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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 strength of the Pennsylvania system of funding public education is the fact that it is Harrisburg’s responsibility to fund the public education system. The weakness, however, is Harrisburg’s failure to fund Pennsylvania education at the appropriate funding levels. The Pennsylvania legislature should focus on ensuring that Harrisburg elevate its levels of funding towards the promised 50% funding level. The legislature should reject any budget that diverts funding designated for education into other programs and fails to provide funding at the 50% 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 best way the Pennsylvania legislature can assist schools in meeting the criteria in the Federal No Child Left Behind Act is to ensure that Pennsylvania funds school districts at the appropriate levels as discussed in the Answer to Question # 1. 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) By ending the current property tax system and instituting a gross receipts tax system, wherein school districts regardless of the property value within that district, will be funded in a manner which would be more consistent with those school districts that have higher valued real estate. By funding school districts in a more consistent manner throughout Pennsylvania, poorer school districts would now be in a position to afford many of the same opportunities in which richer school districts currently enjoy. In providing the similar opportunities, the students of the poorer school districts will be able to close that gap between themselves and richer school districts, also encouraging all classes of students within the school districts to close the gaps that currently exist academically. 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 set aside certain funding incentives to school districts that volunteer to open and develop high quality pre-K programs and full day kindergarten programs. The Pennsylvania’s legislature should not, however, burden these programs with unnecessary involvement and regulations which would have a discouraging effect on the developments of these programs by many districts. 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 vision of public education in Pennsylvania should be an equal and fair opportunity to all students across the state, without regard to their individual family or district’s economic capacity. In order to accomplish this goal, the Pennsylvania legislature must do what is necessary to ensure that districts, regardless of their economic make-up, can provide educational resources that are consistent with the educational resources that richer districts enjoy. By not funding schools in this manner, the Pennsylvania legislature is doing a disservice to Pennsylvanians by ripping the opportunity of advancement from many under-privileged students and school districts.
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