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In this update:

• Bipartisan Budget Supports Students
• Protecting PA College Campuses from Antisemitism
• Should Cell Phones be Allowed in Schools?
• Teacher Shortages: An International Problem
• Providing Specialized Support to Children with Autism
• Require Parental Consent for Virtual Counseling, Notify Parents of Weapons in Schools
• Holding Criminals Accountable, Despite Rogue Prosecutors

Bipartisan Budget Supports Students

After weeks of negotiation, the state budget was finalized last week with strong bipartisan support. As the chair of the Senate Education Committee, I’m very pleased to see significant funding increases for students at all levels, from Pre-K to grad school.

Career and technical schools, community colleges, and dual enrollment programs, which allow students in high school to take college courses, all received significant new investments.

Many of the provisions introduced as part of the Grow PA higher education plan were also signed into law, including the creation of a new council to promote collaboration between Pennsylvania colleges and universities. I spearheaded this effort because ALL of our colleges and universities need to plan for a challenging future and better prepare our students for in-demand careers here in Pennsylvania. Read more about this new council here.

Protecting PA College Campuses from Antisemitism

I will convene a public hearing of the Senate Education Committee about the impact of rising antisemitism on Pennsylvania college campuses later this month at the State Capitol.

It has been deeply troubling to witness the antisemitic protests at many college and university campuses here in Pennsylvania and across the country after the terrorist attacks on Oct. 7. The committee will hear directly from those affected to determine how we can better protect our students.

On Oct. 7, 2023, more than 1,000 Israelis, mostly civilians, were murdered by Hamas terrorists. U.S. college campuses experienced volatile antisemitic protests that called for the complete destruction of Israel. Students were required to shelter in place in their dorm rooms out of fear for their lives. This should NEVER happen.

Should Cell Phones be Allowed in Schools?

I spoke with Eyewitness News WBRE WYOU about the heated debate over whether cell phones should be allowed in schools. Study after study has shown that when students have too much access to their phones, their academic performance declines.

Advancing legislation to continue this conversation has been one of my top priorities for the Senate Education Committee this year. The bipartisan budget includes a new grant program created by Sen. Ryan Aument to provide schools with funding to purchase locked bags to store cell phones in during the school day.

Schools that participate would also be required to share information with us about whether banning cell phones improved student academic performance and mental health.

Teacher Shortages: An International Problem

Examining ways to curb the educator workforce shortages gripping parts of Pennsylvania has been a priority of mine since I became the chair of the Senate Education Committee. A recent article from The Economist dove into this phenomenon in depth. Teachers today face very different challenges than both of my parents did when they were teaching from the 1950s to the 1990s.

According to the article, a recent study in Europe noted that 38 out of 43 education systems reported some sort of staffing problem. Across the globe, less people are seeking out teaching as a career and more young teachers are leaving the profession quickly.

The solutions the article offers are not solely monetary. While a similar teacher shortage in the 1970s shows us that raising salaries can be part of the solution, there are larger issues driving people away from the profession. Dr. Bruce Maddin of Arizona State is exploring ways to reorganize classrooms to be more efficient and fulfilling for teachers.

One thing is certain – this problem is not going away, and we need to get creative to solve it.

Providing Specialized Support to Children with Autism

The Senate passed Roman’s Law, a bill I introduced with Rep. Dane Watro and Rep. Mike Cabell to help parents find the best educational path possible for their child with autism. The bill is now under consideration by the House Education Committee.

Rep. Watro brought this idea to me after meeting Roman DeAngelo of Hazleton. Roman has autism and is making significant progress receiving early intervention services. He is working on becoming verbal, among other everyday skills so many of us take for granted. But his parents and his physician know he is not ready to go to school full-time.

An extra year of specialized support can make a world of difference for Roman and other kids like him. I was proud to introduce this bill on their behalf.

Watch my remarks about this important legislation on the floor of Senate here.

Require Parental Consent for Virtual Counseling, Notify Parents of Weapons in Schools

Too many parents feel they have been cut out of the classroom. I guided legislation to expand parental rights in Pennsylvania schools to final passage in the Senate as the chairman of the Senate Education Committee. Both bills now advance to the House of Representatives.

Senate Bill 913, sponsored by Sen. Wayne Langerholc, requires parental consent for students under 18 years of age to receive virtual mental health services while at school. Many parents have expressed serious concerns to me about the materials their children can freely access in public schools without their knowledge.

Senate Bill 971, sponsored by Sen. Jarrett Coleman, would require schools to notify parents and school employees of an incident involving the possession of a weapon on school property.

Broadening the rights of parents to decide how their children are educated will continue to be a key focus of the Senate Education Committee.

Holding Criminals Accountable, Despite Rogue Prosecutors

The lax attitude towards holding criminals accountable by rogue prosecutors has led to an explosion of crime in many of our largest cities, including in Philadelphia under District Attorney Larry Krasner. A recent talk by Charles “Cully” Stimson at Hillsdale College noted that in the five years prior to Krasner’s election in Philadelphia, retail thefts averaged 7,412 per year. Since then, that number has risen to 9,084.

This serious rise in crime is why I introduced legislation to strengthen the ability of law enforcement to hold looters and thieves accountable. This bill was signed into law last year as Act 42 of 2023, after receiving strong bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House – something you don’t see often in Harrisburg.

Because of this new law, it is now easier for perpetrators of organized retail theft to be charged with a felony. These new penalties target organized criminal opportunists who are looking to pad their pockets with stolen goods.

This law also created a new task force in the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General to specifically target the sharp rise of this thievery. As part of the bipartisan budget, this team of prosecutors received more than $2.7 million to begin their important work.

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