Corbett Sidesteps Philly Protests For SRC Announcement
By Mike DeNardo and Mike Dunn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett today filled two seats on the Philadelphia School Reform Commission.
But his annoucnement came after a last-minute switch.
Gov. Corbett was originally slated to visit Central High School to congratulate Central, Masterman, and Carver high schools for their high state profile scores.
But after hearing that protesters planned to march outside, Corbett moved his announcement to his center city office at the Bellevue Hotel, on South Broad Street (see related story).
Corbett denied he was running from the protests.
"I don't run from anything," the governor said. "I take decisions head on. But I was not going to be a distraction to the school day and school students. I was not going to engage in the theatrics of what the adults wanted to do."
Corbett nominated city councilman Bill Green and People's Emergency Center head Farah Jimenez to the five-member SRC (see previous story).
He wouldn't comment on reports he planned to propose up to $200 million more for schools in his budget address, but he said he had a strong desire to increase the state's investment in education.
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Later, Mayor Michael Nutter indicated he is less than thrilled with the Corbett's choice of Bill Green to chair the SRC.
Nutter says Green's past record on the school district has been in support of policies that Nutter opposes, including vouchers, "charterizing" the entire district, and further cuts in funding.
The mayor insists, though, that he will be able to work with Green as the school district faces a renewed budget crisis this coming spring.