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Parents Voice Concerns Over Teacher Layoffs As Philadelphia School Budget Cuts Continue

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Now that the city and state budgets are finalized, the Philadelphia School District will have to make some tough decisions, because it remains $35 million short of what it was banking on from the Commonwealth.

In addition to the shortfall from Harrisburg, the School District's budget is built on getting $75 million in labor union concessions. School Reform Commission Chairman Robert Archie expects to get an update on July 20th.

But parents, like Rebecca Poyourow of Roxborough, say treating teachers 'like peons and trying to balance the budget on their backs will backfire.'

"If you want to turn parents against teachers it will not work. We will stand by our children's teachers," says Poyourow.

Gerald Wright, co-founder of Parents United for Public Education, has two children in public schools. "If we want to have a quality educational system, we have to have teachers."

Cecelia Thompson, who also has a child in the district, is with Philadelphia Right to Education Local Task Force. "Teachers should not be the first thing on the chopping block. They should be the absolute, positively last option."

She maintains if the district leans on teachers for concessions, it should reopen all procurement and consulting contracts.

Reported By Steve Tawa, KYW Newsradio

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