Inquirer Editorial: Hite plan gets muted response

There has been very little excitement about Superintendent William R. Hite Jr.'s Action Plan v2.0 for Philadelphia public schools. But that's understandable. It's not that people don't like Hite or what he is trying to do. But they have been down this road before, and this time there's even less reason for optimism.

It's the School District's little money problem - a deficit that at one point exceeded $300 million - that makes people skeptical. Hite's predecessors, Paul Vallas and Arlene Ackerman, got mixed results even when the district could get its hands on more cash. In comparison, Hite's main job since being hired 18 months ago has been to beg for alms.

The response to his pleas has been heartening at times. A fund drive led by the Global Citizen community service organization and Interstate General Media, parent company of this newspaper, has provided pencils, pens, paper, and other school supplies. But seeing the district stoop to begging for crayons emphasized its gap in government support.

Both the city and state came up with additional funds, but not enough to produce the dramatic academic improvements that are needed. Gov. Corbett released a one-time $45 million grant and put an additional $29 million increase in next year's budget. The city ponied up $60 million, but City Council didn't pass a liquor-tax hike and the legislature wouldn't approve a city cigarette tax for schools.

Seeing government officials talk a good game about being committed to public education, but fail to deliver when the schools needed more help, has raised questions about the politicians' true intentions. It didn't help that Corbett has appointed Councilman Bill Green, a once vociferous supporter of vouchers and charters, to chair the School Reform Commission. But Green has been more supportive of traditional schools since his nomination in January.

With the majority of the five-member commission now being Corbett appointees, the governor and Green now have a chance to dispel the suspicions of those education advocates who fear a plot to lead Philadelphia down the road New Orleans took to an almost all-charter system.

Corbett must do a better job of funding all public schools, not just Philadelphia's. Green needs to make it a personal mission to end the impasse between the district and the teachers union over a new contract. Compensation and work-rule changes are needed, but so are safeguards against arbitrary treatment and retribution.

If the funding and contract issues can be worked out, Hite's plan could become the game-changer he envisions. Its four goals are to see 100 percent of students graduate ready for college and career; 100 percent of 8 year olds read at grade level; 100 percent of schools have great principals and teachers; and 100 percent of the district obtain the funding needed to produce great schools without deficit spending.

It's not all about the money. Hite correctly recognizes that more funding won't mean a thing unless "the systems, the processes, the staffing patterns that we've had in the past" are changed. For that to happen, though, the School District and the teachers' union must come to terms.