Parochial School Parents’ Ire Aimed At Wrong Target

The parishioners of Saint Joseph Church in Collingdale, Pa. are outraged over plans by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to close the venerable parochial school on Woodlawn Avenue. The protesters include the police chief and a retired district justice.

The anger is misdirected. Do they really think the Archdiocese wants to close the school? If the money isn’t coming in from tuition or other sources how do they expect the school to stay open. Do they expect the teachers to work for nothing?

Anger is warranted, however, and there is a villain but it’s not on North 17th Street downtown but 60 miles to west and it sits in the State Capitol.

If less money was wasted on our public schools — hey people of Collingdale how do you like that Southeast Delco School District? — people would have more money to spend on the schools the prefer.

The money can be found in different ways. The boldest and probably best would be for the state to collect the taxes now going to the public schools and give it back to the parents so they can send their children to the schools they think best fit their needs.

Or one can consider a less drastic plan to give school boards the power they had before the 1970s to fire striking teachers which would prevent the hostage-holding that gives the educational union members 4 percent or so annual raises regardless of what the rest of the economy is doing. Combine that with eliminating prevailing wage laws and other gouging by the politically connected classes and an noticeable increase in disposable income will occur.

The ones who should be getting an earful from the people of Collingdale are its servants in Harrisburg namely State Rep. Nick Miccarelli (R-162) whose office is 605 E. Chester Pike, Ridley Park, Pa. and who can be reached at 610-534-1002; and Senator Anthony H.Williams (D-8) who has an office at 419 Church Lane in Yeadon and can be reached at 610-284-7335.