While a pledge to balance his budget presents a tremendous challenge, it also affords Governor-elect Corbett an incredible opportunity to identify the core mission of state government and perhaps redefine the state’s roles in many areas especially public education. One interesting aspect of Governor-elect Tom Corbett's vision for education reform, Pennsylvania schools would be graded "A through F" so parents can clearly gauge how well their children's schools are performing.
Mr. Corbett’s Education Plan also supports flexible funding for students by linking funding directly to students and the schools they choose to attend. The plan considers it critical that students in failing schools be able to choose an educational alternative and the state will allow funding to follow the student’s academic choice. Corbett feels students have a right to attend a good school and not be forced to attend a failing one by virtue of their zip code.
It’s been reported that Pennsylvania Senate Republican leaders are developing a new education bill, which would phase in a school choice / voucher program over 3 years. Year 1 could provide grants of several thousand dollars for low-income students attending public schools graded "F" to attend the public, private or parochial school of their choice. The voucher program would expand in the second year to poor students already in private schools and further expand in year three to include low-income students, regardless of their school district.
School Choice and voucher programs have been debated by Pennsylvanians for years, and it looks as though the debate is starting to heat up. The 2011 Pennsylvania education budget will offer Tom Corbett a very difficult challenge, and educational reform offers Tom Corbett a very unique opportunity for succeeding in refocusing funding of public education in Pennsylvania.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Tom Corbett's Education Plan
I ended my last post with “while the 2011 Pennsylvania education budget will offer Tom Corbett a very difficult challenge, true educational reform offers Tom Corbett a very unique opportunity for success”. Tom Corbett is on record that he believes Pennsylvania’s economic growth and job creation depend upon one foundation – “a solid education that prepares students to compete in a global economy. All Pennsylvania children, regardless of zip code, race, education or socioeconomic status, deserve access to a first class education to help them achieve their full potential. ”
Given the Commonwealth’s current financial circumstances pitting Mr. Corbett’s pledge of no tax increase against a massive projected deficit, and Mr. Corbett’s belief in the importance of education, what can we expect from the new administration? Over the next couple of posts, I’ll be reviewing some of the publicized highlights of the Corbett Education Plan including:
• Promoting Flexible Funding for Schools and Students by giving greater flexibility to districts and schools and linking funding directly to students and the schools they choose to attend and make that funding transferable with the student.
• Enhancing Educational Opportunities by providing better access to great schools and educational opportunities that prepare our children to succeed in the 21st Century.
• Ensuring Effective Teachers and Leaders by creating a more efficient and fair evaluation system for teachers and school leaders that maximizes growth and education in our schools and among other things links student achievement to compensation.
• Embracing Results-Based Accountability by developing a system of accountability based on student performance which will force schools to place students at the center of our educational system.
• Creating Safe Learning Environments in Pennsylvania schools.
Tom Corbett has pledged to create a 2011-12 operating budget without any tax increases, an admirable promise that will require some very difficult decisions in Harrisburg with consequences cascading down throughout the region, Delaware County, its school districts and eventually to its local communities. Stay tuned…
Given the Commonwealth’s current financial circumstances pitting Mr. Corbett’s pledge of no tax increase against a massive projected deficit, and Mr. Corbett’s belief in the importance of education, what can we expect from the new administration? Over the next couple of posts, I’ll be reviewing some of the publicized highlights of the Corbett Education Plan including:
• Promoting Flexible Funding for Schools and Students by giving greater flexibility to districts and schools and linking funding directly to students and the schools they choose to attend and make that funding transferable with the student.
• Enhancing Educational Opportunities by providing better access to great schools and educational opportunities that prepare our children to succeed in the 21st Century.
• Ensuring Effective Teachers and Leaders by creating a more efficient and fair evaluation system for teachers and school leaders that maximizes growth and education in our schools and among other things links student achievement to compensation.
• Embracing Results-Based Accountability by developing a system of accountability based on student performance which will force schools to place students at the center of our educational system.
• Creating Safe Learning Environments in Pennsylvania schools.
Tom Corbett has pledged to create a 2011-12 operating budget without any tax increases, an admirable promise that will require some very difficult decisions in Harrisburg with consequences cascading down throughout the region, Delaware County, its school districts and eventually to its local communities. Stay tuned…
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