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Tom Wolf on Education
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Support our state's public education system
Tom Wolf is a major supporter of our state's public education system, and he knows that Pennsylvania is home to some of the best public schools in the country. His two daughters attended York County public schools, where they developed a strong academic
foundation that prepared them to go on to top-notch colleges and build successful careers. But he also knows that there is still a lot of work to be done. Pennsylvania needs a leader who will work tirelessly to make sure that every child, regardless
of his or her zip code, receives the best possible education. As governor, Tom Wolf will restore Governor Corbett's $1 billion in cuts to education, implement a fair funding formula, and institute reforms to help local school districts innovate and
improve student performance.
Tom also believes Pennsylvania should extend the notion of basic education to include universal pre-K, because too much of the battle for educational achievement is lost before our children enter kindergarten.
Source: 2014 Gubernatorial campaign website, WolfForPA.com, "Plan"
, Mar 3, 2014
Charters ok, but no mass expansion
As governor, Tom Wolf will fight everyday to build a strong public education system so that we can keep, create, and attract good jobs right here in Pennsylvania.The state's charter school sector is one piece of our public education system.
It can play an important role in introducing new and innovative teaching practices that can be expanded to local school districts.
Unfortunately, Governor Corbett and others in Harrisburg have prioritized mass expansion and deregulation of this sector over accountability and student outcomes. This is the wrong direction for public education.
As part of his education agenda,
Tom Wolf will work to refocus this sector and make sure that every public school--district-run, charter, or cyber charter--is held to the same high standards.
Source: 2014 Gubernatorial campaign website, WolfForPA.com, "Plan"
, Mar 3, 2014
Restore money cut from public schools
All four Democratic candidates would seek to restore money that Corbett cut from higher education and public schools to balance the budget. They also all oppose vouchers for private schools.Wolf would seek to increase the state's share of public
school spending to 50 percent of the overall cost. Would convene a commission to develop funding formulas for charter schools and cyber charters. Would develop a five-year funding plan for state-subsidized universities.
Source: The Patriot News on 2014 Pennsylvania governor debate
, May 10, 2014
$15M for community colleges but they must freeze tuition
This budget increases our investment in public schools at every grade level. It also recognizes that our responsibility to provide a great education does not begin at kindergarten and end with high school. That's why my budget also expands access to
early childhood education by increasing the number of children in Pre-K by 75%. That's why we are increasing funding to community colleges by $15 million. And that is why we are restoring 50% of the cuts to our state system of higher education.
But those improvements come with a string attached. In return for these increases, today I am calling on our institutions of higher education to freeze tuition, and I expect them to answer that call.
These investments in higher education and community colleges will help prepare our young people for jobs that pay.
Source: State of the State address to 2015 Pennsylvania Legislature
, Mar 3, 2015
Opposes diverting state funding away from public schools
Q: Increase funding for K-12 education?Scott Wagner (R): Said PA spends "enough money" on public schools. Save money by cutting teacher benefits.
Tom Wolf (D): Yes. Worked to restore previous administration's budget cuts--would like to increase
funding.
Q: Support vouchers to help parents send children to private schools?
Wagner: Yes. Parents should have choice of where to send child.
Wolf: No. Oppose any program that diverts state funding away from public schools.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide: Pennsylvania Governor race
, Oct 9, 2018
Increase state funding for higher education
Q: Increase state funding for higher education?Scott Wagner (R): Unclear. But unless pensions & health benefits are cut, predicts financial death of all 14 state colleges by 2022.
Tom Wolf (D): Yes, but may not be able to get past legislature. Incre
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide: Pennsylvania Governor race
, Oct 9, 2018
Increase pay for teachers; increase early childcare
We need policies that start at the very beginning, and end with every Pennsylvanian receiving an excellent education and the opportunity to land a good job. I know that no new parent looks at their baby and sees a spreadsheet, but the fact is that
preparing our kids for success starts long before they ever enter a classroom. That's why this new program includes funding for home visits to support vulnerable pregnant women, new mothers, and at-risk infants and toddlers.
My plan increases the pay floor for teachers to $45,000 a year. This is a real investment in our future. It's an investment the state--not local school districts--will make--and it's included in this budget. Most districts that cannot afford to pay
their teachers more are located in the heart of rural Pennsylvania, and it is time to make sure we are investing in educators in those areas today to prepare our kids for the competitive world of tomorrow.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to Pennsylvania legislature
, Feb 5, 2019
Ease student debt if grads stay in Pennsylvania
My plan creates a new grant program for students who graduate from a Pennsylvania community college with an associate's degree or other industry-recognized credential--and then stay in Pennsylvania to start their careers.
