If you haven’t already read about recent comments made during PA’s school funding lawsuit, brace yourself.
Before breaking for the holidays, John Krill, attorney for Senator Jake Corman, had a doozy of a soliloquy during his questioning of Matthew Splain, superintendent from the rural Otto-Eldred School District in McKean County. Splain had stated that his students’ scores on the Biology and Algebra I Keystone exams were unacceptably low–an indication that the district lacks necessary resources to ensure students can meet state standards.
Krill asked Splain, “What use would a carpenter have for biology?” And then, “What use would someone on the McDonald’s career track have for Algebra I?”
Krill went on to say that the question in his mind is that PA’s system of public education has to be thorough and efficient to what end?
Then he stated, “Well, to serve the needs of the Commonwealth, is the answer.”
Krill continued by saying that the Commonwealth has many needs, including retail workers and people who know how to flip a pizza crust. He then asked if proficiency standards actually in any way imaginable serve the needs of the Commonwealth so they should be mandatory across the board.
He then answered his own question by saying–”And I think the answer is no.”
In a nutshell, Krill, the lawyer for Pennsylvania’s top Republican lawmaker, was not only arguing that state lawmakers have no obligation to ensure that all students have access to a high-quality education that prepares them for college or careers. He was actually making the case that some students do not deserve or need any level of quality education in their public schools because the state needs low-wage workers to fill positions.
The students on Krill’s imaginary “McDonald’s track” are our children. They are children who live in poor rural, urban, and suburban districts that lack the local wealth to adequately fund their schools. They are children that the Pennsylvania legislature has chosen to shortchange for decades.
If you are angry that this is how lawmakers who control the Pennsylvania House and Senate think about our children, take action.
FIRST
Let your state lawmakers know that you are following the trial and tell them that you support a legal remedy for their broken school funding system.
Click HERE to send this letter to your state lawmakers. You will be able to spice up the letter and write in additional thoughts and comments if you choose????And you can easily share this letter with your network.
SECOND
Click HERE to register and invite your friends to join us!
At the rally you can expect rousing comments from advocates and then we will hear the latest trial updates and tune in to watch the trial live together.
Thank you for your continued support of public education. We can expect 2022 to be quite a year!