Putting Our Children First
As a former teacher, Governor Corbett understands the importance of providing a quality education to each and every child in Pennsylvania. When it comes to Pennsylvania’s education system the priorities must be the child, parent and teacher - in that order. This proposal puts the students first. It offers better evaluation and accountability, supports parents by providing them with more options, and most importantly, helps students by giving them more opportunities. An excellent education and
effective schools are the building blocks to a superior quality of
life, and this proposal paves the way to attaining
the opportunity for success that all our children deserve.
Empowering Families Through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program
The Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program provides companies with tax credits so can working families can have a choice in their children’s education. The current EITC program provides children and families with this choice by providing scholarships to students to pursue educational goals and advanced learning opportunities.
Governor Corbett’s proposal builds on this progress and success by expanding the EITC program. This will provide additional opportunities to students beyond the nearly 40,000 students that are currently served through the EITC program each year.
Providing Opportunity Scholarships
Students deserve access to educational opportunities that work for their learning needs, and parents should have the right to make a choice outside the public school system when their child’s school is failing. The Opportunity Scholarship Program, which would be phased in over time, would provide tuition assistance for eligible students to attend a public or nonpublic school of their choice. Eligibility for scholarships would be based on income and residence within the attendance zones of the lowest performing 5% of schools across the commonwealth. By focusing on the low-income students in low performing schools, the Governor’s proposal targets commonwealth funds to where they can have the greatest impact.
Strengthening Pennsylvania’s Charter School Law
Quality charter schools work as laboratories for education innovation and creativity that infuse true competition into the public school system. The injection of competition and choice in public education has benefited students, and Governor Corbett’s proposal will improve the quality and accountability of the commonwealth’s charter schools. The Governor’s proposal will create a statewide authorizer, allow additional authorizers of charter schools, and will increase the ability of districts to convert buildings to charter schools. The proposal will also improve the system of payments to charter schools and establish a committee to examine the financing of charter schools and cyber charter schools to make recommendations on future improvements to funding formulas.
Evaluating Our Teachers
Governor Corbett believes that quality evaluation of teachers and principals is a critical to education reform. By improving educators’ practices, we can improve student achievement. The current teacher evaluation system currently in place is flawed and doesn’t provide useful feedback to allow educators to modify their instruction technique to benefit students. In 2009-2010, more than 99% of teachers and administrators received a “satisfactory” rating, yet student performance on the 2011 PSSA showed 26% at or below basic level in reading and 23% at or below basic level in math.
Governor Corbett’s proposal builds off a Pennsylvania Department of Education pilot program instituted voluntarily to improve the commonwealth’s teacher evaluation tools. Over 100 school entities signed up for the program in the 2011-12 school year. The proposal would create a robust and comprehensive teacher evaluation system that focuses on both student performance, along with traditional observation of classroom practices. The new system will expand the rating from 2 to 4 categories and will provide educators with targeted resources, support, and feedback so they can improve their instruction and help students reach their potential.
