Letter to the editor

To the Editors:

A compelling editorial appeared in this school year’s first issue of The Merionite: “Perpetual Inequality: Our own role.” As an LM parent, I was struck by this impassioned essay and have been thinking about it ever since.

The editors write of the impact of reading Jonathan Kozol’s indictment of the inequities of the American public school system and reflect on the role that LMSD, a high-achieving suburban school district, plays in the perpetuation of an unjust system of education funding. The funding formulas in place since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act ensure that districts with ample resources, such as our own, will continue to get more funding to reward our high scores on mandated tests while schools in underfunded districts will post lower scores, further reducing their share of the pie.

The editors of The Merionite go beyond reflecting on this—they courageously challenge those of us who are part of the LM family to “do more” than read and think about the problem. They urge taking action, despite the lack of any “clear or easy solution.” The lack of such a clear or easy solution keeps many of us from entering the fray on this issue, but, perhaps, if we—students, teachers, parents and administrators—can come together, we can find ways to work toward changing the current funding system and to support Philadelphia Public Schools.

The fact that LM is a desirable place to live and educate our children is directly tied to our proximity to Philadelphia—where many LMSD parents work in healthcare, business, law, education, or the arts. Can we, as a community, find ways to stand alongside the Philadelphia Public Schools, to support the right of all children to the kind of respectful, safe, and high-quality education that we have come to expect in LM?

Respectfully,

Rachel McKay

#opinion