Auditor Says School-Safety Advocate Should Monitor Phily Schools
PHILADELPHIA — According to Auditor General Jack Wagner, the state of Pennsylvania should reinstate an independent watchdog to monitor the Philadelphia School District. The district suffers from ongoing violence among its students.
Wagner, in a statement issued on March 16, said the position should be independent of the Pennsylvania Department of Education. He claims the department has failed to provide proper oversight in the past, The Inquirer reports. The purpose of the safe-schools advocate is to ensure that the district properly reports violent incidents and enhances disciplinary action towards violent students.
State legislators created the position of safe-school advocate in 2000, but the Education Department stopped funding in 2009 due to budget cuts. The department also disagreed with the tough stance on student violence taken by Jack Stollsteimer as safe-schools advocate.
In a previous audit, the district was criticized for failing to provide enough training to its 400-member school police force. The district also lacked documentation proving that these officers had undergone background checks.
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