If you're willing to put your newly-acquired skills to work here in our Commonwealth, the least we can do is help you avoid carrying around a crushing burden of student debt.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to Pennsylvania legislature
, Feb 5, 2019
Finally hold charter schools accountable for results
My plan more than doubles our investment in education. We will be able to fully and fairly fund every school, in every school district, in every part of the commonwealth. Putting all this funding through the fair funding formula means that
struggling schools will finally get the resources they need without taking away from schools already being adequately funded. No more passing on the cost of our broken system in the form of skyrocketing property taxes.
Our commitment to education isn't just about funding. It's about quality. My budget includes reforms that would finally hold charter schools accountable for the results they deliver. It lowers administrative costs in the Educational Improvement
Tax Credit program so we can fund 36 million dollars more in scholarships. And it gives the teachers to whom we entrust our children's future the security of a $45,000 dollar minimum annual salary.
Source: 2021 State of the State Address to Pennsylvania legislature
, Feb 3, 2021
High-quality education is the ticket to greater opportunity
High-quality education is the ticket to greater opportunity for our children. Without it, how can we hope that our kids will lead better lives than we did? By the way: Universal high-quality education leads to healthier people and healthier communities.
If it's not accessible to everyone, how will our kids be able to build a better Pennsylvania than the one we leave them? Over the past five years, we've delivered an additional 1.4 billion dollars in funding, for pre-k through college education.
Source: 2021 State of the State Address to Pennsylvania legislature
, Feb 3, 2021
Refusing to fund education equitably does not save us money
Refusing to fund education equitably does not save us money. It just means we wind up spending more on social services, remedial programs, even prisons. We can afford to invest a whole lot more in the fair funding formula without raising one penny
in state taxes. And we can afford to do it without asking any school district, anywhere in Pennsylvania, to sacrifice one penny in state funding.
Source: 2022 State of the State Address to Pennsylvania legislature
, Feb 8, 2022
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of Tom Wolf.
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by Tom Wolf.
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S.D.Mayor Kevin_Faulconer(R)
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vs.Former U.S.Rep Doug Ose(R)
vs.Laura Smith(R)
vs.Former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner(R)
vs.Radio Host Larry Elder(R)
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vs. Gavin Newsom(D)
NJ:
Incumbent Phil Murphy(D)
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vs.GOP Chair Doug Steinhardt(R)
VA:
Incumbent Ralph Northam(D,term-limited)
vs.Former Governor Terry McAuliffe(D)
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vs.A.G. Mark Herring(D)
vs.State Sen. Amanda Chase(I)
vs.Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax(D)
vs.State Rep. Jennifer Carroll Foy(D)
vs.State Rep. Lee Carter(D)
vs.State Sen. Jennifer McClellan(D)
vs.State Rep. Kirk Cox(R)
vs.CEO Pete Snyder(R)
Gubernatorial Debates 2023:
KY:
Incumbent Andy Beshear(D)
vs.State A.G. Daniel Cameron(R)
vs.Ambassador Kelly Craft(R)
vs.State Auditor Mike Harmon(R)
LA:
Incumbent John Bel Edwards(D,term-limited)
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vs.Senator John Neely Kennedy(? R)
vs.Mitch Landrieu(D ?)
MS:
Incumbent Tate Reeves(R)
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Gubernatorial Debates 2022:
AK:
Incumbent Mike Dunleavy(R)
vs.Bill Walker(I)
vs.Les Gara(D)
vs.Billy Toien(L)
vs.State Rep. Chris Kurka(R)
AL:
Incumbent Kay Ivey(R)
vs.Chris Countryman(D)
vs.Yolanda Flowers(D)
vs.Stacy Lee George(R)
vs.Ambassador Lynda Blanchard(R)
vs.State Sen. Malika Sanders-Fortier(D)
vs.Challenger Tim James(R)
AR:
Incumbent Asa Hutchinson(R,term-limited)
vs.Trump Adviser Sarah Huckabee Sanders(R)
vs.A.G. Leslie Rutledge(R,withdrew Nov.2021)
vs.Ricky Dale Harrington(L)
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AZ:
Incumbent Doug Ducey(R,term-limited)
Mayor Marco Lopez(D)
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vs.State Treasurer Kimberly Yee(R)
vs.U.S.Rep.Matt Salmon(R)
vs.Steve Gaynor(R)
vs.State Rep.Aaron Lieberman(D)
vs.Jorge Rivas(R)
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CA:
Incumbent Gavin Newsom(D)
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vs.Kevin Paffrath(D)
vs.State Sen. Brian Dahle(R)
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CO:
