Accomplishments & Goals of the Education Committee
Throughout 2009, the Senate Education Committee was active on a number
of wide-ranging policy fronts. As Chairman, I have been pleased to lead
this panel in a direction that addresses issues of accountability,
reform, and empowerment. But although we were successful at focusing
our efforts on many topics important to the future of this
Commonwealth's children, much more remains to be done. I am hopeful
that over the coming months we can focus our efforts on many other areas
of concern and continue the dialogue and work towards strengthening
Pennsylvania's schools and ensuring every student has the knowledge
required to succeed and meet the needs of the 21st Century.
This year's accomplishments have included advancing new end-of-course
statewide testing requirements, known as the Keystone Exams. The tests
will be phased in starting next school year and signal a major shift in
control of education policy: They would come out of Harrisburg, not
local districts, as would the suggested curriculum. Following months of
public hearings, meetings, debate and deliberations, we collaborated to
develop tests that bring together the educational community who embraces
these concepts.
The Education Committee also engaged in conversation on a number of
other significant matters relating to alternative education including
discussions on how to educate students who are disruptive or violent in
the classroom and how to teach those who cannot learn in a regular
setting. In the future, we will examine the creation of uniform
standards and consistent funding for alternative education. The
Committee will also continue the dialogue we began relating to the
issues of school consolidation.
Addressing the growing need for safety in our classrooms, we also
actively worked to advance legislation which I have authored that would
help combat violence in schools. My two-bill package would prevent
individuals with serious criminal records from teaching and working in
Pennsylvania's schools and require crimes committed on school property
to be reported to local law enforcement. This important legislation
will continue to be one of my top legislative priorities as I advocate
for its final passage in the General Assembly in the coming year.
We were successful in beginning to educate members of the Legislature on
the role and comprehensive services provided by the state's 29
Intermediate Units (IUs), an essential member of the public education
system. I have been pleased to support our IUs and will remain
advocating on their behalf because I believe that they will continue to
provide invaluable services to students all across the Commonwealth.
Improvements to the Commonwealth's charter and cyber charter schools was
also a major focus of this Committee as we began closely examining the
12-year old law which created their existence but is in need of reform.
Keeping with my commitment to supporting the charter movement but
recognizing some changes are needed to the statute, I have authored a
proposal along with my colleague Senator Andy Dinniman (D-19) that would
ensure these schools remain accountable and transparent to the families
which they serve. This legislative package will be the subject of
public hearings and future discussions in 2010.
In addition to these issues, I have introduced legislation relating to a
variety of other education topics such as changes to the new Pre-K
Counts Program and reforms to the Commonwealth's Guaranteed Savings
Plan. I have also been pleased to sponsor a bill that would address the
growing needs of families looking for choices in their child's education
through Pennsylvania's Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC).
Some of the changes I proposed have since become law with the passage of
the budget. These changes include allowing families of children with
special needs more opportunities to qualify for a scholarship and
raising the income limits for all children beginning in 2011.
Finally as we move ahead, this Committee will take up the issue of
empowerment and providing under-performing schools in the Commonwealth
the tools needed to turn themselves around. As Pennsylvania's
Empowerment Law is set to expire in June of 2010, we will begin the
process of reauthorizing empowerment legislation with public hearings
and consideration of a proposal which I am sponsoring. Legislation is
needed to build real academic benchmarks and consequences such as the
closing of failing schools, eliminating positions of incompetent and
ineffective administrators and teachers, and using charters schools to
their fullest potential.
Hearings
March 17, 2010 - Hearing on Mandate Waivers
March 4, 2010 - Public Hearing on Education
Empowerment Act in Pittsburgh, Pa.
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- Part 1 - (running time 1 hours 52 minutes)
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- Part 2 - (running time 1 hours 32 minutes)
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- Part 3 - (running time 1 hours 26 minutes)
January 22, 2010 - Public
Hearing on Education Empowerment Act in Pittsburgh, Pa.
January 21, 2010 - Public
Hearing on
Education Empowerment Act in Harrisburg, Pa.
