The layoffs revealed in this story below are really regrettable. Some schools are so big and diverse, having additional adults in the building and whose job is to monitor hallways and carry-out other essential tasks is a big loss.
Posted on Fri, Aug. 31, 2007
Phila. schools lay off 53 more aides
By Susan Snyder
Inquirer Staff Writer
The Philadelphia School District this week sent layoff notices to 53 teacher assistants and other aides, raising the ire of their union.
Thirteen are nonteaching assistants who help maintain order in hallways among other tasks, and 40 are teacher assistants with varying jobs.
"These were due to budget decisions at the school level," district spokeswoman Barbara Farley said yesterday.
In Philadelphia, principals are allotted budgets and have some leeway in how to spend the money.
Farley said the layoffs were not part of the district's effort to erase the remaining $20 million deficit in its $2.18 billion budget.
District enrollment is expected to dip by about 8,000 this school year, but Farley could not say how many of the layoffs were due to fewer children and how many to schools' deciding "they wanted to use their money differently." Some schools may have found other ways to deal with the tasks performed by the assistants, she said.
District officials, who expect to start school Sept. 10 with about 166,000 students, also had no information yesterday on how many schools the layoffs affected or how much money they would save.
The layoffs raised the total for assistants and aides this summer to 129, district officials said.
Jerry Jordan, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, said the layoffs would mean fewer adults in schools and more chances for disruption.
"With the loss of the NTAs, we're ripe for some very, very serious problems in the area of school safety," Jordan said. "These are the people who help to inform school personnel that there's going to be a fight after school or there's going to be a problem in the lunchroom."
The union also expressed concerns this week about teacher vacancies.
"The way you open your building, that sets a tone," Jordan said. "With the lack of the appropriate number of teachers and the elimination of support staff, we've got some real concerns."
As of yesterday, the district had 121 vacancies, down from 134 last year, said Shawn Crowder, senior vice president of human resources.
Special education, math and science are among the areas short of teachers, she said.
The district expects to start school with about 60 vacancies, Crowder said. Last school year opened with 43.
The human-resources office will work through the week, including tomorrow, to get as many new teachers as possible ready for the classroom, she said.
Contact staff writer Susan Snyder at 215-854-4693 or ssnyder@phillynews.com.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Got meter money?
I don’t know about you, but I’m wondering how much of the additional revenue that the Philadelphia Parking Authority will collect from newly increased meter rates will go to Philadelphia schools.
Remember . . . six years ago, the Parking Authority was moved from local to state control on the promise that a more efficiently run agency could generate millions more in dollars that would be transferred to the Philadelphia School District?
A portion of the new savings – up to $45 million annually – would go to our schools. That was later revised to require that excess “on-street parking funds” beyond the first $25 million be transferred.
But funding hasn’t quite materialized as planned. In 2004, the authority provided a one-time transfer of $4 million to schools, spurring State Rep. James Roebuck last month to finally pose, “Where is the other money that was promised in 2001?”
Roebuck -- also chair of the House Education Committee – last month introduced a resolution that would require a legislative audit of the Authority (House Resolution 367 now sits in committee).
Although the Authority has yet to show that it’s managing money so much more efficiently that it can deliver on its failed financial promises, that hasn’t stopped it from pursuing even more revenue. On the recommendation of the City Planning Commission and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway Council, costs for parking at meters on a three-block stretch of the Parkway and streets in Center City from Market Street south to Walnut Street are now or due to double in price.
And get this – one newspaper reported that Linda Miller, senior director of facilities and public affairs for the Parking Authority, said the Authority doesn’t know how much revenue the new regulations are expected to bring in! Now that’s efficient, profit-minded fiscal management for you!
I think the local media should press the Authority a little harder to come up with an answer on expected revenues – at least so we’ll know how much more money our city’s chronically under-funded school system will continue to miss out on.
Remember . . . six years ago, the Parking Authority was moved from local to state control on the promise that a more efficiently run agency could generate millions more in dollars that would be transferred to the Philadelphia School District?
A portion of the new savings – up to $45 million annually – would go to our schools. That was later revised to require that excess “on-street parking funds” beyond the first $25 million be transferred.
But funding hasn’t quite materialized as planned. In 2004, the authority provided a one-time transfer of $4 million to schools, spurring State Rep. James Roebuck last month to finally pose, “Where is the other money that was promised in 2001?”
Roebuck -- also chair of the House Education Committee – last month introduced a resolution that would require a legislative audit of the Authority (House Resolution 367 now sits in committee).
Although the Authority has yet to show that it’s managing money so much more efficiently that it can deliver on its failed financial promises, that hasn’t stopped it from pursuing even more revenue. On the recommendation of the City Planning Commission and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway Council, costs for parking at meters on a three-block stretch of the Parkway and streets in Center City from Market Street south to Walnut Street are now or due to double in price.
And get this – one newspaper reported that Linda Miller, senior director of facilities and public affairs for the Parking Authority, said the Authority doesn’t know how much revenue the new regulations are expected to bring in! Now that’s efficient, profit-minded fiscal management for you!
I think the local media should press the Authority a little harder to come up with an answer on expected revenues – at least so we’ll know how much more money our city’s chronically under-funded school system will continue to miss out on.
Monday, August 13, 2007
PCCY and Student Union take on SEPTA
PCCY and the Philadelphia Student Union, through the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia, recently filed a suit against SEPTA, challenging the proposed elimination of transfers as likely to seriously handicap struggling Philadelphia school students. The Philadelphia Tribune reported on it in its Aug. 10th newspaper.
