1. News for Immediate Release
Aug. 15, 2013
Governor Corbett Issues Statement in Response to Action of the
Philadelphia School Reform Commission
Harrisburg – Governor Tom Corbett today issued the following statement about
the Philadelphia School Reform Commission’s (SRC) actions to suspend certain
sections of the Public School Code:
“The code suspensions to be enacted today provide the School Reform Commission
and Superintendent William Hite with additional tools to ensure that Philadelphia
schools are staffed adequately and safely for the opening of the school year, a goal
I strongly support.
“The pending actions to be taken today by the SRC, and all actions moving forward
by all parties involved, must remain focused on protecting students in the
Philadelphia School District and ensuring that they are able to receive a quality
education like all children around the commonwealth.
“I have personally spoken to Mayor Michael Nutter, and I join him in calling on City
Council President Darrell Clarke and the entire city council to act immediately to
extend the sales tax and authorize the $50 million in short-term borrowing as
envisioned in the state’s funding package.
“The key remaining piece to addressing the district’s long-term financial and
academic challenges remains an agreement with the Philadelphia Federation of
Teachers that puts in place needed fiscal savings and academic reforms. That is
where the focus should be, and I encourage both parties to get to work on reaching
an agreement that achieves this.”
Media contact: Tim Eller, 717-783-9802
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