This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
Pedro Ramos resigned from the School Reform Commission and his position as chair this week for personal reasons. The letter he sent to Gov. Corbett talks of operational reforms that were made under his watch while the District dealt with deep fiscal challenges.
Although he uses careful language to describe the response of the state and city to the District’s request for additional funds, he blames the recession, and not political decisions, for the District’s financial woes.
In the letter, Ramos tells Corbett that "financial support" is necessary, along with "a system and a culture of adult accountability," in order to deliver on the promise of a ”safe, high-quality seat for every child."
"I remain optimistic that all our leaders will continue to work together for the benefit of all the Commonwealth’s children, including Philadelphia’s children," Ramos wrote.