Who’s in charge of the SRC?
When you’re not satisfied with customer service, you ask to speak with a supervisor. And when it comes to government service, that supervisor is usually an elected official – that’s who you, as a voter, can hold accountable.
So whom do you ask to speak with if you’re mad at the School Reform Commission, which runs the $2.7 billion School District of Philadelphia?
There’s reason to ask questions. The district responded to a $600 million budget gap by proposing a spending plan that cut full-day kindergarten while preserving other, less-proven programs. The SRC voted to approve the plan.
The district has since found money for kindergarten, but that’s not the point. The point is the SRC rubber-stamped the plan. Who supervises these SRC guys?
Turns out it’s not such an easy question. On this week’s It’s Our Money podcast, we listen in as the Average Philadelphia Taxpayer calls the SRC complaint line and tries to figure out which supervisor to ask for. Is it the governor? The mayor? State legislators? City Council? We also try to figure out whether last week’s Education Accountability agreement will improve matters.
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