Candidates tout connections to Philadelphia schools

Nutter, the frontrunner, says additional school funding is key to progress

by Shani Evans

Nutter

Taubenberg

Michael Nutter, victorious in the contentious Democratic primary and widely expected to be the next mayor of Philadelphia, has already aired his comprehensive education plan before the public in a race where issues of school safety and funding came to the fore.

His Republican opponent in the general election, Al Taubenberger, president of the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, has published little in the way of education policy proposals.

But like Nutter, he has highlighted his family connection to the Philadelphia schools. His wife Joanne is a Philadelphia schoolteacher, and three of his four children have attended public schools.

Nutter prominently advertised the fact that he was the only candidate in the Democratic primary who is a public school parent. His daughter is a student at Masterman School. His wife Lisa heads Philadelphia Academies Inc., a high school reform group.

Commenting on the School District’s overall condition, Nutter’s education platform states, “Although Philadelphia has some excellent public schools, the overwhelming majority of them are inadequate.” A focus of Nutter’s education platform has been how to help the District balance its budget, eliminate a growing deficit, and secure funding that is comparable to suburban districts.

Nutter insists that solving the School District’s critical challenges must begin with significant increases in state and city funding. “Anyone who pretends otherwise,” he proclaims, “is being irresponsible.”

The former city council member promises to work with the governor and the General Assembly to reform the state funding formula so that it reflects the circumstances of each Pennsylvania school district. Many Philadelphia-based organizations (see Who’s working on school funding ) are working to achieve this goal as well.

Nutter favors a return to local control of Philadelphia public schools and to a policy established by a 1999 referendum that gave the mayor the ability to appoint every member of the school board. The board was supplanted by the School Reform Commission as part of the state takeover of schools in 2001.

Nutter supports an increase in the share of city property tax revenue that is allocated to the School District. The City Council is presently considering a piece of legislation that would increase the District allocation by 2 percent (see Activists campaign for Goode’s school proposal).

In addition to tapping city and state resources, Nutter calls for a greater infusion of private money. As mayor, he says he will serve as an ambassador for Philadelphia schools in appeals to potential private funders.