West Chester Lawmaker Touts Victory In 'Emotional Health' Education System

A new education system that would take into account the emotional health of students was praised by local lawmakers on Friday.

West Chester’s State Sen. Andy Dinniman (D-Chester) expressed his support for the Basic Education Funding Commission (BEFC) in a statement, saying that it reflected significant progress.

“We know that children are not prepared to learn until they are emotionally healthy,” said Dinniman, who serves as minority chair of the Senate Education Committee. “And the commission’s recommendations not only offer a funding formula that is responsible, predictable and equitable, but one that also – for the first time – acknowledges and begins to address socio-economic factors related to the impact of trauma in the classroom.”

The system includes a new formula used when determining where to distribute state funding for basic education to Pennsylvania school districts. The formula will consider poverty, poverty concentration, English language learners, charter school enrollment, and district sparsity/size when determining who receives what aid.

Dinniman specifically pointed to the inclusion of poverty concentration as a victory for his team, which has done significant work to raise awareness of the impact of trauma on education. Studies show that students in less affluent areas are greatly impacted by trauma.

>>>>Download the Basic Education Funding Commission’s Report Here

The commission’s recommendations now must be approved in legislation by the General Assembly and signed by Governor Wolf to become law, Dinniman’s office said.