Parents and workers are on a hunger strike to protest the layoff of 1,200 school aides who help keep Philadelphia students safe. The cuts, could leave Philadelphia schools without sports, arts, assistant principals or secretaries.
The district has sent layoff notices to 20 percent of its staff, meaning more than 3,800 employees will be jobless next week.
Philadelphia, one of the nation’s largest districts, serves about 204,000 traditional and charter school students. The rising costs and decreased state aid have already led to closing more than 30 schools and cutting hundreds of central office workers.
The group camped out in front of the Governor’s downtown field office and started starving on Monday the 17th.
