School Choice and Education Reform

There is probably no other issue that I have received more e-mails, telephone calls, faxes or letters on than school choice and education reform. They literally number in the thousands and, please be assured, that I have noted each and every one of them—and the positions, concerns and general comments that I have received. This past week, there were several more things thrown into the mix and so I expect that the communications I receive will begin anew.

As you are likely aware, Gov. Tom Corbett outlined his agenda on this issue on Oct. 11. His proposal includes authorizing opportunity scholarships, expanding the Educational Improvement Tax Credits (EITC) program, improving charter school quality and accountability and providing for more robust and comprehensive educator evaluations. While he outlined this agenda, he has not proposed any legislation, nor indicated specific support or opposition to existing bills. 

The PA State Education Association (PSEA) also released a proposal on Oct. 6 calling for investments in early education, professional development programs focused on parental involvement, giving incentives to employers that provide parents opportunities to meet with their children’s teachers and principals, additional learning time for students, comprehensive career and technical education, coordination between schools and law enforcement, alternative education for disruptive students, training to guard against bullying and other threats and other teacher-led, student-focused reforms. The proposal, Solutions That Work, can be found online at www.solutionsthatworkpa.org.

The PA School Boards Association (PSBA) also engaged in the conversation about education reform with a letter on Oct. 11 reporting on polling that it recently conducted relating to school vouchers. Specifically, the Terry Madonna Opinion Research poll found that:

• More than 65 percent of Pennsylvanians are opposed to using public tax dollars for students to attend a private or religious school
• Republicans and Democrats alike oppose giving taxpayer-funded tuition dollars to students to attend a private school of their choice (68 percent to 67 percent, respectively)
• Pennsylvanians, with and without children, and regardless of age, rank their local schools high and are overwhelmingly satisfied with their community schools

PSBA’s vision is that all children are provided an equitable and excellent education that prepares them for college, career and life. Frankly, I imagine that PSBA’s vision is one we can all share and it is the commonalities that we should build upon and use as our impetus to work together to create real reforms. 

I have been a supporter of the EITC program since my election and would continue to support such efforts. My concern with the authorization of opportunity scholarships is that it does not apply to all children and certainly does not address the school district or the children left behind.

While improving charter school quality and accountability is certainly laudable, such a change must go hand in hand with addressing the relationship between the district and the charter school, and the funding provided for each.

Providing for more robust and comprehensive educator evaluations is a direction that many organizations are going. In the Pittsburgh Public Schools, the administrators and teachers alike have worked together to come up with an evaluation plan with which everyone can live and abide by.

There are 500 school districts in this Commonwealth, with hundreds of thousands of educators and administrators and even more students and parents. Shouldn’t we all be engaged in finding a way to improve education for all children?

By working together, we can emphasize best practices and determine how best to provide for accountability. We can find innovative programs that have proven results. And we need to continue to invest in our children’s education and spend our state resources wisely to provide that every child has a chance.