Religion in Philadelphia - Religious Controversy

Yosub Lee

Dr. Jacob Kim

Religion in Philadelphia

6 December 2017

Religious Controversy

        For my religious controversy assignment, I decided to focus on the Philadelphia School Reform Commission (SRC) choosing to disband itself. Instead of writing a traditional essay, I chose to make a fun Powtoon that goes through what happened, who was involved, etc. This will be my explanatory essay.

        The Philadelphia SRC, which has been in tact since 2001, chose to disband itself with a 3 to 1 vote. Authority over who has control of the Philadelphia School District is now given to mayor Jim Kenney from the state committee, meaning that he is in total control of making the decisions in regard to the school district. People rejoiced in the fact that there are better times to come now and that the bad times are past them. Historically, Philadelphia has many high poverty neighborhoods with low level public schools due to the fact that many lack essential resources for teachers and students to have the education they need. Because of this, teacher turnover rate is very high and many just aren’t working. Public schools obviously get minimal funds as opposed to charter schools, which are generally wealthier and better off. The religious controversy stems from the idea of what to do with the funds now. Some want to fund public schools and help them grow into better schools while others don’t want to spend money on education, fearing that it will result in higher tax rates in the neighborhoods that are already suffering financially. Jim Kenney, an advocate for furthering education in the city of Philadelphia for the youth, wants to fund public schools so that they may grow and become like the charter schools that are doing well. Not funding public schools more than they are already getting right now will limit their growth and keep Philadelphia’s schools in the same condition they are in right now. On the other hand, Bill Green, who was the only “No” vote, wants to think about the current condition of the people and talk about the taxes that are affecting Philadelphians. Because people are so in debt and taxes are accumulating, adding more funding to schools (raising tax rates in the neighborhoods) will cause more chaos.

My peaceful resolution is to fund the public schools regardless of the tax rates because we have to think long term, not just the short-term consequences that families might face. Yes, taxes will go up in the meantime but if public schools are funded well like charter schools, then the students at these schools will gain better education, become better students and professionals in the real world, and have a higher chance of being able to provide for their families. Teacher turnover rates will also decrease since they will be able to get the material they need for the classroom setting and curriculum. More teachers will be willing to teach at these schools due to more access to funds and the right resources. Everything is about the long-run and if these students grow up to become successful, they will have the choice to donate back to these schools, increasing funds even more. The city’s economy will grow in the process as well, ultimately helping everyone.