As some colleges in Pennsylvania and nationwide close their doors, one school in Erie has taken a big step toward making higher education more accessible and affordable.

Erie County Community College meets a need by serving an underserved county.

Chris Gray, president of the college, said the challenges of poverty and economic decline in the local area are being tackled in part, by creating a foundation to provide help to students with short-term, unexpected expenses, so they can stay in school and work toward their degrees and certificates.

"We call it an emergency fund," Gray explained. "It gives us a pot of money that allows us to step in and say, 'Hey, you've got this medical bill, you had to have a tooth pulled or whatever, it's 150 bucks.' Whether it's $50, $500 or $5,000, it's so out of reach for so many people that live in poverty. This allows us, through the generosity of our donors, to one time step in with that student and say, 'We're going to help you.'"

According to the school's website, the college offers affordable associate's degrees and technical certificate programs for jobs in fields with no requirement of a bachelor's degree.

Unlike many colleges, where enrollment is down, Gray noted their numbers have skyrocketed since opening in 2021. He pointed out they have had almost 600 students and are projecting enrollment of 700 to 800 this fall. He added some community funding has allowed some students to go to school at no cost.

"Through the generosity of the county government, we were able to waive tuition for the first two years," Gray noted. "And then, through the generosity of a private donor, the Susan B. Hagen Fund, we've been able to waive tuition for students. And it has had unbelievable results."

Gray pointed out along with the emergency fund, the college also offers scholarships, both recurring and one-time. He added in memory of his mother, they recently created an academic scholarship.

"That's a larger donation," Gray emphasized. "What we'll do off that is we'll basically use the interest, and every year with that donation, we'll be able to give out $1,000 to a student, for every year, for eternity."

Gray added the school is getting ready to do a major health care renovation, through a partnership between the county government and three hospital systems, which have committed more than $5 million to support the initiative.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.


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Mississippi's education improvements could unravel unless the state addresses its teacher compensation crisis.

Toren Ballard, a former teacher and education policy researcher gave the warning and stressed the Magnolia state's 2022 pay raise temporarily boosted recruitment but did not solve retention. He pointed out when adjusted for inflation, teacher salaries remain below 21st century levels, with the most severe gaps in poorer districts unable to offer anything past a base salary.

"In recent years we have seen more people going into the profession, which is a good data trend but we've also seen the number of teachers leaving Mississippi classrooms explode," Ballard reported. "In recent years, in the average district, losing nearly one in four teachers each year."

Ballard praised Mississippi's new weighted student funding formula for addressing equity concerns. However, he highlighted competitive base salaries are critical to keeping up the state's education progress.

Ballard noted Mississippi's teacher shortage affects high-need districts and critical subjects like math and science. He argued paying teachers more is not necessarily about fairness.

"No, it's microeconomics," Ballard emphasized. "If we are going to offer more competitive salaries to Mississippi teachers, we are going to get more people interested in coming to Mississippi to begin with and more importantly, staying in Mississippi if they're already here."

Mississippi saw reading gains following the 2016 Literacy-Based Promotion Act, with fourth-grade test scores rising as other states declined.

Ballard hopes lawmakers now turn to current challenges, like rising health insurance premiums eating up a quarter of new teachers' salaries. There will also be reduced pension benefits for those hired after March 2026.


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A high school educator from Pennsylvania has been named National Teacher of the Year, one of the highest honors in the field.

The prestigious award is for educators who have demonstrated excellence in the classroom and exceptional commitment to their students.

Ashlie Crosson, who teaches advanced placement language and composition, English 10 and survival stories at Mifflin County High School, said she is honored to receive the award. Inspired by great teachers growing up, she has been an educator for more than 14 years and called teaching one of the oldest and most rewarding careers, and one the world will always need.

"I had amazing teachers who valued me and invested in me and made me feel confident and smart and important," Crosson recounted. "If you can do a job where you get to make other people feel like that, that's a good way to spend a life. And I think that's what we try to sort of focus on or celebrate for students."

Crosson also teaches the journalism program, which publishes the school newspaper and the district magazine. She has had a positive effect on her students' academic and career paths as some of her former students now work at the local newspaper.

With the Trump administration proposing to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, Crosson acknowledged policies may shift with each new administration but her students' needs will always remain her top concern.

"In my classroom and talking to my colleagues, we are still focused on what's going on in our classroom," Crosson emphasized. "Because that's our job, day in and day out, and we know that there's going to be ebbs and flows and changes, because that's what it means to be a teacher. But the thing that doesn't change is your students' needs, and so those will always be our priorities."

Looking to broaden horizons for both her colleagues and students, Crosson started "MC Goes Global," a travel program bringing learning to life through international trips. Her students do not just stick to books and essays, they dive into real-world research on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and even build websites, blending global awareness with hands-on learning.


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Pennsylvanians will rally in Harrisburg on Tuesday urging lawmakers to boost public school funding.

More than 1.7 million students are enrolled in Pennsylvania schools.

Susan Spicka, executive director of Education Voters of Pennsylvania, said her group is among those backing Gov. Josh Shapiro's budget proposal.

It would mean more than $500 million for underfunded schools, $75 million for basic education, and $40 million for special education.

She added that every student deserves a well-funded education and warns that cuts could leave some school districts behind.

"Our message is going to be loud and clear that we need the State Legislature to adopt the entire, full budget package that Gov. Shapiro has proposed," said Spicka. "The full package means that there will be a positive step forward for every school district."

Spicka said they're also urging lawmakers to set a timeline to meet constitutional school funding requirements and to reject private school vouchers.

Her group, along with the PA Schools Work coalition, is leading the rally with support from parents and community groups. The state House and Senate must pass the budget by June 30.

While Advocacy Day is about gaining state lawmakers' support for this year's budget, Spicka said the groups also strongly oppose efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.

She added that they're very concerned about how possible federal funding cuts would affect Pennsylvania students.

"We acknowledge that federal funding is an essential funding stream for public schools, especially for the schools that have students with the greatest need," said Spicka. "So, any cut in federal funding will have an enormous and negative impact on students who have already been the furthest left behind in Pennsylvania."

She estimated that a few hundred people will attend the Harrisburg rally. They have meetings planned with lawmakers, will hold a news conference and speak with state education staff.

She added that anyone who attends can fill out a postcard to leave at their lawmaker's office.




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