Philadelphia voters are down on the School Reform Commission
and Gov. Corbett, and side with city teachers in their contract dispute with
the Philadelphia School District.
The news comes from a new poll of registered voters
commissioned by the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers and conducted by Hart
Research Associates.
Corbett, the poll found, gets low marks from city voters on
education issues. In all, 74 percent of the 554 registered voters surveyed said
they are either fully dissatisfied or somewhat dissatisfied with how the
governor has handled public education. And, pollster Guy Molyneux says, 62
percent of voters say Corbett's handling of education has made them less likely
to support him for re-election in November, including 53 percent of voters who
are not registered Democrats.
The voters polled were generally unhappy with the way the
School Reform Commission is handling its responsibilities. Fifty-nine percent
of city voters, including 64 percent of public school parents, said they
disapprove of SRC decisions and policies. Sixty-eight percent of voters said they
would prefer the district run by a local school board, instead of the SRC.
Asked about the ongoing negotiations between the PFT and the
district, 59 percent of voters said they sided with the union over the SRC.
Voters said they see the union as more willing to compromise, felt that it made
more reasonable proposals, and worked harder to ensure adequate school funding.
"Remarkably, the union's largest comparative advantage - 65 to 20 percent
- comes when we ask who is 'trying to improve education for Philadelphia's
children,'" Molyneux wrote.
Should the SRC and PFT not reach an agreement - the district
has moved impose work rules allowing it to bypass seniority for teacher
vacancies, and has asked the state Supreme Court to affirm that it has the
authority to do so - 77 percent of voters said think the SRC should continue
the current contract until they reach a new one, rather than imposing terms.
Source: Philly.com
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