State of Pennsylvania Archives: on Education

Brian Fitzpatrick: Interest-free student loans for STEM and trades

Everett Stern: Let schools display the words "God Bless America"

A: Strongly Support:

• Let schools display the words `God Bless America"
• Supports anti-flag desecration amendment

Everett Stern: Freedom and choice of schools for parents & children

A: Strongly Support. Parents and Children should have the freedom and choice of their school.

Katie McGinty: Strong Schools; Bright Futures:restore $1B in education cuts

• Expanding support for Pre-K programs, including Head Start, by immediately adding an additional $20 million.
• Investing in early education so every school district in Pennsylvania can operate full-day kindergarten programs for five-year-olds.
• Reducing maximum class size to 25 students over a period of four years.
• Creating incentives to support creativity and excellence in our students and schools.
• Providing incentives for school districts to augment Advanced Placement courses.
• Providing teachers with additional training to foster professional development.

Tom Smith: Get rid of the Department of Education

Hillary Clinton: End predatory student college loan rates over 20%

Brendan Boyle: More funding for schools, teachers, and colleges

Boyle indicates support of the following principles regarding education.
• Increase state funds for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings and infrastructure).
• Increase state funds for hiring additional teachers.
• Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
• Increase funding for Head Start programs.
• Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable.
• Boyle adds, "Support enacting the HOPE Scholarship, which would make college tuition-free for middle class families. As the first person in my family to attend college, I care deeply about helping middle-class families afford college. I will fight for the HOPE Scholarship, which allows all students to attend college tuition-free, provided they maintain a "B" average. I will also fight for enactment of the Prescription Plus Plan. This plan has already cut the cost of drugs by 60% in Maine. PA residents need help paying for the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs."

Joseph Hoeffel: Voted to increase funding for No Child Left Behind 4 times

Tom Ridge: Teacher-led voluntary prayer is OK

Supports the following principles concerning education:
• Support sex education programs which stress abstinence.
• Endorse teacher-led voluntary prayer in public schools.
• Allow schools the option of requiring school uniforms.
• Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any participating school (public, private, religious).

Tom Ridge: State-wide student testing; teacher re-certification

Supports the following principles concerning education:
• [X] a) Increase state funds for professional development of public school teachers and administrators.
• Require teachers to continue their professional development and re-certify every five years.
• Support a state achievement test and establish proficiency levels to measure student achievement.
• Support the Links-to-Learn initiative, which purchases computers for schools and provides computer training for teachers.

Tom Ridge: Vouchers for private & religious schools

Supports the following principles concerning education:
• Encourage private or corporate investment in public school programs.
• Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any participating school (public, private, religious).
• Favor charter schools where independent groups receive state authorization and funding to establish new schools.