| Join us for Eyes on Education Action Day, June 17 |
 Pennsylvania is on the brink of important reform, but as the June 30 budget deadline looms, a strong final push is needed to convince our lawmakers that enacting Pennsylvania's first true school funding formula since the early 1990s should be their number one priority. Please join us on Tuesday, June 17 to make our push. Advocates will gather at the Capitol in Harrisburg for Eyes on Education Action Day. Don't miss your chance to visit your legislators, participate in an interactive presentation in the rotunda, and view a student photo-documentary exhibit. ... MORE |
| Education is first issue in first suburbs |
 Leaders from the first suburbs of Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties gathered on May 31 for a convention to set priorities among four issue areas affecting all of their communities: Inequitable education finance systems, declining infrastructure, unfair housing policies, and social services that fail to meet the needs of residents.
When the votes were counted, the leaders overwhelmingly identified Pennsylvania's broken and ineffective system of funding public education as the primary culprit for the weakening of their communities, noting that the system encourages sprawl, discourages investment in older communities, increases demographic tensions, and fails to provide a quality education for too many of the region's students. ... MORE |
| Around the Commonwealth |
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City, school and business leaders call for new school funding formula
Mayors, superintendents and business leaders from Pennsylvania's urban, suburban and rural areas held press conferences this month to call for action on the school funding formula law. They concluded that the best way to ensure economic development and competitiveness is to invest in our schools. Editorials and articles from their local newspapers concur. ... MORE
Diverse coalition from Lehigh Valley unites behind their schools
Recognizing that the fate of their region's workforce, economic competitiveness and quality of life is tied to the quality education that their schools produce, nearly 75 business and community leaders, school administrators and board members, and smart growth and education advocates from communities throughout the Lehigh Valley gathered for a legislative breakfast to voice support for fixing their schools and improving their region. ... MORE
Pennsylvania Bar Association endorses education funding reform The Pennsylvania Bar Association passed a resolution endorsing the need for a new school funding formula recently, citing the fact that the "adequate education of all the Commonwealth's students without regard to the community they live in is a matter of high importance to the welfare of the system of self government in our Commonwealth, and the administration of justice." Attorney and Good Schools Pennsylvania board member George Aman and Michael Churchill, chief counsel for PILCOP, played pivotal roles in the resolution's passage. ... MORE
Pennsylvania's best investment
The Education Law Center, in conjunction with Penn State University, released a new report documenting the social and economic benefits of public education. The report conclusively proves what many have guessed: That individuals who receive a quality education and graduate are more likely to find gainful employment, have stable families, and be active, productive citizens. They are also less likely to commit serious crimes, enroll in welfare programs or place high demands on public health systems. ... MORE |
| Stay Connected |
Our website is updated frequently with news, opportunities and links to keep you informed about our work to change public education funding in Pennsylvania. Be sure to add the Good Schools Pennsylvania homepage to your favorites and check back often.
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| Good Schools Pennsylvania |
Good Schools Pennsylvania is a statewide network of citizens who are informed and mobilized in support of public education. We believe that we can improve our schools when we join together in calling for adequate funds that are equitably distributed, proven educational practices to meet a standard of excellence, and effective accountability measures. Visit our website. |
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