April 28, 2011
Jerry V. Holt Joe Hilliard
2108 South Lumber Street 2819 Rhonda Lane
Allentown, P.A. 18103 Allentown, P.A. 18103
610-841-3764 610-349-7030
Representative Justin Simmons
The State Capitol
Room 170
Harrisburg, P.A. 17120
Dear Representative Simmons,
Thank you for taking my recent call regarding the problems that we have with Pennsylvania school systems and the resulting poor education that our children are receiving. I have also spoken to Senator Mike Folmer and have been in contact with Senator Pat Browne’s office as well.
I related the situation that we here in Allentown have with the two major high schools; William Allen High School and Louis E. Dieruff High School where more than 50% of the students cannot read at grade level nor demonstrate math skills at grade level. This is not a sad situation, it is an atrocity.
The Superintendent reported that at the beginning of the school year, more than 800 students drop out and do not return. Most of these students are children of parents or mothers on welfare. These mothers are not educated; do not value education and therefore the cycle of poverty is continued.
My proposal is that the state of Pennsylvania makes it a requirement that these children are in school every day; if not the parent loses part of their welfare benefit. There must be an incentive for performance at all levels of society; the welfare recipient’s incentive at this time is to find a way to game the system rather than get off welfare.
For the sake of our state and nation we must have a change in culture. That can only be accomplished through education.
There are several guidelines that should be instituted along with this proposal. Each of the guidelines is not punitive, but each has a purpose and an expected benefit.
· There should be all day kindergarten in all school districts.
Kindergarten is the best place to start teaching young minds to read and write as well as the development of social skills and practices that they do not see demonstrated at home. This full day in the classroom gives teaches a chance to mold educated citizens.
· Parents should be required to attend PTA meetings and/ or meet with the teachers on a regular basis. The demonstration of interest in their education on the part of parents is a major key in the commitment to schooling by the student. Parents should be taught to establish a study time at home without loud music or the TV.
· Repetitively disruptive students may be expelled and the parent loses all welfare benefits.
· Welfare students should not be allowed to quit school at 16 years of age; they must remain in school until they graduate or reach the age of 18 regardless of grade level accomplished. Young drop outs have few employable skills and keeping them off the street and in school will be a major factor in gang related crime reduction.
· All students must be required to read and write English prior to graduation. If this requires a special class in the summer prior to the start of school, so be it. It is a sad commentary that the local Superintendent bragged about students graduating high school who do not speak English.
· Students should be required to read at grade level before entering high school
· Students coming from other countries should be placed in the grade level that their test scores indicate. These students should not be placed in high school just because their age rather than their learning level demonstrates. This is placing more hardship on the student and the family and perpetuates failure.
· These guidelines should apply to all public and private schools in Pennsylvania.
Other problems surrounding Pennsylvania’s poor performance reside in the obscene growth in school administrations. The school administrations have become political bureaucracies that are focused on writing grants and expanding the budgets. School boards say they need more teachers; however it is the administrations that seem to grow.
Please see the attached spreadsheet that details the growth of the Allentown School District budget and the increases in staff and administration while the number of students is relatively stable.
The largest increase in the number of students is 4.5% while the staff and administration increased by 60%. The analysis shows that in the same seven year period, tax rates increased by 15.5% while revenues increased by only .4%. The budgets however increased by 42.4% in the same seven year period.
All of this largess while the system is failing.
I will be happy to speak to you at your convenience regarding this proposed legislation. Additional documentation will follow.
Thank you again for your time and consideration of these proposals.
Jerry Holt
Chairman: Concerned Citizens of Allentown
Joe Hilliard
Vice Chairman
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