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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) Pennsylvania's system of funding public education, like that of other states, seriously damages private property rights. It is an unsustainable system that, like all entitlement programs, will eventually collapse. There is no mechanism in place to check runaway expenditures. Those who use the system must pay something in the form of user fees. I cannot find the word "free" in the Pennsylvania Constitution or any education related legislation. 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 biggest assist the Pennsylvania legislature can provide school districts is to tell the federal government they can keep their measly financial crumbs and all their unfunded or underfunded mandates, regulations and worthless programs like NCLB. It's like China's five year plan. They never work, but like clockwork, they keep churning them out. Next, the legislature can eliminate much of the education bureaucracy at the state level and return education control to the local communities. 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) As an educator myself, I have very strong reality based opinions about education. One of them is that the less government involvement in education, the better. This is no different than the dictum, "the government that governs least, governs best". Human nature being what it is, there is little that the state legislature can do to change things, except return most decision making to the local schools and communities. 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) I believe young children belong in their home, and not some government run day care center. The legislature should leave this issue alone. Parental choice should rule. 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) My vision is that every child and their family in Pennsylvania will enjoy a wide variety of education opportunities, public, private, and home school. I will work for choice in education. 6. Is there anything else that you will do to strengthen Pennsylvania's public education system? (75 words or less) To sum up, reducing government intrusion will strengthen education in Pennsylvania. Offering the public choices in education will strengthen education in Pennsylvania. Strengthening the broken system as it exists today will merely strengthen government control at the expense of the citizens and their children.
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