Pennsylvania public schools educate well over 90 percent of our students. After over 100 days in office I have been unable to find anything in the press indicating that our Governor has set foot inside a traditional public school. However, Governor Corbett is slated to deliver a keynote address today at the American Federation for Children's School Choice Summit in Washington DC. Note the article detailing the DeVos Family, key figures in AFC, and their connections with Students First and FreedomWorks, who have been funding the voucher campaign in Pennsylvania.
Voucher proposal is wrong step for Pa. education
Published: Sunday, May 08, 2011, 10:37 AM
Something is wrong with how voucher supporters are pursuing their desired "revolution" in education. It's turning out to be an anti-American revolution. Senate Bill 1 is the legislation proposed to create a voucher program for Pennsylvania. The bill would spend more than $1 billion in taxpayer dollars on tuition for students at private and religious schools.
"The most outrageous step is yet to come. Plans are being considered to deny the House of Representatives the opportunity to debate, amend or vote on S.B. 1. Instead, the voucher legislation, almost 60 pages long, might be hidden in an "omnibus school code bill" containing lots of other education measures. House members will be asked to vote up or down on the entire package, which could contain plenty of "goodies" that no one will want to vote against."
Posted on Sun, May. 8, 2011
In Pennsylvania, activists pour millions into the fight for school vouchers
By John P. Martin and Amy Worden, Inquirer Staff Writers
Buoyed by what they see as their best opportunity in a decade, education activists are spending millions of dollars and countless hours trying to persuade or pressure Pennsylvania lawmakers to approve school tuition vouchers.
Big Money Behind Push for "School Choice" in Pennsylvania
FreedomWorks, the Washington, D.C.-based group chaired by Dick Armey that does not disclose its corporate funders, has been aggressively promoting a measure in Pennsylvania that would divert taxpayer funds to support religious and private schools
http://www.prwatch.org/spin/2011/05/10704/big-money-behind-push-school-choice-pennsylvania
The DeVos Family: Meet the Super-Wealthy Right-Wingers Working With the Religious Right to Kill Public Education
By now you've surely heard of the Kochs. Meanwhile, the powerful, wealthy DeVos family has remained largely under the radar, while leading a stealth assault on America's schools.
Since the 2010 elections, voucher bills have popped up in legislatures around the nation. From Pennsylvania to Indiana to Florida, state governments across the country have introduced bills that would take money from public schools and use it to send students to private and religious institutions.
http://www.alternet.org/story/150868/the_devos_family%3A_meet_the_super-wealthy_right-wingers_working_with_the_religious_right_to_kill_public_education/
May 7, 2011
Directors fear business-run public schools
LEWISBURG — Until a few months ago, Michael Payne said he would have thought the notion was crazy, that a group of rich and powerful families is manipulating politicians and the public to push the privatization of public schools.
http://dailyitem.com/0100_news/x1113182855/Directors-fear-business-run-public-schools
HB 1326 would remove all Act 1 Exceptions
House GOP: Lessen education cuts
Budget counter-proposal would ease the pain in governor's plan.
By John L. Micek, CALL HARRISBURG BUREAU, 10:37 p.m. EDT, May 6, 2011
Republicans who control the state House will introduce a counter-offer to Gov. Tom Corbett's budget proposal that largely undoes his deeper cuts to public and higher education in part by spending less on public welfare programs.
http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-pa-budget-education-20110506,0,5091131.story
Posted on Mon, May. 9, 2011
Pennsylvania considers giving voters more say on school budgets
By Dan Hardy, Inquirer Staff Writer,
Since 2006, Pennsylvanians have been able to vote on proposed school-tax increases that exceed a state-set education inflation rate.
That might surprise those who have watched their taxes go up well beyond that rate year after year but who have never been asked to vote on them.
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20110509_Pennsylvania_considers_giving_voters_more_say_on_school_budgets.html?page=1&c=y
PA School Choice Proponents have Second Thoughts about Competition
Solanco School District's $1,000 educational enhancement grant to lure students troubles school choice proponents
By May 06, 2011, 11:46AM
Solanco has launched a new program aimed at enticing district students to attend the district's own virtual academy instead of some other cyberschool by offering a $1,000 educational enhancement grant
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/05/solanco_school_districts_1000.html
Public does not support Corbett budget cuts
Opinion – George Bonekemper
In a recent article published in The Mercury, a research associate for The Commonwealth Foundation presented viewpoints on academic performance by public school students, charter schools, the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program, vouchers, and Pennsylvania's proposed budget for 2011-12. Current research studies and recent public opinion polls present a different picture than the information stated by the author.
Concerned about the Education Budget? Let Governor Corbett Know
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