CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — State Education Secretary Pedro A. Rivera met Thursday with educators and administrators at Clarion Area School District, discussing Governor Tom Wolf’s vision for improving education in Pennsylvania and the need for continued investment in our schools.
“Over the past two years, the Wolf Administration has demonstrated its commitment to public education in the commonwealth, and that work is now more critical than ever,” Rivera said. “The Schools That Teach tour has allowed us to put our finger on the pulse of what matters most to our schools, students, and communities, and I am grateful for the opportunity to meet educators in the field and discuss how the Department can help them meet their goals and needs.”
During the visit, Rivera outlined the historic $640 million investment the governor has already secured for public education and an additional $100 million for basic education, $75 million for high quality early childhood education; $25 million in special education; more than $8 million for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Specifically in the Clarion School District, Governor Wolf has secured over $200,000 in increased funding since taking office.
During the visit, Rivera also discussed recommendations the Department of Education (PDE) made to introduce the Future Ready PA Index, which would replace the School Performance Profile (SPP) as the outward facing state school evaluation measure.
Under the governor’s guidance, PDE solicited input from a variety of stakeholders, including teachers, administrators, parents, students, policy makers, advocates, industry and higher education leaders, to develop a more holistic tool to measure school success.
“Since taking office, Gov. Wolf has worked with the Department to redefine how we measure success in students and schools,” said Rivera. “As we continue our conversations, the input we’ve received on Schools That Teach visits around the state has proven invaluable, and we’re grateful from feedback we’ve received from educators and community members alike.”
Improving access to quality and innovative programs through enhanced funding is a hallmark of the Schools That Teach initiative, through which Administration officials have visited dozens of schools since 2015.
To date, the Schools That Teach tour has made stops at more than three dozen schools across Pennsylvania. A Google Map of all tour stops is available here.
For more information about Pennsylvania’s education policies and programs, or to read Rivera’s budget testimony, visit the Department of Education’s website at www.education.pa.gov or follow PDE on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.
