More than 106,000 children are enrolled in the 144 public schools comprising Pennsylvania's lowest performing 5 percent on student proficiency. These schools reported more than 5,400 violent incidents on students and staff in the 2008-2009 school year.

In the 2009-2010 school year, fewer than 53 percent of students were proficient in reading and math on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) in any of the 144 failing schools.  In more than 30 schools, fewer than 25 percent of students were proficient in reading and math.

In 2009, students trapped in these failing public schools endured seven rapes, more than 3,000 assaults on students and staff, 163 robberies and two official riots.  Learn more on these failure factories by reading Pennsylvania's Failing and Violent Schools.

Those simple—and terrifying—facts haven't been a big enough part of the discussion of the need for school choice. That's why CF, along with an Emmy-award-winning filmmaker, produced this mini-documentary on violence in our failing schools.

 

Our state lawmakers will soon be taking up legislation to give students in failing schools a lifeline while also expanding Pennsylvania's Successful Educational Improvement tax Credit.

We have 76 days until these kids go back to school.  We have a mere 7 days until the legislature needs to act to give these families a choice.

It's time for the citizens of Pennsylvania to stand up for the kids of this state who are trapped in poorly performing schools.

Please take 10 minutes out of your busy day to email your lawmakers and tell them that it is time to throw a lifeline to kids in our failing and violent public schools.