Let’s Work Together to Help Our State’s Teacher Shortage Challenge + Provide College Course Opportunities for ALL of PA’s Public School Students

To: Senator Vincent Hughes and Senator Lindsey Williams

CC: Representative Jim Marshall, Senator Camera Bartolotta, Representative Jason Ortitay, and Senator Ryan Aument

Dear Senator Vincent Hughes and Senator Lindsey Williams,

On behalf of Pennsylvania’s 179 public charter schools that serve close to 165,000 students, we are reaching out to you today about SB 99.  There’s no doubt that the teacher shortage is real.  It is negatively impacting all of our schools across our great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  SB 99 would help get at this danger to our educational success of our students.

However, in the bill’s current form, public charter school students are left out of dual enrollment.  This is just wrong.  However, time is of the essence and this could easily be fixed this PA Budget Season.

The  PA School Code does not allow public charter school students to take part in dual enrollment programs. All public school students – district and charter – must equally have a range of academic opportunities to further their education, both in K-12 and beyond. 

Time is of the essence!  There are very few session days left this fiscal year, and only 9 days in the fall.  It’s time to fix this discriminatory flaw in the PA School Code.

We’re asking you to consider the following:    

  • Push for the inclusion of Amendment language to SB 99, so that public charter school students are afforded the same opportunities as all other public students

Please demand that public charter schools are not left out of dual enrollment opportunities in SB 99 and the PA School Code Bill for this Fiscal Year.  All of PA’s public charter school students deserve to be treated equally, and be allowed access to courses to unlock future opportunities and success. Time is ticking and we need your help today!

We stand ready to work with you and provide more educational opportunities for our Commonwealth’s most precious resource: Our Students. 

Thank you for your consideration.  Please reach out to me or my Manager of Public Affairs and Policy, Jean Morrow at j.morrow@pacharters.org, with any questions.  

For Our Students,

 

Dr. Anne Clark
Chief Executive Officer
PA Coalition of Public Charter Schools
Cell: (717) 818-7680
Email: info@pacharters.org
Website: https://pacharters.org/

 

Jean Morrow
Manager of Public Affairs and Policy
PA Coalition of Public Charter Schools (PCPCS)
Cell: (352) 212-3854
Email: j.morrow@pacharters.org
Website: https://pacharters.org/