Issue Position: Raising Support for Public Education

Issue Position

Public schools are the foundation for future opportunity. My mother was a public school teacher, and I attended public schools as did my children. So we know the value of public education. However, state support for public schools has declined under the Corbett Administration, and our children and communities are set back. Pennsylvania's funding for public education ranks near the bottom of 50 states. This leaves us with a status quo in which some schools have just one counselor for 1,000 students, and many schools are without nurses or librarians. This does not provide a viable educational environment for our children.

As a State Senator, I intend to address near- and longer-term solutions to address our educational issues:
Increase funding for public schools. I will fight to increase state funding from the current 34-36% of the total cost of basic education to 50%. I will also work to create a fair funding formula for our schools and communities, something most states already have adopted.

Address low-performing public schools. Strong schools make strong communities. As State Senator, I will convene an annual education summit to increase communication and collaboration between Pre-K, K-12, higher education, industry and government leaders to discuss problems and develop solutions.

Invest state money to support communities surrounding high-poverty schools. This includes expanding affordable housing and investing in businesses and social service support systems. I also support mentoring and tutoring initiatives, as well as community "adopt-a-school" programs in which volunteers and other resources are committed to public schools.

Oppose vouchers and revamp charter school funding and oversight. While I intend to address the longer-term issues of improving our education system, I recognize that schools in certain communities are woefully inadequate now. However, I oppose school vouchers as an alternative, as they divert public funds into private and parochial schools. Nonprofit charter schools are another alternative for communities with persistently low-performing and often violent public schools. However, charters are unnecessary in strong districts like Abington, Cheltenham, Jenkintown, and Springfield. Though some charters are successful, increased oversight is required as many are not. In addition, charter schools should be funded separately by the state, not by the local school district.

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