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Served as the master of ceremonies for the Dauphin County row officers’ inauguration which took place at the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg
Spoke at the Martin Luther King prayer breakfast hosted by and held at the Ebenezer A.M.E. Church in Middletown
Toured the 96th annual Pennsylvania State Farm Show, the premier agricultural event in the Commonwealth and the largest indoor agricultural event in the country
Welcome to the latest edition of my e-newsletter! This biweekly correspondence is
intended to keep you informed of my legislative work, priorities, and
whereabouts in the 15th Senatorial District. I welcome your comments and
look forward to hearing from you.
In the News...
Corbett asked to aid poor schools --- Bipartisan effort pursues workable plan
for distressed districts
Pittsburgh Post Gazette, January 25, 2012
Senator
asks state to declare Chester Upland a distressed school district
Delaware County Times, January 5, 2012
News & Views...
Committee Focuses Attention on Fiscally Distressed Schools
The critical issue of fiscally distressed school districts in Pennsylvania is unfortunately and rapidly escalating in its severity. In addition to their financial struggles, these districts are facing significant educational challenges as well, causing a few – such as the Chester Upland School District – to be on the brink of collapse. As a result, our Commonwealth must exercise bold leadership to structurally reform these districts and provide students and their families more choices in achieving a quality education.
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That’s why I convened a public hearing of the Senate Education Committee last week to discuss and begin the debate as to how we approach fiscally troubled school districts in Pennsylvania. I closely questioned the Secretary for the Department of Education on the administration’s intent to develop a workable plan for the state’s fiscally distressed schools. We need a long-term solution extending beyond the problems surrounding Chester Upland because other fiscally distressed districts do exist, including those in Harrisburg, Erie, Reading, York and Lancaster.
Following this hearing, I remain hopeful that the Corbett Administration will work with lawmakers to craft a comprehensive proposal that will ultimately provide real and timely reform for all of the state’s fiscally distressed districts. (Visit my website – www.piccola.org – to access the video and testimony from our hearing.)
Senate Approves Higher Education Bills
The Senate recently took steps to improve upon and reform the statute governing the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). Considering Pennsylvania’s largest provider of higher education was established almost three decades ago, we recognize that PASSHE faces several barriers which prevent it and its 14-state owned institutions from being the workforce powerhouse our Commonwealth needs.
Our bipartisan package of six bills is designed to reduce the “mandates” placed upon PASSHE by providing opportunities for our campus administrators and faculty to raise new monies for the universities, offer additional programs, and engage in research. The bills were unveiled last year by various members of the Senate and were the subject of a public hearing in October before the Senate Education Committee. In recent days, three of the bills received the approval of the full Senate and now head to the House of Representatives for consideration. These include:
Senate Bill 1133, sponsored by Sen. White (R-Indiana), would allow all PASSHE universities to offer applied doctorate degrees, a level of education currently only available at Indiana University of Pennsylvania;Senate Bill 1308, sponsored by Sen. Tomlinson (R-Bucks), would help universities keep and recruit professors by removing a provision in current law that prohibits employees from entering into economic development agreements to develop or market intellectual property, such as research; and
Senate Bill 1322, sponsored by Sen. Smucker (R-Lancaster), would reduce costs by allowing PASSHE to enter into an agreement with an entity for the cooperative use of supplies and services.
Capitol Office: P.O. Box 203015 · 173
Capitol Building · Harrisburg, PA
17120-3015 · (717) 787-6801
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Plaza · Halifax, PA 17032
(717) 896-7714
Toll free # 1-888-PICCOLA
Email:
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