Local Education Advocates Gathering for First-Ever Regional PA SCHOOLS WORK Summits on November 17
HARRISBURG, PA (October 29, 2018) — PA Schools Work, a nonpartisan statewide movement working to make sure public schools are fully funded, announced first-ever regional Communities United for Our Students’ Future Summits for hundreds of local school and community leaders to come together on November 17, 2018 to lead the fight for greater state investment in public education.
“Education is the most important investment Pennsylvania can make to sustain our economy and secure our future,” said Nathan Mains, CEO of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association. “We’re bringing leaders together in their communities to carry the message that our public schools work when they have enough resources to give all students what they need to succeed.”
“Pennsylvania’s school funding problems have built up over decades,” said Tomea Sippio-Smith, K-12 Education Policy Director at Public Citizens for Children and Youth. “There’s been recent progress from the state on increasing funding and making it more equitable, but the work is just beginning to make sure the state pulls its weight in supporting public school students.”
“While education funding has been a focal point this campaign season, the 2018 elections have not produced proposals to comprehensively solve the school funding crisis. Every year we don’t tackle it means lost educational opportunities and rising property taxes for too many school districts,” Sippio-Smith added. “It’s vital that local leaders come together to begin pushing for more action now.”
The PA Schools Work Summits, to be held on Saturday, November 17, 2018 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon at eight locations, will inform and energize parents and grandparents, community members and taxpayers, teachers and administrators, school board members and others about what must be done, starting in 2019, to secure more state funding for schools.
Advocates will leave the event armed with the tools to get the message out, recruit other local leaders, educate lawmakers, and other actions to work for more state funding.
Southwest PA
Allegheny IU 3, 475 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA 15120-1144
Northwest PA
St. Brigid Church, 383 Arch Street, Meadville, PA 16335
West Central PA
Central Intermediate Unit 10, 60 Decibel Road, Suite 107, State College, PA 16801
Central PA
Pennsylvania School Boards Association, 400 Bent Creek Boulevard, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
North Central PA
BLaST IU 17, 2400 Reach Road, Williamsport, PA 17701
Northeastern PA
Luzerne IU 18, 368 Tioga Avenue, Kingston, PA 18704-0649
Lehigh Valley
Colonial IU 20, 6 Danforth Drive, Easton, PA 18045-7899
Southeast PA
American Reading Company, 201 S Gulph Rd, King of Prussia, PA 19406
PA Schools Work is a non-partisan coalition of organizations representing urban, suburban and rural communities that support:
- Significant funding increases for K-12 public education including: basic, special, and career and technical education.
- Increases in funding that are not reliant upon cuts to other school districts’ current funds.
- The use of the state’s fair funding formula as the mechanism to close funding gaps.
- School districts keeping local control of education funding decisions.
Those interested in learning more about the summit and becoming a PA Schools Work Advocacy Leader should visit paschoolswork.org or email info@paschoolswork.org.
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