Education

By Tom G. O'Brien

We need to invest in Higher Education now more than ever! We must stop the slashing of funds to public schools!

Higher Education:

Budget cuts continue to erode Pennsylvania residents' ability to attend its own universities.

The mission statement of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education calls for it "to provide high quality education at the lowest possible cost to students." That has been statement in our General Assembly. Now Pennsylvania's world-class colleges and universities are fulfilling dreams of out-of-state and foreign students without allowing our own well-qualified students entry!

I am adamant on this point: No one in government will fight harder to increase the opportunity for our students to attend our colleges and universities than I.

Public Education:

The current state administration and legislature have effectively shifted the burden of its responsibility to the local level and have called it a tax cut.

This con game has forced local governments to shoulder the burden. Since state government has shirked their responsibility, localities must now make distasteful choices such as cutting important programs, increasing class size and forcing senior educators into early retirement. The state government wins votes by compelling local government into an endless catalog of sacrifices that dilutes our state's basic education.

How can we climb the ladder to prosperity if the first rungs on the ladder have been removed?

Vouchers

We must work together to strengthen our public schools so that every child in our state receives an exceptional education.

Vouchers as a general practice divert monies and talent from the public school system. We shouldn't be sending students across town because one school is perceived as better than the other. We should be working improve struggling schools.

I will vote against vouchers and focus on making every public school in Pennsylvania exceptional.

We need to fix Cyber Charter school funding formulas Now!

During the 2009-10 school year, school districts paid nearly $800 million to charter and cyber charter schools. Cyber charter schools received over one-third of this money.

Cyber Schools continue to receive the same funding as brick-and-mortar charters even though they spend approximately $3,000 less per student.

Cyber enrollment has more than doubled over the last five years, which has resulted in school district tuition payments tripling from $70 million in 2004-05 to over $250 million in 2009-10.

The amount of required tuition payments from school districts are expected to climb even faster due to the addition of new cyber schools.

The Auditor General has repeatedly called on the governor and the General Assembly to fix the charter school funding formula so that it reflects the true cost of educating the child