Better examples

What do Philadelphia children think when they see teachers accused of changing test answers even as politicians cheat them out of a solid education? When adults talk about responsibility, do they wonder whether it's just blather?

They must in light of the case against four former educators at Cayuga Elementary School in Hunting Park, who were ordered this week to stand trial on charges of widespread cheating on standardized state tests. But the bigger picture also includes brave school employees, parents, and even a student who took risks to reveal the cheating.

The state investigation followed reports by The Inquirer's Kristen Graham and Dylan Purcell on the culture of cheating at Cayuga. The Attorney General's Office ultimately brought criminal charges against the school's former principal and three teachers who allegedly pushed for higher test scores by dishonest means.

The probe is continuing, and more indictments are expected. In all, 53 district and three charter schools have come under scrutiny. There should be serious consequences for the adults who organized and encouraged cheating, but the greatest consequences are for unknown numbers of students who were robbed of a decent education. Instead of teaching them the math and reading skills they needed, a handful of adults faked it for them.

More poor examples are being provided by the Pennsylvania legislature, which can't seem to pass a fair funding package for schools in Philadelphia and the rest of the commonwealth. The result is that communities have leaned more heavily on property-tax payers, while school districts have pared back services and laid off more than 23,000 employees since 2011.

Meanwhile, the legislature has so far failed to approve a $2-a-pack tax on cigarettes passed by City Council in an effort to boost Philadelphia's struggling schools. Even Gov. Corbett, whose administration doesn't appear to fully grasp the need for high-performing schools, favors the city cigarette tax. It can't come too soon: Just last month, the School District eliminated another 81 positions, 17 of which were staffed. Without the tax, the district could lay off more than 1,000, on top of thousands more who have lost their jobs in recent years. That would mean larger class sizes and less attention for each student.

When it reconvenes this month, the legislature should pass the cigarette tax and heed the recommendations of the newly formed Basic Education Funding Commission, which began meeting this summer to develop an equitable school funding formula. Better adult examples can help the state's children prepare to become adults themselves.