Title
Honoring and Commemorating the Life and Legacy of Ken Derstine, a Dedicated Philadelphia School District Teacher and Resilient Public Education Advocate.
Body
WHEREAS, Kenneth Lee Derstine was a dedicated Philadelphia public school educator for 37 years, teaching technology and special education in a number of schools, including William M. Meredith and Bache-Martin Elementary Schools. He was nominated for Teacher of the Year in 1994; and
WHEREAS, Derstine received a Bachelor's Degree in Education from West Chester University in 1972, and a Master's Degree in Special Education from Antioch College in 1977; and
WHEREAS, Derstine's retirement from the School District did not end his career of advocacy on behalf of Philadelphia students. Upon retirement, he joined Occupy 440 and participated in demonstrations outside of School District Headquarters, calling for the restoration of educational services and essential staff; and
WHEREAS, A self-described "defender of public education," Derstine was a founding member of the Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools (APPS), a public education advocacy organization primarily composed of retired teachers who contest the privatization of public education and seek reinvestments in public schools. Derstine spearheaded meticulous research reports, and videotaped School Reform Commission meetings to create a public record; and
WHEREAS, Derstine spent much of his retirement chronicling the involvement of "big money interests" in public school education, authoring Pennsylvania Education Crisis Highlights, a daily newsletter that collected news stories about public education and the devastating effects of corporate reform. He used this publication to rebuke the increasing involvement of the corporate machine in public education. He explained that he continued to publish Pennsylvania Education Crisis Highlights to "attempt to shine a light into the darkness we are living in"; and
WHEREAS, While Derstine often conducte...
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