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for 2006 Pennsylvania Primary Election Legislative Candidates
1. What are the strengths and weaknesses of Pennsylvania's system of funding public education? What should the Pennsylvania Legislature do, if anything, to improve the system of funding public education? (75 words or less) The weaknesses in Pennsylvania’s system of educational finance are overwhelming. The system’s only strength is the recent commitment to increased funding for early childhood education. The Commonwealth sets mandates without providing adequate funds to local school districts. As mandates multiply and contributions decline relative to total requirements, districts must increase property taxes to bridge the gap. To stabilize school funding, the Legislature must restore payments to the fifty-percent level and ease the burden on local school boards and taxpayers. 2. How should the Pennsylvania Legislature assist school districts to meet the requirements of Pennsylvania's regulations for academic standards and graduation requirements as well as the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) that expects every student to demonstrate proficiencies on state assessments in reading, math and science by 2014, and for all schools to demonstrate "adequate yearly progress" (required by NCLB) toward that goal? (75 words or less) The Legislature can assist school districts in meeting these requirements by authorizing sufficient funding to strengthen the teaching of reading, math, and science — the subject priorities mandated under No Child Left Behind — without weakening other curriculum objectives. Further, legislators must provide Pennsylvania's Department of Education with resources necessary to properly define and measure reasonable ways that proficiency and "adequate yearly progress" can be demonstrated under NCLB. These state standards must be realistically attainable by 2014. 3. How should the Pennsylvania Legislature assist school districts to close the academic achievement gaps that exist among groups of students in schools and school districts across the Commonwealth? (75 words or less) Many inequities exist in Pennsylvania’s public education system because of the way schools are financed in the Commonwealth. Local school districts are dependent upon property taxes as their primary revenue source. This results in great disparities in per-pupil spending between rich and poor districts. Differences in academic achievement mirror these funding gaps. To equalize student and school performance, the Legislature must restore full funding for public education. 4. What, if anything, should the Pennsylvania Legislature do to increase access for young children in Pennsylvania to high-quality pre-K programs and full-day kindergarten programs? (75 words or less) Universal, quality early education programs must be an ongoing budget priority for the Legislature. Children of all socioeconomic backgrounds need equal access to preschool and full-day kindergarten programs that prepare them for future learning. Pennsylvania should continue to expand: (1) Accountability Block Grants that fund pre-K and full-day kindergarten programs, (2) state support of federal Head Start programs, and (3) the Early Childhood Capital Investment Fund, financed by Pennsylvania’s State Public School Building Authority. 5. What is your vision of the public education opportunity that should be available to every child in Pennsylvania and what will you do to accomplish that goal? (75 words or less) Every child deserves an appropriate education for the achievement of potential. High-quality pre-K programs, smaller class sizes (particularly in K-3), and a curriculum that addresses the diverse capabilities and interests of boys and girls within their cultural context help educators to identify deficiencies and devise remedies. My education and work experience in childhood development issues will enable me to improve understanding of these needs in the legislature and assist in strengthening public education. 6. Is there anything else that you will do to strengthen Pennsylvania's public education system? (75 words or less) I will remain open to the advice of key educational stakeholders in my legislative district and across the Commonwealth. It is essential that I am well-informed and able to discern the major similarities and differences in school districts within District 147 and throughout Pennsylvania.
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