Pa.+Black+Caucus+Decries+Assault+on+Education

= Pa. Legislative Black Caucus denounces Republican assault on education =



=HARRISBURG, May 18 – State Rep. Ronald G. Waters, D-Phila./Delaware, chairman of the= =Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus; Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown, PLBC vice chairwoman; state Sen.= =Shirley Kitchen, D-Phila., Democratic Public Health and Welfare Committee chairwoman; Rep. James= =Roebuck, Democratic chairman, House Education Committee; and Sen. Vincent Hughes, Democratic= =chairman, Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on the effects of the= =Republican budget cuts to public education. These cuts will primarily target and further set back= =disadvantaged, African-American and Latino children:= ="As members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, we have grave concerns about the cuts to= =basic education that Governor Corbett and the House Republicans have proposed for the 2011-2012= =budget.= ="Our position is clear – we stand firmly in opposition to these cuts, which would be a detriment to our= =children and our future, and set back underprivileged children in this Commonwealth for years to come.= ="There is no question that school districts throughout the Commonwealth will be hurt if we fail to invest in= =our children’s futures. What’s more, neither of these budget proposals, either the governor’s or the House= =Republicans’, would distribute the pain evenly throughout Pennsylvania. Rather, low-income students and= =students of color would suffer disproportionately.= ="These proposed budget cuts eliminate our state’s recent efforts to provide adequate and equitable funding= =for all our students to meet higher academic standards. If school districts are going to be held accountable= =for educating all our children to higher academic standards then we must provide adequate and equitable= =resources so all our students have the opportunity to meet these higher academic standards.= = "According to a data analysis compiled by the PA School Funding Campaign, the governor’s budget would = = cut education spending, on average, by $819 for a low income student, by $867 for an Hispanic student = = and $1,091 for a black student. The typical Caucasian student would experience only a $493 cut. Statewide, = = the average cut would be $623 per student. = ="The PLBC believes that this analysis is the missing link, the untold story in the Republican assault on= =education. The Republicans would make the most vulnerable among us -- poor children and children of= =color -- bear the brunt of these disastrous cuts to our schools. This is not an example of shared sacrifice, as= =Governor Corbett touted in his budget address. This is an example of bait and switch, as some children will= =be forced to sacrifice more than others. The leaders of the commonwealth have a responsibility to provide= =an opportunity to learn to all children; disproportionate cuts are antithetical to democracy and decency.= = "The disparities under the GOP House budget are just as glaring, although the average cut would be a little = = less, at $509 per student. The typical low-income student would experience a $715 cut. The spending = = reductions would be $781 for an Hispanic student and $1,018 for an African-American student compared to = = $385 for a white student. = = = = Under House Bill 1485, the average low-income student will suffer a funding reduction that is one-third greater than other students. The average Hispanic student will be cut 103 percent more and the average African-American student will be cut 164 percent more than the average white student. =

="It is no wonder that Pennsylvanians are emphatically against cuts to education, and rate education as the= =issue of greatest importance to them. If we allow the governor’s proposal or the House Republican proposal= =to go forward, we are sending the wrong message to our children. We are telling them that we do not= =believe in equal access to a high-quality education. We are telling them that if you are of a certain ethnic= =background or color, or were born into an underprivileged family, you will sacrifice the most.= ="Public education was not supposed to be this way. State funding for education is designed to level the= =playing field, and bring less harm to those who need the greatest help. We should not impose more= =suffering on those children who are least able to bear it."=

=Rep. Ronald G. Waters, chairman, Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus= =Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown, vice chairwoman, Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus= =Rep. James Roebuck, Democratic chairman, House Education Committee= =Sen. Vincent Hughes, Democratic chairman, Senate Appropriations Committee= =Sen. Shirley Kitchen, Democratic Public Health and Welfare Committee chairwoman= =Members of the PLBC= = =

=Read the PLBC press release.=

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