Construction Boom in UCity

Anyone who has been away from the University City sections of West and Southwest Philly for some time would hardly recognize the place!! University City is rife with new construction! Everywhere you look, new buildings and new projects. Chestnut street between 38th and Schuylkill Ave/30th Street looks MUCH different than it used to! The area around CHOP and HUP is awash with new state of the art medical research and advanced medical care facilities! CHOP is also building across the South Street Bridge in South Philly.

The construction isn't limited to medicine. The FMC Tower is being erected on Walnut Street at 30th Street
http://ciracentresouth.com/mobile/.
Drexel and Penn are also engaging in their fair share of construction projects, small and great.

Lots of investments are being made in the expansion, advancement, and modernization of all things UCity!

Meanwhile, across the city most of our public schools do not enjoy similar experiences of investments that bring expansion, advancement, and modernization of all things public education!

Charter schools consume roughly 1/3 of our school district's operating budget, boilers are exploding, technology is scant, computer labs are average at best, libraries are nonexistent and where they do exist, are archaic and largely unstaffed. Some of us still use chalk boards (me) and clap erasers in the fire tower (I use tissues to erase my board because I don't have an eraser and REFUSE to spend a red cent on one). Some of us don't have the simple "luxury"of a BULLETIN BOARD in our classroom to hang student work! If some of us could just bring our classrooms and buildings to the year 2000, we'd be grateful. Now how much of a shame and disgrace is that?!?! It's even more shameful that it's true!!

What should be precious memories of yesterday's school days shared by older siblings and parents at holiday times, are anything but. Yesterday is today and will be tomorrow until someone does something today to make yesterday a memory, tomorrow a mystery and today a moment worth remembering years from now!

Wouldn't new construction of our public schools, fit for modernity be nice?

Wouldn't novel and creative learning spaces be nice?

Wouldn't green space, mini-ponds, and play space be nice?

Wouldn't modern classrooms, fresh and comfortable reading and relaxing spaces be nice?

Wouldn't spaces for creating "whatever" be nice?

Wouldn't arts spaces, visual, musical, and performing be nice?

Wouldn't cyber cafés be nice?

Wouldn't stronger collaborative efforts between these post-secondary institutions and their K-12 counterparts be nice?

Wouldn't international collaborations among elemenary schools using modern and reliable technology be nice?

Wouldn't state of the art gymnasiums be nice?

Wouldn't spaces for teachers and staff to work out or walk a track on school property be nice?

Please don't tell me that these things can't happen!!!
Not with millions being spent on campaigns and the expansion of eds and meds!

I get that I've oversimplified the UCity expansions and created a tenuous argument only in relating those projects to what could be in our public schools. What could be, really could be!! Center City has been the center of our city for dozens of construction projects in the last 26+ years and was to bring economic this, that and the third to the city. But our public schools still look how they looked 26 years ago and we now have cigarette taxes to support our schools and are in heated public media campaigns over sugary drink taxes to help pay for pre-K programs.

I do not mean to suggest that their projects are not worth the price of admission. I'm sure they are do-gooders, bringing construction jobs and seeking to provide top notch care to everybody (ahem). Their causes are noble I'm sure and I really mean that.

But it would be great if the political will and public pressure were strong enough to see these types of projects through for our public schools. Our kids deserve clean, bright, fresh, 2016 facilities as well. Not just when they're sick or if they face the juvenile justice system, but everyday...at SCHOOL!

Oh and by the way, don't stop smoking and drink all the soda you want to support our schools! Maybe we can get grants for healthy schools initiatives! Oooo and perhaps HUP and CHOP can take real good care of you and your child in their new state of the art facilities when you get sick from all the sugar and tobacco. Maybe they'll even expand...again. Or better yet, research you in those research facilities they've built.