Let's increase student achievement in the public schools.
Let's cut public school funding. Let's also increase class sizes and spend money we don't have on a tuition voucher plan that doesn't work. And let's do all of this - at the same time.
This makes absolutely no sense. But it is exactly what Gov. Tom Corbett is proposing.
The governor has cut nearly $1 billion from the public schools since he took office.
School districts are struggling to balance their budgets and continue programs that work. Seventy percent of school districts have increased class sizes, and 45 percent have cut programs.
At the same time, Corbett wants to pass a tuition voucher bill. Voucher schemes have a long track record of failure. And they cost hundreds of millions of dollars that we don't have.
Pennsylvania's public schools are among the best in the nation. In fact, 93.5 percent of them met high academic standards.
They are great because we have invested in programs that work. Until now.
We can increase student achievement even more.
But we can't do it when the Governor cuts our funding and wastes money on programs that don't work.
George Gluscic
Altoona
