FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: Ellen Mattleman KaplanVice President and Policy Director(215) 557-3600, ext. 102(215) 470-8316 (cell)

Committee of Seventy Reiterates Call for RemovingBRT Employees from School District’s Payroll

PHILADELPHIA – September 23, 2009

– The Committee of Seventy today urged theremoval of 78 Board of Revision of Taxes employees, along with their $4 million cost, from theSchool District of Philadelphia’s payroll. Seventy first urged this reform in May 2009 as part of a statement calling on the BRT to adopt short-term improvements to rebuild public trust in thediscredited agency.

Seventy commended School Reform Commission member Johnny Irizarry for asking the SchoolDistrict and his colleagues to take up this issue promptly, as reported today in the

Philadelphia Inquirer

. Last May, SRC Chairman Robert Archie called for a thorough and objective review of the practice of placing BRT employees on the School District’s payroll.“Chairman Archie said that any activity that distracts from the mission of educating childrenshould be subject to review and redress,” said Ellen Mattleman Kaplan, Seventy’s Vice Presidentand Policy Director. “The BRT employees have nothing to do with improving public education.With all the cuts the School District has to make, this one is a no-brainer.”Kaplan said the SRC should also factor into its funding decision the presence of so manypatronage workers. “Hiring people because of their political connections inevitably creates aperception that relationships trump qualifications. The School District may not be responsible forhiring the BRT employees – nearly half of whom have ties to the Democratic or Republican CityCommittees – but they are paying for them.”-- more --