This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
by Holly Otterbein for NewsWorks
Philadelphia Superintendent William Hite used the bully pulpit Monday on NBC’s "Education Nation" summit to bring national attention to the School District’s budget crisis.
"Resources matter, especially in urban centers," he said. "Per-pupil funding matters. … It was cut over $300 million last year, and the year before that, another $100 million."
The Philadelphia School District’s massive budget gap led to major programmatic cutbacks and layoffs. The city’s schools now have 3,000 fewer employees than in June.
Hite spoke on a panel titled, "What It Takes: Keeping Up with the Competition," which focused on how U.S. schools stack up in comparison with those around the world. It also featured journalist Amanda Ripley, Newark teacher Syrena Burnam and advocacy group America Achieves’ co-founder Jon Schnur.