Sen. Piccola & Sen. Williams’ Senate Bill 1, Governor’s Education Reform Plan Touted as Solutions
(Harrisburg, PA – November 15, 2011) – Hundreds of school choice advocates gathered in the Capitol Rotunda today in support of Senate Bill 1 and the governor’s education reform plan.
“The governor’s education reform plan provides a clear agenda for school choice supporters in Pennsylvania, and Senate Bill 1 achieves many of those objectives,” said Otto V. Banks, executive director of REACH Alliance. “Senate Bill 1 is a tremendous step in the right direction towards expanding school choice across the Commonwealth and we urge our Representatives support this bill.”
Speakers at today’s rally included Governor Tom Corbett, Education Secretary Ronald Tomalis, Senator Jeffrey Piccola, Senator Anthony Williams, Representative Jim Christiana and representatives from groups around the state who support education reform.
We have been fighting for school choice in Pennsylvania for over twenty years – an entire generation has been left by the wayside in the process. We cannot accept inaction on education reform for any longer,” says Banks. “Without leadership from Governor Corbett and Senators Piccola and Williams, we would not have gotten this far. It is time to take up this battle in the House. Senate Bill 1 will provide a much-needed lifeline for Pennsylvania students.”
Senate Bill 1, passed out of the Senate in late October, includes scholarships for both public-to-public and public-to-private school choice which will be available to low-income students attending the worst-performing schools. It includes a multi-million dollar increase in the EITC, eventually bringing the program to $125 million with the potential for an annual 5 percent increase each year thereafter. This year, the EITC program is capped at $75 million, with a waiting list of hundreds of businesses waiting for the opportunity to donate $15 million to educational improvement organizations and scholarship organizations around the state. The bill also reforms the charter school law to increase schools’ accountability, among other provisions.
What is the REACH Alliance? Founded in 1991, REACH is Pennsylvania’s grassroots coalition for school choice. For more information on the REACH Alliance & Foundation, visit www.paschoolchoice.org.
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