More investments needed to provide PA children with the foundation they need to succeed

New report highlights access and pay disparities in early care and education system HARRISBURG – A coordinated early care and education system ensures infants, toddlers, and preschoolers succeed in school and allows parents to work while knowing their children are safe and learning in high-quality care. Yet, inequities exist, causing too few children to have access […]

Call to Action: More Funding for PA Career and Technical Education

A Pennsylvania advocacy group wants the state budget to include more funding for Career and Technical Education programs, or CTE, for high school students. Backers of more funding for CTE are looking toward Gov. Josh Shapiro’s new budget proposal, expected March 7. Rachael Miller, policy director at Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, said the current funding […]

Coalition urges Pa. lawmakers to adopt a state earned income tax credit to help working poor

A diverse coalition of advocacy groups have come together to promote an anti-poverty initiative that has the potential to benefit as many as 874,000 low- to moderate-income Pennsylvania households. The groups are pushing for Pennsylvania to become the 31st state to enact a refundable state earned income tax credit, which would reduce the tax burden […]

Report: PA Funding Can Boost Academic Success Starting in Pre-K

With negotiations for Pennsylvania’s budget under way, a new report unpacks the state’s investment in early-childhood education. Advocates hope it can sway lawmakers to boost funding in the budget. Gov. Tom Wolf’s final budget proposal includes a $70 million increase in pre-K funding. In the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children report, the Commonwealth ranks 14th for per-capita funding, […]

Capitolwire: PDE plans to release student assessment scores next week, blames delay on COVID absences.

Local school officials will get a preview of their students’ state assessment scores, beginning today, ahead of a planned public release of the data next week, according to a letter from Education Secretary Noe Ortega in response to criticism from House Republicans leaders. In his letter, Ortega said the test results were delayed because so […]