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Coming Together to Keep Schools from Falling Apart
Calling all advocates: Starting now – you have two opportunities to support Pennsylvania’s public schools!
First, on Monday, November 18, the House Education Committee is scheduled to vote on a surprise school voucher bill – House Bill 1800 – introduced by Speaker of the House, Rep. Mike Turzai. His bill would create a new government program using taxpayer dollars to fund unfettered access to private school tuition vouchers.
Let’s be clear – this bill is a thinly disguised attempt to siphon taxpayer funds away from public schools to religious and private schools.
The Speaker targets struggling school districts for his voucher plan and estimates that the tuition voucher per student would be $8,200, with half paid by the school district and the other half by the state, and all paid for by taxpayers. In Harrsiburg, for instance, the vouchers could end up costing the Harrisburg School District up to a whopping $8.5 million in state funding, further eroding the educational quality for the students attending that district!
For this kind of taxpayer investment, you would think that the legislature would require schools to demonstrate fiscal or performance accountability. Think again. In fact, the bill expressly prohibits the Commonwealth or the district from imposing any accountability requirements on religious or private schools that receive these vouchers.
Further, Turzai’s voucher bill allows non-public schools to cherry pick and refuse students for the program, including those with special needs.
But, here’s the kicker – there is little evidence that voucher programs work. Countless studies across the country, from Louisiana to Washington, D.C. have shown that voucher programs do little, if anything to improve student achievement. They distract us from real solutions that could yield much better results and they divert desperately needed funding for our public schools.
The Speaker hopes to fast track this bill with a floor vote expected next week.
On Monday, don’t delay! Contact your State Representatives and let them know what you think about taxpayer-funded vouchers for private and religious schoool tuition.
Second, on Friday, November 22, join PCCY at a No More Toxic Schools – Call to Action Rally!
You’ve read the headlines, heard from students and families and seen the reports. Philly’s students are going to school in buildings that are crumbling around them. Instead of learning, they are shielding their heads from rain, looking up at rusty pipes and breathing in air that is making them sick. It doesn’t take a genius to know this is unacceptable. The City has stepped forward to help find the funds to repair our schools, but with $4 billion in needed repairs pending, the state must step up and protect our children from hazardous school buildings.
The state budget has a nearly billion dollar surplus and $250 million was set aside in the state’s rainy-day fund.
In other times, that “rainy day” investment would be considered a sign of fiscal responsibility. But Philadelphia’s students are not living or going to school in those times. Nor are many students across the state attending school in those times. They are going to school today, and it’s literally raining in their schools.
And while the state is patting itself on the back for its fiscal responsibility, headlines are featuring family after family and school after school where children can’t attend class because their school is falling in around them.
This. Is. Unacceptable.
Join PCCY, Senator Vincent Hughes and other advocates for Philadelphia’s schools on Friday, November 22nd at 11am, 3220 Market Street (LeBow School of Business Building), Rose Terrace – 2nd Floor to demand better for our students. Be there and bring others who care about funding Pennsylvania’s public schools!
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