In politics, Democrats and Republicans aren’t likely to agree on much.
But Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf, state Rep. Martin Causer, R-Turtlepoint, and state Sen. Joe Scarnati, R-Brockway, agree on at least one thing: A top priority is supporting children’s education. But how to get there is a different story.
In order to help the state’s economy grow and produce middle-class jobs, investments in education must continue, Wolf said.
“That is why I have fought to increase funding — from pre-K to K-12 to college and career training. After years of devastating school cuts that led to teacher layoffs and larger class sizes, we have reversed the trend and restored the cuts,” he said in an op-ed submitted to The Era. However, Causer countered that statement. He said that the Republican-led Legislature has boosted state funding for education every single year since the 2011-12 fiscal year.
“The cuts to which the governor is referring are those that came about when the federal economic stimulus plan came to an end in 2010-11,” Causer said.
Financial investments are vital, but Causer said more funding doesn’t always equal better education.
“Over the past three years, we have restored the harmful cuts made to our schools and implemented a fair funding formula,” Wolf said.
Investments begin early in life with the youngest children, he said.
“Thanks to unprecedented support for early education, 48 percent more kids are able to attend quality pre-kindergarten programs than just a few years ago,” Wolf said. “Just as importantly, our strong commitment to education is enabling more students to have access to art, music and advanced placement programs that had been disappearing from our schools.”
Work must be done to make college more affordable and to make investments in career and technical programs for high school students, Wolf said.
“Not every child will attend a four-year college, so my administration has expanded the apprenticeship and training programs so that all our children will have the skills and education they need to hold good-paying jobs,” Wolf said. “My administration has increased the number of students in career and technical programs by 42 percent, and Pennsylvania is now a national leader in the high-growth fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.”
In 2016, Wolf said he directed the state Department of Labor and Industry to establish the Apprenticeship and Training Office to encourage more businesses and schools to provide apprenticeships.
“More than 15,000 people are now getting the specialized training from nearly 750 apprenticeship programs,” he said. “They are gaining increased skills, and a nationally recognized credentials, in a wide range of fields from the traditional trades to robotics and high-tech manufacturing and even healthcare and education.”
Lawmakers have been focusing on education, too, Causer and Scarnati said.
“We have worked on legislation aimed at striking a better balance between academic tracks and career and technical education, both of which are important to our Commonwealth’s future and give students options on the path to success,” Causer said. “We have also aimed to provide more flexibility to our schools by allowing online courses to expand offerings to students and providing some funding in block grant form so the schools may use it toward the policies and programs that work best for them.”
For his part, Scarnati said he spearheaded legislation to increase funding for school safety, through the School Resource Officer/School Police Officer Competitive Grant program.
“In addition to leading efforts to ensure our students have needed resources for primary and secondary education, rural Pennsylvania must also be able to offer outstanding post-secondary educational opportunities,” he said. “Earlier this year, final approval was given for the establishment of the Rural Regional College of Northern Pennsylvania. The new college is beginning to offer two-year associate degrees, as well as, training and certificate programs.”
Scarnati said that education should not be a partisan issue.
“We clearly need to do everything within our ability to provide students with the resources they need to learn and to also keep students and teachers safe in their learning environments,” he said.
And Wolf, Causer and Scarnati also agree on teamwork.
“The more we can all work together — government, business, teachers and parents — the better off our students will be,” Causer said.
Wolf said the state government is making “a pathway to real, viable careers with family-sustaining wages and supporting the workforce that businesses want.”
