Tony Danza and Sen. Stack speak out for Philadelphia schools

A state senator and an actor who became a Philadelphia teacher for a reality TV show are speaking out together for the city’s public schools. 

Tony Danza, who taught at Northeast High, is donating his time to raise money for the school. He says the students can feel the constant financial pressure on Philadelphia schools.

“It sends a message to the kids that they really don’t matter, and I’m trying to do what I can to tell the kids that we do care and raise some money and mitigate some of the cuts that have been made,” said Danza.

State Senator Mike Stack says Philadelphia’s schools are in deep financial trouble, and if people in the rest of the state think that doesn’t affect them they are wrong.

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“It’s not overstating it to say if the district goes under, that many of these public school students here in Philadelphia are going to have to find a public education option someplace whether it be Bucks County, Montgomery County, Chester County, so that could create all kinds of huge problems,” said Stack.

Stack is skeptical that the final Pennsylvania budget will include any additional money for schools, which means major cuts for Philadelphia.  He says the funding problems in the Philadelphia schools need to be resolved.

“I don’t think we are focusing on how to solve the problem right now,” said Stack. “We’ve had enough, we need to stop siphoning the funds, we need to put the end to the turmoil that has turned the school district of Philadelphia and other school districts into a mess that keeps getting worse, we have to get on the road to solve the problem.”

 

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