MAY 11, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Congressional candidate Michael Livingston today responded to a series of reports, in the Inquirer and other newspapers, that tell a story of mismanagement, corruption, and lack of physical safety in the Philadelphia public schools.

“While better funding of public schools remains an important priority, money alone will not solve the problem when violent behavior goes unpunished and corrupt officials remain in office,” Livingston said. “A culture of achievement, rather than a culture of defeatism, must take control in our educational institutions. City, state, and Federal officials share responsibility for creating and maintaining this culture.”

While recognizing the importance of safe and productive public schools, Livingston restated his support for school choice as an important element in the educational mix. “When there is no choice and no competition, there is unfortunately no incentive to make our schools the best they can be,” he explained. He reiterated his support for tax credits and other assistance to students who attend private and nontraditional schools.

A report by the school district’s safe-schools advocate, cited in the May 10 Inquirer, said that the Philadelphia schools had fostered “an organizational culture that [is] tolerant of violent behavior and dismissive of the rights of victims,” in which students who assault teachers or bring guns to school are not removed from classrooms and violence against teachers and employees is not taken seriously. A second story in the same newspaper reported the resignation of the head of a prominent charter school following reports of misuse of taxpayer funds. Similar reports of corruption and violence in the Philadelphia public schools have appeared in other newspapers.

Livingston’s opponent, Chaka Fattah, opposes school vouchers and similar programs.