time for our political leaders to find the will and the courage to correct this injustice.
It is time to end the racial bias in education funding.
POWER Organizer Nicholas O'Rourke
It is time to pass HB961 to bring 100 percent fair funding to Pennsylvania schools.
And it is time to make clear that children in districts like Pottstown are every bit as deserving of a great education as their peers across the state.
THAT is the truth.Frankly, I couldn't improve on that.
We'll have more coverage in The Mercury, but for now, here are some more Pottstown voices via video:
Here's what state Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-146th Dist., had to say on the matter:
And members of the Pottstown chapter of the NAACP agree that with $13 million more in state funding the fair funding formula would provide, that Pottstown would be well set to revitalize by saying that the schools had been improved and the taxes lowered.
Here's what Pottstown School Board President Amy Francis had to say on the matter:
"I am so proud of our community," said Marlene Armato, who helped organize Pottstown's passage to the rally. "We came together like nothing I've ever seen before, we had churches, the teachers federation, students, the YWCA, the NAACP, this is something that has really united Pottstown because it's something that would help all of Pottstown."
Estimates calculated that last year's rally brought 600 people to the rotunda. This year, it was 1,000.
The difference, said Pottstown Schools Superintendent Stephen Rodriguez, who spoke at last year's rally "is the difference between throwing a bullet, and shooting one."
Here are the Tweets from the day's events:
Whose Side Are You On?
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