I have always made education a top priority, especially early childhood education; and I have often said that if you can make a difference in a child’s life between kindergarten and third grade, the following years largely take care of themselves.
One of the major issues we are confronting as a legislature right now is the impending vote on school vouchers. You’ve probably already heard about the controversy surrounding Senate Bill 1, introduced by Sen. Jeff Piccola (R-Dauphin), which would provide taxpayer-funded vouchers to Pennsylvania students that they can use to attend any public or private school of their choice.
I’ve been vocal in my opposition to this bill because it does an injustice to our children and educational system in a multitude of ways. Simply put, this is not a neutral bill; this is a bill that takes the money from the kids left behind. Rather than saying 'this is saving five starving people,' this is saving five starving people by taking the food from the other 50. This is a bill that helps a few people, possibly, but hurts everyone else; and this is a bill that I stand committed in my fight against.
The battle to provide a quality public education to every child in Pennsylvania is an ongoing one. Especially as we now find ourselves in difficult economic times, preserving a quality education is proving to be a fight. Fortunately, there are many legislators like me who stand by their commitment to education and who will do whatever it takes to protect the families and children of Pennsylvania.