SEPTA suggests extending transfers
Cutting fee was to aid agency's deficit
By Eric Mayes
Tribune Staff Writer
At the request of lawyers for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, the use of transfers will be continued until Aug. 17.
In a hand-delivered letter Thursday to Judge Gary DiVito, attorney Thomas S. Biemer asked the court to "maintain the status quo" saying that SEPTA officials had conferred with the city and the "city does not oppose this request."
The move comes as a growing number of litigants are calling for SEPTA to keep the transfers.
Two organizations representing the city's youth this week joined the protest against SEPTA's proposal to eliminate transfers.
Attorneys for the Philadelphia Students Union and the Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth both filed briefs on Wednesday asking DiVito to reject the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority's proposal.
They joined the suit just a day before a deadline set earlier in the week by DiVito. On Monday, after two days of testimony, the judge delayed making a ruling telling attorneys for the city and the transit agency they had until Thursday to sum up their arguments on paper. A ruling was initially expected today.
The city sued SEPTA calling a portion of its recent fare-restructuring package racist, discriminatory and illegal. In late June SEPTA boosted fares 11 percent and announced that it would drop its $.60 transfers in this month. By eliminating the transfers, officials hoped to save the agency, which faced a $129 million deficit, about $11 million.
Shelly Yanoff, executive director of Philadelphia Citizens for Children, said axing the transfers would seriously handicap students who are already struggling.
"We believe that charging for transfers will, in fact, really hinder Philadelphia school children in serious ways. We're making it harder for them to stay in school; it doesn't make sense," she said.
"Especially since more than three quarters are low income and more than three quarters are children of color. It really is very bad for them. They're making it more difficult for them to attend school."
In papers submitted to the court by the Public Interest Law Center for PCCY and the students union estimated about 15,000 students would be hit by the plan.
One family, used as an example in court papers, would see transportation costs rise from $20 a week to $50 a week for two children.
Attorney Michael Churchill said SEPTA has the power to voluntarily reverse its decision. SEPTA officials have denied that, saying the transit agency would have to hold new public hearings before it could change course.
"They have the power to reconsider without holding a new fair hearing, certainly they can have a temporary emergency provision to withhold this decision," Churchill said.
Yanoff said she personally has met with transportation officials for a long time trying to forestall fare increases or the cutting of transfers but they have not been receptive to her pleas, nor has City Council.
"We have not been able to make a difference by testifying or by urging City Council to take action so we're using any means necessary that are legal," she said. "There is a time when we have to say what exactly do we want."
Churchill said that by joining the suit, the groups added to the voice of the city's underprivileged to "help emphasis its importance and the hardship that would flow to students and minorities and low-income persons who currently use the paper transfer system."
In most Pennsylvania cities and many large U.S. cities, transportation to and from school is free. Budget constraints have led school officials to adopt other methods here.
"We don't have enough money, so that's where they cut," Yanoff said.
SEPTA suggests extending transfers
Cutting fee was to aid agency's deficit
By Eric Mayes
Tribune Staff Writer
At the request of lawyers for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, the use of transfers will be continued until Aug. 17.
In a hand-delivered letter Thursday to Judge Gary DiVito, attorney Thomas S. Biemer asked the court to "maintain the status quo" saying that SEPTA officials had conferred with the city and the "city does not oppose this request."
The move comes as a growing number of litigants are calling for SEPTA to keep the transfers.
Two organizations representing the city's youth this week joined the protest against SEPTA's proposal to eliminate transfers.
Attorneys for the Philadelphia Students Union and the Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth both filed briefs on Wednesday asking DiVito to reject the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority's proposal.
They joined the suit just a day before a deadline set earlier in the week by DiVito. On Monday, after two days of testimony, the judge delayed making a ruling telling attorneys for the city and the transit agency they had until Thursday to sum up their arguments on paper. A ruling was initially expected today.
The city sued SEPTA calling a portion of its recent fare-restructuring package racist, discriminatory and illegal. In late June SEPTA boosted fares 11 percent and announced that it would drop its $.60 transfers in this month. By eliminating the transfers, officials hoped to save the agency, which faced a $129 million deficit, about $11 million.
Shelly Yanoff, executive director of Philadelphia Citizens for Children, said axing the transfers would seriously handicap students who are already struggling.
"We believe that charging for transfers will, in fact, really hinder Philadelphia school children in serious ways. We're making it harder for them to stay in school; it doesn't make sense," she said.
"Especially since more than three quarters are low income and more than three quarters are children of color. It really is very bad for them. They're making it more difficult for them to attend school."
In papers submitted to the court by the Public Interest Law Center for PCCY and the students union estimated about 15,000 students would be hit by the plan.
One family, used as an example in court papers, would see transportation costs rise from $20 a week to $50 a week for two children.
Attorney Michael Churchill said SEPTA has the power to voluntarily reverse its decision. SEPTA officials have denied that, saying the transit agency would have to hold new public hearings before it could change course.
"They have the power to reconsider without holding a new fair hearing, certainly they can have a temporary emergency provision to withhold this decision," Churchill said.
Yanoff said she personally has met with transportation officials for a long time trying to forestall fare increases or the cutting of transfers but they have not been receptive to her pleas, nor has City Council.
"We have not been able to make a difference by testifying or by urging City Council to take action so we're using any means necessary that are legal," she said. "There is a time when we have to say what exactly do we want."
Churchill said that by joining the suit, the groups added to the voice of the city's underprivileged to "help emphasis its importance and the hardship that would flow to students and minorities and low-income persons who currently use the paper transfer system."
In most Pennsylvania cities and many large U.S. cities, transportation to and from school is free. Budget constraints have led school officials to adopt other methods here.
"We don't have enough money, so that's where they cut," Yanoff said.
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