Gov. Tom Wolf and acting Education Secretary Pedro Rivera want assurances state funding will be spent directly on students in the classroom. Both want a quality education that will make Pennsylvania high school graduates more competitive.

“This plan puts us on a path to meet the state’s responsibility for education funding while ensuring that state funds are used appropriately,” Rivera stated in a March 17 letter sent to school superintendents across the state.

The letter outlines intentions for funding support for public education for the 2015-16 tentative state budget, which includes a $400 million increase in basic education funding and an additional $100 million in special education. The budget plan also calls for new accountability measures so public education funding is spent as allocated, officials said.

An analysis by Public Citizens for Children and Youth found the state budget proposal increases funding for public schools in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties by $217 million.

“The governor put forth a bold budget proposal that is a step in the right direction for schools and homeowners burdened by years of state disinvestment in education,” PCCY’s executive director Donna Cooper said.

Philadelphia Federation of Teachers union president Jerry Jordan wrote a glowing letter of support, saying the budget proposal restores the state’s contribution to public education to levels not seen since the 1970s and uses a combination of charter school reforms and investment in early childhood education to drive savings.

Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children will try to grab the governor’s attention during a scheduled visit Friday to the Pennsylvania Convention Center for the launch of an initiative aimed at improving quality of early childhood education for children as young as three and four years old. The group plans to hand over thousands of pennies to the governor, symbolizing spending on early childhood education as a worthy investment.

Earlier this month, letters sent to school superintendents indicated a major increase in education funding was on its way, but PCCY’s review showed funding would only be restored to levels prior to the 2010-11 academic year.

State officials also expressed funding priorities should go to programs that are often the first to be eliminated in a financial crunch: college and career counseling, support for struggling students, career and technical education, and alternative school settings.

In the letter signed by Rivera, state officials announced support for reading at grade level in third grade, keeping students on track for on-time graduation, college readiness and apprenticeships. Funding priorities would address other issues such as truancy and dropout rates, and achievement gaps between students from low-income households and their peers from wealthier households.

Other priorities include early childhood education programs, summer learning programs, professional development, efforts to maintain smaller class sizes and support community partnerships that offer wraparound services in the areas of health and human services.

The Philadelphia Tribune – March 20, 2015 – Read article online