Gov School supporters rally at State Capitol

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Gov School supporters rally at State Capitol

Posted on 14 March 2009 by admin

Jonathan Yu for The SPOKE

By Liz Bravacos
The SPOKE

Songs, chants and poetry readings greeted legislators as they entered the Capitol Building in Harrisburg March 10 as alumni of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Schools of Excellence (PGSE) protested the proposed closure of the summer schools.

By early afternoon, the crowd of Gov School supporters had reached nearly 40. The majority of the people at the rally were alumni from one of the eight five-week summer programs. Organizers of the popular Facebook group, “Save the Govies,” were also in attendance, along with parents of applicants and other community members.

“When anyone honks their horn, we all get excited,” said Laura Milanak, who attended the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for Teaching.

Milanak said her experience at the school for teaching was life changing. She had been standing on the Capitol steps since 10:15 a.m. and said that while there were some low points, people at the rally were generally excited.

As supporters outside chanted through the cold temperatures, a dozen students from Upper Dublin High School joined their state Representative Josh Shapiro (D) in a press conference. Students shared their experiences from the Governor’s Schools and presented 2,700 signed letters of support for the continuation of the schools. They will be sent to the state Secretary of Education.

In addition to the signed letters, students displayed a petition against the schools’ closure. It had over 10,000 signatures.

Andrew Smith, a main organizer of the movement to save the Governor’s Schools and an alumnus of Pennsylvania Governor’s School for International Studies, created the petition to give people who didn’t have time to write a letter a chance to pledge their support.

“It is unlikely that we will be able to get funding in for this year’s budget, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try because we are Govies. We are there because we’re very gifted […] we can do amazing work,” Smith said.

Gov. Ed Rendell announced last month that state funding for the schools–which are offered by the state free of charge to gifted high school students–will be eliminated in his budget proposal for next year. The proposal, though, apparently left this summer’s Governor’s Schools untouched.

But earlier this month, the state Department of Education confirmed the state has no intention on continuing the schools this summer, further drawing the ire of prospective students, parents, alums and state officials.

Smith and other organizers said they plan to continue meeting with legislators to keep the topic in the foreground for future summers.

The supporters at the rally attested to the fact that the Governor’s Schools changed their lives and helped them to prepare for college and beyond. Jean-Marie Tomlin, an alumna from the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts, was one of the more vocal students throughout the day. Her chants of, “Nurture leadership, nurture ambition,” and “Leadership is a worthy investment,” echoed throughout the afternoon.

“I would do just about anything [to save Governor’s School]. I would give time, I would give energy. I’m giving my voice, I’m losing it,” Tomlin said.

Jonathan Yu reported from Harrisburg.