Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Yesterday, over 300 teachers, staff and students marched to City Hall to remind City Council that the city was the ultimate cause of the funding problem at CCP. The Community College is a public institution. The Mayor appoints the Board of Trustees, who in turn hires the President. The College should be funded 33% by the City, 33% by the State and 33% by Student Tuition. It currently receives only 19% from the City. This along with changes in the structure of funding from the state is cited as the cause of increases in student tuition in a press release from CCP's Office of Marketing and Communication. In this press release you will notice there is no mention of the burden of high salaries of Faculty and Staff on the College because their salaries are no more a burden than the salaries of the Administrators.

We can fix the funding problem by calling on the Mayor and City Council to fully fund the Community College of Philadelphia. Frustration with this unfortunate strike will not be settled by sitting at home and angrily taking sides. This strike will not be settled by ranting at the Teachers, Staff or Administrators alike. All members of the College Community must find constructive ways to end this strike.

Places to begin…demand that the Mayor and City Council fully fund the college, call the College President and ask him to negotiate, come to campus and meet with the Union to express your concerns, contact Student Government and ask for leadership, form student alliances, talk with family, friends and community leaders, write an article, write a blog, make calls…don’t just sit there.