$40M Plymouth Whitemarsh High School face-lift

I chose not to play around with the "Whitemarsh" part of the school's name....ahem...

Schools deserve facade-lifts, renovations, improvements and the like! ALL schools deserve that!

No shade thrown at Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School out in the Philly 'burbs, but why can't kids who look like me also have buildings that are modernized, comfortable, clean, bright, and welcoming!! There are some buildings I vowed never to teach in because they were so dark and ominous. If I as an undergrad felt that way, I can only imagine how the children and staff who must walk into those buildings feel. (But here comes Charter Man to the rescue, taking money away from said schools. Money that could be used for improvements.)

Folks in Harrisburg, City Hall, and 440 love to put the onus on teachers and our union and love to lay a world of problems at our feet as if we're the cause for all of this city's educational woes. We're not.

Let's try something different, BILLION dollar investments in public education and our schools (modern buildings, technology, real PD by teachers/colleges profs, modern libraries, clean & green spaces to read, study, eat and whatever, etc. etc. etc.)

Here's the thing. All we're asking for at this moment here in Philly, a nurse in every school every day, librarians and counselors in our schools, keeping our guest teachers, and music/art teachers in every school. Of course we have a longer list, but at the moment, these are just some of the basic ticket items that every school should have....now.

I have a feeling Plymouth-Whitemarsh (which I happened to drive by this past Saturday) has all of these items and having them isn't considered a luxury.