Incumbent Jared Polis(D)
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CT:
Incumbent Ned Lamont(D)
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FL:
Incumbent Ron DeSantis(R)
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vs.Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried(D)
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vs.Brian Moore(G)
GA:
Incumbent Brian Kemp(R)
vs.Minority Leader Stacey Abrams(D)
vs.Senate candidate Shane Hazel(L)
vs.State Rep.Vernon Jones(R)
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HI:
Incumbent David Ige(D,term-limited)
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vs.Marissa Kerns(R)
vs.Lt.Gov.Josh Green(D nominee)
vs.Vicky Cayetano(D)
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vs.State Rep.Kirk Caldwell(D)
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IA:
Incumbent Kim Reynolds(R)
vs.Deidre DeJear(D)
vs.State Rep.Ras Smith(D)
ID:
Incumbent Brad Little(R)
vs.Stephen Heidt(D)
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IL:
Incumbent J.B. Pritzker(D)
vs.State Sen.Darren Bailey(R)
vs.Paul Schimpf(R)
vs.Jesse Sullivan(R)
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KS:
Incumbent Laura Kelly(D)
vs.Jeff Colyer(R)
vs.State Sen.Derek Schmidt(R)
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Gubernatorial Debates 2022 (continued):
MA:
Incumbent Charlie Baker(R)
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vs.State Rep. Geoff Diehl(R)
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MD:
Incumbent Larry Hogan(R,term-limited)
vs.State Del.Robin Ficker(R)
vs.State Del.Peter Franchot(D)
vs.State Del.Kelly M. Schulz(R)
vs.Secretary John B. King(D)
vs.Ashwani Jain(D)
vs.State A.G. Doug Gansler(D)
vs.County Exec. Rushern Baker(D)
vs.Secretary Thomas Perez(D)
vs.Wes Moore(D)
vs.Dan Cox(R)
ME:
Incumbent Janet Mills(D)
vs.Former Gov. Paul LePage(R)
MI:
Incumbent Gretchen Whitmer(D)
vs.Chief James Craig(R)
vs.Police Chief Tudor Dixon(R)
vs.Garrett Soldano(R)
vs.John E. James(? R)
MN:
Incumbent Tim Walz(DFL)
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vs.State Sen.Scott Jensen(R)
vs.Michelle Benson(R)
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NE:
Incumbent Pete Ricketts(R,term-limited)
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vs.Brett Lindstrom(R)
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NH:
Incumbent Chris Sununu(R)
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vs.Dr.Tom Sherman(D)
NM:
Incumbent Michelle Lujan Grisham(D)
vs.Commissioner Jay Block(R)
vs.State Rep.Rebecca Dow(R)
vs.Mark Ronchetti(R)
NV:
Incumbent Steve Sisolak(D)
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vs.North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee(R)
vs.Dean Heller(R)
vs.Joe Lombardo(R)
vs.Mayor Michele Fiore(R)
NY:
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vs.Joe Pinion(R)
vs.Rob Astorino(R)
vs.Andrew Giuliani(R)
vs.US.Rep.Lee Zeldin(R)
vs.Tom Suozzi(D)
vs.Attorney General Letitia James(D)
OH:
Incumbent Mike DeWine(R)
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vs.Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley(D)
vs.Mayor John Cranley(D)
OK:
Incumbent Kevin Stitt(R)
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vs.Connie Johnson(D)
vs.Joy Hofmeister(D)
vs.Natalie Bruno(L)
OR:
Incumbent Kate Brown(D,term-limited)
vs.Gov. nominee Bud Pierce(R)
vs.Paul Romero(R)
vs.Casey Kulla(D)
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vs.Tina Kotek(D)
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vs.Tobias Read(D)
vs.State Rep. Christine Drazan(R)
vs.Julian Bell(D)
PA:
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vs.Commissioner Joe Gale(R)
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vs.U.S.Rep.Melissa Hart(R)
vs.State Sen.Scott Martin(R)
vs.State Sen. Scott Martin(R)
vs.State Sen. Doug Mastriano(R)
RI:
Incumbent Gina Raimondo(D,to Cabinet)
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vs.Ashley Kalus(R)
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SC:
Incumbent Henry McMaster(R)
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SD:
Incumbent Kristi Noem(R)
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vs.Jamie R. Smith(D)
TN:
Incumbent Bill Lee(R)
vs.Jason Martin(D)
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TX:
Incumbent Greg Abbott(R)
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vs.Chad Prather(R)
vs.State Sen.Don Huffines(R)
vs.U.S.Rep. Allen West(R)
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VT:
Incumbent Phil Scott(R)
vs.Brenda Siegel(D)
WI:
Incumbent Tony Evers(D)
vs.Tim Michels(R)
vs.CEO Jonathan Wichmann(R)
vs.Rebecca Kleefisch(R)
vs.State Rep. Timothy Ramthun(R)
WY:
Incumbent Mark Gordon(R)
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vs.Rex Rammell(R)
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