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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) The most insufficient aspect of Pennsylvania's system for funding public education is the funding mechanism, specifically our heavy reliance on local property taxes. Although the Legislature recently passed landmark legislation in an attempt to remedy this problem, more needs to be done. The Legislature must continue to work towards creating an equitable tax base, which will ultimately lead to an equal distribution of funds and will give every student access to a comparable education. 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 enactment of NCLB placed the financial burden of an unfunded mandate on Pennsylvania and state's across the country. The Legislature has made efforts to assist our school districts by providing Accountability Block Grants, which allow schools to use the grants in areas they need to ascertain compliance. However, this is not nearly enough. We need to work with the federal government in obtaining adequate funding for this federally implemented program. 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) As previously noted, the Accountability Block Grants are designed to assist schools in areas that need improvement. Although the school district ultimately determines how the funding will be used, they have to meet certain criteria. With that in mind, I support expanding the Accountability Block Grants to provide school districts with more freedom in addressing their specific needs. 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 support requiring full-day kindergarten and ensuring it is high quality by continuing the Accountability Block Grant program. Furthermore, I support appropriating more funding to public schools to implement pre-K and full-day kindergarten programs. 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 in our Commonwealth should have access to the same education as their neighbor. I wholeheartedly believe this begins with pre-K programs and ends with higher education. Our state needs to support our youth from the youngest of ages and continue to support them through their post 12th grade endeavors. Regardless of the type of higher education, whether it is a technical school, a 4-year college or a community college, Pennsylvania should provide affordable tuition and education incentives.
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