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for 2004 Pennsylvania General 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) Due to both the effects of suburban sprawl and cuts in the state education budget over the last few decades, there is an enormous educational funding gap between wealthy and poor school districts. Funding should be primarily accomplished at the state level, not the local level. 2. How should the Pennsylvania Legislature assist school districts to meet the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act 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" toward that goal? (75 words or less) The state legislature should allot additional funding for after school study programs, so that struggling students will have the ability to work on troublesome areas with a teacher. 3. How should the Pennsylvania Legislature assist school districts to close the academic achievement gap that exists among groups of students in schools and school districts across the Commonwealth? (75 words or less) Education funding should be done primarily at the state level through the introduction of a progressive income tax. The state should provide these funds in proportion to the needs of individual school districts. When this happens, local governments will have the opportunity to reduce burdensome property taxes. Thus, we can fund quality education affordably by focusing the taxation on those citizens with the economic ability to pay. 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) The state should provide the necessary funding for these programs via the progressive income tax. 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) Again, every child in Pennsylvania should have access to a quality K-12 education, as well as access to higher education primarily through greater state funding. Local governments should be in control of curriculum. State and federal standardized testing should be minimized. A greater emphasis on civics and political participation should be encouraged at the local level in schools, in order to combat declining voter participation.
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