There are many things wrong with the letter “Keep Sto-Rox whole” (Oct. 31 and TribLIVE.com), Pennsylvania State Education Association official Butch Santicola's tribute to the Sto-Rox School District — a district where less than half of students are at grade level in math and even fewer in reading. Most of those things are not worthy of comment.
What does deserve comment, however, is his effort to label anyone who lives beyond the boundary of that tiny district as “outsiders.” The district encompasses less than 3.25 square miles and only 12,000 people live there, according to the 2010 census.
Does Santicola really think that residents of that district should be left on their own to figure a way forward? And that those who happen to reside elsewhere in Allegheny County are part of some kind of evil outside force?
That kind of narrow parochialism is one of our region's biggest liabilities.
Children everywhere deserve the same opportunities, and adults everywhere have a responsibility to make those opportunities happen.
We're all in this together. Solidarity forever, Mr. Santicola!
Jeremy Resnick & Carol Wooten
South Side
Mr. Resnick founded Propel Schools and is executive director of the Propel Schools Foundation. Ms. Wooten is CEO/superintendent of Propel Schools.
