As the number of Pennsylvania students with disabilities rises, a new report says the share of state education funding has declined. Education advocates say state lawmakers can use this year's budget surplus to support the students.

In 2008, Pennsylvania contributed close to one-third of the total cost of special education, but by 2020 that amount dropped to 22%.

And meanwhile, costs have gone up for every school district, according to Sharon Ward - senior policy advisor with the Education Law Center, which published the report.

She said this hurts students in lower-wealth districts most and can lead to them missing out on services such as individualized education programs.

"What we hear from parents is that there are delays in the development of IEPs," said Ward. "If you can get to kids in the early grades and help them address a lot of their learning needs, it means they're going to have a more successful student career."

There were an estimated 308,000 students receiving special education services in the 2019-20 school year, up 14% from the 2008-09 school year.

The report adds that a lack of adequate special-education funding denies students access to individualized support, assistive technology and other interventions.

The report also includes policy recommendations for state lawmakers and education officials, such as adding $200 million in special education funding for the 2022-23 school year.

Ward added they'd like to see the state close the charter-school loophole, where districts must provide charter schools a fixed amount of funding per student regardless of disability.

"We'd like the charter schools to be held to the same cost-based system as district schools," said Ward. "Frankly, school districts are sending money to charter schools to serve students with disabilities and they're not; they're using those dollars for other purposes."

The Education Law Center, Public Interest Law Center and O'Melveny law firm were recently in the courtroom presenting their case that the way schools are funded in the state violates the education clause and equal-protection provisions of the state Constitution.

It awaits a decision by a Commonwealth Court judge.

In the race for New Hampshire governor, the future of public education is on the line.

Democrat and former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig opposes expanding the state's private school voucher program, while Republican former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte aims to remove the income cap for voucher eligibility.

Megan Tuttle, president of the National Education Association-New Hampshire, said the goal of the voucher program is to dismantle public schools.

"It is taking money, it's diverting money away from the public schools and it's putting it into a separate education system," Tuttle pointed out.

Tuttle noted more than 90% of New Hampshire students attend public schools, while the majority of students with vouchers were already enrolled in private, religious or home schools. The vouchers have siphoned more than $70 million from public school districts over the past four years.

The next governor will also determine the fate of current state Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut, a staunch supporter of vouchers and a so-called Parental Bill of Rights which limits the topics teachers can discuss in the classroom. Ayotte has supported Edelblut's efforts, while Craig said she would immediately replace him.

Tuttle argued Edelblut's disdain for public education has hurt both teacher retention and recruitment efforts.

"It doesn't help anybody who might want to go into education, because they will be going into a profession where they're going to be attacked," Tuttle asserted. "They're not treated as professionals."

Ayotte said she would reward good teachers by improving pay and benefits but ensure they are not bringing politics or gender ideology into the classroom. Craig said she wants to increase teacher pay along with training and professional development.

A 2023 teacher survey found many are leaving the profession due to low pay and what many consider to be a devaluation of their profession.


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The Greater Albany Education Association has voted to strike in as soon as 10 days if no agreement is reached on a new contract with the Greater Albany Public Schools.

After nine months of bargaining, 92% of nearly 500 union members voted in favor of a strike, which would be the first teacher strike in Albany since 1987.

Dana Lovejoy, president of the union who has been in the district for 19 years, noted Albany teacher salaries are currently the lowest among 35 comparable Oregon districts, which she said affects staff recruitment, retention and classroom safety.

"Thirty-four other districts get paid more than we do," Lovejoy pointed out. "People just genuinely cannot afford to stay in this district."

The district said it is disappointed about the strike potential and it would not be able to meet the pay increases, class size limits and staff retention strategies the union is asking for. The union countered by pointing to the district's $15 million surplus, which it said is much higher than needed.

The school district's current salary offer would move Albany teacher pay up to 32nd of 35 comparable Oregon school districts. Lovejoy noted the district has yet to respond to 10 of the union's proposals. She added the money is there but thinks the district needs to reassess its goals.

"We know that a budget is the district's priorities," Lovejoy observed. "So we believe that they could reprioritize and put students first, followed by the staff who are in front of them."

One more mediation session has been scheduled but Lovejoy stressed the union has requested additional meetings to address class size limits, workload and health care. A strike could begin as soon as Nov. 12.

While Lovejoy hopes a walkout will not be necessary, she emphasized the union will stand firm for the sake of the students.

"I think it's important that our community knows that we are fighting for the schools that their children deserve," Lovejoy added.


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Lack of diversity in the medical field is a big problem.

Data show fewer than 6% of active physicians in the U.S. are Black and fewer than 7% are Hispanic, so Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is working to diversify across the campus. The Next Generation Healthcare Pathways program offers a 10-week paid internship.

Daniela Villegas, the program's manager added the first-level DISCOVER program exposes college students to an array of possible careers.

"We like to pretty much allow them to job shadow, to have mentors, to just network across the medical center," Villegas outlined, "To be able to see if health care is their passion."

You can fill out an interest form at the Cedars-Sinai Next Gen website.

Students hear from professionals in a range of fields, not just doctors and nurses but jobs without a 5-10 year training requirement, like radiology technologists, phlebotomists, administrators and more. Once you complete the DISCOVER program, the next step is the ELEVATE program, which offers a one-year position while you finish your degree.

Villegas encouraged students to take a chance on the Next Gen program, even if they do not know what they want to do after graduation.

"We always like to not just target the '4.0' students," Villegas explained. "We really like to open the doors to just anyone that wants to come learn, network experience, get the experience hands on. And again, Cedars-Sinai is huge and we will find a career for everyone."

Cedars also has a two-year Youth Employment Development program for high school students in partnership with Fairfax High School, which pays minimum wage and counts for school credit.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.


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