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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 budgets of the Commonwealth & school districts should be alligned to encourage a smooth funding avenue. We should seriously look at changing the primary funding mechanism from property taxes to a gross receipts tax. Full funding for mandates but less funding for unmandated programs. 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) Establish a clear and specific guide as to the precise skills anticipated in reading, writing, math and science. Exclude special education in the expected proficiencies. 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) The funding mechanism might be changed (see above #1) and gross receipts tax redistributed. Encourage a wider use of citizen helpers to free teachers and maintain discipline (property tax reductions could be used as incentives). Class sizes should be more uniform. 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) To allow children the freedom to be children, we should not mandate full-day prekindergarten. Full day kindergarten has been shown to be a great aid to future performance, thus this should be emphasized & funded. 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) Unlike many, I do not view the educational systems as failures. An integration of fun and specific skills is always the vision of pupils actualizing their potentialities. We should combind skills with citizenship and neighborliness so to avoid turning out "highly skilled barbarians".
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