NEWS
Tell PA lawmakers: Arm schools with resources, not guns
While students have been building a powerful and inspiring movement to end gun violence in schools, PA lawmakers have been laying the groundwork to vote on legislation that would militarize school buildings and allow teachers to carry concealed weapons. Click HERE to...
On March 15, show support for arming schools with resources, not guns
On Thursday, March 15, the PA House Education Committee will hold a hearing to discuss school safety. We expect lawmakers to hear testimony that will inform critical decisions they will make in the future about arming teachers, placing resource and police officers in...
Let PA students have their day in court
Five months ago the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the courts can get involved in school funding issues and remanded PA’s school funding lawsuit back to Commonwealth Court for a full trial. Ever since that decision, Republican leaders in Harrisburg have worked...
Roving bands of volunteer militias in PA’s public schools?
Following the tragic slaughter of 17 people at Stoneman Douglas High School, both the PA Senate and House Education Committees will be holding hearings on school safety. These are open to the public. If you can come, you should. This will demonstrate to lawmakers that...
EDITED: We Fixed a Misleading Letter from Sen. Alloway About Vouchers
In December Republican leaders rigged the Senate Education Committee hoping they might secure enough votes to pass Senate Bill 2, the education savings account voucher bill. Senator Dan Laughlin (R-Erie), who opposed Senate Bill 2, resigned and Republican leadership...
Education Voters of PA supports Gov. Wolf’s commitment to investing in the education of PA’s public school students
For Immediate Release Education Voters of PA Media contacts: Susan Spicka (HARRISBURG) February 6, 2018 – Susan Spicka, Executive Director of Education Voters of PA, made the following statement about Governor Wolf’s 2018-2019 budget proposal: Budgets are about...
Gov. Wolf asks court to expedite school funding lawsuit, Republican leaders double down on their opposition
Last week Governor Tom Wolf stood with PA public schoolchildren who are being harmed by our state’s current school funding system. He filed a response in PA’s school funding lawsuit urging the court to move the case toward trial expeditiously. Maura McInerney, legal...
We will stop school vouchers from coming to PA
As we enter 2018, the PA legislature is picking up where it left off on its attack on our children’s public schools. Before the holidays, Republican leaders rigged the membership of the Senate Education Committee in hopes that it will now have enough votes to pass...
Education Voters of PA statement on rigging of Senate Education Committee makeup
Susan Spicka, Executive Director of Education Voters of PA, issued the following statement about Republican leadership’s decision to rig the makeup of the Senate Education Committee: Senate Republican leaders demonstrated the lengths to which they will go in an...
Vouchers are back: Senate Ed Committee to vote on SB 2 on Tuesday
Late on Friday afternoon, the Senate Education Committee published online that it will be meeting on Tuesday, December 12th at 10:30 am in Room 8E-A in the East Wing of the Harrisburg Capitol to consider Senate Bill 2, the education savings account/Betsy DeVos school...
The Republican tax bill’s assault on public education
At 2:00 am on Saturday morning, 51 US Senators voted to pass the Republican tax bill, a 479-page document that was so hastily written it had illegible policy changes scrawled in the margins. Senators were given the bill on Friday evening and told that they would have...
2017-2018 Budget Wrap-Up
In Harrisburg, almost four months late, lawmakers finally completed the 2017-2018 PA budget. In June, our legislature were happy to pass a $32 billion spending plan that protected programs and services important to their constituents, including a $100 million increase...
It’s time for the School District of Philadelphia to Return to Local Control, State Obligation to Adequately Fund District Schools Remains
Education Voters of PA supports the dissolution of the School Reform Commission and the return of the School District of Philadelphia to local control. Sixteen years of state control by the School Reform Commission have not solved the issues of the District. Instead,...
Who voted for school vouchers in PA?
After a confusing series of events that took place on Tuesday, October 24, the education savings account/DeVos school voucher bill, Senate Bill 2, remains in the Senate Education Committee, where lawmakers may vote on it in the future. Initially, the Senate Ed...
Our statement on the Senate Education Committee passing SB 2, the education savings account school voucher bill
UPDATE: Senator Eichelberger adjourned the Senate Education Committee meeting on October 24th after announcing a 6-5 vote in favor of Senate Bill 2. Later in the day, after an outcry from many people, Education Committee leaders acknowledged that Senator Tomlinson's...
The PA School Code: A Stealth Attack on Public Education in PA
On Wednesday, October 18th, mostly along party lines, the PA House passed an amended School Code with significant attacks on public education buried deep in the 75-page bill. The School Code is an omnibus bill, a single document that requires a single vote, but...
Joint Resolution 1–PA’s school funding system that is inadequate & inequitable today will be just as inadequate & inequitable if this passes.
On November 7, 2017, Pennsylvania voters will find a proposed amendment to the PA Constitution, Joint Resolution 1, on their ballots. This amendment ignores the real problem PA faces--inadequate state funding for schools, which puts excessive pressure on property...
PA schoolchildren will have their day in court!
On Thursday, September 28th, the PA Supreme Court issued a landmark decision. It ordered the Commonwealth Court to hold a full trial on PA's school funding lawsuit. The Court agreed with the plaintiffs that education funding should be subject to judicial review. They...
Senate rejects House budget, PA’s credit downgraded
Your phone calls and emails made a difference. On Wednesday, Sept. 20th, in an overwhelming display of bipartisanship, the PA Senate voted 43-7 NOT to concur with the irresponsible PA House Republican revenue plan. The House GOP plan did not contain recurring revenues...
Guns Don’t Belong in Schools
Susan Spicka, Executive Director of Education Voters of PA, made the following comments at a press conference in the Harrisburg Capitol on September 12, 2017, where she joined PA Secretary of Education, Pedro Rivera, and representatives from the Education Law Center,...