Lisa Jones' Letter to the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, published June 1, 2011.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/letters/s_739765.html
Pittsburgh Post Gazette would not publish a similar letter that I sent several times to the editor. I even spoke directly with the editor to no avail. The following is the letter the PPG would not publish.
Dear Pittsburgh Post Gazette Editor,
Decisions by the Pittsburgh School Board have put the school district in a $23.9 million deficit, with a projected $68 million deficit the following year. In the Post Gazette article ( May 19) "Pittsburgh schools’ central office faces major cuts, layoffs", superintendent Linda Lane recommends 50% cuts to central office budget as a first step, followed by reduction at the schools, including teaching staff.
School Board President Sherry Hazuda waited until the day after her primary election to state that she will furlough teachers (Tribune Review.) I believe Hazuda should dig the school district out of the deficit she presented to the taxpayers by deflating the bloat she has created.
Allegheny Institute data shows the ratio of PPS administrators to students more than doubled over the past decade and non-teaching personnel per student has doubled. Meanwhile the number of teachers in the district has decreased, yet the ratio of teachers to students has remained level.
The policies of the school board and Ms. Hazuda have resulted in more non-teaching personnel/administrators per student than teachers per student. I believe this is upside down.
Board president Hazuda is wrong to furlough teachers to reduce the operating deficit she helped create. Teacher to student ratios should be preserved to ensure the students education.
Amazingly, Hazuda defends the growth in administration positions. It is difficult to foresee Hazuda realigning employee to student ratios because even as Gov. Corbett was proposing future education cuts to the state budget, Hazuda was approving pay raises for Pittsburgh administrators.
Sincerely,
Lisa Jones
School Board candidate
