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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) I do not see as much strength as I do weakness. Funding based on property tax places the school district in the position to receive funding based on the real estate market of that particular district. As industry leaves, so does the population base and the tax structure needed to maintain decent schools. We must wean ourselves by eliminating property taxes in Pennsylvania to fund our public schools. 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) According to both the US and Pennsylvania Constitutions, the burden of educating children is to be placed upon the government of the individual state, not the federal government. NCLB is unconstitutional and the State of Pennsylvania should not be required to follow the dictates set forth in it. We need to meet the needs of the individual student through school vouchers which would allow parents not only the choice between public and private institutions, but also between bordering school districts, vocational schooling, and apprenticeship training. 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) The current state of public school education can never achieve commonality because it is based on location. Those students who live in a rich district will always reach higher standards on average then those who live in poorer districts. If each child was designated the same amount of voucher monies and then given a choice of what school to attend based on curriculum, programs, and other individual needs, the state would be able to achieve the stability in test scores needed to meet our educational goals. 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) This should be the decision of individual school boards on what they want their district to offer in ways of pre-elementary school programs, not the Legislatures. 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) The key word in this question in 'opportunity'. Opportunity should not be based solely on the location of a child's residence. Regardless, after that opportunity presents itself, it is not the state's burden to ensure that it is taken advantage of. There are children who do not want to go to college and the academic bent of our current high schools wastes not only their time, but also the time of students who want to learn. We must make a stronger commitment to vocational and apprenticeship training programs so that these students can find trades they enjoy and become productive citizens. 6. Is there anything else that you will do to strengthen Pennsylvania's public education system? (75 words or less) A school voucher program, which gives the child a choice between bordering districts, private institutions, trade schools, and home schooling, is the best solution for meeting the educational needs of our children.
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