Pennsylvania Women’s Agenda: Education

Special thanks to Rita Kamani, WVPA Project Intern, for helping to draft portions of the Women's Agenda related to public education.

Supporting and Investing in Public Education

In 1954, Brown v. Board of Education determined that separate was not equal, and that all students, regardless of race, had the right to attend equal schools, together. However, the funding gap that exists today is only one example of our failure to make good on this promise. During the 2005-2006 school year, Lower Merion School District in Montgomery County spent $18,445.67 per pupil. In contrast, Northwestern School District in Erie County spent $7,420.19 per pupil (Comparative School District Data 2005-06 School Year, Good Schools Pennsylvania). With some districts spending more than twice as much as others per pupil, there is an urgent need for reform.
The Pennsylvania Costing-Out Study, completed on November 14th, 2007, determined that, in order to provide all the resources necessary for students to achieve state standards, an average of $12,057 per student must be spent. In the aggregate, the costing out estimate is $4.61 billion higher than current spending. This means that the public must continue to demand follow through on the results of this important study.

After school programs keep kids safe, improve academic achievement, school conduct, and emotional development, and help support working families. (U.S. Department of Education - 21st Century Community Learning Centers: Providing Quality After school Learning Opportunities for America's Families, September, 2000). Effective after school programs can transform schools into community centers, providing public spaces for adults and other community members.
Polls show more than 8 out of 10 voters have agreed that access to after school programming in the community is important, and that this access must be available to all children. Yet, over the last three years, nearly two-thirds of voters have reported that it is difficult to find programs in the nation and in the community. Less than 4 out of 10 voters say their community actually provides after school programs. (U.S. Department of Education)

Even though the U.S. is celebrating is 35th anniversary of Title IX, polls show that nearly one in ten U.S. Americans know of a specific recent incident of gender discrimination in athletics. Demands must be made to guarantee gender equity in athletics at all levels, a reflection of greater society’s commitment to improving conditions for all women.
The Pennsylvania Assembly Senate Bill SB985 would require schools to report on athletic opportunities afforded to male and female secondary school students. This holds public schools accountable for following through on the promises of Title IX.
Women continue to be shortchanged in intercollegiate athletic programs, as fewer resources are devoted to maintaining their athletic programs, recruiting female athletes, and providing scholarships. (Women’s Law Project Report on Gender Equity in Intercollegiate Athletics, 2005)

About four out of ten young women become pregnant at least once before age 20. (Center for Policy Alternatives, Progressive Solutions Built on American Values, 168)
Two-thirds of all STIs occur in people 25 years of age or younger, one in four occur in adolescents. African American and Latina women represent 25% of the female population, but over 75% of all reported female cases of AIDs. (Center for Policy Alternatives, Progressive Solutions Built on American Values, 168)
Nearly 9 in 10 American parents believe that sexuality education programs should cover all aspects of sexuality, including contraception and safe sex, as do many major medical, public health, and research institutions such as the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Public Health Association. (Center for Policy Alternatives, Progressive Solutions Built on American Values, 168)
Governor Rendell is considering applying for more federal funding for more abstinence-only sexual education programs, which deny teenagers medically accurate information about contraception and STI prevention, placing them at a greater risk for pregnancy and STIs.

Pennsylvania does NOT have state laws that hold gun owners accountable for leaving guns accessible to kids or require buyers to obtain a license or receive training prior to purchase. (Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Pennsylvania State Laws)
Anti-truancy enforcement can help make campuses free from loitering and dangerous or disruptive activities. In cities where anti-truancy enforcement has been instituted, the number of youth-related shootings has decreased tremendously. Pennsylvania can help address the roots of school violence by instituting more effective anti-truancy programs. (US Conference of Mayors Best Practices Database, Detroit Anti-Truancy Program)
More than 80% of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students report being verbally or physically harassed because of their sexual orientation or gender identification. (Policy Alternative Books) The Safe Schools Act can protect students, including GLBT individuals, from harassment and discrimination by implementing anti-discrimination/anti-harassment laws in schools and training staff and teachers to adequately respond to violence.