Governor Corbett: Stop withholding funds from Philly Schools

The email below is from Gail Kantor, a CREDO activist and a teacher in Philadelphia. Gail started a petition on CREDO Mobilize, where activists can launch their own campaigns for progressive change. Will you help Gail pressure Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett to stop withholding funding for Philadelphia schools by signing her petition and sharing it with your friends and family?

Governor Corbett: Stop withholding funds for Philadelphia's schools

Dear Jim, I’ve been a teacher for 13 years and I’ve never seen anything like this. If Governor Tom Corbett has his way, Philadelphia will be in ruins. He has slashed funding for public schools by more than $1 billion, forcing the elimination of arts, music, physical education and other vital school services and now he’s using the crisis he created for political gain with his right-wing base. To push back against Governor Corbett, I just started my own campaign on CREDO's new site that allows activists to start their own petitions. My petition to Governor Corbett, asks the following: Stop withholding $45 million in federal funds to help restore arts classes and counseling programs in Philadelphia’s schools. Our children deserve better. We find that it’s outrageous that you slashed funding for our public schools, forcing the elimination of arts, music, physical education and other vital school services, and then blamed teachers for this crisis. Will you join me and add your name to my petition to demand that Governor Corbett stop withholding crucial funding for Philadelphia's schools? The Obama administration forgave $45 million in federal government funds to help restore art classes and counseling programs, but Corbett is holding that funding hostage for his own political gain. What kind of governor would ruin public education and put children's futures in jeopardy so that he can give tax breaks to corporations? Governor Corbett and the School Reform Commission have manufactured this crisis and are playing politics at the expense of our children. If enough of us speak up against Corbett’s effort to gut funding for schools in our community, we can put pressure on Corbett to fund our schools. Philly children deserve more. Add your name to my petition to demand that Governor Corbett stops withholding crucial funding for Philadelphia's schools. Thank you for your support. Gail Kantor