September 2014
Cedar Park Neighbors Newsletter President’s Message: Resolve to Make a Difference By Michael Froehlich sually, the President’s letter U in this newsletter is about events right here in Cedar Park. This issue,
though, I hope you’ll excuse me for a minute if I use this space to talk about something a bit larger than our neighborhood: our public schools. This month, my daughter joins the 130,000 other students in Philadelphia district schools as she begins kindergarten. Like every parent of a school student in Philly, I’m worried about whether she’ll be safe, whether she’ll learn, and whether she’ll have fun. When I was a school student growing up in Ohio, my parents worried about whether I had lunch money. Now, parents worry about whether their schools have copy paper and enough text books for all students. The School District of Philadelphia spends about $12,000 per student, while just across City Avenue, Lower Merion Township has $22,000 to spend per student. And by almost any account, students in Philadelphia need more support, not less. I’ve been super impressed by the dedication of the teachers and school staff. Despite up to 35 students in a classroom and cuts to art, music, counseling, and recess, they soldier on. They work hard to cover the workloads of their laid-off colleagues and purchase school supplies on their own dime. Meanwhile, communities have rallied to support the schools in their neighborhood. Our friends at Garden Court Community Association, for example, have recruited volunteers to read to students at Lea Elementary School. And every summer, Cedar Park Neighbors awards more than $10,000 in scholarships to neighborhood students heading off to college.
Nothing can replace financial support from the federal, state, and local governments. But it’s inspiring to see Philadelphians coming together and pushing our elected officials for adequate school funding. So what can we do to support our students? 1 If you’re in a position to do so, support the folks financially who are trying to make a difference in our schools, like the West Philly Coalition for Neighborhood Schools, Parents United, Philadelphia Students Union, and the Public School Notebook. 2 Advocates for public education have been holding public events and organizing speakers at the School Reform Commission, City Hall, and in Harrisburg. Join them. You can find out more by following organizations such as those listed above on Facebook, Twitter, and on email listservs. 3 On November 4th, every state representative, many state senators, and our governor are up for election. Find out where the candidates stand on education matters, and then vote. (Registration deadline is October 6th.) Don’t believe it when people tell you we can’t afford great schools for our students. We can. How do Iknow? Because I see what neighbors have done here in our neighborhood, coming together to support each other and work together for common goals. The decision not to support our students is a political one, not just a financial one. If we have the resolve to do something different, we can. And, for the sake of all of our children, we must.
Susanna Gilbertson and CPN President Michael Froehlich