December 8, 2009 - Public
Hearing on the Costing-Out Study
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Agenda and Testimony
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- Part 1 - (running time 1 hour 30 minutes)
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- Part 2 - (running time 1 hour 6 minutes)
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- Part 3 - (running time 1 hour 30 minutes)
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- Part 3 - (running time 22 minutes)
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- (running time 4 hours 31 minutes)
November 17, 2009 - Public
Hearing on Intermediate Unit Services
November 11, 2009 - Senate Education
Committee Hearing on status of Imagine 2014, the strategic plan for reform of the
Philadelphia School District
September 14, 2009 - Public
Hearing on the nomination of David F. Girard-diCarlo to the Philadelphia
School Reform Commission
August 7, 2009 - Issues
Pertaining to School Consolidation
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Agenda and Testimony
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- Part 1 - (running time 1 hour 6 minutes)
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- Part 2 - (running time 1 hour 7 minutes)
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- Part 3 - (running time 1 hour)
July 28, 2009 - Keystone Exam
Compromise Receives Strong Bipartisan Support by Education Committee
July 14, 2009 - Education
Committee Briefed on Compromise for Graduation Requirements
June 24, 2009 - Public Hearing
on the Governor's nomination of Joseph Dworetzsky to the Philadelphia
School Reform Commission
June 4, 2009 - Public Hearing
on Higher Education Affordability
June 2, 2009 - Public Hearing
on Graduation Competency Assessments and to consider bills
May 13, 2009 - Public Hearing
on Alternative Education Funding and Standards
April 22, 2009 - Public Hearing
on Teacher Strikes in Pennsylvania and Impact on Public Education
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Agenda and Testimony
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- (running time 2 hours 31 minutes)
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- (running time 47 minutes)
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- (running time 3 hours 19 minutes)
March 30, 2009 - Senate
Education Committee Budget Hearing
March 26,
2009 - Senate Education Committee hearing on Basic Education funding
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- (running time 1 hour 16 minutes)
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- (running time 1 hour)
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- (running time 1 hour 59 minutes)
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- (running time 32 minutes)
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(running time 4 hours 48 minutes)
March 25,
2009 - Senate Education Committee hearing on Basic Education funding
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- (running time 1 hour 59 minutes)
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- (running time 1 hour 11 minutes)
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(running time 3 hours 11 minutes)
March 25, 2009 - Senate
Education Committee hearing on Higher Education funding
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- (running time 1 hour 1 minute)
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- (running time 1 hour 2 minutes)
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- (running time 2 hours 4 minutes)
March 24, 2009 - Education
Committee Meets to Consider Bills Including Safe Schools Measures
March 12, 2009 - Public hearing
on Pennsylvania's Charter Schools
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Agenda
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- Part 1 - (running time 1 hour 1 minute)
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- Part 2 - (running time 1 hour 7 minutes)
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- Part 3 - (running time 1 hour 7 minutes)
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- Part
4 - (running time 1 hour 1 minutes)
February 19, 2009 –
Senate Education Committee hearing on information relevant to: Graduate
Competency Assessments (GCAs), Senator Jane Orie's legislation imposing
a moratorium on GCAs, and Senator Piccola's proposal to use the existing PSSA process as means to avoid the necessity of a GCA.
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Agenda and Testimony
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- Part 1 - (running time 25 minutes)
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- Part 2 - (running time 1 hour 25 minutes)
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- Part 3 - (running time 1 hour 20 minutes)
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- Part
4 - (running time 1 hour 30 minutes)
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- Part
5 - (running time 29 minutes)
February 11, 2009 - Public
hearing on School Violence to gather information relevant to SB 55 and
SB 56
- Part 1 - (running time 1 hour 37 minutes)
- Part 2 - (running time 33 minutes)
- (running time 2 hours 10 minutes)
Recent News
6/10/09 - Piccola's Floor Remarks on Graduation Exams
Correspondence to PA's Superintendents & School
Boards
